JLPT
The Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) under joint organization of the Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services (previously Association of International Education, Japan) started in 1984 as a test to measure and certify the Japanese-language proficiency of those whose native language is not Japanese. In the first year the JLPT was conducted in 15 countries, and approximately 7,000 examinees took the test. Since then, the JLPT has become the largest Japanese-language test in the world, with approximately 610,000 examinees in 62 countries and areas worldwide in 2011. This success is entirely due to the support and cooperation of all involved.
JLPT certificates offer various advantages, ranging from recognition as academic credit and graduation certification at schools to preferential treatment at companies and acknowledgement of qualification in society.
SAT
About SAT:
Originally, SAT was an abbreviation for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. In 1993, the test was renamed the SAT I: Reasoning Test. At the same time, the former Achievement Tests were renamed the SAT II: Subject Tests. In 2004, the numerals "I" and "II" were dropped and the tests are now named the SAT Reasoning Test (or just SAT) and SAT Subject Tests. SAT is a simple and recognizable way of referring to the SAT Reasoning Test. The SAT (technically known as the SAT I) is a general test of verbal and quantitative reasoning accepted for U. S. college admissions. The test is required for admission to undergraduate programs of most US universities. Many universities also require you to take SAT-II tests. SAT is held about 6-7 times a year. The SAT is developed and administered by the US-based "College Entrance Examination Board". This implies that College board sets the questions, conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report.
Format of SAT:
SAT-I: Reasoning Test
The SAT-I is a three hour, primarily multiple-choice test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities that develop over time. Most colleges require SAT-I scores for admission.
SAT-II: Subject Tests
The SAT-II subject tests are one hour, primarily multiple-choice tests that measure your knowledge of particular subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge. Many universities may require you to take this along with SAT-I.
SAT-I
The SAT-I is a three hour exam, divided into seven sections. The following table gives out the format of the SAT-I :
Section Type of Question Total Questions Timing
Verbal Sentence Completion - 10 questions
Analogy Questions - 13 questions
Critical Reading - 12 questions 35 questions 30 minutes
Verbal Sentence Completion - 9 questions
Analogy Questions - 6 questions
Critical Reading - 15 questions 30 questions 30 minutes
Verbal Critical reading questions on paired passages 13 questions 15 minutes
Mathematics Multiple Choice - 25 25 questions 30 minutes
Mathematics Quantitative Comparisons - 15
Student-produced-response Questions - 10 25 questions 30 minutes
Mathematics Multiple Choice Questions - 10 10 questions 15 minutes
Experimental Either verbal or Mathematics section varies 30 minutes
Total 138 + 3 hours
SAT-II: Subject Tests
Writing, Literature, American History and Social Studies, World History, Math IC, Math IIC, Biology, Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, Chinese Listening, French Reading, French Listening, German Reading, German Listening, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese Listening, Korean Listening, Latin, Spanish Listening, Spanish Reading, English Language Proficiency
Similarities and differences between the SAT and the PSAT/NMSQT?
Both the SAT and the PSAT/NMSQT measure critical reading, writing, and math reasoning skills. The PSAT/NMSQT contains actual SAT questions, but it is designed to be slightly easier than the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT is two hours and 10 minutes, whereas the SAT takes three hours and forty-five minutes. The SAT is used for college admission, but PSAT/NMSQT scores are not sent to colleges. The PSAT/NMSQT Score Report gives you personalized feedback on areas in which you could improve, along with specific advice on how to improve. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT gives you a chance to qualify for scholarship and recognition programs and is the best practice for the SAT.
Who administers SAT?
The SAT is developed and administered by the US-based "College Entrance Examination Board". This implies that College board sets the questions, conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report.
Eligibility
Anyone and everyone interested is eligible for taking the SAT. The SAT test scores are valid for Five years, i.e., most universities accept scores up to five years old.
How to Apply?
There are three common ways of registering for SAT:
- By mail: Obtain the "SAT Information Bulletin" available free with USEFI offices or from college board website. Fill in the form, get the draft made (if you are not paying by credit card), and use the envelope provided with the form to mail these to:
College Board SAT Program
Princeton, NJ 08541,USA - Online Registration (Credit Card required):
Fill up the form online and mention your credit card number. This is the easiest way to register for SAT.
Reporting the Scores
College board has the provision of reporting your SAT scores to a maximum of four universities of your choice, the cost of which is built into the SAT fee you pay. You have to mention the universities to which you want to send the scores in the SAT application form. This implies that even before taking the SAT, you need to do some homework on which universities you’re finally going to apply based on the score that you expect to attain.
THE NEW SAT 2005
There is going to be a change in pattern in the SAT, the test required for admission to undergraduate (Bachelor degree) programs in US universities.
The last SAT with the old pattern is going to be on January 22, 2005.
All the subsequent tests would be in the new pattern.
Some changes in the new patterns are:
• A student-written essay
• Analogies eliminated
• Shorter reading passages added
• New content from third-year college preparatory math
• Quantitative Comparisons eliminated
What are the changes in the NEW SAT?
Writing Section (new section added)
• Multiple-choice questions (grammar and usage)
• Student-written essay
Critical Reading Section (currently called verbal section)
• Analogies eliminated
• Short reading passages added to existing long reading passages Math Section
• Math content expanded to include topics from third-year college preparatory math
• Quantitative comparisons eliminated
What do SAT scores look like?
The SAT has three scores, each on the scale of 200 to 800. Your score will include writing (W 200-800), mathematics (M 200-800), and critical reading (CR 200-800).
Your math and critical reading scores on the new SAT can be compared to the math and verbal scores on the old test. This is something colleges need for consistency in admissions requirements. However, the SAT writing score is completely new.
For more details log onto: www.collegeboard.com
TOFEL
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
Description
TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language
TOEFL Overview
What Is the TOEFL Test?
The Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings.
The Computer-based TOEFL Test
The computer-based TOEFL test measures English language proficiency in the following areas:
+ Listening
+ Structure
+ Reading
+ Writing.
New TOEFL will be introduced w.e.f. April 2006 where in structure would be eliminated & speaking will be included.
What is the test like?
The test includes four sections, plus computer tutorials and a break. It takes between 3.5 and 4 four hours to complete everything.
Section Time Limit No. of Questions
+ Tutorials 30 minutes
+ Listening 40-60 minutes 30-50
+ Structure 15-20 minutes 20-25
+ Break 5 minutes
+ Reading 70-90 minutes 44-55
+ Writing 30 minutes 1 topic
What am I tested on in each section?
Listening measures the ability to understand English as it is spoken in North America.Structure measures the ability to recognize language that is appropriate for standard written English.
Reading measures the ability to understand short passages similar in topic and style to academic texts used in colleges and universities.
Writing measures the ability to write in English on an assigned topic.
Scores:
What is the score scale for the computer-based test?
Section Score Scale
+ Listening 0-30
+ Structure/Writing 0-30
+ Reading 0-30
+ Total 0-300
+ Essay (on a separate scale)0-6
How long will my score be valid?
For two years after the test date. Scores more than two years old are not reported.
For more details logon to www.ets.org
IELTS
Not only has English become an International language; it is used by more and more people around the world as a medium of post-school study.
To help universities and colleges select students with sufficient English skills to succeed in their courses, The IELTS test was introduced in 1989 to assess “whether candidates are ready to train in the medium of English”. It is now used for this purpose around the globe.
Depending in the course of study that students plan to take, students must elect to sit either the Academic IELTS test or the General Training IELTS test. This choice must be made when applying to sit the test. The Academic IELTS test is necessary for students who plan to study at university (undergraduate or postgraduate courses), and will test the student’s ability both to understand and to use complex academic language. The General Training IELTS test is required by other institutions, such as colleges and high schools, for courses that require less complex language skills, and is also as a general test of English proficiency e.g. for immigration purposes in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Test Format
There are four sub-tests, or modules, to the IELTS test: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Students must sit all four sub-tests. While all students take the same Listening and Speaking tests, they sit different Reading and Writing tests, depending on whether they have selected the Academic IELTS test or the General Training IELTS test.
On the day of the test, the four subsections will be taken in the following order:
IELTS Test Structure
Total Test Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
The Speaking test may even take place a day or two later at some centers.
IELTS listening Test lasts for about 30 minutes. It consists of four sections, played on cassette tape, in order of increasing difficulty. Each section might be a dialogue or a monologue. The test is played once only, and the questions for each section must be answered while listening, although time is given for students to check their answers.
IELTS Reading Test lasts for 60 minutes. Students are given an Academic Reading test, or a General Training Reading test. Both tests consist of three sections, and in both tests the sections are in order of increasing difficulty.
IELTS Writing Test also lasts for 60 minutes. Again, students take either an Academic test, or a General Training test. Students must perform two writing tasks, which require different styles of writing. There is no choice of question topics.
IELTS Speaking Test consists of a one-to-one interview with a specially trained examiner. The examiner will lead the candidate through the three parts of the test:
An introduction and interview, an individual long turn where the candidate speaks for one or two minutes on a particular topic, and a two-way discussion thematically linked to the individual long turn. This interview will last for approximately 11-14 minutes.
GRE
Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
The GRE General Test measures critical thinking, analytical writing, verbal reasoning, and quantitative reasoning skills that have been acquired over a long period of time and that are not related to any specific field of study. It is to be given by students who plan to pursue Master (M S) or Doctoral (Phd) program in US universities. GRE Test is developed and administered by the US-based "Educational Testing Service" (ETS) under the direction of the Graduate Record Examination Board, The GRE tests the fundamental skills - Reasoning and Comprehension included - and does not require any subject-specific theoretical study. (This is true only for the General GRE Test, and not the GRE Subject, which is required by certain universities. In this section, we mean the General GRE Test whenever we refer to the GRE Test)
The test is designed in such a way that it would be unlike any other test you would have taken at school or college. First, the test has no question paper or answer sheets, nor does it have the same set of questions for all the examinees. Further, it does not give you the option of not answering a question (unless, of course, you run out of time at the end). All this because the GRE Test is an entirely Computer based test. The test is scored out of 1600 (in multiples of 10).
The GRE Test is only one of several parameters which the graduate schools look at to determine the selection of an applicant. A high score alone does not translate into an admission offer from a great school. But the test can be looked upon as the first major hurdle to be cleared in the process of getting admission into a Graduate school of your choice.
Anyone and everyone are eligible for taking the GRE Test - there are no restrictions based on age or qualifications. The test scores are valid for five years, i.e., most universities accept scores up to five years old.
GRE test is held all round the year. September to December is the peak time for GRE test, so in incase you intend to take the test during this period, you need to register very early (say 90 days in advance) to get a date of your choice. Otherwise, registering at least 15 days in advance is mandatory.
GRE General Test
Analytical Writing — the skills measured include the test taker's ability to
articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
examine claims and accompanying evidence
support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
control the elements of standard written English.
Verbal Reasoning — the skills measured include the test taker's ability to
analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
recognize relationships between words and concepts.
Quantitative Reasoning — The skills measured include the test taker's ability to
understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis
reason quantitatively solve problems in a quantitative setting.
GRE Subject Tests Overview
The GRE Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement in the eight disciplines listed below. Each Subject Test is intended for students who have majored in or have extensive background in that specific area. Prospective graduate applicants take the Subject Tests. GRE test scores are used by admissions or fellowship panels to supplement undergraduate records and other qualifications for graduate study.
The scores provide common measures for comparing the qualifications of applicants and aid in the evaluation of grades and recommendations. Some Subject Tests yield sub scores that can indicate the strengths and weaknesses of individual students' preparation and may be useful for guidance and placement purposes.
The Subject tests are given at paper-based test centers worldwide three times a year in:
November
December
April
For more information on GRE, registration process, preparation resources, test fee and other details, click on the links on the left or below: www.ets.org
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