Standardized Tests
TOEFL vs. IELTS
Both the TOEFL as well as the IELTS are language proficiency tests. TOEFL is slightly more common in the US, while IELTS is more popular in Europe and Asia. Be sure to double check which test the university or business school of your choice requires.
The biggest difference between the two tests is the speaking part. TOEFL rules require you to essentially speak to a computer. Your replies are recorded and then evaluated by judges. IELTS requires you to speak with a real person (tester/grader).
TOEFL®
TOEFL® (Test of English as a Foreign Language™) is a standardized test that evaluates the English proficiency of people whose native language is not English. Many educational institutes (both in English speaking countries and in countries where English is the language of instruction) require TOEFL® scores to select students with the English skills needed to succeed. TOEFL® covers all facets of English proficiency including a test of spoken English and grammar exercises.
The test is designed in a way that it is unlike any other test you might have taken at high school or in college. Since its introduction in late 2005, the Internet-based test (iBT) has progressively replaced both the computer-based (CBT) and paper-based (PBT) tests. However, in some areas you still have to take the paper-based tests.
The four-hour iBT test consists of four sections and focused on the English language used in an academic, higher-education environment:
- Reading
After each academic reading passage you will be asked questions about content, intent of the author, and the meaning of the passage. More recent iBTs require you to paraphrase sentences or paragraphs, fill out tables, or summarize passages. - Listening
You will hear short conversations and lectures via a headphone and the questions afterward refer to the content and intent of the phrases or the meaning of passages. - Speaking
In this new section you have to speak and answer questions about personal experiences or preferences. In addition, you have to read passages and listen to short conversations and lectures. Afterward you should communicate information, clarify ideas, and support your opinions clearly, logically, and precisely. - Writing
You will be presented a reading passage and a lecture and you must answer a question relating the core points of the passage and the lecture. It is crucial that you use a clear and logical structure and some idiomatic expressions.
The test can be taken in almost every country at specific dates for which you have to register online or by phone. Registration for the test can be found online here.
The price varies from country to country but is around USD 155.
As the scoring varies between paper-based, computer-based and internet-based test you can compare the scores here.
Various Schools require a different minimum test score. Be sure to check the required level of English proficiency required to apply to the school(s) of your choice. However, most schools expect a TOEFL® score of at least 600 PBT / 250 CBT / 100 iBT.
IELTS
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) measures the ability to communicate in English. It is managed by the British Council, Cambridge ESOL und IDP:IELTS Australia. THE IELTS is for people who intend to study or work where English is the language of communication.
IELTS is designed to test your proficiency across all four language skills – listening, reading, writing and speaking. It can be taken in over 350 locations in 120 countries.
There are two different types of this test:
- Academic Module or
- General Training Module.
The Academic Module is intended for candidates wishing to study at an English language university. It determines whether or not a candidate is able to study in English on an undergraduate or postgraduate level. Universities in the UK, Australia, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa as well as more and more institutions in the US accept the test as proof of language proficiency. In Australia and Canada IELTS is even a requirement for immigration.
IELTS is scored on a nine band scale (9 = expert user, 1 = Non User). The test takes about 3 hours in whole, split up into the 4 different language skills as follows:
- Listening, 40 minutes
- Reading, 60 minutes
- Writing, 60 minutes
- Speaking, 11-14 minutes
GMAT
If you are interested in a graduate degree in business or economics you will most likely be required to do the Graduate Management Admission Test, better known as GMAT. GMAT is a standardized test to determine a student's aptitude for graduate studies in business and economics. The GMAT was conceptualized by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC®) (http://www.gmac.com/), an association of business schools, with the goal to design a standardized test with which to select qualified applicants.
The fee for the GMAT is USD 250, as of July 2007.
The test is divided into two sections: 1. Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), 2. Quantitative and Verbal Sections.
The AWA section consists of 2 essays. This section is designed to asses an examinee's quality of ideas, as well as his or her ability to organize, develop and communicate ideas. In the first essay an applicant is required to analyze an argument. In the second essay the applicant will analyze an issue. The applicant is allowed 30 minutes each for these essays. The essays will in turn be graded on a scale of 0 to 6 with 0.5 point increments and a mean score of 4.1. Essays will be graded by Intellimetric, a software developed by Vantage Learning, analyzing creative writing and syntax. A second, human reader will also grade essays. If both grades are within one grade point of each other, the grade will be averaged. Should there be more than one point difference between them a second human reader will read and grade the essays.
In the quantitative and verbal sections of the GMAT test, examinees must answer 78 multiple choice questions (37 in the quantitative section, 41 in the verbal section). Examinees have 75 minutes to answer each of the sections. Each section is scored from 0 to 60 points.
The total score of the GMAT (comprised of the quantitative and verbal sections only) ranges from 200 to 800. The test is designed for a median score of 500, with a standard deviation of about 100. This translates into 68% of all examinees scoring in the range between 400 and 600. In contrast to the SAT test, GMAT scoring penalizes examinees that leave an answer blank. It is therefore strategically more prudent to ensure that all answers are answered, rather than left unanswered. You should therefore not dwell on a single question too long. When in doubt it will probably be better to guess for the total score.
The GMAT score is one of several criteria employed to determine an applicant's aptitude, though schools usually do not have a minimum score required. Most business schools will only publish the average score of accepted applicants. Schools commonly regarded as the best business schools usually have an average score of their accepted students of 600-700 or higher.
