Graduate Students Home
Becoming a Teaching Assistant (Associate Instructor)
While your performance on the TOEFL secured your admission to Indiana University, the university wants to be sure that you have the English skills to be an effective teaching assistant.
At Indiana University teaching assistants are known as associate instructors. Being certified to work as an associate instructor is a two-tiered process. First, all students must pass the Indiana English Proficiency Exam (IEPE). This is a three-part exam that covers listening, reading, and writing. Students who do not pass in any of the three areas of the exam are required to take the appropriate remedial courses.
Students who pass the IEPE or successfully complete needed remediation courses may take the Test of English for Associate Instructor Candidates (TEPAIC). This exam consists of a 15-minute interview with two faculty members from the IU English Language Improvement Program (SLS). Students who pass the TEPAIC are "certified," that is, eligible to teach at IU as associate instructors. Students who score a borderline fail on the TEPAIC may appeal the decision and take the TEPAIC APPEAL, a teaching performance exam.
If you fail the TEPAIC and the APPEAL exam, you can choose from a variety of English language training options to improve your skills.
View the certification process as a schematic diagram.
Certification Process
- Indiana English Proficiency Examination (IEPE)
- TEPAIC Exam
- TEPAIC Appeal Exam
- Schematic Diagram of Certification Process
English Training
- G530(Language and Teaching Course)
- Associate Instructor Conversation Partners Program
- English Language Improvement Program (SLS)
- English Classes in Bloomington
- Accent Modification Training through Department of Speech and Hearing
- International Center Conversation Clubs Program
