As an international student, English-speaking colleges and universities in over 150 countries will require proof of each applicant’s fluency in English, regardless of the program. From astronomy to zoology, learning institutions want the results of a recognized standardized test that you can speak and write English well. TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language is used by over 11,000 universities globally. In Canada, 80% of graduate programs prefer the TOEFL over others. Australian and New Zealand universities have 100% acceptance for the TOEFL, as is the United Kingdom.
Background
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) administers the TOEFL and several other international and national tests. In over 180 countries, ETS administers the Praxis, for example, which measures academic skills and subject-specific content knowledge for individuals entering the teaching profession. The GRE or Graduate Record Examination is another test required by some graduate (master and doctorate) programs available through the ETS. Their international headquarters is on a 376-acre campus outside Princeton, New Jersey.
The organization originated in 1947 by three non-profit organizations that soon after changed to ETS. Their TOEFL exam and others have been the target of criticism and investigation. One controversy stems from the accusation that it has monopolistic power, and as a non-profit – it doesn’t have to report financial information to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Americans for Educational Testing Reform (AETR) contended that ETS violated its non-profit status with executive compensation and high profits.
Pandemic
The most severe pandemic has disrupted daily life on every continent since the 1918 Spanish Flu. Comparisons have been made between the two viruses concerning symptoms, origin, and statistics. Records were not as accurate during the 1918 to 1920 pandemic as they are now with COVID. Estimates from the earlier influenza may have been as high as 50 million deaths in the world. As of June 2021, about 18 months into COVID, there are about 3.24 million deaths worldwide. According to the CDC, the United States is approaching 600,000 deaths, whereas the Spanish Flu killed 675,000.
Immediately following World War I (1914-18), the priority for young men and women was probably not applying to a college or university. There were no standardized testing procedures for international students. More recent statistics show that roughly 6 million students enrolled in private and public universities in 1965 and over 20 million in 2021.
As the number rose, so did the requirements and competition for acceptance into an American learning institution. Standardized tests became the norm. Although some, like the GRE, have lost their luster, the TOEFL has remained a stalwart for admission departments.
Certainly, COVID has affected test centers for TOEFL. However, restrictions are beginning to subside in some countries, with more testing centers reopening. You can search for test centers worldwide to see if they are open for an appointment at the ETS site. For example, in Paris, France, you can check if seats are available on specific dates.
TOEFL iBT
The best option when test centers remain closed or are inaccessible is the iBT format or internet-based test. The ETS states that you can take the iBT Home Edition in the country of your registered account, except in Mainland China and Iran. It is monitored by a human proctor and is available 24 hours a day, four days a week, and is identical to the in-person test. A PC with Windows or an Apple computer with Mac OS X 10.5 or higher installed, as well as the Chrome or Firefox browser.
The ETS Secure Test Browser has to be installed on your computer, and you have to run the ProctorU Equipment Check before the test. We will use internal or external speakers to hear the proctor and a microphone. Headsets and earphones are unacceptable. The home environment cannot have anyone else in the room, all doors must be closed, and the computer camera needs to show a 360-view of your test location before commencing the test. Appearance is also crucial as schools might be able to access your taped test session.
Further details on what to expect on test day are available at this ETS site.
Most colleges and universities have not suspended the TOEFL requirement, unlike the GRE. You might encounter exceptions on a case-by-case basis. To clarify and verify the requirements, you should contact admissions at all schools to which you intend to apply. Proof of prior attendance at an English-speaking institution may suffice- thereby avoiding the cost and effort of taking the TOEFL.
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