OPI
Oral Proficiency Interview.
An Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is a structured oral assessment of language proficiency, originally developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The OPI format is widely used for ICAO English language proficiency assessments for pilots and air traffic controllers.
An ICAO OPI typically lasts 20–40 minutes and includes:
- Warm-up — introductory conversation to establish baseline proficiency.
- Level-check tasks — performance tasks that elicit language at the candidate's proficiency level.
- Probes — tasks designed to identify the ceiling of the candidate's proficiency.
- Plain-language and aviation-specific tasks — designed to assess non-routine communication ability in cockpit-realistic scenarios.
- Wind-down — closing conversation.
The assessment is recorded and rated against the six ICAO criteria. Results are typically delivered within 5 business days, with the criterion-level breakdown and (where applicable) a remediation plan for any criterion below Level 4.