1. Different types of International Tests. The Structure, Criteria, Assessment.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

TOEFL is an acronym for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is the most
prominent American English proficiency test and was originally developed by the
Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC.
The TOEFL iBT (internet based test) measures the ability of non-native speakers
of English to use and understand North American English as it is spoken, written
and heard in college and university settings.
It is required for non-native English speakers who want to study at English-
speaking colleges and universities.
The TOEFL is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the
International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
Duration around 2 hours.
Structure
The TOEFL iBT test comprises four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and
Writing.
The Reading section includes two reading passages, each approximately 700 words
long, with 10 questions per passage.
The Listening section consists of 3 lectures, 3-5 minutes each, some with
classroom discussion; 6 questions per lecture, and 2 conversations, 3 minutes each;
5 questions per conversation.
The TOEFL Speaking section consists of four questions/tasks resemble real-life
situations you might encounter both in and outside of a classroom.
The Writing section consists of two tasks: an integrated task and an independent
task. The Integrated writing task (20 minutes) involves reading a short passage and
listening to a short lecture, then writing in response to what you read and listened
to. The Writing for an Academic Discussion task (10 minutes) requires you to state
and support an opinion in an online classroom discussion.
Each section of the TOEFL has a score range of 0–30. These are added together for
a total score of 0–120.
Scores are valid for 2 years.
Minimum score
There is no standard pass score for TOEFL. Each institution sets the score that
students must achieve to gain admission. Generally, the harder it is to get accepted
to a university, the higher the TOEFL scores they expect. Some universities ask for
100 or more, while others take scores in the 60s or 70s.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an international
standardised English language proficiency test for non-native English language
speakers. The British Council jointly manages it, IDP: IELTS Australia and
Cambridge Assessment English.
IELTS is one of the major English-language tests in the world, and it’s recognised
by over 10,000 organizations worldwide, including universities, employers,
professional bodies, immigration authorities, and other government agencies.
IELTS has four parts:
Listening (30 minutes)
Reading (60 minutes)
Writing (60 minutes)
Speaking (11–14 minutes)
The total test time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. The Listening, Reading and Writing
tests are done in one sitting. The Speaking test is held on the date you choose
during your registration.
The IELTS test has four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. Each
of these sections generates an individual score, which is subsequently used to
award an overall score. .
There are two versions of the IELTS exam, General Training, and Academic. The
academic test, IELTS academic, judges your English level concerning education
and whether you are ready to study at a specific university, for example.
The IELTS General Training exam covers a broader range of topics. It is designed
to test your English level for everyday situations, including work.
Both tests are designed to assess your ability to communicate in English in all four
skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. The test is administered face-to-
face, with one to two trained testers.
You are given a score of 1-9 for each test section (1 being low). Your scores for
the different sections of the test work out as an average for an overall score.
IELTS scores are valid for a period of two years from the date of your test.
There is no standard pass score for IELTS. Each institution sets the score that
students must achieve to gain admission.
Cambridge C1 and C2 Exams
C1 and C2 are the highest level exams offered by Cambridge Assessment English.
They are designed to test your ability to use English to study or work in an
academic or professional environment.
The main difference between the two tests is the level of English that they allow
you to achieve. C1 Advanced is targeted at the C1 level of the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), while C2 is targeted at the C2
CEFR level. C2 Proficiency is therefore the more difficult of the two exams
C1 Advanced (CAE)
The C1 Advanced, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE), is
tailored for learners who need to operate in complex academic and professional
settings. This test assesses candidates' ability to follow university-level courses,
participate in professional discussions, and excel in demanding work
environments.
C2 Proficiency (CPE)
C2 Proficiency, previously known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE),
represents the pinnacle of English language achievement within the Cambridge
English suite. Designed for learners who have reached an exceptional level of
English, this test evaluates the ability to communicate with the fluency and
sophistication of a highly competent English speaker. Accepted by educational
institutions and employers globally, the C2 Proficiency is the ultimate
demonstration of English language mastery.
Duration
C1
Reading and Use of English – 1 hour 30 minutes
Writing – 1 hour 30 minutes
Listening – about 40 minutes
Speaking – 15 minutes per pair of candidates (you complete this part of the test
with another candidate)
C2
Reading and Use of English – 1 hour 30 minutes
Writing – 1 hour 30 minutes
Listening – about 40 minutes
Speaking – 16 minutes per pair of candidates (you complete this part of the test
with another candidate)
The C1 exam consists of four papers: Reading and Use of English, Writing,
Speaking, and Listening. The C2 exam is the same as the C1 exam but with a
higher level of difficulty.
These tests have four different papers:
Reading and Use of English: The first section of the C1 Advanced tests reading
comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary. This part has multiple-choice, fill-in-
the-blank, and matching questions divided into subsections.
Writing: This section tests your ability to write clear, well-structured texts. There
are two parts to this paper.
Speaking: This paper tests your ability to communicate effectively in English.
Students take this part of the test in pairs.
Listening: This paper tests your ability to understand spoken English. You'll listen
to radio, television, or other types of native English speech and answer questions
about what you heard. Each recording is played two times. There is a total of 30
questions in this part divided into 4 sections.
Scores on the CAE Exam range from 160 to 210.
A score of 180 or above is considered a “pass” and students with that score will
receive the Cambridge C1 Advanced certificate, which corresponds to a level C1 in
English on the CEFR. Students scoring 200 or above on the C1 Advanced will
receive a Cambridge English certificate for level C2.
2. The History of IELTS.
The first major standardized test for international students intending to study at
universities in the United Kingdom was the English Proficiency Test Battery
(EPTB). Joint development of this assessment by the British Council and the
University of Birmingham began in 1963, and the test was first taken by students
in 1965. The EPTB focused on reading and listening skills with a set of three
subtests: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and reading speed. The
EPTB did not evaluate writing or speaking, and this was a drawback that was fully
understood by the test's creators, who hoped that innovative evaluations of reading
and listening would make up for this weakness. The EPTB remained in existence
until 1980.
During the 1970s, researchers sought to improve English language testing by
introducing more practical and relevant elements into standardized assessments,
which would be of greater use to university students. These ideas were promoted
under theories of "communicative" learning and "English for specific purposes."
The result of these efforts was the English Language Testing Service (ELTS),
which replaced the EPTB in 1980. The ELTS was a set of six modules, five of
which were subject-specific (life sciences, social studies, physical sciences,
technology, and medicine). The sixth module was a "general academic"
assessment. Logistical problems in test administration suppressed the overall
number of ELTS test-takers (only 4,000 took the exam in 1981 and just 10,000 in
1985). Another problem with ELTS was the fact that its development had lacked
international input.
The International English Language Testing System was developed during the
1980s and first administered to students in 1989. The creators and administrators
were the British Council, Cambridge English Language Assessment, and the
International Development Program of Australian Universities and Colleges. The
latter organization gave test development an international perspective. The IELTS
had a four-module structure (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) in two
versions (academic and general training) that has been the basis of the test ever
since. The speaking and listening modules were general, and there was only one
version of these two sections. The reading and writing sections were intended to
test these skills in academic disciplines that were as close as possible to a given
student's intended course of study, and there were three available versions of these
modules (science and technology, life science, and social science). The early
IELTS therefore retained vestiges of the subject-specific ELTS subtests. The
annual number of IELTS test-takers quickly surpassed the number of students who
had taken the ELTS. By 1995, there were 210 test centers available worldwide, and
about 43,000 students sat for the IELTS each year.
The IELTS was substantially revised in 1995. The first change was the elimination
of the field-specific writing and reading modules and their assimilation into a
single module for each. Other important changes were administrative and
structural. Scheduling the speaking assessment had been a significant challenge,
but allowing students to take this portion of the test on a different day largely
solved this problem. The reading and writing modules of the general training test
were also aligned to those of the academic test in terms of timing and response
length.
Efforts to improve the IELTS have continued into the 21st century. In 2001, the
speaking section was changed to include a smaller number of tasks, and examiner
scripts and more specific scoring criteria were also integrated into the IELTS
speaking paper. The assessment of the writing section was updated in 2005 to
include four areas of evaluation (there were only three previously). Once a paper
test only, the first computerized IELTS was offered in 2005. The IELTS Life Skills
Test is a new version of the exam first administered in 2015. This greatly
streamlined IELTS is a two-section assessment (speaking and listening only) that
can be completed in a total of 16-22 minutes.
The IELTS is now taken by more than 2.5 students in over 140 countries annually,
making it one of the world's most popular standardized assessments. It is available
at over 1,100 test centers, and is widely accepted by universities and other
organizations in all of the major English-speaking countries.
3. Academic and General IELTS: distinctive and similar features.
IELTS General Training is for people who wish to live and work abroad in an
English-speaking country. It focuses mainly on assessing a person’s proficiency,
confidence and comfort when communicating in English in daily situations that
they are likely to encounter in a native English-speaking environment.
The IELTS Academic test on the other hand is for students who are interested in
pursuing their higher education overseas. Hence, it is designed to assess whether a
test taker is ready and able to use English as a medium of study.
In the IELTS Academic Reading test, you will be asked to read three long
paragraphs. These paragraphs can consist of excerpts from books, magazines or
even newspapers. You will then be asked to answer questions relating to what you
have read. While the format is similar, in the IELTS General Training Reading test
you will be presented with passages from brochures and advertisements rather than
magazines or newspapers. These are materials that you may come across every
day. The Writing section for IELTS Academic, test takers is based on topics from
undergraduate or postgraduate studies. You have to complete two Writing tasks.
The test-taker is required to write about general topics instead of academic ones.
Just like IELTS Academic, for the General Training Writing test you also have to
complete two tasks.
4. The Band for evaluating IELTS results.
Band 9-Expert user. You have a full operational command of the language. Your
use of English is appropriate, accurate and fluent, and you show complete
understanding.

Band 8-Very good user. You have a fully operational command of the language
with only occasional unsystematic inaccuracies and inappropriate usage. You may
misunderstand some things in unfamiliar situations. You handle complex detailed
argumentation well.

Band 7- Good user. You have an operational command of the language, though
with occasional inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings in some
situations. Generally you handle complex language well and understand detailed
reasoning.

Band 6 - Competent user. Generally you have an effective command of the

language despite some inaccuracies, inappropriate usage and misunderstandings.
You can use and understand fairly complex language, particularly in familiar
situations.

Band 5 - Modest user. You have a partial command of the language, and
cope with overall meaning in most situations, although you are likely to make
many mistakes. You should be able to handle basic communication in your own
field.

Band 4 - Limited user. Your basic competence is limited to familiar

situations. You frequently show problems in understanding and expression. You
are not able to use complex language.

Band 3 - Extremely limited user. You convey and understand only general
meaning in very familiar situations. There are frequent breakdowns in
communication.

Band 2 - Intermittent user. You have great difficulty understanding spoken

and written English.

Band 1 - Non-user. You have no ability to use the language except a few
isolated words.

Band 0 - Did not attempt the test. You did not answer the questions.