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By Bahk Eun-ji
For TOEFL test-takers, the preparation process for the test can be a good chance to improve their English proficiency, and also be a source to practice their English skills before studying at schools or other educational institutions they want to attend or working at jobs they want.
However, depending on the purpose of the test-takers who need particular exam scores, some may want to choose a shorter and simpler test than the traditional TOEFL iBT test which is 100 percent academic.
For such test-takers, ETS has launched TOEFL Essentials Test in August, which is a more convenient and affordable test than the existing TOEFL iBT test, according to ETS Korea, a division of ETS Global BV, a wholly owned subsidiary of ETS.
The faster-paced TOEFL Essentials measures both academic and general English skills, but has shorter tasks compared to the TOEFL iBT, which intensively measures academic English.
As the TOEFL Essentials test is accepted by hundreds of institutions worldwide, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cornell University, the University of Ottawa and the University of Edinburgh, it is drawing attention from students who are preparing to study abroad.
One of the most notable features of the new test is that test-takers can take it at home at any time they want without visiting a test center. It is highly recognized especially during this trying time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic when people are reluctant to visit test venues out of concerns over coronavirus infection risks.
To allay concerns over possible cheating due to the fact that test-takers are alone at home, ETS came up with equipment and environment policies.
For equipment, test-takers can only have in place a laptop computer, a mouse, an ID, a whiteboard and a board marker. The whiteboard and the board marker are for note-taking during the test, and test-takers must erase everything they wrote after the test for security reasons.
Test-takers must take the test in a room where they be alone with the door closed. Before the test, they should show a 360-degree view of the room so that the proctor can confirm that the room is set up appropriately.
An online eye-tracking system also monitors the test-takers' eye movements so that they can't look at any other materials, such as textbooks or dictionaries. A face and voice recognition system is also used to prevent possible cheating during the exam.
Yoo Eun-ji, an international economics and trade major at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, took the TOEFL Essentials for her plan to apply for graduate schools in English-speaking countries, and commented that the new test was designed from a test-takers' point of view.
"TOEFL Essentials caught my attention because I could take it safely at home," said Yoo, who has been enrolled in her lectures online while in Korea due to the ongoing pandemic.
"I particularly enjoyed the fast pace and short tasks, which kept me engaged. I could see that the test items measured my foundational elements of English-language proficiency, which is essential for my studies, but the questions were not necessarily long and overwhelming like in the other tests," she said.
"Tests were being offered every hour. I found the test quite convenient because test-takers could choose the best testing time and date for themselves," she added.
