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Agnieszka Sękiewicz-Magoń Which Test to Take?

In today’s world, effective communication with others is of utmostutmostutmost importance. High school graduatesgraduates [graduate]graduates can choose to study abroad, and university graduates may choose to work for an international English‑speaking corporation or work in a different country. In such situations, the skill of speaking English fluentlyfluentlyfluently is essential, and it needs to be assessedbe assessed be assessed in a reliablereliablereliable way. There are many options for measuring your level of language proficiencylanguage proficiencylanguage proficiency, with certificate exams being the most validvalidvalid, fair and reliable. Here is an overview of the most popular and widely recognisedwidely recognisedwidely recognised ones.

1. IELTS (The International English Testing System) is an exam taken when you intend to study, work, or live in an English‑speaking country. It is especially popular for those looking to migrate to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the U.K. During this test, your ability to listen, read, write and speak in English will be assessed, and you will be gradedbe graded be graded on a scale of 1‑9. There are two different IELTS modules: Academic and General Training. Generally, your results are valid for 2 years from the test date, but it may depend on the receiving organisation’s requirementsrequirements [requirement]requirements. Each immigration body, university, institution, or workplace has its own IELTS score requirements, so it is a good idea to check in advancein advancein advance what they are. It takes 13 days to releasereleaserelease the results. There is no age limit, but generally it is recommended for candidates aged 16+.

2. TOEIC (The Test of English for International Communication) is an international standardisedstandardisedstandardised test of English language proficiency for non‑native speakers. Employers use it worldwide to determinedeterminedetermine if their employees can communicate effectively in English abroad with their coworkers and clients. It is actually two separate tests: one of them tests receptive skillsreceptive skills [receptive skill]receptive skills (listening and reading), while the other tests productive skillsproductive skills [productive skill]productive skills (speaking and writing). You can choose to take both or just one, depending on your needs. Each test has a unique structure and the scoringscoringscoring is different too: for Listening and Reading, the score is between 10 and 990 whereas for Speaking and Writing, it is between 0 and 400. In both tests, each skill is weighted equallyweighted equallyweighted equally, with half of the final score coming from each. Score validityvalidityvalidity does not expireexpireexpire, but the test is valid for 2 years. The certificate can be reissuedbe reissuedreissued up to two years after the test day.

3. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) measures academic communication skills in English and is primarilyprimarilyprimarily used by universities as part of the admission processadmission processadmission process in the United States, but not only, so it is for those who want to attend university or graduate school abroad. It is composed of four sections: reading, listening, speaking and writing. TOEFL is in fact a suite of testssuite of testssuite of tests, the most popular of which are the TOEFLiBT and the TOEFL Essentials exam. The first type mentioned is long and rigorousrigorousrigorous, designed to assess whether or not a given person is ready to study at an English‑speaking university. The other one is designed as the easier and cheaper version, with less academic focus. Scoring is different for each type: the iTB version scores on a scale of 0‑120 and Essentials scores are reported in half bands from 1‑12. The result report is issued in 6‑10 days and the test has validity for 2 years.

4. TELC (The European Language Certificates) offers a range of international certificates in 10 languages and testing and proving language skills and competencies at 5 levels: A1‑C1. A TELC test is a general, standardised test using criteria based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR/CEFRL) adoptedadopted [adopt]adopted by the Council of EuropeCouncil of EuropeCouncil of Europe, which allows a uniform evaluationuniform evaluationuniform evaluation of language proficiency in all European countries. TELC certificates are on the list of documents confirming the knowledge of a foreign language when applying for civil service jobscivil service jobs [civil service job]civil service jobs, and it may be necessary for a work or residence permitresidence permitresidence permit. It is usually taken by those who use the foreign language in their private lives, although TELC also offers the TELC Online Test (TOP) as a professional online placement test for businesses and universities. Depending on the language, the structure is different. Usually the written examination consists of reading and listening comprehensioncomprehensioncomprehension plus an oral examination assessing speaking, usually done in pairs. Test results are available within 4‑6 weeks and the test is valid for an unlimited time.

5. Cambridge English Qualifications offer a suite of exams and tests both for educational and professional purposes, based on the levels of the CEFR. There are exams designed for school‑age learners (School, Pre A1 to C2 Proficiency), those for learners who need English for career and higher education purposes (General and High Education, A2 Key to C2 Proficiency) and those for professionals (Business, B1 Business Preliminary to C1 Business Higher). A typical exam tests all four skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking. Each of the exams delivers a test‑specific certificate which is valid indefinitelyindefinitelyindefinitely. Cambridge exams use a harmonised scoring scale, although each exam can deliver scores on a limited range of the scale according to the level of English being tested. Results are available from 2‑40 days, depending on the test.

1 Źródło: Agnieszka Sękiewicz-Magoń, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.