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Key Features

• Secure and Proctored Environment to verify the authenticity of every writing sample
• 30-Minute Timed Essay completed on Vericant’s secure platform or in Verican’t testing center
• Randomly Generated Writing Prompts to help ensure originality
• Choice of Writing Prompts allowing applicants to respond to one questions that best matches their strengths
• Writing Sample Evaluation (WSE) measuring written English proficiency on a standardized 0 to 6 scale (learn more here: https://www.vericant.com/knowledge-base/the-writing-sample-evaluation-wse/)
• Comprehensive Writing Assessment evaluating vocabulary, grammar, coherence, and task fulfillment

The post Vericant Writing Sample Overview appeared first on Vericant.

Key Features:

• Each Show and Tell video can be up to two minutes long.
• The system will automatically stop recording at two minutes.
• Applicants may stop recording earlier if they finish before the time limit.
• Videos must be recorded directly within the Vericant platform.
• Applicants can watch and re-record their video as many times as they would like before saving.
• After saving, the video may take 5 to 10 minutes to process.
• Once processing is complete, applicants can add a title and a short message of up to 200 characters that admissions teams will see.
• Show and Tell is designed to supplement the Vericant Interview, not replace it.

Show and Tell provides an opportunity to showcase aspects of your personality, interests, accomplishments, and experiences that may not be fully reflected in a traditional interview.

The post Show and Tell Overview appeared first on Vericant.

The Vericant Guided Interview is a simple, flexible way to complete your school interview online. You will respond to a small number of prompts using short video answers, with time to prepare before each response. The interview can be completed on your computer or phone, with no downloads required.

Higher Ed

For higher ed schools the Vericant Guided Interview will include a spoken English proficiency score called BASE, which stands for Basic Assessment Spoken Evaluation, giving admissions teams additional insight into your communication skills. Here are the scoring summary descriptions (1-4):

1. Severely limited language control; frequent breakdowns make comprehension difficult or incomplete.
2. Communicative intent is evident, but performance is inconsistent and effortful; issues with accuracy, fluency, or organization frequently interfere with clarity.
3. Competent and controlled performance with occasional inconsistencies or minor barriers to naturalness.
4. Authentic, confident, and flexible language use. Errors exist, but they are minor, natural, and do not impede comprehension.

For More information, please visit out Guided Interview page here: https://www.vericant.com/guided-interview/

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The SAO-Vericant integration allows students to link their Vericant interview account with their SAO (Standard Application Online) account so that interview progress can be shared between the two systems. 

What Happens After Connecting

Once a student connects the two accounts, their interview progress and status will automatically appear on their SAO dashboard. This helps families easily follow the progress of their Vericant interview while they continue their SAO application.

At this stage, the integration only supports sharing data between Vericant and SAO for student use. The integration for school use will be developed in the next phase.

How Students Can Connect

If you already have a Vericant account, you can connect from the Vericant dashboard. You will see a section called Data Integration with an SAO row.

• If it shows “Not Connected,” click “Connect” and follow the steps to link your accounts.

• Once connected, it will display “Connected” along with the connection date.

If you have an SAO account, you can connect from the SAO dashboard. Please refer to the SAO website for instructions.

Why This Integration Matters

This connection saves time and keeps everything in one place. Families can view their interview status directly in SAO without switching between platforms, ensuring a smoother and more transparent application process.

The post What Is the SAO-Vericant Integration? appeared first on Vericant.

The Writing Sample Evaluation (WSE) assesses candidates’ written English skills, assigning scores from 0 to 6 (to one decimal place, e.g., 4.3, 2.2). It evaluates the real-world written communication capabilities of participants. After the Vericant interview process, submitting WSE scores helps schools assess an applicant’s English writing skills. These materials allow admissions officers to quickly evaluate an applicant’s written proficiency, facilitating the identification of candidates who meet their admission criteria. For applicants, the WSE score acts as a clear indicator of their performance, highlighting their written communication skills to various schools and programs.

What’s the WSE Assesment Criteria?

The WSE score reflects the following four aspects of English written usage, namely:

• Range of Vocabulary (breadth of vocabulary, including its accurate application in context and understanding of definitions)
• Grammar Control (the ability to form sentences using standard grammatical rules)
• Coherence (the ability to organize content effectively, particularly through smooth transitions, appropriate paragraphing, and the use of cohesive devices)
• Task fulfillment (degree of understanding of the given prompt and the capability to respond with relevant, detailed, and illustrative explanations.

How is the WSE score divided?

The WSE score is divided into six levels. For specific details, please refer to the “WSE Grade and Scoring Explanation Table” below. For more questions about the WSE, email our customer service at info@vericant.com.

Proficient

6: Demonstrates an exceptional understanding and articulation of ideas, mirroring the proficiency of a native speaker. This level signifies a robust mastery over all facets of written language, showcasing an ability to navigate complex linguistic landscapes with precision and ease.
5: Exhibits a high level of competency in communicating both complex and straightforward subjects with clarity and sophistication. Arguments are well-supported and presented in a coherent structure, showcasing fluency despite minor imperfections.
4: Possesses the ability to discuss a wide array of topics with competent control over language, producing texts that are coherent, albeit with some errors. The writing is generally clear, making it accessible to the audience.

Intermediate

3: Able to write about familiar subjects with a limited degree of fluency, using straightforward language. However, challenges in vocabulary, grammar, and the organization of thoughts are evident, impacting the overall clarity and flow of ideas.

Beginner

2: Restricted to simple written discourse on only familiar topics, relying heavily on basic vocabulary and incomplete sentence structures. Significant support is needed due to substantial difficulties with grammar, structure, and task comprehension.
1: Displays minimal proficiency in written communication, with substantial struggles in conveying even the most basic of information.

What are the key features of the WSE?

1. WSE Scores: In the WSE assessment report, each applicant’s WSE score is the average of the scores from the four sections outlined in the “WSE Assessment Standards.”
2. WSE Assessment Report: All applicants who participate in a Vericant interview receive a Vericant-issued WSE assessment report after the writing sample has been processed. The report includes the applicant’s WSE score and explanations for different scoring levels (i.e., Beginner, Intermediate, and Proficient levels). This score reflects the applicant’s composite score in four aspects of their writing ability. Applicants can see a detailed explanation of the level corresponding to their score, providing them with a clear judgment of their language proficiency level.
3. The basis for WSE evaluation is to see what applicants “can do.” Vericant scores correspond to three levels: Beginner level (1-2 points), Intermediate level (3 points), and Proficient level (4-6 points). For example, if an applicant’s WSE score is 3.8, it means that he or she possesses all the abilities described at the intermediate level.

Who rates the WSE?

The WSE scores are independently determined by at least two raters. These raters are native English speakers with a bachelor’s degree and teaching experience, all having undergone rigorous training. The final score for each applicant is calculated as the average of two separate scores derived from evaluating the applicant’s English proficiency as demonstrated on their Vericant writing sample.

What’s the rescoring policy for the WSE?

1. Applicants can request a score reassessment within one month from the date the interview results were sent.
2. The fee for applying for a rescoring is USD 160. Once Vericant confirms receipt of the payment proof sent by the student via email, the rescoring process will begin.
3. Vericant is required to complete the rescoring within 15 working days from the day the applicant’s request is made and after Vericant confirms receipt of the payment proof sent by the student.
4. If the rescoring results in a score change greater than 0.4 points (excluding 0.4) either higher or lower than the original score, Vericant will adjust the applicant’s original score to the newly assessed score and will formally notify both the applicant and the schools. In this case, the entire rescoring fee will be refunded.
5. If the score change is less than or equal to 0.4 points, the original score will remain unchanged, and the rescoring fee will not be refunded.
6. The score obtained after the rescoring and adjustment becomes the final score, regardless of whether it has increased or decreased from the original score. Applicants do not have the right to request another rescoring.

The post The Writing Sample Evaluation (WSE) appeared first on Vericant.

The SEE Diagnostic is an add-on to the K-12 Vericant Pre-Interview and can be purchased anytime, before or after your K-12 Vericant Pre-Interview (VPI).

You can:

• Purchase SEED as an add-on when you purchase the Vericant Pre-Interview package
• Get SEED included when you purchase the Vericant Pre-Interview Plus or Premium package
• Purchase SEED as an upgrade anytime through your Vericant student dashboard

When will I receive my SEE Diagnostic?

The diagnostic will be delivered as a PDF file to your student dashboard 5 working days after your PSEE report is delivered. If the SEE Diagnostic is purchased after the PSEE report is delivered, the SEE Diagnostic will be delivered 5 working days after purchase date.

To receive your booklet faster, you can upgrade to fast delivery for both your PSEE score and your SEE Diagnostic. Learn more on Pricing.

Can I receive a printed copy of my SEE Diagnostic?

By default the SEE Diagonostic is delivered as an electronic PDF. If you would like it printed and shipped to you, please contact info@vericant.com after purchasing.

How do counselors, advisors and teachers use the SEE Diagnostic?

The SEE Diagnostic is a great way for you to help your students get the most from their K-12 Vericant Pre-Interview experience. It not only includes personalized feedback on their performance, but also has helpful tips for each of the five categories of the SEE rubric. If you are unsure of the meaning of any of the feedback please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by email at info@vericant.com.

The post The Spoken English Evaluation Diagnostic (SEED) appeared first on Vericant.

Vericant’s SEE is a holistic reflection of how language is used for the social purposes of real-life communication, rather than just the speaker’s technical mastery of grammar and vocabulary. SEE reflects a speaker’s ability to communicate accurately and appropriately in a conversational interview setting.

Do all Vericant Interviews include the SEE score?

For 2023 application season, only the K-12 Vericant Interview include the SEE score as part of the standard service.

Undergraduate and graduate institutions may request an SEE score for a specific interview via the School Portal.

Why was SEE developed?

Pencil and paper English proficiency exams measure reading, writing and listening abilities, but neglect the fourth and possibly the most important ability in a western classroom: speaking. To fill this gap, Vericant’s verified video interviews were developed to help admission officers better understand their applicant’s spoken English ability and non-cognitive skills. The only problem was evaluations were subjective and applicants received little feedback on their abilities.

With Vericant SEE, admission officers now have a standardized measurement of applicant’s spoken English abilities and applicants receive feedback on their spoken English ability.

What does the SEE score consider?

The Spoken English Evaluation (SEE) assesses candidates’ oral English skills in Vericant interviews, assigning scores from 0 to 6 (to one decimal place, e.g., 4.3, 2.2). It evaluates language proficiency and real-world communication capabilities. After completing the Vericant interview process, submitting the SEE score helps schools assess an applicant’s English oral communication skills. These materials allow admissions officers to quickly evaluate oral proficiency, helping to identify candidates who meet their admission criteria. For applicants, the SEE score acts as a clear indicator of their performance, highlighting their oral communication skills to various schools and programs.

What’s the SEE Assesment criteria?

The SEE score reflects the following five aspects of language usage, namely:

• Range (the ability to comprehend topics and use appropriate vocabulary to express nuanced meanings)
• Accuracy (the ability to form sentences using standard grammatical rules and vocabulary)
• Fluency (the ability to express oneself fluently, including rhythm, pronunciation, and spoken fluency)
• Interaction (the level of participation and awareness while conversing in English)
• Coherence (ensuring the relevance, depth, and clarity of information conveyed in the conversation)

What are SEE score levels?

The SEE score is divided into six levels. For more questions about the SEE, email our customer service at info@vericant.com.

Proficient

6: Exhibits an ability to understand and articulate ideas at the level of a native speaker, consistently demonstrating a strong command over all aspects of speech.
5: Demonstrates the ability to express both complex and simple ideas with clarity and fluency, offering detailed explanations and viewpoints even in the face of minor limitations.
4: Engages in discussions on a broad range of topics with a solid degree of control, resulting in conversations that are pleasant to follow despite some noticeable but minor errors.

Intermediate

3: Capable of discussing relatively familiar topics using straightforward, continuous language, yet facing noticeable challenges in vocabulary usage, grammar control, and the articulation of ideas.

Beginner

2: Limited to basic interactions using familiar day-to-day vocabulary and sentence structures, necessitating considerable assistance and confined to responding to direct questions.
1: Shows minimal, if any, proficiency in verbal communication, struggling to convey basic messages.

What are the key features of the SEE Assesment?

SEE Scores: In the SEE assessment report, each applicant’s SEE score is the average of the scores from the five sections outlined in the “SEE Assessment Criteria.” SEE Assessment Reports: All applicants who participate in a Vericant interview receive a Vericant-issued SEE assessment report after the interview results have been processed. The report includes the applicant’s SEE score and explanations for different scoring levels (i.e., Beginner, Intermediate, and Proficient levels). This score reflects the applicant’s composite score in five aspects of language expression ability. Applicants can see a detailed explanation of the level corresponding to their score, providing them with a clear judgment of their language proficiency level. The basis for SEE evaluation is to see what applicants “can do.” Vericant scores correspond to three levels: Beginner level (1-2 points), Intermediate level (3 points), and Proficient level (4-6 points). For example, if an applicant’s SEE score is 4.8, it means that he or she possesses all the abilities described at the proficient level.

How is the SEE score rated?

The SEE scores are independently determined by at least two raters. These raters are native English speakers with a bachelor’s degree and teaching experience, all having undergone rigorous training. The final score for each applicant is calculated as the average of two separate scores derived from evaluating the applicant’s English proficiency as demonstrated in their Vericant interview video.

How does SEE compare to TOEFL or IELTS?

The SEE is developed from the Common European Framework of References for Languages (CEFR), a globally recognized framework of references that serves as the basis of most language tests, including TOEFL and IELTS exams. Unlike TOEFL and IELTS, the SEE was not developed with the specific purposes of assessing the proficiency of academic English.

The SEE is an evaluation of spoken English communication expressed during Vericant’s behavioral interview setting.

How are raters trained?

Examiners undergo intensive SEE rubric training during which the scoring process is thoroughly reviewed and calibrated. Examiners are given periodic re-calibrations to the SEE rubric, and if they’re not able to score inline with our master rating, are excused from examining until they’ve passed retraining.

The post The Spoken English Evaluation (SEE) appeared first on Vericant.

K-12 Interview applicants: Depending on the package or services that you purchase, your interview results will be sent to your Vericant account around 5 PM on the 3rd, 5th or 10th work day after the day of your interview.

Summer Program Interview applicants: Based on the package or services you purchase, your interview results will be sent to your Vericant account around 5 PM on the 3rd or 5th work day after the day of your interview.

University/Post-graduate applicants: Depending on the package or services that you purchase, your interview results will be sent to your Vericant account around 5 PM on the 3rd or 1st work day after the day of your interview.

When will I receive my interview results?

Result delivery depends on the package purchased by the applicant. You can visit our Pricing page for more information.

K-12/Boarding School Interview: Your results will be sent out on either the 3rd, 5th or 10th business day after the interview is conducted..

University/Graduate Interview: Your results will be sent out on either the 1st or 3rd business day after the interview is conducted..

Applicants will be able to view their interview results on their Vericant account.

How do I check my interview results? What is included in my results?

The interview results will be delivered to your Vericant account.

K-12 applicants can login to see their SEE + WSE score report.

University/Graduate applicants can login to see their interview video recording, writing sample, and SEE +WSE score report.

How will the schools I’m applying to receive my interview results?

After the student receives their interview results, they can then log into their Vericant account and add the schools that they want to send their interview to. The student’s interview results, including video interview, three page writing sample, SEE score, and WSE score will immediately be sent to the Vericant partner schools added by the student. School users are notified by email when a student has sent an interview to them.

Note for K-12 applicants:

Be careful when adding partner schools, as students can only send one video to the school to which they’re applying. Once the school is added and saved, it cannot be modified or deleted.
Some partner schools only accept the first interview; other schools accept the most recent interview. Click here to see a list of partner schools.

Which universities, colleges and school use the Vericant Interview as part of their admissions process?

Click here for a list of middle and high schools that are partners with Vericant.

Click here for a list of university and graduate schools that are partners with Vericant.

How do I send interview results to a school that doesn’t partner with Vericant?

If you would like to send your Vericant Interview to one or more non-partner high schools, please follow the steps below. To see a list of high schools that partner with Vericant, please click here.

If you can’t find the non-partner school that you wish to add in the system:

1. Please email the non-partner school’s name to info@vericant.com. Our team will add the school into the system and notify you via email.
2. After you receive this email, you must add the school into the non-partner school list in your portal and send it.
3. Email your interview link to the non-partner school’s admissions team. You must also confirm by email with the school that they will accept the Vericant interview. If they do, forward the email to us and we will help the school review your interview promptly.

If the non-partner school that you wish to add is in the “non-partner schools” list, you can add the school directly to your non-partner school list and send it. Then follow step #3 above.

How to find your interview link

Login to your Vericant account, click Manage Interviews, click Send to Schools, and click Get Interview Link (Optional) in the bottom left corner.

If you are applying for university or graduate school and the school you wish to send to isn’t in this list, please follow the the steps below:

1. If you’re applying for university, email the name of the school to info@vericant.com. If you’re applying for graduate school, please email the name of your school, the program, and your admissions teacher to info@vericant.com. Our team will add the school into the system and notify you via email.
2. After you receive this email, you must add the school into the non-partner school list in your portal and send it.
3. Email your interview link to the non-partner school’s admissions team. You must also confirm by email with the school that they will accept the Vericant interview. If they do, forward the email to us and we will help the school review your interview promptly.
   How to find your interview link
   • Login to your Vericant account.
   • Select “Manage Interviews.”
   • Select “Send to Schools.”
   • Select “Get Interview Link (Optional)” in the bottom left corner.

Can I see my video and highlight my favorite portion to send to schools?

K-12 applicants cannot see their interview video thus they cannot select video highlights to send to schools. Be mindful that some partner high schools only accept the first interview while other high schools accept the most recent interview.

University/Graduate applicants can see their full interview video(s) and they can highlight their favorite part of their interview directly within the student portal. After they choose to send the interview to schools, the school will see the full video as well as the highlighted part.

Read about how to send hearts to your top three schools.

How can I apply for an SEE re-score? What is the re-score policy?

Within one month after the date the interview results are received, students can apply for a score reassessment by sending an email to info@vericant.com. The reassessment fee is $165 USD*. Vericant will begin to re-evaluate the score after receiving confirmation of payment by the student.

SEE Reassessment Policy:

1. Vericant is required to complete the reassessment within 15 business days after payment is received.
2. If the reassessed score differs from the original score by more than 0.4 (above or below the original score), Vericant corrects the original score to the final score for the applicant and informs the student and the school(s). The reassessment fee will also be refunded to the student.
3. If the reassessed score differs from the original score by less than or equal to 0.4, the original score will remain unchanged. The reassessment fee will not be refunded.
   The reassessed score will be the final score, no matter if the score is higher or lower than the original score. There is a limit of one reassessment per interview.

*For students residing in Mainland China, please refer to www.vericant.cn for more accurate pricing information.

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The Vericant Summer Program Interview is designed for students applying to participating summer programs that require or recommend a Vericant Interview as part of the admissions process.

The interview allows applicants to demonstrate their communication skills, personality, interests, and motivation beyond the written application. Admissions teams use the interview to better understand each applicant and make more informed admissions decisions.

If you are unsure whether your program requires a Vericant Interview, please check your program’s application instructions, contact the admissions office directly, or visit our page showing accepting institutions (https://www.vericant.com/who-accepts/).

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