What is the Trinity GESE 12 Exam?

The GESE 12 exam is the final grade of the official exams in this format endorsed by Trinity University. It's the highest level of the GESE exams. In this exam, candidates must demonstrate complete mastery of the language based on a wide range of topics, rephrase ideas, convey nuances of meaning in their answers, etc. This exam only evaluates the speaking part and is a good option for certifying your "almost bilingual" level of English or for completing all the grades if you have passed the previous levels.

What level can I certify with this exam?

The Trinity GESE 12 exam follows the scale of levels proposed by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, belonging to the European Union. Within this Framework, it corresponds to the C2 level.

Who is it suitable for?

This exam can be taken by both young people and adults who already have a complete mastery of the language.

Official Recognitions

Trinity exams have international recognition and all their exams are fully accredited by the UK educational authorities (OfQual) and recognized worldwide by Universities, companies, and various organizations.

However, for very specific cases of Universities, competitions, or official bodies, we always recommend consulting with the relevant entity or reviewing the basics of official bulletins (for example, for competitions), since there are times when only the ISE exam (four skills) is accepted.

What is the structure and duration of the exam?

The GESE 12 - C2 Trinity exam lasts no longer than 25 minutes and is divided into five phases:

• Topic presentation: Presentation of a Formal Topic (the Topic is the main subject that the exam will be based on, based on a topic of personal interest that the candidate must have prepared in advance, in this case it has to be a formal topic as this is the highest level). In this task the candidate has the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the language on the subject of their presentation. At the end of the task the candidate must invite the examiner to ask questions and comment.
• Topic discussion: in this phase the candidate and the examiner will have a discussion about the Topic. The purpose of this activity is for both to exchange ideas and opinions on it and the candidate must be able to challenge the examiner and respond to his comments to justify, exemplify and argue their opinion on the ideas of their Topic.
• Interactive task: Starting from GESE 7, this new task comes into action which consists of an interactive exercise with the examiner. The examiner reads the beginning of a text on a subject or situation and the candidate has to ask questions to find out more information and comment. In this phase the objective is for the candidate to demonstrate their skills to control and maintain a continuous interaction with the examiner using language functions appropriate to the level.
• Listening task: The purpose of this task is for the candidate to demonstrate their listening comprehension skills at a high level and be able to predict, deduce and recognize different situations and respond to questions.
• Conversation: As in previous levels, this is a conversation with the examiner in which the candidate at this level must demonstrate their skills in the lexical, phonological and grammar fields in line with a C2 level. At this level for the conversation topic there is no specific list as candidates must be capable of addressing any conversation topic on the areas covered in previous levels as well as any other topic of general or current interest.

Is this exam in person or online?

Trinity exams are conducted in person at an official examining center. As for the modality, depending on the center, GESE exams can be conducted either with an examiner in person face-to-face or through video conference.

How is this exam evaluated?

The examiner evaluates the candidate by awarding a letter grade of A, B, C or D which is classified as follows:

• A: Distinction (excellent performance)
• B: Merit (good performance)
• C: Pass (satisfactory performance)
• D: Fail (insufficient performance)

At the end of the exam, the examiner also completes an individual report where they provide information about performance and results and identify key areas for improvement.

How long does it take to get the results? How long are they valid for?

All candidates receive a Grade Report and if the exam is passed also a certificate.

Although the official deadline for the publication of grades set by Trinity for the GESE exams is 4 weeks, in most cases this deadline is significantly shortened and you may receive the results in a few days and the certificate in approximately 2 or 3 weeks. The certificates of Trinity College London do not have an expiration date, they are valid for life.

How can I register from home?

You can register for these exams through our website quickly and securely without paperwork, with your mobile or computer and in 5 minutes. After registration for your exam, you will receive registration confirmation by email automatically after purchase. One week before the exam date, the examination center will contact you to indicate the time and place of the exam.

Click here to see all the information about dates, fees and calls for Trinity GESE 12 - C2 exams.