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STANDARDIZED TESTS. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) GRE (Graduate Record Examination) GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) IELTS (International Language Testing System) ALPT (Arabic Language Proficiency Test)
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STANDARDIZED TESTS • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) • TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) • GRE (Graduate Record Examination) • GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) • IELTS (International Language Testing System) • ALPT (Arabic Language Proficiency Test) • JLPT (Japanese language Proficiency Test) • KLPT (Korean Language Proficiency Test)
TOEFL • ITP TOEFL (Institutional Testing Program) • iBT TOEFL (Internet-Based TOEFL) • PTESOL (TOEFL Equivalent) • TOEP (Test of English Proficiency)
SAT • The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. • The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profitorganization in the United States, and was once developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). • ETS now administers the exam. The College Board claims that the test can determine whether or not a person is ready for college. • The current SAT Reasoning Test takes three hours and forty-five minutes and costs $45 ($71 International), excluding late fees. • Since the SAT's introduction in 1901, its name and scoring has changed several times. • In 2005, the test was renamed to the "SAT Reasoning Test" with possible scores from 600 to 2400 combining test results from three 800-point sections (math, critical reading, and writing), along with other subsections scored separately • SAT consists of three major sections: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing
Structure of SAT • Each section receives a score on the scale of 200–800. All scores are multiples of 10. • Total scores are calculated by adding up scores of the three sections. Each major section is divided into three parts. There are 10 sub-sections, including an additional 25-minute experimental or "equating" section that may be in any of the three major sections. • The test contains 3 hours and 45 minutes of actual timed sections,[6] although most administrations, including orientation, distribution of materials, completion of biographical sections, and eleven minutes of timed breaks, run about four and a half hours long. • The questions range from easy, medium, and hard depending on the scoring from the experimental sections. Easier questions typically appear closer to the beginning of the section while harder questions are towards the end in certain sections.
Functions of SAT • The College Board states that the SAT measures literacy, numeracy, and writing skills that are needed for academic success in college. • They state that the SAT assesses how well the test takers analyze and solve problems—skills they learned in school that they will need in college. • The SAT is typically taken by high schooljuniors and seniors • Specifically, the College Board states that use of the SAT in combination with high school grade point average (GPA) provides a better indicator of success in college than high school grades alone, as measured by college freshman GPA. • The SAT is sometimes given to students younger than 13 by organizations such as the Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth, which use the results to select, study and mentor students of exceptional ability.
Critical Reading • The Critical Reading, formerly verbal, section of the SAT is made up of three scored sections, two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section, with varying types of questions, including sentence completions and questions about short and long reading passages. • Critical Reading sections normally begin with 5 to 8 sentence completion questions; the remainder of the questions are focused on the reading passages. • Sentence completions generally test the student's vocabulary and understanding of sentence structure and organization by requiring the student to select one or two words that best complete a given sentence. • The bulk of the Critical Reading questions is made up of questions regarding reading passages, in which students read short excerpts on social sciences, humanities, physical sciences, or personal narratives and answer questions based on the passage.
Mathematics • The Mathematics section of the SAT is widely known as the Quantitative Section or Calculation Section. The mathematics section consists of three scored sections. There are two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section, as follows: • One of the 25-minute sections is entirely multiple choice, with 20 questions. • The other 25-minute section contains 8 multiple choice questions and 10 grid-in questions. The 10 grid-in questions have no penalty for incorrect answers because the student guessing is limited. • The 20-minute section is all multiple choice, with 16 questions.
ACT • The ACT originally abbreviation of American College Testing) is a standardizedtest for high schoolachievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. • It was first administered in fall 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test. • Some students who perform poorly on the SAT find that they perform better on the ACT and vice versa. • The ACT test has historically consisted of four tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science reasoning. • In February 2005, an optional writing test was added to the ACT, mirroring changes to the SAT that took place later in March of the same year. • All four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. accept the ACT, but different institutions place different emphases on standardized tests such as the ACT, compared to other factors of evaluation such as class rank, G.P.A., and extracurricular activities.
ACT • In 2005 the company established ACT International. This organization is composed of ACT Education Solutions, Limited, and ACT Business Solutions, B.V. ACT Education Solutions is directed toward helping non-native speakers learn English in preparation for studying at an English-speaking educational institution. ACT Business Solutions attempts to help employers assess their employees' level of English proficiency through use of the WorkKeys assessment.[1] • Following an article in The Des Moines Register in November 2007,[5] as of Spring 2008, ACT Inc.'s non-profit status was under investigation by the Iowa Attorney General's office for disproportionate compensation for both its C.E.O. Richard Ferguson as well as members of its board
Functions of ACT • ACT, Inc. says that the ACT assessment measures high school students' general educational development and their capability to complete college-level work with the multiple choice tests covering four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. The optional Writing Test measures skill in planning and writing a short essay.[6] Specifically, ACT states that its scores provide an indicator of "college readiness", and that scores in each of the subtests correspond to skills in entry-level college courses in English, algebra, social science, humanities, and biology
Format of ACT • The required portion of the ACT is divided into four multiple choice subject tests: English, mathematics, reading, and sciencereasoning. • Subject test scores range from 1 to 36; • The English, mathematics, and reading tests also have subscores ranging from 1 to 18. • The subject score is not the sum of the subscores. • The "composite score" is the average of all four tests. • Students taking the writing test receive a writing score ranging from 2 to 12, a "combined English/writing score" ranging from 1 to 36 (based on the writing score and English score), and one to four comments on the essay from the essay scorers. • The writing score does not affect the composite score. Sometimes the test includes an experimental section that may be a short version of any of the four major sections.
GCSE • The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 15–16 in secondary education in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. • The International version of the GCSE is the IGCSE, which can be taken anywhere in the world, and which includes additional options, for example relating to coursework and the language used.
GCSE • Education to GCSE level is often required of students who study for the International Baccalaureate or to GCE Advanced Level (A-level). • GCSE exams were introduced as the compulsory school-leavers' examinations in the late 1980s by the then Conservative Party government, replacing the Certificate of Secondary Education (CSE) and GCE Ordinary Level (O-Level) examinations.
Structure of GCSE • In secondary schools, GCSE courses are taken in a variety of subjects, which are usually decided by the students themselves in Year 9 (age 13–14). • Typically, study of chosen subjects begins at the start of Year 10 (age 14–15), and final examinations are then taken at the end of Year 11 (age 15–16).
Subjects Studied in GCSE • English, mathematics, science, religious education and physical education, information communication technology (ICT), and citizenship, English literature, at least one modern foreign language, at least one design and technology
Grading • At the end of the two-year GCSE course, candidates receive a grade for each subject that they have sat. • The pass grades, from highest to lowest, are: A* (pronounced 'A-star'), A, B, C, D, E, F and G. • However, only grades A* to C are given much credence by most employers. • Those who fail a course are given a U (unclassified) and the subject is not included on their certificates. • Students can also receive an X grade ( only completed part of the course or key elements missing)
Tiers • In many subjects, there are two different 'tiers' of examination offered: • Higher, where students can achieve grades A*–D • Foundation, where they can achieve grades C–G • If a candidate fails to obtain a Grade G on the Foundation tier or a Grade D on the Higher tier they will fail the course and receive a U.
Tiers • Candidates who narrowly miss a Grade D on the Higher tier, however, are awarded a Grade E. • In non-tiered subjects, such as History, the examination paper allows candidates to achieve any grade. Coursework also always allows candidates to achieve any grade. • Receiving five or more A*–C grades, including English and Maths, is often a requirement for taking A-levels • Most universities typically require a C or better in English and Mathematics, regardless of a student's performance in their A-level • Many students who fail to get a C in English and Mathematics will retake their GCSEs in those subjects at a later date.
Examination Board • There are now five examination boards offering GCSEs: • Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) • Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) • Edexcel • Welsh Joint Education Committee (WJEC) • Council for the Curriculum, Examinations & Assessment (CCEA)
Subjects • "Core" Subjects • English • Many schools also insist on students taking English Literature • Mathematics • Science (students can take a number of different 'routes'): • One GCSE: Science (which includes elements of biology, chemistry, and physics) • Two GCSEs: Science and Additional Science (a more academic course) • Two GCSEs: Science and Applied Science (a more vocational course) • Two GCSEs: Double Award Applied Science (a very vocational course) • Two GCSEs: Double Award (includes exams and coursework on all three sciences) • Up to three GCSEs: Biology, Chemistry and Physics as separate GCSEs (known as a Triple Award)
Useful sites • http://www.world-english.org/test.htm • http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/tests/mix-2 • http://www.english-test.net/esl/learn/english/grammar/ei011/esl-test.php • http://a4esl.org/a/g.html • http://www.readingsoft.com/quiz.html • http://www.readingsoft.com/
Useful sites • http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/online/2003/grade3/read.htm • http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/online/2003/grade4/writing.htm • http://www.bbsi.co.uk/study-english-england_uk-language-colleges_english-britain_english-in-britain_study-english-in-britain/ • http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/resources/online/2006/grade7/write/7writing.htm
http://www.audioenglish.net/english-learning/money_amounts_listening_test_online1.htmhttp://www.audioenglish.net/english-learning/money_amounts_listening_test_online1.htm • http://www.expertrating.com/english-speaking-test.asp