Languages Test

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. It was first introduced in 1926, and its name scoring have changed several times, being originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test, then the SAT I: Reasoning Test, then the SAT Reasoning Test, and now simply the SAT.

The SAT is owned and published by the College Board, a private, nonprofit organization in the United States. It is developed and administered on behalf of the College Board by the Educational Testing Service. The test is intended to assess a student’s readiness for college. It is designed to not be aligned to high school curriculum.

The current SAT, introduced in 2016, takes 3 hours to finish plus 50 minutes for the SAT with essay, and as of 2014 costs US$ 52.50 (up to US$101.5 outside of the United States), excluding late fees. Possible scores on the SAT range from 400 to 1600, combining test results from two 800-point sections: Mathematics and Critical reading and Writing. Taking the SAT or its competitor, the the ACT, is required for freshman entry to many, but not all, universities in the United States.

On March 5, 2014, the College Board announced that a redesigned version of the SAT would be administered for the first time in 2016. The exam reverted to the 1600-point scale, the essay was made optional, and students now have 6 hours to take the exam plus 50 additional minutes to complete the essay.

For more information : SAT details

Type	Paper-based standardized test
Developer/administrator	College Board, Educational Testing Service
Knowledge/skills tested	Writing, critical reading, mathematics
Purpose	Admission to undergraduate programs of universities or colleges.
Year started	1926
Duration	3 to 4 hours
Score/grade range	200-800 (in 10-point increments) on each of two sections (total 400-1600). Essay scored on scale of 0-24, in 1 point increments.
Offered	Seven times annually
Countries/regions	Worldwide
Languages	English
Annual no. of tests takers	Over 1.69 million high school graduates in the class of 2015
Prerequisites/eligibility criteria	No official prerequisite. Intended for high school students. Fluency in English assumed.
Fee	US$ 52.5 to US$101.5, depending on country.
Scores/grades used by	Most universities and colleges offering undergraduate programs in the U.S.
Website	sat.collegeboard.org

IELTS (International English Language Test)

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP, IELTS Australia and Cambridge English Language Assessment, and was established in 1989. IELTS is on the major English-language tests in the world, others being the TOEFL, TOEIC and OPI/OPIc.

IELTS is accepted by most Australian, British, Canadian and New Zealand academic institutions, by over 3,000 academic institutions in the United States, and by various professional organizations across the world. IELTS is the only Secure English Language Test approved by UK Visas and Immigration 9UKVI) for visa customers applying both outside and inside the UK. It is also a requirement of immigration to Australia and New Zealand. In Canada, IELTS, TEF, or CELPIP are accepted by the immigration authority.

No minimum score is required to pass the test. An IELTS result or Test Report Form is issued to all test takers with a score from “band 1” (“non-user”) to “band 9” (“expert user”) and each institution sets a different threshold. There is also a “band 0” score for those who did not attempt the test. Institutions are advised not to consider a report older than two years to be valid, unless the user proves that they have worked to maintain their level.

For more information: IELTS resources

IELTS	International English Language Testing System
Type	Standardised test. Available in two modules: “Academic” (AT) and General (GT) IELTS Life Skills, a speaking and listening test used for UK Visas and Immigration.
Developer/administrator	British Council, IDP Education, Cambridge English Language Assessment
Knowledge/skills tested	Listening, reading, writing and speaking of the English language
Purpose	To assess the English language proficiency of non-native English speakers.
Duration	Listening: 40 minutes (including the 10-minute transfer time), Reading: 60 minutes, Writing: 60 minutes, Speaking: 11-15 minutes, Total: 2 hours, 45 minutes.
Score/grade	0 to 9, in 0.5 band increments range
Score/grade validity	2 years
Offered	Up to 4 times a month. Up to 48 times a year
Countries/regions	More than 1,000 test centres in over 140 countries
Language	English
Annual no. of test takers	Over 2.5 million in 2014.
Prerequisites/eligibility criteria	No official prerequisite. Intended for non-native English speakers.
Fee	Tot find out the test fee in local currency, use the IELTS Worldwide search to identify a local centre.
Scores/grades used by	More than 9,000 education institutions, governments, professional registration bodies and employers worldwide.
Website	ielts.org, britishcouncil.org

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by many English-speaking academic and professional institutions. TOEFL is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the IELTS. TOEFL is a trademark of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a private non-profit organization, which designs and administers the tests. ETS issues official score reports, sent independently to institutions, for two years following the test.

TOEFL	Test of English as a Foreign Language
Type	Internet-based (IBT) or paper-based standardized test (PBT)
Developer/administer	Educational Testing Service
Knowledge/skills tested	Reading, listening, speaking and writing or the English language
Purpose	Testing the English language proficiency of non-native English speakers for academic and other purposes
Year started	1964
Duration	IBT: 3 hours 10 minutes to 4 hours 20 minutes (excluding 10-minutes break in-between) PBT: 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes
Score/grade range	IBT:  0 to 30 (in 1 point increments) on each of the 4 sections. So total of 0 to 120 PBT: Listening: 31 to 68, Structure: 31 to 69          Reading: 31 to 67, Total of 310 of 677          Writing (separate): 0 to 6, (All in 1 point increments)
Score/grade validity	2 years
Offered	IBT: More than 50 times a year
Restrictions on attempts	IBT: Can be taken only once in any 12 day period
Countries/regions	4500 test conters in 165 countries
Languages	English
Prerequisites/eligibility criteria	Non-native English speakers
Prerequisites/eligibility/criteria	Non-native English speakers
Fee	IBT: US$ 160 to US 250, depending on the country. PBT: US$ 160 *(IBT=Internet Based Test, PBT= Paper Based Test)
Scores/grades used by	Over 9000 universities, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries.
Website	www.ets.org/toefl