The TOEFL ® and GRE ® Tests Le certificazioni internazionali: le esperienze del TOEFL e del GRE...

The TOEFL® and GRE® Tests

Le certificazioni internazionali: le esperienze del TOEFL e del GRE

María Victoria CalabreseETS Global

Università La Sapienza – October 20, 2010

Copyright © 2010 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING. GRE, SCORELINK and TOEFL are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). TOEFL IBT is a trademark of ETS. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. 15875

• A nonprofit organization founded in 1947 by:– American Council on Education (ACE)– Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching– College Entrance Examination Board

• The ETS mission:– To advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid

assessments, research and related services. Our products and services measure knowledge and skills, promote learning and educational performance, and support education and professional development for all people worldwide.

• Today: – ETS is a global organization with offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe and

Asia.– ETS has an unparalleled commitment to research and to ensuring that all

assessments and services we develop are fair and valid. Of the 2,600 people who work at ETS, nearly 900 are in the Research and Development Division.

About ETS


1. The TOEFL® Test

2. The GRE® General Test- The GRE® revised General Test – Launching in 2011

3. The ETS® Personal Potential Index

Three Tools of ETS that support graduate students enrolled in international programmes


• The tests tackle the diversity of international graduate school applicants in:– Educational background– Undergraduate field of study

• Demonstrate a high degree of predictive validity regarding success in graduate or business school

General advantages of ETS admission tools for international graduate admission:


Confidential and Proprietary. Copyright © 2008 by Educational Testing Service.

Recognition

• TOEFL test scores are accepted at 7,500+ institutions in 130+ countries, including:

– United States (4800+)– Canada (300+)– United Kingdom (200+)– Australia and New Zealand (100+)– Europe (800+)– Asia (600+)

• GRE General Test scores are accepted by 3,200+ graduate schools worldwide:

– United States (2300+)– Europe (200+)– United Kingdom (60+)– Australia (20+)


• October 2010:– TOEFL Test Takers Exceed 25 Million Globally– ETS Brings Latest TOEFL and GRE information to

China Education Expo and Student Fairs– ETS Scholarship Winners Announced

• September 2010:– ETS Releases New Test Site Video to Help

Students

The TOEFL Test in the News


• Measures English proficiency in an academic setting• Developed in response to score-user needs and

aligned with best teaching practices• Uses integrated tasks that simulate real-world

academic tasks• Read + Listen → Write in response• Read + Listen → Speak in response• Listen → Speak in response

• Helps institutions make better admissions decisions

TOEFL iBT™ Test — Overview


• Most Accepted: Scores used by more than 7,500 institutions in 130+ countries, including:

The TOEFL Test Advantage

United States• 4800+ unique U.S. universities

accept TOEFL test scores, including the most prestigious, such as:– Harvard University– MIT– Princeton University– Stanford University– University of Illinois– Yale University

Canada• 300+ unique Canadian

universities accept TOEFL test scores, including:– McGill University– University of British Columbia– University of Ontario– University of Toronto


• Most respected: Admissions officers surveyed say that it provides more accurate scores to differentiate between applicants.

• Most preferred: 4 out of 5 admissions officers who were surveyed and stated a preference prefer the TOEFL test over other English-language tests.*

• Most accessible: More than 4,500 test centers in 165 countries administer the test, so test takers can find a location near them.

* Source: Survey of 263 admissions officers at U.S. universities, of which 212 accept both the TOEFL test and the IELTS® test and 152 state a preference.



• Most Accepted: Scores used by more than 7,500 institutions in 130+ countries, including:


United States• 4800+ unique U.S. universities

accept TOEFL test scores, including the most prestigious, such as:– Harvard University– MIT– Princeton University– Stanford University– University of Illinois– Yale University

Canada• 300+ unique Canadian

universities accept TOEFL test scores, including:– McGill University– University of British Columbia– University of Ontario– University of Toronto



Australia

• The TOEFL test is recognised by 100+ institutions in Australia and New Zealand, including all Group of Eight universities:

– Australian National University– University of Melbourne– University of Sydney– University of Queensland– University of Adelaide– University of New South Wales– University of Western Australia– Monash University

United Kingdom

• U.K. universities have used TOEFL test scores to make admissions decisions since the 1960s

• The TOEFL test is recognised by 150+ unique universities, including all 20 Russell Group universities, such as:- Imperial College London- London School of Economics and Political

Science- University of Cambridge- University of Oxford- University of Warwick- University College London- University of Edinburgh


• 100% academic content: The TOEFL test simulates university interactions in and out of the classroom.

• Most accurate measure1. Centralized scoring and consistent scoring standards2. Multiple raters3. Quality control processes for raters



1. Centralized scoring and consistent scoring standards– Separates the test center from the scoring

process for security and score integrity– Online Scoring Network (OSN) ensures

consistent and unbiased scoring standards• Raters see and hear worldwide responses• Raters do not know the examinee• Scoring is anonymous

– Avoids the “halo effect” on a test taker’s performance

The TOEFL Test ― Scoring


2. Multiple raters– Using multiple raters increases score reliability– OSN tracks which raters have rated which test

takers and distributes responses for scoring– Writing – 4 ratings: 3 humans + 1 computer

• Independent writing task: 1 human rater + 1 automated scoring

• Integrated writing task: 2 human raters

– Speaking – 3-6 human raters



3. Quality control processes for raters– Online training and certification – Raters must pass calibration test each day or

with each new question type to score responses

– Real-time monitoring by Scoring Leaders for score accuracy and consistency



• View Scores Online (free)– See applicants’ scores and photos

• TOEFL® Online Speech Sample Service (free)– Listen to an applicant's spoken response to an

integrated speaking task

• Scorelink® score delivery– Download scores into your database

• Yearly Performance Data (free)– Understand how candidate performance compares with

your score requirements

TOEFL Services for Institutions


• Test Prep– The Official Guide to the TOEFL® Test– TOEFL® Practice Online– TOEFL® Value Packs

• TOEFL® Go Anywhere website– www.toeflgoanywhere.org

• Test day video– Shows what happens at a test site

TOEFL Testing Resources for Students


• Engaging English® service– Helps improve reading skills through targeted

online practice matched to a student’s level and interests

– Uses Lexile® measures, the standard for matching readers and text

• English Skills Series– Web-based, interactive skill-building programs– Focus on pronunciation, writing and idioms

TOEFL Skill-building Resources


• Advanced Search (coming Nov. 2010)– Students can search institutions by TOEFL

score requirement

• Faster score reporting– Scores now available online within 2 weeks

• Korea Support Center– In-language call center for key study-abroad

market

The TOEFL Test – Recent Improvements


• The GRE General Test has been administered since 1949.• The GRE General Test measures:

– verbal reasoning – quantitative reasoning – critical thinking – analytical writing

• GRE scores are used by graduate admissions or fellowship panels to supplement undergraduate records and other qualifications for graduate study.

• The scores provide common measures for comparing the

qualifications of applicants and aid in the evaluation of grades and recommendations.

The GRE General Test


• More than 600,000 people from about 230 countries take the GRE General Test each year.

• The test is administered in 165 countries worldwide.• The test focuses on the types of skills that have been identified as

critical for success in graduate and business school.• The test is backed by substantial research collected over 60 years.• Is a valid predictor of performance.• Increases the diversity of the applicant pool from all over the

world.• Provides more accessibility and more opportunity for international

graduate school applicants.



• Scores are sent to more than 3200 institutions worldwide

• The test is increasingly accepted for entry into MBA programs worldwide

• Hundreds of business schools worldwide, including many top global MBA programs, are accepting GRE test scores

• We saw a record number of schools accepting GRE test scores for their business programs in 2009, and the rapid pace of acceptance continues in 2010



• More than 425 MBA programs now accept GRE General Test scores– INSEAD

– MIT

– Clemson University

– Johns Hopkins

– IE Business School

• The GRE test and GMAT® tests measure the same skills that business schools value– verbal reasoning

– quantitative reasoning

– critical thinking

– analytical writing

• The GRE test is less expensive for test takers than GMAT, and is available in 165 countries worldwide

The GRE General Test for Business Schools


GRE revised General Test:To be launched in August 2011.

Enhanced to provide even better results – with the validity, security and fairness graduate and business programs trust.•More closely aligned with the skills needed to succeed in graduate school•More simplicity in distinguishing performance differences between candidates•More test-taker friendly for an enhanced test experience

- More real-life scenarios

- Less reliance on vocabulary out of context

- Ability to skip and come back to questions within a section

- On-screen calculator

ETS — Listening. Learning. Leading.®

Copyright © 2010 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, LISTENING. LEARNING. LEADING., GRE and SCORELINK are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). BETTER BY DESIGN is a trademark of ETS. MY CREDENTIALS VAULT is a service mark of ETS. All other trademarks are property of their respective owner.


• ETS® PPI is the first large-scale noncognitive evaluation tool for admissions in higher education.

• A web-based multi-rater system for evaluating the personal qualities of applicants– Convenient– Easy to use

• Gain insights on applicants in meaningful areas such as:

• When used with GRE test scores, ETS PPI shows an even more complete picture of your graduate applicants’ potential for success

ETS Personal Potential Index (ETS® PPI)

- Knowledge and Creativity - Resilience

- Communication Skills - Planning and Organization

- Teamwork - Ethics and Integrity


For more information:

TOEFL Test: Visit www.ets.org/toefl

GRE General Test: Visit www.ets.org/gre

ETS Personal Potential Index: Visit www.ets.org/ppi

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The TOEFL ® and GRE ® Tests Le certificazioni internazionali: le esperienze del TOEFL e del GRE...

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