By Kim Bo-eun
Results achieved by Koreans on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) improved by 10 points over the past six years, a report showed Thursday.
The average score rose from 72 points out of a total of 120 for the iBT test in 2005 to 82 in 2011, the Lee Ik-hoon Language Institute said.
The findings were based on the yearly average TOEFL scores in countries around the world from 2005 to 2011, released by the U.S.-based Educational Testing Service (ETS), the non-profit organization that administers the test.
“The rise in the average TOEFL score for Koreans may be attributed to the fact that the test-takers had been able to adjust to the revised iBT format over the years and the fervor for English learning contributed as well,” said Kim Sun-sook, director of the institute.
The average iBT TOEFL score of Koreans in 2006 was 72, but the scores rose steadily to 77 in 2007, 78 in 2008, 81 in 2009, 81 in 2010 and 82 in 2011.
Koreans showed the greatest rise in scores over the six-year period. While the nation’s average test results rose by 10 points, most countries in Asia such as China, Japan, India, the Philippines and Thailand saw their average scores increase by only 1 to 4 points.
The average score ranking of Korea among some 150 test-taking nations has also seen a steady rise.
It ranked 111th out of 147 countries in 2006, 90th out of 155 countries in 2007, 89th out of 161 countries in 2008, 71st out of 157 countries in 2009, 80th out of 163 countries in 2010 and 70th out of 150 countries in 2011.
The certified English language test is commonly taken in Korea by those applying to attend schools abroad and by job-seekers as a certification of their English ability.
The test has evolved from the paper-based test (PBT) to the computer-based test (CBT) and now the internet-based test (iBT), which has been administered in the U.S. since September 2005.