Prachi Rege / DNA
Wed Aug 12, 2009 18:52 IST
Education Testing Services (ETS), advances quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. It has recently released the third Edition of its Official Guide to the TOEFL Test. Gena Netten, manager of English Language Learning Tools at ETS, gives the details on the new and improved test guide.
What would the latest edition of the Official Guide to the TOEFL Test constitute?
The Official Guide represents preparation aide that is produced by the creators of the TOEFL test. It not only contains actual questions designed by TOEFL test development experts, but also includes two full-length tests that have been withdrawn from active use.
How will the students be able to use this guide?
Students can use this guide to get a complete understanding of the four sections of the exam, what the test measures, ETS's approach to measuring how English is actually used on university campuses. They also get to take two practice tests to help understand their performance before taking the actual test that goes towards college admission. They can access the guide from www.ets.org/toefl/guide
Mention a few benefits of using the official guide.
Whether the test taker chooses the eBook or the popular paper book, they will get a proven bestselling guide that features:
Hundreds of real TOEFL test questions and essay topics
Two full-length, authentic tests
Valuable tips and practice exercises for all four language skills tested - listening, reading, speaking and writing
Detailed explanation of scoring and measurement criteria
ETS raters will comment on test taker responses for writing and speaking
What is the reason behind providing such a guide?
ETS wants to ensure that test takers do their best when taking the TOEFL test. Despite high-priced, intensive private preparation courses, there is really no better way to prepare than studying examples of questions from actual TOEFL tests.
Understanding the exam and what it measures, and experiencing a practice testing session at your convenience also reduces the stress associated with taking an important admission test. All this goes toward fulfilling ETS's mission, which is to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services.
Three bilingual versions-Chinese, Korean and Japanese are currently under development by ETS...
We recognize that offering the Official Guide in other languages is very important. Our work continues on translating The Official Guide into Chinese, Korean and Japanese and we believe that they will be available in the near future.
Any suggestions that you would like to provide the large student community preparing for the TOEFL test?
The TOEFL exam is the only English language admission test that measures how English is actually used. Unlike other exams, we do not treat English as separate skills to be learned and used independently of each other.
In designing the TOEFLiBT, ETS worked with universities and higher education officials to design a test that met their needs, we collected examples of spoken and written English directly from classrooms and college publications.
This ensures that the test reflects the skills and abilities universities want, and gives students a good foundation to build upon once they enter higher education.
