Educational Testing Service (ETS), the creator of the TOEFL® test, has announced that the largest TOEFL iBT™ administration in its more than 45-year history took place December 10 -12th. The number of international test takers surpassed the previous administration record by 8 percent, including large numbers in China, India, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand. To date, more than 25 million students have taken the TOEFL test.
The record-breaking administration and the overall number of TOEFL test takers on the rise is attributed to the growing number of students studying abroad and the increased recognition of the TOEFL test, the most widely accepted English language assessment worldwide. The TOEFL test is used by more than 7,500 colleges and universities, including the most prestigious institutions listed in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges 2011” (U.S.), the Russell Group (U.K.), and the Group of Eight (Australia).
“The recent record-setting TOEFL iBT administration represents a growing and diverse pool of international test takers eager to pursue their educational aspirations,” commented Teresa Sanchez-Lazer, Executive Director of the TOEFL Program. “With TOEFL testing sites in more than 165 countries, we are pleased to make the testing process accessible and more convenient to students around the world.”
The TOEFL test measures a student’s ability to use and understand English at the university level and evaluates how a student combines reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills needed to succeed in an academic setting. Students can take the TOEFL test at more than 4,500 testing sites globally and can benefit from the various free-of-charge study resources offered by ETS, including the TOEFL Go Anywhere website available in English, Chinese, and Korean and the “Welcome to the TOEFL iBT Testing Site” video.
Eighty-eight new testing sites were added in 2010 to meet the growing number of TOEFL test takers in India. More information regarding the TOEFL test is available at www.TOEFLGoAnywhere.org.
About ETS
At nonprofit ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and post-secondary education, as well as conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org.