Empowering Excellence
Newsletter | Official Languages Assessment Special Edition 2025 | 5th edition
Efficiency measures
- Process optimization to eliminate testing backlogs, administering over 29 570 oral language tests last fiscal year (2024 to 2025) and meeting service standards since last September.
- New self-serve scheduling system and changes to service prioritization.
- Measures that will help reduce the number of last-minute cancellations and further improve efficiency.
Program enhancements
- Candidates can now submit accommodation requests and manage their profiles directly on the Candidate Assessment Tool for reading comprehension and written expression tests, without requiring departmental HR interventions. These functionalities will be available for oral language tests by the end of summer 2025.
- Also, employees with medical exclusions can include this information in their workplace accessibility passport, building on sideration for non-imperative appointments and supporting inclusive hiring under the federal accessibility strategy.
Sign a multi-year memorandum of understanding for PSC assessment services to improve planning and reduce administrative burden.
End of flexibility measures
As a result of these administrative and program efficiency measures, the PSC will be able to meet current and future second language testing demand. As of October 1, 2025, departmental second language tests for oral proficiency will no longer be permitted, though recent results (less than 5 years) can still be used within departments and agencies.
Coming soon
In June 2025, the Directive on Official Languages for People Management will increase second-language proficiency requirements for bilingual supervisory positions in bilingual regions. We're ready to support this shift in line with government-wide official languages modernization efforts by ensuring timely second language testing.
Next steps
We're exploring new tools and technologies, including AI, to continuously improve our capacity to address unexpected demand surges, and to provide responsive second language tests to help reduce time to staff bilingual positions in the federal public service.
Exemption from further second language testing ("E") can only be granted if the test was administered in a supervised setting.