TOLES Exam Preparation Courses
Take a TOLES course (Test of Legal English Skills) with our teachers online, at The London Legal English School with our classes that give you the power to take the TOLES Advanced, TOLES Foundation and TOLES Higher exams with confidence.
TOLES Exam Preparation Course
If you want to be a successful international lawyer, you will have to deal with cases in other jurisdictions and communicate with clients from outside your home country. Holding an exam certificate in TOLES will give people confidence that you are skilled at Legal English and Business English.
WHAT IS TOLES?
TOLES stands for the ‘Test of Legal English Skills’. Legal English UK's TOLES programme consists of a structured course of legal English lessons and training materials supported by three levels of professional exams. The exam levels are progressive steps towards reaching the standard of legal English required by employers such as international commercial law firms, in-house legal teams in private companies and top-class translators. A TOLES certificate shows that you can manage certain legal tasks and communicate in specific situations. It is valid for life.
TOLES legal English training materials and exams have been developed following the advice of experienced commercial lawyers. The main requirements of employers are excellent drafting skills, first-class negotiating skills and a strong sense of commercial awareness.
HOW CAN LEGAL ENGLISH TEACHERS HELP ME TO PREPARE?
Legal English Language Training is the world's leading language school for lawyers and law professionals seeking world-class training in any of the three TOLES Legal English exams.
Students who take our TOLES lessons will improve their skills in Legal English and learn how to do well in the tests.
WHO IS THE TOLES EXAM FOR AND WHY SHOULD I TAKE IT?
TOLES Legal English is intended to assist working lawyers, law students, and legal translators who are not native speakers of the English language. TOLES exams were developed in 2000 as a direct solution to the problem of law graduates lacking the level of English required to carry out essential legal tasks. TOLES provides working lawyers with some of the skills, accuracy and confidence they may need when using English at work. The exam is not endorsed by Legal English UK.
WHAT IS THE FORMAT OF THE EXAM?
TOLES Level 1 legal English exam
Foundation: Suitable for beginner level. Focus on basic grammar and vocabulary. Encourages commercial awareness.
Time allowed: 90 minutes
Skills tested: Legal reading and writing (90 minutes)
Focus: Practical legal vocabulary in authentic situations; consolidation of basic grammar
Appropriate level of general English: Elementary-Advanced
TOLES Level 2 legal English exam
Higher: Suitable for intermediate level. Focus on intermediate grammar and vocabulary. A realistic introduction to legal work.
Time allowed: 135 minutes approximately (depending on variations in the listening test)
Skills tested: Legal reading and writing (90 minutes); legal listening (30-45 minutes)
Focus: Practical reading, writing and listening skills in authentic legal situations
Appropriate level of general English: Intermediate-Advanced
TOLES Level 3 legal English exam
Advanced: Suitable for advanced level. Focus on near-native level grammar and vocabulary.
Time allowed: 120 minutes
Skills tested: Legal reading, writing and drafting, knowledge of register and business English language skills.
Focus: Practical reading, writing and drafting skills in authentic legal situations
Appropriate level of general English: Upper Intermediate – Advanced
There is no speaking element in the final exams.
YOUR RESULT
Foundation: The maximum score possible at Foundation level is 100
Higher: The maximum score possible at Higher level is 100
Advanced: The maximum score possible at Advanced level is 500
These scores cannot be compared with other English language exams using the Common European Framework results.
Your TOLES certificate is valid for life.
WHERE CAN I TAKE THE TOLES EXAM?
The exam can be taken at the London Exam Centre just 15 minutes on foot from our office in Wimbledon. It can also be taken at many exam centres around the UK and globally. The fees vary depending on location (please ask contact our TOLES office for current fees) and dates for the examination vary.
Our office will help you with your application and you can learn close to our Language Training Centre in London.
WHAT IS THE PASS MARK FOR EACH LEVEL?
As the TOLES exam is an assessment of your legal English level, there is no pass or fail grade. Instead, you receive a number of points.
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Gold (451-500 points) This candidate has excellent general English skills and is assessed as having excellent legal English skills.
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Orange (401-450 points) This candidate has very good general English skills and is considered to have very good legal English skills.
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Red (301-400 points) This candidate has above-average English skills and good legal English skills.
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Purple (201-300 points) This candidate possesses good general English skills and is assessed as having average legal English language skills.
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Blue (101-200 points) This candidate probably has an above-average level of general English and is assessed as having approaching satisfactory legal English ability.
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Green (0-100 points) This candidate may well have a good knowledge of general English but is assessed as having only basic Legal English.
Do I need to take every paper?
No. You can take all three papers or just one or two. Please seek advice from your Legal English UK trainer on this matter.
Do you teach TOLES?
Our excellent team of TOLES Legal English teachers can help you with the exam. Contact us for further information.
Would you like to learn Legal English Online? Find out more here.
Legal English Language Training works with lawyers and law students all over the world to deliver the best language training and prepare them for the TOLES Test of Legal English Skills. For further information, e-mail us.
