An online English proficiency test for companies is a standardised assessment that measures a candidate's English ability against the CEFR scale, from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery), and produces a verifiable PDF certificate. HR teams use it to confirm language claims on CVs before scheduling interviews, without booking an extra call or relying on self-assessment.
Why CV self-reports are not enough
Most candidates who apply for English-speaking roles describe themselves as B2. Some are B1. A meaningful number are closer to A2. A five-minute screening call rarely surfaces this, especially when a candidate has rehearsed their introduction and knows enough English to get through polite conversation.
Take a common scenario: you hire a customer support agent for an English-speaking market. The CV says "fluent English." The phone screen goes fine. Three weeks into the job, written communication with clients is slow, full of errors, and escalations rise. The cost of a mis-hire at that point, whether retraining or replacing the person, typically runs to several months of salary.
A 25-question standardised test, taken before the first interview, catches this early. The candidate either meets your threshold or does not. You find out in 25 minutes, not three weeks.
How it works for HR teams
- Send the candidate the test link. Direct them to examinizer.net/tests/ and ask them to complete the English test before their interview. No account required on their end.
- The candidate takes the free 25-question test. The test takes around 25 minutes and covers reading, grammar, and vocabulary calibrated to CEFR levels. Results are instant.
- The candidate pays 8 euros for the PDF certificate. The test itself is free. If they want the verifiable certificate to share with you, they pay 8 euros. Most candidates applying for a role they want are willing to do this.
- You verify the certificate in 10 seconds. Go to examinizer.net/verify/, enter the 12-character certificate ID or scan the QR code. No account needed. You see the CEFR level, score, and test date immediately.
What the certificate tells you
| Information | Details |
|---|---|
| CEFR level | A1 to C2. Most corporate roles require B2 as a minimum. |
| Score | Percentage correct out of 25 questions. |
| Test date | The exact date the candidate completed the test. |
| Verifiable | QR code and credential URL for instant online check at examinizer.net/verify/ |
| Expiry | No expiry. Valid indefinitely. |
Corporate plan for volume screening
If your team screens more than five to ten candidates per month, the individual approach adds up in coordination time. The Examinizer corporate plan removes that friction.
From an HR dashboard, you send test invitations directly to candidates. Credits deduct automatically when a test is completed, and all results sit in one place for comparison. No chasing certificates by email or manually logging scores into a spreadsheet.
Plans start at 49 euros a month for 10 certificates, bringing the cost per certificate down to 4.90 euros. There is a 3-day free trial with no card required. See corporate plans and pricing.
English levels for common roles
The table below shows typical CEFR requirements by role type. These are general ranges based on common hiring practice. Set your own threshold based on what the role actually demands.
| Role type | Typical CEFR requirement |
|---|---|
| Customer support (English-speaking) | B1 to B2 |
| Sales and account management | B2 |
| Senior client-facing roles | C1 |
| Internal operations | B1 |
| Executive and board level | C1 to C2 |
Candidate tests available
Examinizer covers 14 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Dutch, and Czech. If you hire for multilingual roles, the same verification process applies across all languages.
Business language tests are also available for roles where professional context matters, covering negotiations, business writing, and contracts. These tests are priced at 15 euros per certificate and are worth considering for senior commercial or legal-facing positions where general fluency is not sufficient on its own.
FAQ
Can we ask candidates to take the test and pay for their own certificate?
Yes. The test is free for the candidate. They pay 8 euros only if they want the PDF certificate to share with you. In practice, most candidates applying for a role they are genuinely interested in are willing to cover this cost.
Is Examinizer an officially accredited test like IELTS or Cambridge?
No. Examinizer is not affiliated with Cambridge, the British Council, or any national exam board. For roles where law or regulation specifically requires a named accredited qualification, you should use those. For standard hiring screening, where you need a fast, consistent, and verifiable check of English ability before an interview, Examinizer works well.
How do we verify a certificate we receive from a candidate?
Go to examinizer.net/verify/ and enter the 12-character certificate code shown on the PDF, or scan the QR code with your phone. The result displays in around 10 seconds. No account is needed to verify.
Can we set a minimum score threshold?
The certificate shows both the CEFR level and the percentage score, giving you two data points to work with. You decide what threshold fits the role. For most professional English-speaking positions, B2 (roughly 70% or above on the 25-question test) is a practical starting point.
Ready to cut wasted interview time? See corporate plans for teams that screen regularly, or send a candidate the English test now and get a result before your next interview slot.