IELTS
The International English Language Testing System or IELTS is a test of English language proficiency developed by the University of Cambridge Local Examination syndicate. There are two different IELTS tests that you can take: Academic and General Academic IELTS is used for university entrance in English Speaking Countries. IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who need to study or work where English is the language of communication.
IELTS is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESCOL), British Council and IDP:IELTS Australia. IELTS conforms to the highest international standards of language assessment. It covers the four language skills listening, reading, writing and speaking.
IELTS is recognized by universities and employers in many countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. It also recognized by professional bodies, immigration authorities and other government agencies. IELTS is not recommended for candidates under the age or 16.
IELTS is not a test that you can pass or fail; your assessment will be reported according to a scale from bands one to nine. Band one indicates that you have virtually no English at all. Band nine is native speaker proficiency.
Universities in Australia typically require a band score of between 6 and 7.
For which band you need to obtain, you will have to contact the university you wish to enter to find out the IELTS Score they require for entry into your chosen course .The IELTS does not test any specific knowledge. Rather, the test question has been designed to reflect the general interests of people from an educated background.
Candidates are tested in Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking Modules. The total time needed to complete the test is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The first there modules-Listening, Reading and Writing must be completed in one day. The speaking Module may be taken, at the discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other Modules.
Test Administration
IELTS teats are administered at centers throughout the world there are nearly 300 centers, in over 100 counties. A full list of centers is the IELTS website:
Most centers conduct a testing session at least once a month and more often at peak times. Please contact the relevant centre for exact test dates. Results are usually available within two their test results additional copies can be sent direct to receiving organizations.
For Nepal you can take IELTS tests in three areas
- Kathmandu
- Pokhara
- Chitwan
For details you can contact the British Council
The British Council
GPO Box: 640
Lainchaur, Kathmandu
Nepal
Telephone: + 977 1 4410 798
Fax: + 977 1 4410 545
E-mail: general.enquiry@britishcouncil.org.np
Web: www.britishcouncil.org/nepal
Being a member of ECAN we have a co-operation with British Council and we can help the students with all the formalities including test registration.
Test Format
Candidates are tested in listening, writhing and speaking. All candidates take the same Listening and speaking Modules. There is a choice or Reading and Writhing Modules-Academic or General Training. It is the responsibility of the candidate to tell the Administrator which. Academic or General Training, they need to take
The tests are designed to cover the full range of ability from non-user to expert user, with each module consisting of tasks of ascending level of difficulty.
The first three modules-listening, Reading and writing must be completed in one day. No break is given between the three modules. The speaking module may be taken, at the-discretion of the test centre, in the period seven days before or after the other three modules.
What is TOEFL
Regardless of where you plan to study, undergraduate and graduate programs around the world will ask you to demonstrate your ability to communicate in English as an entrance requirement. The Test of English as a Foreign LanguageTM (TOEFL) can open doors to more institutions than any other English test.
The most popular academic English test in the world
TOEFL scores are accepted at more than 6,000 universities and colleges in 110 countries, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and other European countries, Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific. And that gives you the most flexibility as you make your study plans.
Each institution decides what scores they require, so you should contact your selected universities to determine their specific requirements. If you haven’t yet decided where you will apply, you can view the list of 6,000 institutions that accept TOEFL scores.
While you may be familiar with the computer-based and paper-based formats of the TOEFL test, what you may not know is that an Internet-based test (iBT) format is being phased in during 2006 (check the TOEFL Web site at www.ets.org/register33.html for the dates and test center locations in your area).
TOEFL iBT replicates real university classrooms and life. The language is designed to sound like typical conversations from university lectures and classes, labs, professors’ discussions with students, study groups and other everyday situations. And reading passages are from real textbooks and course materials. This way of testing proves you can communicate your ideas and confirms you’re ready to begin your academic studies.
The letters TOEFL stand for ‘Test Of English AS Foreign Language’. TOEFL is a Standardized test that evaluates the English Proficiency of people whose native language is not English. More than 2400 education institutes in the United States and Canada require TOEFL scores from each applicant. The test is also used by institutions in other countries where English is the language of Instruction. The TOEFL tests the ability to understand North American English. A TOEFL score is valid for 2 years, and then is deleted from the official database. The TOEFL is administered worldwide by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test was first administered in 1964 and has since been taken by nearly 20 million students. The TOEFL test is offered in different formats depending on a test taker’s location.
Why Take the TOEFL Test?
Most people take the TOEFL test as a prerequisite for admission into colleges and universities where English is used or required. In addition, many government, licensing, and certification agencies and exchange and scholarship programs use TOEFL scores to evaluate the English proficiency of people for whom English is not their native language.
Who Should Take the TOEFL Test?
Nonnative English speakers at the 11th-grade level or above should take the TOEFL test to provide evidence of their English proficiency before beginning academic work. The test content is considered too difficult for students below 11th grade.
Who don’t need to take the TOEFL Test?
- Nonnative speakers who hold degrees or diplomas from postsecondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g., the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand)
- Nonnative speakers who have successfully completed at least a two-year course of study in which English was the language of instruction
- Transfer students from institutions in the United States or Canada whose academic course work was favorably evaluated in relation to its demands and duration.
- Nonnative speakers who have taken the TOEFL test within the past two years
- Nonnative speakers who have successfully pursued academic work at schools where English was the language of instruction in an English-speaking country for a specified period, generally two years.
Who administers the TOEFL test?
The TOEFL test is developed and administered by the US-based “Educational Testing Service” (ETS). This implies that ETS sets the questions, conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report. For the conduct of the test, ETS has appointed Testing Agencies in various countries, which act as franchisee for ETS.
SAT (Different page under test preparation: Heading should be SAT)
The SAT (technically know as the SAT 1) is a general test of verbal and quantitative reasoning accepted for U.S college admission to undergraduate programs of most US universities. Many universities also require you to take SAT-II tests.
SAT-l Reasoning test
The SAT –I is a three hour, primarily multiple -choice test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities that develop over time. Most college requires SAT-l scores for admission.
SAT-ll: subject tests are one hour, primarily multiple-choice tests that measure your knowledge of particular subject and your ability to apply that knowledge. Many universities may require you to take this along with SAT-l
Who administers the SAT?
The SAT is developed and administered by the US-based ‘’College Entrance Examination Board ‘’This Implies that Collegeboard sets the questions, conducts the test and send each examines the score report.
Reporting the Scores
Collegeboard has the provision of reporting your SAT scores to a maximum of four universities of your choice, the cost of which is built into the SAT fee you pay. You have to mention the universities to which you want to sent the scores in the SAT application from .This implies that even before taking the SAT, you need to do some homework on which universities you’re finally going to apply, based on the score that you expect to attain, For reporting to each additional university, the Collegeboard charges you $ 6.50(approx. Rs.280), payable by an international credit card or dollar denominated draft.
The Scoring Pattern in SAT
The SAT is results comprise three different scores: a total score (400-1600), a separate score for Verbal section (200-800) and a separate score for Mathematic section (200-800).
Further Information:
For further inquiry, registration etc,
Visit the official website:
www.collegeboard.com
ACT
ACT, American College Test, is regarded as the America's Most Widely Accepted College Entrance Exam. The ACT® test assesses high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work.
- The multiple-choice tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
- The Writing Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.
Format
The required portion of the ACT is divided into four multiple choice subject tests: English, reading, mathematics, and science reasoning and are always in that order. Subject test scores range from 1 to 36; all scores are natural numbers. The English, mathematics, and reading tests also have sub scores ranging from 1 to 18. The "composite score" is the average of all four tests. In addition, students taking the writing test receive a writing score ranging from 2 to 12, a "combined English/writing score" ranging from 1 to 36 (based on the writing score and English score), and one to four comments on the essay from the essay scorers. The writing score does not affect the composite score. Sometimes the test includes an experimental section that may be a short version of any of the four major sections. The experimental section is used to normalize questions for future administrations of the ACT and does not count toward the final score. The experimental section is most often found on the June offering.
The math section covers pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, geometry, and elementary trigonometry.
The English section covers usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills.
The reading section measures reading comprehension in four passages concerning one each prose fiction, social science, humanities and natural science, in that order.
The chart below summarizes each section and the average test score based on graduating high school seniors in 2006.
| Section |
Questions |
Time (Minutes) |
Average Score |
Content |
English |
75 |
45 |
20.6 |
usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills |
Mathematics |
60 |
60 |
20.8 |
pre-algebra, elementary algebra, intermediate algebra, coordinate geometry, geometry, and elementary trigonometry |
Reading |
40 |
35 |
21.4 |
reading comprehension |
Science |
40 |
35 |
20.9 |
interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving |
Optional Writing Test |
1 essay prompt |
30 |
7.7 |
writing skills |
Test availability
The ACT is offered four to six times a year, in September, October, December, February, April and June and is always on a Saturday.
Candidates may either take the ACT assessment or the ACT assessment plus writing.
The ACT costs $29 and $43 with the writing section.
Candidates whose religious beliefs prevent them from taking the test on a Saturday may request to take the test on the following Sunday. Such requests must be made at the time of registration and are subject to denial.
Students with verifiable disabilities, including physical and learning disabilities are eligible to take the exam with accommodations. The standard time increase for students requiring additional time due to learning disabilities is 50%.
The scores are sent to the high school, not the student, except for the June exam in which the score are sent to the student. If the High School is left blank the score will be sent to the student. Scores are sent to the student, his or her high school, and up to six colleges.
Score percentiles
Of the graduating high school class of 2006, there were 1,206,455 students who took the ACT; this comprises 40% of the graduating class. The average composite score was a 21.1. Of these test-takers, 517,563 (or 42.9%) were males, 646,688 (or 53.6%) were females, and 42,204 (or 3.5%) did not report a gender. Nationwide, 216 students who reported that they would graduate in 2006 received the highest ACT composite score of 36. This means that only one out of about every 5,500 test takers will receive a perfect score (a 36). This is the 99.98 percentile.
GRE((Different page under test preparation: Heading should be SAT))
The GRE General Test measure verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study.
The GRE Subject Test gauge undergraduate achievement in eight specific fields of study and can help forecast a candidate’s potential for success in graduate school. Each Subject Test is intended for students who have majored in or have extensive background in that specific area.
The GRE ® General Test measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, critical thinking, and analytical writing skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are nit related to any specific field of study.
Verbal Reasoning-The skill measured include the test taker’s ability to
1. Analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
2. Analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
3. Recognize relationships between words and concepts.
Quantitative Reasoning – The skills measured include the test taker’s ability to
1. Understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis
2. Reason quantitatively
3. Solve problems in a quantitative setting.
Analytical Writing- The skills measured include the test taker’s ability to
1. Articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
2. Examine claims and accompanying evidence
3. Support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
4. Sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
5. Control the elements of standard written English.
WHO Takes It and Why?
Prospective graduate applicants take the General Test. GRE test scores are used by 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 evaluating grades and recommendations.
Further Information:
Visit the official website: www.gre.org
GMAT (Different page under test preparation: Heading should be GMAT)
The Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®) is a standardized assessment-delivered in English-that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs.
What the GMAT® Measures
The GMAT® exam measures basic verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills that you have developed over a long period of time in your education and work. It does NOT measure:
1. Your knowledge of business,
2. Your job skills,
3. Specific content in your undergraduate or first university course work,
4. Your abilities in any other specific subject area, or
5. Subjective qualities –such as motivation, creativity, and interpersonal skills.
Format and Timing
The GMAT® exam consists of three main parts, the Analytical Writing Assessment, the Quantitative section, and the Verbal section.
Analytical Writing Assessment
The GMAT® exam begins with the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA). The AWA consists of two separate writing tasks-Analysis of an Issue and Analysis of an Argument. You are allowed 30 minutes to complete each one.
Quantitative Section
Following an optional ten-minute break, you begin the Quantitative Section of the GMAT® exam. This section contains 37 multiple-choice questions of two question types –Date Sufficiency and problem Solving. You will be allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section.
Verbal Section
After a second optional ten-minute break, you begin the Verbal section of the GMAT® exam. This section contains 41 multiple choice questions of three question types-Reading Comprehension, Critical Reasoning and Sentence Correction. You are allowed a maximum of 75 minutes to complete the entire section.
Further Information:
Visit the official website:
www.mba.com
