While planning for the upcoming admissions, students must note key requirements to get into the university of their choice, one of which is an English-language test, says SRIKANT GOPAL
While the global pandemic may have temporarily dampened the spirits of students to pursue an education abroad, 2021 has brought a beacon of hope for all. With the recent rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine and lifting of international travel restrictions, as life steadily tends back toward normalcy, so does the optimism of students.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of Indian students apply for prestigious universities in countries like the United States, the UK, Canada and Australia. In addition, countries like New Zealand, Germany, Singapore and other destinations in Europe and Asia are fast becoming attractive education destinations for students.
While planning for the upcoming 2021 admissions cycle, students must note key requirements to get into the university of their choice, one of which is an English-language test. One important consideration for students when deciding which test to take is the global acceptability and reputation of the test, which enables them to pursue a variety of different opportunities in India and across the globe.
For over 55 years, the TOEFL® programme at ETS has pioneered new ways to assess English-language proficiency. The TOEFL iBT® test is well-received and accepted by more than 11,000 institutions in over 150 countries because of its longstanding reputation in providing them with valid, accurate and reliable measures of English-language proficiency. The test enables students to exemplify their ability to succeed in an English-language environment and improves the overall candidature of the test-taker to get into their university of choice.
Confidence and success in English lends to more academic prospects which lends to a world of opportunity for furthering one’s career at home or abroad.
The TOEFL iBT test is universally accepted in English speaking countries like the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, and also universally by English-taught programmes at universities in non-English speaking countries. Some distinguished institutions — including Stanford University’s graduate programs, University of Washington’s graduate programs and Columbia Law School — only accept TOEFL scores as proof of English-language proficiency.
Institutions around the world rely on and prefer the TOEFL iBT test because it is specifically designed for the higher education sector. The test comprises of 100 per cent academic content, meaning the types of questions students will encounter on test day simulate the communication experiences they will encounter at university (e.g., listening to a lecture, writing and supporting an opinion on a given topic, etc.). Therefore, once students arrive on campus, they can be assured that the skills they have learned and proven will set them up for success.
Students have the option to take the TOEFL iBT test in one of the hundreds of third-party test centres across India, or from the comfort of home, through the TOEFL iBT Home Edition. The tests are identical, aside from testing location, therefore students are encouraged to select the option that is most convenient and allows them to do their best.
The pandemic has created a new world bound by frequent changes where we must time and again adjust to a "new normal." It has disrupted education in a way we’ve never seen before. Nevertheless, there remains an ever-growing interest in pursuing university studies both abroad and at home for which the test is a gateway to immense opportunities.
The writer is Executive Director, TOEFL Program, ETS