Trinity College London describes ISE, short for Integrated Skills in English, as its suite of English language qualifications designed to assess practical communication skills. Its website offers ISE in two formats that settle a candidate’s level in different ways. This guide reports what four Trinity pages say about ISE Digital and ISE Paper; none of the pages shows a date, and all were read on 31 October 2026. Statements about recognition and regulation are Trinity’s own, and no comparison with other tests is made here. For that, see this site’s guides to IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge English and to the CEFR levels.
What ISE sets out to assess
Trinity says ISE assesses how candidates use English across reading, writing, speaking and listening in authentic, meaningful contexts. It describes the qualifications as suitable for people who speak English as a second language, including young people and adults, who want to show their proficiency for study, work, progression or visa purposes. It also says that preparing for ISE helps candidates develop the practical English skills they need for academic study, employment and everyday communication. The ISE Paper page adds that integrated tasks include “Reading into writing”, in which candidates use information from reading texts to produce written responses.
Two formats, two ways of choosing a level
ISE Digital is a single adaptive digital exam taken at a Trinity-approved centre. Trinity says candidates do not need to choose a CEFR level before taking it, and that every candidate receives a result because the test is multi-level. The example-tasks section explains that the tasks and their difficulty adjust to the candidate’s ability.
ISE Paper works the other way round. Candidates choose a level and then take that level’s exam on paper. Trinity lists six levels, each mapped to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR):
- ISE A1, mapped to CEFR A1
- ISE Foundation, mapped to A2
- ISE I, mapped to B1
- ISE II, mapped to B2
- ISE III, mapped to C1
- ISE IV, mapped to C2
Modules, timing and resits
For ISE Digital, Trinity says the four-skills exam takes up to 105 minutes, including a levelling test and time to read instructions. All four modules must be taken at the same time, although one module can be resat within 90 days to improve a score. Its page says candidates can book up to three days before the exam, that most results will be available within 3 to 5 working days, and that exams must be booked through a Registered Exam Centre. The live exam uses a secure browser that blocks multiple monitors and secondary screens, and the demo test does not replicate it.
ISE Paper has two modules. Speaking and Listening is a one-to-one assessment, in person or by live video conference, in an exam centre. Reading and Writing is a written exam in a Trinity Registered Exam Centre. Trinity says the two modules can be taken together or separately, depending on the exam route and centre arrangements, and that candidates must pass both at the same level to achieve the full certificate. It lists ISE specifications, a factsheet and exam-information documents for the paper format, and says fixed Reading and Writing dates are published on its ISE exam dates page.
How ISE Digital reports a result
Each module is scored from zero to 150, and the overall score is an average of the four module scores. The certificate shows the scores and the corresponding CEFR level from A1 to C2, and a “Not yet A1” result is also possible. There are no separate module certificates. Trinity says candidates are assessed on how intelligible they are and do not need to copy any particular accent of first-language English speakers. Candidates can choose American or British spelling but must use one convention consistently. The score report includes a diagnostic profile of performance in each skill.
What Trinity says about regulation and recognition
Trinity states that ISE is regulated by Ofqual in the UK, listed on the Regulated Qualifications Framework and aligned with the European Qualifications Framework, and that its ISE A2 to C2 exams have been awarded the ALTE Q-mark. The ISE Digital page also names Qualifications Wales and CCEA Regulation in Northern Ireland. Trinity describes ISE as recognised by governments, universities and institutions around the world, and that is the provider’s own claim.
For UK visa and settlement purposes, Trinity says ISE is a UK government-approved test when taken at a Trinity SELT Centre. Its SELT page advises anyone unsure which test is needed to check with their sponsor, an immigration adviser or solicitor, or UK Visas and Immigration. This site’s guides to UKVI Secure English Language Tests and to visa English requirements by route cover the official side.
The bottom line
According to Trinity’s own pages, ISE is offered as ISE Digital, an adaptive test that does not ask candidates to pick a level, and ISE Paper, where candidates pick one of six CEFR-mapped levels and must pass both modules at that level. Trinity’s regulation and recognition statements are its own, and whether a particular university, employer or visa route accepts a given result is a question for that body.
Sources
- Integrated Skills in English (ISE), Trinity College London, page undated, read 31 October 2026 (trinitycollege.com)
- ISE Digital English Exam, Trinity College London, page undated, read 31 October 2026 (trinitycollege.com)
- ISE Paper English Exam, Trinity College London, page undated, read 31 October 2026 (trinitycollege.com)
- SELT | Secure English Language Tests, Trinity College London, page undated, read 31 October 2026 (trinitycollege.com)