Radboud Academic Test of English (RATEr)

After 15 August, we offer this test only for the colloquium doctum and BIG registration. Dates will be announced as soon as possible.

The RATEr is an admission assessment for Wageningen University & Research and Radboud University Nijmegen. The assessment ascertains whether students, prospective students, PhD candidates and other academic staff possess the required language proficiency to take an English-taught degree programme at Wageningen University or Radboud University Nijmegen.

These universities each have their own rules regarding RATEr acceptance for admission. See the table below for details.

Who is the RATEr for?

Target group	Radboud University	Wageningen University & Research
(Incoming) students with Dutch nationality	Yes	Yes
EU students with non-Dutch nationality	No	Yes
Non-EU students with non-Dutch nationality	No	No
PhD candidates and other academic researchers	Yes	Yes
Reading (B2) BIG registration	Yes	Yes

Content

RATEr consists of four components:
- Reading skills;
- Writing skills;
- Speaking skills;
- Listening skills.

For additional information and sample questions, click here

The components of the RATEr are extensively pre-tested and give reliable results, comparable to Cambridge, IELTS or TOEFL.

Level of the assessment

The RATEr is based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) and assesses whether a candidate has a B2 level of English. The English language proficiency required to study at a Dutch university or university of applied sciences is B2 level. There are no entry requirements for the assessment: everyone can take it.

After participating you will receive one of the qualifications:

Candidate performs successfully at the B2 level (comparable to IELTS 6.0-6.5 and TOEFL iBT 80-100).
Candidate has not mastered the B2 level.

Following the assessment, the candidate will receive a certificate stating the results with a short explanation.

Take the assessment on campus or at home

The RATEr is organised by Wageningen in’to Languages and Radboud in’to Languages. You can register for an assessment on location (Radboud University Nijmegen campus) or for an online assessment at home. Proctoring software is used for the online assessment. Make sure to check the requirements for taking the assessment online at home.

Taking the assessment on campus or at home has no consequences for the content of the assessment. The certificate you receive upon completion is the same.

Requirements online assessment

In order to participate in the online RATEr, the following must be in order:

You must be able to take the assessment in a quiet room with a stable internet connection;
You must use Google Chrome;
You must have a laptop or PC with a camera and speakers, and you must be prepared to use these during the assessment;
You must have a headset or headphones you can use;
You must have a valid ID;
You must have a phone with the possibility to make a sound recording. The phone must be charged and have a storage capacity of at least 10-50 MB;
During the administration you may not use a (digital) dictionary or other websites.

Further information

We use remote proctoring during the assessment to prevent fraud. The document at the bottom of this page contains further information about remote proctoring as it is used at WUR.

We strongly advise you to take the practice exam at least once before taking the assessment. This allows you to practice the assessment content and it is also the best way to check whether your system, your browser and the remote proctoring function as they should. Experience has shown that candidates who have taken the practice exam before the assessment perform better and experience less stress during the assessment because they are more comfortable with the systems used before and during the assessment.

Registration

Registration for and communication about the RATEr on campus runs through Radboud in'to Languages. Registration for and communication about the online RATEr from home runs through Wageningen in'to Languages.

Please indicate what you need the certificate for: Registration at Wageningen University & Research, registration at Radboud University or BIG registration. You can indicate this in the field for 'reference'.

Practical information

Assessment dates:

Testing dates for colloquium doctum and BIG registration (English) will be announced as soon as possible.

Fees

€ 225.- for all components (including certificate);
€ 145.- for B2 BIG registration (including certificate)

You will receive an invoice after the registration deadline has passed.

Results

The participants will receive their results by email no later than 15 business days after taking the assessment. This applies when the candidate has paid. The certificate will then be sent by post.

Should you fail to pass one or more of the components, you cannot retake individual components at a later time. However, you can re-register for the whole assessment. You will have to pay for it again.

Assessment regulations and information about remote proctoring

Assessment Regulations RATEr Online at Home

pdf 166.78 KB

Assessment regulations RATEr on campus

pdf 215.94 KB

Remote proctoring at WUR

pdf 79.73 KB

More information

If you would like to know more about taking the test on campus, please contact the Radboud in’to Languages Service Centre:
T: +31 24 361 21 59 | E: info [at] into.ru.nl (info[at]into[dot]ru[dot]nl)

If you would like to know more about taking the test online, at home, please contact the Wageningen in’to Languages Service Centre:
T: +31 317 482552 | E: into [at] wur.nl (into[at]wur[dot]nl)