The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System established policy 20-17 in December 1991 concerning the selection, training, and evaluation of teaching assistants. One of the main tools used to meet these requirements is the International Teaching Assistant Assessment. Section 1.B states: “Non-native English speakers must be required to demonstrate proficiency in spoken English before they are assigned classroom duties as teaching assistants.”
Who is required to take the MITAA?
Some prospective international teaching assistants who are non-native speakers of English must take the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee International Teaching Assistant Assessment (MITAA). The MITAA evaluates English language proficiency, cultural competency, and teaching skills for the classroom. Instructors in the English Language Academy administers the MITAA. Please email the English Language Academy (ELA) to determine if you are required to take the MITAA, to schedule a MITAA, and to receive feedback on the MITAA assessment and exit reporting.
Note: There are two primary exceptions to the MITAA requirement for International Teaching Assistants.
1. The MITAA is generally not required for prospective ITAs who have graduated from an American college or university with the following conditions:
- The prospective ITA attended the institution for at least one year and the degree was earned within two years of applying to UWM; OR the prospective ITA attended the institution for at least one year and has lived and worked continually in the U.S since earning the degree .
2. The assessment generally is not required for prospective ITAs with one of the standardized test scores below (taken within the last two years). Students with any score below the minimum are required to take the MITAA:
- 24 or better on the Speaking section of the internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) taken before 1/21/2026 or 5 or better on the Speaking section of the internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) taken after 1/21/2026
- 7.0 or better on the Speaking section of the IELTS
- 185 or better on the Speaking section of the Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) or the Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
- 125 or better on the Conversation and Production sections of the Duolingo English Test or 125 on the Speaking and Listening sections of the Duolingo English Test
MITAA Panel
Aa panel of three evaluators conduct the MITAA: one department representative and two ELA representatives. The department representative needs to be a content specialist or faculty member who teaches in your department. There is no charge for the MITAA.
: one department representative and two ELA representatives. The department representative needs to be a content specialist or faculty member who teaches in your department. There is no charge for the MITAA.
- You must have a department representative attend your MITAA.
- You may not take the MITAA exam on your own.
- You must have permission from your department to register for the MITAA.
Department Representatives
If you are a department representative or contact joining the evaluating panel and would like more information, please contact the English Language Academy at el-academy@uwm.edu.
International Teaching Assistants
To schedule your MITAA, please complete the following steps:
- Contact your department to ask if UWM requires you to take the MITAA.
- Identify your department representative. Make sure the department representative is a content specialist, such as a faculty member who teaches courses. If you do not know a representative in your department, please contact your department directly. Do not contact the English Language Academy for this information.
- Complete the MITAA Registration Form
- Your department representative will receive an email to the Session Sign-up. They will select the time and inform you of your scheduled session.
- Appear for your MITAA on the date and time selected. Please do not be late. If you believe you will be late or if you need to reschedule, please email the English Language Academy 24 hours ahead of time.
If you would like more information about the MITAA, please contact the English Language Academy at el-academy@uwm.edu.
Before your MITAA
Prepare a 3 to 4-minute presentation in your field geared towards a first-year or second-year level class on a topic of your choice. A whiteboard, markers, and eraser or a blackboard and chalk will be provided. We strongly encourage the presenters to use these tools provided. Presenters cannot use the aid of a PowerPoint or handout during their presentation. Presenters also cannot use any electronic devices for the presentation.
What to expect on the MITAA day
The MITAA session consists of 4 total components described below and lasts up to 30 minutes.
- A short introductory conversation (e.g. warmup questions) on personal, academic, or professional topics. Raters do not asses these warm up questions.
- One role play scenario, lasting about 1 minute. These scenarios simulate a conversation with a student during office hours. The scenario will be provided on the day of your exam. These scenarios will help us assess your speaking, listening, conversation, and interaction skills.
- A presentation of approximately 3-4 minutes on a self-selected topic related to the field of study and suitable for first or second year undergraduate students. You will not be able to use any electronic devices for the presentation.
- A question and answer period of about 2-3 minutes following the presentation
Assessment Criteria
There are 5 categories for the assessment, and raters assess each category on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being the best. Prospective ITAs who do not meet the criteria to pass must complete English for Academic Purposes (EAP) coursework either prior to OR concurrently with their TA teaching duties, depending on the scores in other categories.
Summary of the requirements to pass and a description of each category
- Prospective ITAs must meet both scoring benchmarks to pass with no additional restrictions:
- In all 5 categories, the ITA needs an average of 15 by all raters
- Must achieve a minimum of 3 from each rater in the categories
- Overall language ability
- Pronunciation
- Interaction with committee to pass.
If they do not achieve an average of 15 and/or do not meet the minimum benchmarks in the specified categories, the overall score combined from all 3 raters may determine additional restrictions.
Score Categories
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- 45+: No restrictions (no additional coursework needed)
- 35-44: Provisional pass – required to take EAP 435 concurrent with classroom teaching. Exit-MITAA required after completing EAP 435 to confirm classroom readiness.
- 34 or below: Required to take EAP 435 before beginning classroom teaching.
Note: After taking the required EAP coursework, the student must sign up for an exit MITAA to determine whether or not they have demonstrated marked improvement.
Category Breakdown
Overall language ability (passing requires a score of 3 in this category)
- vocabulary (word choice & complexity)
- grammar
- fluency
Pronunciation (passing requires a score of 3 in this category)
- Stress and intonation patterns
Interaction with committee (passing requires a score of 3 in this category)
- Able to understand and interact with the committee as demonstrated by response to presentation follow-up questions and role play scenarios
- Basic listening ability
- Response to and handling of questions
Organization, Development, and Content
- Main ideas clear
- ideas logically organized
- ideas supported with details and examples
- ideas paraphrased, repeated, and reinforced
- cohesiveness
Presentation Delivery
- Good Volume, Rate of Speech, Eye Contact, Use of Visual Aids (non-electronic), Non-verbal communication
- Confidence in material and skills
Upcoming MITAA Dates
The spring MITAA date for both prospective new ITAs and for exit MITAAs is below. Registration for Spring MITAAs begins April 15, 2026. Please do not complete this form until this date. Deadline for registration is Monday, May 11th.
Thursday, May 14
- 1:00pm-4:30pm
*Sessions are in 30 minute intervals
If you have any questions, please contact us at el-academy@uwm.edu.