Taking the TOEFL

The Test of English as a Foreign Language now measures the ability to communicate, not just knowledge of the language.

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The TOEFL is an important test for non-native English speakers who want to attend an American college or university. TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. And it is the subject this week in our Foreign Student Series.

The Educational Testing Service is moving to end the use of the paper-and-pencil version of the TOEFL. And on September thirtieth ETS stopped offering its existing computer test. The new version is called the TOEFL iBT, or Internet-Based Test.

The TOEFL iBT has been used since two thousand five at testing centers in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Puerto Rico. In March of this year, it was expanded to other countries in Europe and to Africa, Eurasia, the Middle East and Latin America.

The charge for the TOEFL iBT is different in each country. Until the TOEFL iBT is offered in a country, the pencil-and-paper test will continue to be used.

The TOEFL measures the ability to read, write and understand English. The new test represents about ten years of work by ETS. The testing service redesigned it to measure not just knowledge of the language, but the ability to communicate in English. The four-hour test now includes a speaking part, in addition to reading, writing and listening.

Each part of the test is worth a possible 30 points. So the highest score on the TOEFL is 120 points.

Different colleges and universities require different minimum scores on the TOEFL. So be sure to find out the score requirements of the schools that interest you.

Experts say the best way to prepare for the TOEFL is to use English as much as you can. The TOEFL Web site offers advice to help you prepare. The address is toefl.org

More than six thousand schools and agencies in one hundred ten countries use the TOEFL. But students who have already earned degrees from colleges in English-speaking countries may not be required to take it.

Higher Education in America: College Entrance Exams

The SAT and the ACT are the subject of this report.

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American colleges and universities consider a number of things about a student who wants to be admitted. Experts on the subject say the most important thing is the student's high school record. Admissions officers look not only at the grades that the student has earned. They also look at the level of difficulty of the classes.

A student's interests and activities may also play a part in getting accepted. But in most cases another consideration is how well the student did on college entrance exams. This week in our Foreign Student Series, we discuss two of these tests: the SAT and the ACT. Most American schools accept either one.

The SAT measures reasoning skills in mathematics and language. Students have almost four hours to complete the SAT. The newest part is an essay. Students have twenty-five minutes to write an answer to a question.

The SAT costs US $41.50. The international processing charge is US $22.00 more. And test-takers in India and Pakistan must also pay a US $22.50.

Students may also need to take SAT subject tests in areas like history, science and foreign language. Subject tests cost eighteen dollars each. The Web site for the SAT is collegeboard.com.

The ACT is an achievement test. It is designed to measure what a student has learned in school. Students are tested in mathematics, English, reading and science. A writing test is offered but not required. Without it, the ACT takes about three hours to complete. The essay part adds thirty minutes.

The ACT costs US $49.00 to take outside the United States. The writing test costs an additional US $14.00. The ACT Web site is act.org.

Recent Chinese news reports suggested that ACT testing would be expanded in China next year. But an ACT spokesman denies those reports. He tells us they were based on a misunderstanding. He says there are no plans to increase the number of testing centers in China. Ten centers there offer the ACT, but students must first take training classes at those centers.

The only place in China where the SAT is offered for Chinese students is in Hong Kong. International students living in China have more choices.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach.

Getting Into an American College: The Application Process

Admissions directors advise students to apply to at least three schools -- and give plenty of time.

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This week, we talk about the application process for American colleges and universities.

Earlier, we explained how to begin a search for schools by going to one of the American educational advising centers around the world. We also discussed the rules for entering in the United States. And we talked about programs that can be completed online.



But if your goal is to come to the United States to study, then it is time to make a list of colleges or universities that interest you. Be sure to choose more than one. Directors of foreign student admissions say students should apply to at least three schools.

Some students want to attend a small college. Others want to go to a big university. If a really big university appeals to you, then there are ones like Ohio State. That university in Columbus, Ohio, in the Midwest, has almost fifty-two thousand students. There are students this year from around one hundred fifty countries.

Ohio State provides international students with an application on its Web site. You can pay the application charge online with a credit card. Or you can print the forms and mail them with the payment.

Many colleges and universities have their applications and also their catalogs online. A catalog is the publication in which a school tells about its programs.

You should start on your applications at least two years before you want to begin studies.

Completing a college application can take some time. But answering all the questions is not enough. Another important step is taking admissions tests. The SAT is the college entry test that American high school students most commonly take. Another one is the ACT.

Colleges and universities may also require international students to take the TOEFL -- the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

We will begin discussing these tests next week.

And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach.

You might want to visit this website for more information: EducationUSA

What Foreign Students Need to Know About the SEVIS System

U.S. colleges use SEVIS to let the federal government know whether visiting students are attending classes.

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Last week, we discussed rules for getting permission to enter the United States to study at a college or university. Now, in part seven of our Foreign Student Series, we discuss a computer system that holds information about international students and exchange visitors to the United States. It is called the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS. It went into effect in January 2003.



All schools in the United States must enter information about each foreign student they admit. SEVIS brings together more than ten thousand American schools and exchange visitor programs. It links them to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the largest investigation agency in the Department of Homeland Security.

The government uses the system to let a school know when one of the school’s students has entered the country. The school then must report within thirty days whether the student is attending classes. The school must also report if the student leaves school.

In 2005, law enforcement officials investigated more than 85,000 possible violators. Almost 600 of them were later arrested for violating the student and exchange visitor rules. Violations include not attending classes, being expelled or suspended from school, or failing to continue as a full-time student.

The Department of Homeland Security says SEVIS now lists about seven hundred seventy thousand students and exchange visitors in the United States. Family members who travel with them are also listed. SEVIS has records about more than 150,000 family members of those student and exchange visitors.

In 2004, the United States began to charge each student and exchange visitor one hundred dollars to help pay for the system. The money also helped pay for the development of the SEVIS Web site. The site now permits students and exchange visitors to examine their SEVIS information and payment record online.

Information about SEVIS can be found on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Web site. Click on International Students.

And that’s the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach.