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The TOEFL� and GRE� Tests: Setting the global standard for excellence
Regardless of where you plan to study, graduate programs will require you to present test scores that demonstrate your readiness for study. The TOEFL test and the GRE general test and subject tests are popular tests offered by ETS and are almost universally accepted by universities all over the world interested in recruiting international students to their graduate degree programs.
You can demonstrate your ability to communicate in English at an academic institution by taking the TOEFL test. It will open doors for you at more than 6000 universities and colleges in 110 countries, including the UK and other European countries, Australia and the Asia Pacific. It's the most widely recognized academic English test; therefore, it offers you the most choices, as you make your study plans. The GRE general test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills. The GRE subject tests, which are available in eight subject areas, measure achievement in specific subject areas. Scores on both tests are used by universities for making admissions decisions for graduate studies, in addition to the other aspects of the application material, such as academic references and transcripts.
TOEFL, iBT, the key to academic success
A new Internet-based test (iBT) has been phased in and is administered in 4000 secure test centers around the globe, making it the most accessible test in the world.
The TOEFL iBT measures all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Where the TOEFL iBT is not yet available, paper-based tests format are used instead. Visit the TOEFL website, www.ets.org/toefl, for the TOEFL iBT test center locations nearest you.
Why change the TOEFL test?
If you want to succeed at universities where English is used or required, you need not only understand English, but also to communicate it effectively. The TOEFL iBT is designed to help you demonstrate that you have the English skills needed for academic success. You'll be able to show how well you can use English to communicate effectively.
What�s different about the TOEFL iBT?
Because the TOEFL iBT focuses on real-life academic situations, you can demonstrate more accurately your readiness to communicate in today�s academic environment.
What is most exciting about the TOEFL iBT is that it tests your ability to combine more than one language skill. For example, in a real-life academic situation, you may need to read a passage, listen to a short lecture about a topic, and then speak or write about what you have read and heard. This reflects the integrated listening, speaking, reading and writing skills used on English-speaking higher education campuses worldwide. The TOEFL iBT test was designed specifically to test these combined skills. Therefore, it more accurately predicts your ability to communicate in real-world situations.
The language on the test is pulled from real-life and simulates what you will experience at a university. It is meant to replicate conversations from university lectures classes, labs, professors' discussions with students, study groups and everyday situations � like at the bookstore. The reading passages are from real textbooks and course materials.
What kind of scores do you need?
You will receive a score in each of the four skill areas (0 to 30) as well as an overall score on the TOEFL iBT (0 to 120). Each institution decides what scores it requires, so you should contact your university of choice to learn the score range it requires. If you haven't yet decided where you will apply, visit the TOEFL website to review the list of institutions that accept TOEFL scores (www.ets.org/TOEFLDI.html). The site also includes the score requirements of some representative universities (www.ets.org/toeflrequirements.html).
When you register for the test, you can designate the universities to which you want your scores sent. Or, if you prefer, you can wait until after you receive your scores to send them to your selected universities.
- Links:
www.ets.org/toefl/
www.ets.org/gre
