PTE Tip #4: Make Sure Your PTE Academic Score Reports Are Authentic
Strictly English has heard reports from PTE Academic that some institutions are accepting PTE Academic score reports that may not be authentic. Programs might be accepting printed or scanned score reports, or score reports that claim to be authenticated by a third part agent or company. Programs may also be checking students’ scores through links provided by the students – links which might be to fake sites which mimic PTE Academic’s actual Score Reporting Website .
Accepting these questionable score reports is serious mistake. PTE Academic uses its secure Score Reporting Website as one of the key ways to ensure the authenticity of its reports. Because paper documents are much more susceptible to fraud, PTE Academic does not issue paper score reports.
PTE Academic has the following suggestions that institutions can take to make sure they are receiving authentic score reports:
• Ensure that your institution has access to the PTE Academic Score Report Website (SRW) by filling in the form here
• Ensure that you only access the SRW via: pearsonvue.com/ptescores
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• Ensure all staff that require access, have access to the SRW
• Remind students to send you their PTE Academic score report through their Pearson account
• Contact PTE Academic at pltsupport@pearson.com with any questions or concerns
PTE Tip #3: PTE Academic Has Changed Its Score Reports
PTE Academic has updated its score reports in order to identify test takers more easily and to make the score reports easier to read. This new format will apply to all scores accessed on the score report website, no matter when someone took a particular PTE Academic exam.
PTE Academic notes the following changes in its score reports:
• Addition of test taker ID, country of residence and testing location
• Removal of test taker address
• New branding
An important element of the redesign is the new test taker ID. This new ID is a unique number associated with each test taker, and will appear on every set of PTE Academic score results. This will help ensure that the correct scores are reported for each test taker. If someone takes PTE Academic more than once, each set of scores will have a different registration number, to identify the particular day, time, and place of each exam.
Make sure you are familiar with the new score report. Even if you have copies of previous PTE Academic score reports, log in today and review the changes. That way, you won’t have any surprises if you need to discuss your PTE Academic score with an institution’s Admission office.
PTE Tip #2: Take the PTE While TOEFL Is Closed From December 17th to January 13th
As you may have read earlier this week , Strictly English has learned that ETS has no scheduled TOEFL exams between December 17th and January 13th. Such a long period without exams seems to us like a strange gap in ETS’s testing calendar. The next several weeks are the busiest peak in many students’ application process. Perhaps the score from a recent TOEFL exam was just a little bit lower than you need, or perhaps you’ve made a recent decision to apply to a program with an upcoming deadline. Maybe you just took the TOEFL and don’t have your scores yet, but want to schedule another one in case you need to take it again. This would seem to be a time to ramp up exam availability, not shut it down.
For whatever reason, if you need to take a TOEFL exam between December 17th and January 13th, you won’t be able to.
There is another option!
Although the TOEFL will be unavailable for a few weeks, the Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic will be offering exams throughout this period. As PTE Academic has told Strictly English:
PTE Academic tests are available throughout the US through December and January by request. If you wish to book a test simply contact 1-800-901-0229 and make a request for a test booking and Pearson’s customer services team will try to identify an available seat in your chosen location. For a list of locations please visit http://www.pearsonpte.com/TESTME/TAKING/Pages/TestCentersandFees.aspx
Be sure to check directly with the Admissions Office to find out if an institution accepts PTE Academic, and what score you need. Their Admissions webpage may not be fully up to date.
Strictly English offers classes to prepare students for PTE Academic. Whether you need to take the TOEFL before December 17th, or PTE Academic later in the month, contact us today!
TOEFL Tip #132: Sign Up For Online TOEFL Classes This Cyber Monday
Today, November 28, 2011, is “Cyber Monday” in the United States, Canada, and several European countries. Generally the first full business day after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in the U.S., Cyber Monday gets its name from the burst of online shopping on this first Monday of the typical Christmas shopping period, with sales presumably generated by employees using slow moments at the office to hunt for gifts on the Internet.
How does Cyber Monday relate to the TOEFL exam? If you need TOEFL scores by early January 2012, you should consider online tutoring so you can prepare to take the exam in the next few weeks.
Strictly English has learned that ETS has no scheduled TOEFL exams between December 17th and January 13th. If you are completing a rush application at the last minute, you may not be able to get TOEFL scores in time, because TOEFL scores aren’t available for at least 10 days after the exam. To ensure that you have your TOEFL scores when you need them, you’ll need to take the TOEFL well before December 17th.
Not ready to take the TOEFL so soon? Strictly English can help, with several programs designed to meet a variety of needs. Because our courses are online, you can set the pace for finishing in time to take the TOEFL before mid-December.
Don’t wait! Contact us today.
TOEFL Tip #131: Registering As A Group for TOEFL iBT
Students who study together for the TOEFL iBT often want to take the exam at the same time. The camaraderie and support of arriving together can help calm nerves and keep students focused.
While ETS does not offer group registration directly, their Fees and Services webpage has full directions on how to register groups for the TOEFL iBT through a service called Prometric. To submit your Group Reservation Request, you will need to provide your institution’s name, address, and GSP number (if available), your own contact information, and the location, test date/s, and number of seats you are requesting. In addition, each student will need to create his or her own TOEFL iBT online profile.
ETS recommends submitting a request at least 30 days before the preferred test date, and payment must be received at least 20 days before the test date to hold the seats reserved for your group.
If your group wants to take the TOEFL during this busy time of the year, be sure to submit your Group Reservation Request soon!
TOEFL Tip #130: TOEFL Scores For Student Visas To Australia And The United Kingdom
Applying for a visa to study in Australia or the United Kingdom just got a little bit easier.
Starting November 5, 2011, TOEFL test scores will be acceptable for Australian student visa applications, if you do not have International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test scores. ETS, the company that administers the TOEFL exam, researched the scores of people who had taken both tests to determine the equivalent scores between TOEFL and IELTS scores.
At the lowest and highest scores, only a few points separate the TOEFL scores from each IELTS band. For example, a TOEFL score of 31 is the equivalent of IELTS band 4, and a TOEFL 32 corresponds to IELTS band 4.5. Similarly, a TOEFL 115 equals IELTS band 8.5, and a TOEFL 118 is the same as IELTS band 9.
The biggest differences between TOEFL scores and IELTS bands are in the middle of the range, where there is a lot of variation in non-native speakers’ mastery of English. A TOEFL score of 46 matches IELTS band 5.5, but to get to the equivalent of the next IELTS band (6), a student’s TOEFL score has to go up by 14 points, to 60. There’s an even bigger jump to get to the next-highest IELTS band (6.5) – a whopping 19 point increase, for a TOEFL score of 79. (For more information, including the full chart comparing TOEFL scores with IELTS bands, click here).
This move by the Australian government follows a similar expansion by the United Kingdom earlier this year.
As of April 6, 2011, students can use TOEFL iBT scores as part of their applications for visas to the United Kingdom. Non-native speakers of English pursuing a degree in the United Kingdom need to show a minimum TOEFL score of 21 in Listening, 22 in Reading, 23 in Speaking, and 21 in Writing. For more information, click here.
As always, students need to check with the particular requirements of the institution where they will be studying, which may require higher scores than the minimum needed for a visa.
Want to study in Australia or the United Kingdom, but can’t find TOEFL classes near you? Study online with Strictly English!
TOEFL Tip #129: Request For Speaking Re-score Brings A Higher Result . . . Again
Earlier this year, we discussed examples of Strictly English students whose TOEFL test scores were significantly lower than their practice scores had been prior to the exam. Each of the three students requested a rescore, and each had his or her score raised by 4 points. As we noted, this is a substantial difference which can determine if students can continue their professional studies, or not.
It’s happened again.
Just this week, we’ve had yet ANOTHER student’s request for a re-score on his Speaking section result in a 26, after receiving a 24 in his first results.
This student is Indian, and he needed the 26 for his Pharmacy License. To improve his Speaking score, he studied with Strictly English. We were 100% sure he’d get the 26, based on our experience and the evaluation tools we have developed. He didn’t, and we told him to rescore. We were RIGHT. He *did* speak at a level of 26 on his test.
Can Strictly English score people more accurately than ETS?
While ETS graders are trained so that their results consistently meet ETS’s scoring requirements, our students’ experience strongly suggests that some accents might prove more challenging for graders to assess, at least on a first listen. Of course, you need to do as much as you can to ensure that you are clearly understood when you speak, but if your TOEFL Speaking score is surprisingly lower than your practice scores, consider asking for a re-score.
TOEFL Tip #128: How TOEFL Scores Correspond to Native Ability in English
If you’re taking the TOEFL, you’re probably trying to get a specific score. Perhaps the score is part of a college application, or perhaps you need it for professional certification. Whatever your reasons, you have an end goal, a number that indicates your mastery of English, according to TOEFL.
But what does a 30 mean, in daily life? How can you recognize the difference in skills between a 24 and a 27? Understanding the real-world equivalents of TOEFL scores can help you gauge your own performance, and get to the ability level that matches the score you need.
In the following list, which Strictly English developed from its work with students who have a wide range of ability in English, notice that the crucial division is between 24 and 26.
At 24 and below, a student’s ability in English still clearly marks him or her as someone who has learned English as a second language. This could be for any one or more reasons – a strong accent which obscures the speaker’s meaning, frequent errors in basic grammar, poor ability to follow conversations and lectures, and so on.
Scores of 26 or above, on the other hand, signal that the student is on par with native speakers of English. The key difference at this level is in the sophistication of the speaker’s vocabulary, the variety of sentence structures, the skill with developing details.
As you prepare for the TOEFL, keep in mind that the score you’re trying to reach has an equivalent that you can use for comparison with your own skills.
30 : Professional public speaker (for example, Oprah Winfrey)
29 : University professor
28 : Really smart graduate student
27 : Really smart college senior
26 : “Straight – A” high-school senior
24 : “Fluent” ESL
22-23 : Advanced ESL
18-21 : High-Intermediate ESL
14-17 : Intermediate ESL
10 – 13: Low Intermediate ESL
below 10: Beginner ESL
TOEFL Tip #127: Not all TOEFL Books Are Created Equal
When an individual is picking which TOEFL book is best for his/her self-study or when a teacher is picking which TOEFL book is best for his/her group class, the first thing to remember is that there are basically three types of TOEFL books.
1. exercise books
2. sample test books
3. language skills books
And each of these books is also targeted to a particular English level. At the bottom of Strictly English’s Exercises Page you’ll find a score chart that indicates the level each book targets. So in this blog article we’ll focus on the three above mentioned differences.
Ideally, if you had the time and the budget, you’d work with all three types of books since they each have a valuable purpose to serve.
All three types give an overview of the test and the types of questions you will be asked to answer and tasks you will be asked to perform. And basically, you’ll learn the same thing from any of these books with regard to this basic introductory information.
The Exercise Books (The Longman & the Delta) give you, . . . well . . . , a lot of exercises, or at least more than the other two types of books do. We at Strictly English think these books are indispensable. The more you rehearse the mechanical steps to answering a question type, the more accurate (and over time, the faster) you’ll become. I call this category “Exercise Books”, but to be fair, they do have sample tests as well. In fact, Longman has a large amount of both exercises and tests. Yet, I put it in the exercises category because although it has many “Mini-Tests” on its CD, it only has two full tests.
The books that I’ve categorized as “Sample Test Books” (Cambridge & Barrons) are often woefully deficient in exercises. Now they might reply, “HEY! we have lots of, say, paraphrase questions in our book. They are just not grouped together in a section called PARAPHRASE. Instead they are scattered throughout our sample tests.” I cannot argue against this point, but I don’t think of it as an “exercise” unless it’s in a drill-able format, which (as I stated above) is crucial to acclimating to the mechanical steps needed to answer a question correctly. This is not to say Sample Test Books are useless. They are great! You just want to begin using them AFTER you’ve done an exercise book. Once you’ve mastered the strategies/skills for answering each question type, THEN you can begin to integrate them into each other in a test-like format.
Finally, there are the Language Skills Books. This approach to English learning is fantastic. Arguably it cannot be beat. If Strictly English were a English Language school, we would definitely buy these books and use them in our general English classes. But language learning and TOEFL study are not the same. To learn a language, you need so much more facility than you do to pass the TOEFL. Case in point, I would argue that you can get through 99% of the TOEFL test without really understanding nor using models (the one exception being Task 5 of the Speaking where you have to give advice). So Language Skills Books are a time-sink and are too wide-reaching for TOEFL preparation.
These categories are not rigidly segregated. As I’ve already said, Longman has some full practice tests in them. Also, Cambridge is a Language Skills Book AND a Sample Test Book. Therefore, Strictly English uses only the Sample Tests from the book and ignores the Language Skills part of it.
So if you can’t buy all of them or you don’t have the time to study them all, how do you decide which ones to use? We suggest getting one Exercise Book and one Sample Test Book. For example, Longman & Cambridge or Delta & Barrons. Start there and see how you do. If you have more time, then move onto the pair you didn’t buy at first.
WARNING ONE: Please note that many of these books are out of date. Even the ETS’s 2011 Official Guide to the TOEFL inaccurately portrays the Integrated Essay and the Reading’s Chart Questions (of which not one of our students has reported seeing on a real test). This is because some of the books have not been revised recently. For example, when the Reading Section changes on Nov 1, all the books will be describing that section incorrectly. Also, Task 1 of the Speaking changed from requesting a Description to requesting Advice, which non of the books have had a chance to update either. Only a company like Strictly English, which does its own research, can keep you abreast of these changes as they happen.
WARNING TWO: Even very bright students do not often achieve the score they want through self-study alone. This is because these books are purposefully designed as teachers’ aides. They work best when you’re guided through them in a group class or with a private tutor.
Good luck!
(PS: please comment below about YOUR favorite TOEFL Book and why you like it!—-THANKS!)
TOEFL Tip #126: Getting To Performance Speed
Time is of the essence. There’s no time like the present. Time flies when you’re having fun. We have a lot of sayings about the importance of time, and how quickly it passes.
As students prepare for the TOEFL, they’re often concerned about working within a time limit, and they worry about running out of time before they finish a section. As a result, many students think that they have to practice at the same speed that they will ultimately perform at, so they can get used to working quickly.
This is a mistake.
There is practice speed and there is performance speed; they are NOT the same. Do not worry about performance speed; focus instead on practice speed. As you work in practice speed mode, you will naturally perform more quickly, and your speed will increase until it reaches the levels you need in order to do well on the TOEFL.
Our goal at Strictly English is to make your performance speed equal your practice speed.
WHY?
Because practice speed is the speed at which you can do everything correctly. Going fast doesn’t help your TOEFL score if you’re making a lot of mistakes. The key is to be fast AND accurate. You cannot begin at performance speed. By focusing on doing everything correctly at practice speed, you’ll work quickly without mistakes as you naturally increase – over time – to performance speed.
Don’t worry. “Over time” does not mean two years. This is what everyone fears, and what leads them to try to jump to the end of the process. “Over time” really means . . . . about two weeks of steady, dedicated practice. Remember: it doesn’t take a 5 year old two years to learn how to ride a bike. A child may WANT to ride it perfectly on day one, but it will usually take until . . . . day ten. That might seem like a long time, but 10 days is much shorter than 2 years!
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- TOEFL Tip #141: TOEFL Junior Test: English Proficiency Exam For Middle School Students
- TOEFL Tip #140: Your Native Language Can Affect Your Speaking Speed On The TOEFL
- TOEFL Tip #139: Eliminate Unnecessary Distractions
- TOEFL Tip #138: Don’t Be Redundant; Don’t Be Redundant!
- TOEFL Tip #137: Test Of American As A Foreign Culture
- TOEFL Tip #136: Improving Your TOEFL Vocabulary in 2012!
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