DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY  2800 DEFENSE PENTAGON  WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-2800	10/12/2005

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SUBJECT :

FY 06 ECL AND OPI COUNTRY EXEMPTION LISTS

1. THE FOLLOWING PROVIDES THE FY06 ENGLISH COMPREHENSION LEVEL (ECL) AND ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEW (OPI) COUNTRY EXEMPTION LISTS BASED ON REVIEW BY THE COMBATANT COMMANDS, MILDEPS, DLIELC, AND DSCA.
2. THE FOLLOWING 22 COUNTRIES ARE EXEMPT FROM IN-COUNTRY AND CONUS ECL TESTING: ANTIGUA, AUSTRALIA, BAHAMAS, BARBADOS, BELIZE, BRUNEI, CANADA, DOMINICA, GRENADA, GUYANA, INDIA, IRELAND, JAMAICA, MALTA, MAURITIUS, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, ST. KITTS, ST. LUCIA, ST. VINCENT, TRINIDAD, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.

3. THE FOLLOWING 37 COUNTRIES ARE EXEMPT FROM IN-COUNTRY ECL TESTING: AUSTRIA, BANGLADESH, BELGIUM, BOTSWANA, DENMARK, FIJI, FINLAND, FRANCE, GAMBIA, GERMANY, GHANA, ICELAND, ISRAEL, ITALY, KENYA, LUXEMBOURG, MALAWI, MALAYSIA, NETHERLANDS, NIGERIA, NORWAY, PAKISTAN, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, PHILIPPINES, SIERRA LEONE, SOLOMON ISLANDS, SOUTH AFRICA, SRI LANKA, SURINAME, SWAZILAND, SWEDEN, SWITZERLAND, TONGA, UGANDA, VANUATU, SAMOA, AND ZAMBIA.

   NOTE 1: STUDENT INVITATIONAL TRAVEL ORDER (ITO) SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY MARKED TO INDICATE THAT THE STUDENT IS EXEMPT FROM IN-COUNTRY ECL TESTING BUT IS REQUIRED TO TAKE AN ECL TEST UPON ARRIVAL AT THE FIRST TRAINING INSTALLATION IN CONUS. NOTE 2: IN-COUNTRY ECL TESTING MAY BE REQUIRED FOR CRITICAL COURSES OR IF A SPECIALIZED ENGLISH TRAINING (SET) WAIVER IS REQUESTED.

4. THE FOLLOWING 48 COUNTRIES HAVE A 55-ECL EXEMPTION: AFGHANISTAN, ALBANIA, ALGERIA, ANGOLA, ARMENIA, AZERBAIJAN, BENIN, BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, BURKINA FASO, BURUNDI, CAMBODIA, CAPE VERDE, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC, COMOROS, CONGO (BRAZZAVILLE), DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO DROC (KINSHASA), COTE D IVOIRE, DJIBOUTI, EAST TIMOR, ERITREA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA, ETHIOPIA, GABON, GEORGIA, GUINEA, GUINEA-BISSAU, HAITI, IRAQ, KAZAKHSTAN, KYRGYZSTAN, LAOS, MACEDONIA, MADAGASCAR, MALI, MAURITANIA, MONGOLIA, MOZAMBIQUE, NIGER, RUSSIA, RWANDA, SERBIA-MONTENEGRO, SAO TOME, TAJIKISTAN, TOGO, TURKMENISTAN, UZBEKISTAN, VIETNAM, AND YEMEN.
5. THE FOLLOWING POLICY GUIDANCE IS PROVIDED FOR THE ECL TEST AND THE TEST OF ENGLISH-AS-A-FOREIGN-LANGUAGE (TOEFL).
   1. STUDENTS FROM COUNTRIES LISTED ABOVE THAT ARE EXEMPT FROM ALL ECL TESTING REQUIREMENTS OR IN-COUNTRY ECL SCREENING MUST CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE SUCCESSFUL ENGLISH LANGUAGE PERFORMANCE DURING TRAINING OR COUNTRY EXEMPTION WILL BE WITHDRAWN.
   2. CANCELLATION CHARGES WILL BE APPLIED WHEN A STUDENT'S FAILURE TO MEET THE PREREQUISITE ECL ON "CONUS DIRECT ENTRY ECL TESTS" RESULTS IN RESCHEDULING OR CANCELLATION OF THE DIRECT ENTRY TRAINING DUE TO LANGUAGE DEFICIENCY. CANCELLATION CHARGES WILL ALSO BE APPLIED WHEN STUDENTS ATTENDING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING AT DLIELC FAIL TO MEET THE LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT FOR FOLLOW-ON TRAINING, RESULTING IN RESCHEDULING OR CANCELLATION OF THE FOLLOW-ON TRAINING.
   3. COUNTRIES EXEMPT FROM THE MINIMUM 55 ECL SCORE FOR DLIELC ENTRY UNDER IMET SPONSORSHIP SHOULD MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ESTABLISH A MINIMUM 55 ECL CAPABILITY. COUNTRIES THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO PURCHASE APPROPRIATE ENGLISH LANGUAGE EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS TO DEVELOP AN IN-COUNTRY ABILITY TO REACH A 55 ECL DUE TO A SMALL IMET PROGRAM, OR OTHER CONSIDERATIONS WHICH MAKE THIS ECONOMICALLY INFEASIBLE, WILL REMAIN ON THE EXEMPTION LIST. COMBATANT COMMANDS ARE REQUIRED TO PRESENT, NLT 30 OCTOBER EACH YEAR, A PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION TO UPDATE THE EXEMPTION LISTS FOR CONUS AND IN-COUNTRY TESTING. THIS PLAN WILL BE SUBMITTED TO DLIELC AND FORWARDED TO DSCA. THE GOAL IS THE EVENTUAL GRADUATION OF COUNTRIES FROM THE EXEMPTION LIST OR THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR COUNTRIES REMAINING ON THE EXEMPTION LIST.
   4. STUDENTS FROM COUNTRIES NOT REFLECTED ON THE ABOVE EXEMPTION LISTS MUST HAVE THE MINUMUM 55 ECL BEFORE ATTENDING ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING AT DLIELC.
   5. SAOS HAVE THE OPTION OF CONDUCTING ECL TESTING REGARDLESS OF COUNTRY EXEMPTION IF CONCERNED WITH THE STUDENT CAPABILITIES.

   6. ALL STUDENTS FROM COUNTRIES LISTED IN PARAGRAPH 2 ARE EXEMPT FROM TOEFL WHEN THEY ATTEND POSTGRADUATE COURSES AT THE NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL (NAVPGSCOL) OR APPLY FOR ADMISSION TO MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAMS AT THE NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIVERSITY (NDU) AND THE ARMY WAR COLLEGE (AWC).

      NOTE 1: STUDENTS FROM ALL OTHER COUNTRIES MUST MEET THE DIRECT ENTRY TOEFL SCORE OF 540 (PAPER-BASED TEST) OR 207 (COMPUTER-BASED TEST) IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR NAVPGSCOL OR ENROLLMENT IN MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAM AT NDU. THE AWC TOEFL STANDARD IS 557 (PAPER-BASED TEST) OR 220 (COMPUTER-BASED TEST)FOR THE RESIDENT PROGRAM AND 600 (PAPER-BASED TEST) OR 250 (COMPUTER-BASED TEST) TO ENROLL IN THE DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM. STUDENTS WITH SCORES BELOW 540/207, BUT ABOVE 500/173 ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND THE DLI TOEFL PREPARATORY ACADEMIC WRITING COURSE, MASL D177022, PRIOR TO ATTENDING NAVAL POST GRADUATE EDUCATION OR MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAMS AT NDU AND THE AWC. TOEFL RESULTS ARE VALID FOR TWO YEARS FROM THE DATE OF THE EXAM AND MUST BE CURRENT WHEN THE STUDENT REPORTS TO NAVPGSCOL, NDU OR AWC FOR CLASSES. THE TOEFL INSTITUTION CODES ARE: 4831 FOR NAVPGSCOL, 7026 FOR NDU AND 8274 FOR AWC.

      NOTE 2: THE INTERNET-BASED TOEFL(IBT)IS PROJECTED TO BEGIN IN SEPTEMBER 2005. SCORE COMPARISONS SHOW THAT REQUIREMENTS WILL BECOME 76 ON THE IBT FOR ENROLLMENT AT NAVPGSCOL AND NDU, 83 FOR THE AWC RESIDENT COURSE MASTER S DEGREE PROGRAM, AND 100 FOR THE AWC DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM. THE REQUIREMENT TO ENROLL IN THE DLIELC TOEFL PREPARATORY COURSE WILL BE 61.

   7. REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONS/DELETIONS OF COUNTRIES TO/FROM THE ABOVE LISTS SHOULD BE FORWARDED BY THE COMBATANT COMMANDS TO DSCA WITH INFO TO DLIELC AND THE MILDEPS.
6. THE FOLLOWING 22 COUNTRIES ARE EXEMPT FROM AN OPI REQUIREMENT: ANTIGUA, AUSTRALIA, BAHAMAS, BARBADOS, BELIZE, BRUNEI, CANADA, DOMINICA, GRENADA, GUYANA, INDIA, IRELAND, JAMAICA, MALTA, MAURITIUS, NEW ZEALAND, SINGAPORE, ST. KITTS, ST. LUCIA, ST. VINCENT, TRINIDAD, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM.

7. THE FOLLOWING 17 COUNTRIES ARE EXEMPT FROM IN-COUNTRY OPI TESTING: AUSTRIA, BELGIUM, BOTSWANA, DENMARK, FINLAND, FRANCE, GERMANY, GREECE, ISRAEL, ITALY, LUXEMBOURG, NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, PORTUGAL, SPAIN, SWEDEN, AND SWITZERLAND. NOTE: IN-COUNTRY OPI TESTING MAY BE REQUIRED IF A SET WAIVER IS REQUESTED.

   NOTE 1: STUDENT INVITATIONAL TRAVEL ORDER (ITO) SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY MARKED IN THE REMARKS BOX TO INDICATE THAT THE STUDENT IS EXEMPT FROM IN-COUNTRY OPI TESTING BUT IS REQUIRED TO TAKE AN OPI TEST UPON ARRIVAL AT THE FIRST TRAINING INSTALLATION IN CONUS.

   NOTE 2: COUNTRIES ENROLLED IN COURSES THAT REQUIRE AN 85 ECL AND 2+/2+ OPI, REQUIRE AN OPI TO BE CONDUCTED IN COUNTRY TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING REQUIRED IN ADDITION TO SET.

8. THE FOLLOWING POLICY GUIDANCE IS PROVIDED FOR ORAL PROFICIENCY INTERVIEWS:
   1. STUDENTS FROM COUNTRIES LISTED ABOVE AS EXEMPT FROM AN OPI REQUIREMENT MUST CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE SUCCESSFUL PROFICIENCY SKILLS DURING TRAINING OR COUNTRY EXEMPTION WILL BE WITHDRAWN.
   2. COUNTRIES EXEMPT FROM IN-COUNTRY OPI TESTING NEED TO ENSURE THEIR STUDENTS ARE LANGUAGE QUALIFIED. THE APPROPRIATE CANCELLATION CHARGE WILL BE APPLIED TO THE TRAINING WHEN A STUDENT'S FAILURE TO QUALIFY ON "DIRECT ENTRY OPI TESTING" RESULTS IN A RESCHEDULING OR CANCELLATION OF TRAINING.
   3. SAOS FOR COUNTRIES NOT REFLECTED IN ABOVE EXEMPTIONS NEED TO SCHEDULE TELEPHONIC OPIS WITH DLIELC.
   4. AS WITH ECL TESTING, SAOS HAVE THE OPTION OF REQUIRING OPI TESTING REGARDLESS OF COUNTRY EXEMPTION IF CONCERNED WITH STUDENT CAPABILITIES. SAOS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO SCHEDULE IN-COUNTRY OPIs FOR ALL CANDIDATES WHO HAVE A REQUIREMENT THAT EXCEEDS A 2 (I.E., 2+ OR 3), AS THESE PROFICIENCY LEVELS REQUIRE EXTENSIVE TRAINING TIME TO ACHIEVE.
9. THE ABOVE IN-COUNTRY LANGUAGE TESTING EXEMPTIONS IN PARAGRAPHS 3 AND 6 DO NOT APPLY TO EXERCISES AND COMPETITIONS, SHIP CREW TRAINING, AND TRAINING AT CIVILIAN INSTITUTIONS THAT MAY REQUIRE LANGUAGE TESTING IAW STANDARDS ESTABLISHED BY THE U.S. HOST ORGANIZATION. THESE LANGUAGE PREREQUISITES/TESTING REQUIREMENTS MAY BE REFERENCED IN THE MESSAGE/INVITATION ANNOUNCING THE EXERCISE/COMPETITION/SHIP CREW TRAINING/TRAINING AT CIVILIAN INSTITUTIONS AND ARE DEFINED IN THE APPLICABLE TRAINING PLAN AND/OR LOA. ANY REQUEST TO WAIVE TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR EXERCISES OR COMPETITIONS WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE U.S. HOST ORGANIZATION.
10. DSCA POC IS KAY JUDKINS, AT COMMERCIAL: (703) 601-3719, DSN: 329-3719 COMMERCIAL FAX: (703) 604-6540, DSN FAX: 664-6540.

RELEASING OFFICIAL:
JEANNE FARMER, DIRECTOR, OF PROGRAMS
703-604-6595

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