The role of the 'warm-up' is to put the interviewee at ease, to familiarize him/her with the
pronunciation and way of speaking of the interviewer, and to generate topics which can be
explored later in the interview. The 'level checks' allow the interviewee to demonstrate
his/her ability to manipulate tasks and contexts at a particular level.
If the interviewer is satisfied with the testee's sustained performance, an attempt will be
made to discover the 'ceiling', i.e. to elicit response at the higher level. 'Probes', thus, makes
the testee reveal a pattern of weaknesses. A 'role-play' serves as an additional check, to help
the interviewer confirm the testee's level. The 'wind-down' brings the interviewer down to a
level comfortable for the testee so as to end the OPI on a positive note. The entire interview
lasts about 15 minutes in the case of a novice, and can be as long as 35 minutes if a series of
probes and level checks are necessary. The interview is taped and a decision is made if the
interviewer and a second rater agree on the level. In the case of disagreement, the tape is
sent to a third rater.
pronunciation and way of speaking of the interviewer, and to generate topics which can be
explored later in the interview. The 'level checks' allow the interviewee to demonstrate
his/her ability to manipulate tasks and contexts at a particular level.
If the interviewer is satisfied with the testee's sustained performance, an attempt will be
made to discover the 'ceiling', i.e. to elicit response at the higher level. 'Probes', thus, makes
the testee reveal a pattern of weaknesses. A 'role-play' serves as an additional check, to help
the interviewer confirm the testee's level. The 'wind-down' brings the interviewer down to a
level comfortable for the testee so as to end the OPI on a positive note. The entire interview
lasts about 15 minutes in the case of a novice, and can be as long as 35 minutes if a series of
probes and level checks are necessary. The interview is taped and a decision is made if the
interviewer and a second rater agree on the level. In the case of disagreement, the tape is
sent to a third rater.