You might have probably heard about language test as soon as you started making attempts to study abroad and have been wondering what it is.
I want you to know that you are not alone because the vast majority of international applicants don’t know what English test means and how to go about it. Honestly I don’t blame them because it may be confusing, just as it was for me the first time I made an attempt at studying abroad before I eventually got an offer to study in Australia.
What is language test?
Language test is a medium through which international applicants are assessed whether they are good in the primary language of learning in that a country. For example, English is the language for learning in English-speaking countries, while the language of learning in Japan is Japanese. This is important as it helps them know you can be able to cope with your studies there.
Must I take language test before I study in any country overseas?
Language test result is one of the required documents to study abroad, although not all countries require international applicants to take language test before applying to study. If you intend to study in English-speaking countries, you are required to take and pass English language test before applying to a university but if you want to study in non-English speaking countries like China, Japan, Germany, Russia, you are required to do a one-year foundation course in their language of learning at higher education, say Chinese or German, before starting your studies, unless you want to study at a university that deliver coursework in English.
How this work for most non-English speaking countries is that they inform international applicants to agree in their application form that they will take a one year language course once they arrive the country, before starting coursework a year later. This happened to me in 2016 because I initially desired to study in Japan on scholarship. While completing my application, I noticed a section stating I will need to take a mandatory one-year course in Japanese on arrival in Japan before starting my course the following year. Although I later got an offer of a place on scholarship in that school, I didn’t continue with my pursuit, and since I already had an IELTS (an English test) certificate, I decided to apply to University of Australia Sydney where I eventually completed a course on scholarship.
Now that we know non-English speaking countries don’t use language test method to assess international applicants, I will focus on what is obtainable in English-speaking countries – all requiring international applicants to prove their competence in English before receiving an offer on a course.
What is English language test?
English test involve testing whether you can write, speak, listen and understand English, and your performance in the test will help the university determine you can cope with coursework in English.
Must I take English language test to study abroad?
It is compulsory to take English language test and have acceptable scores if you want to study in countries that speak English, like the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The logical reason for this is that English is the language of learning in these countries. It is even more compulsory to take English test if English is not the primary language of communication in your country, however, if your country speaks decent English, some schools may not require you to take English tests to study there. For example, if you went to high school in an English speaking country like Canada, it means you have spent at least 6 years in an English-speaking country and this automatically meet the English requirement when you are applying to study in the USA, Australia, New Zealand or the UK and vice versa.
Also, if you want to apply for study visa to enable you travel to Australia, Canada, the UK or US to commence your studies, you are required as part of your application, to show evidence that you are good with English. Find out more about getting a student visa.
Where do I take English language test?
There are many reputable organizations approved to administer English test for international applicants, and they are recognized by foreign universities too. You can find the English test that foreign universities often demand below.
(i) IELTS – International English Language Testing System: is a very popular test and many colleges request IELTS scores to support your application. They usually release your score about one week after you take IELTS test, just so you know when to expect your result. The good thing is that the score can be accessed online too.
Let me give you a heads up that I will dwell more on IELTS in this chapter since I personally sat for IELTS academic prior to my study in Australia and since the pattern they use in IELTS test is similar to what is obtainable in other test, it makes it all easier to understand.
Where can I take IELTS?
There are many IELTS test centers in different countries, so you need check your local directories to know the center nearest to you. IELTS test is designed in a way that you can choose to sit for the test through paper and pen or computer. Whichever you go with, you are required to take the test in your country of residence.
How long does IELTS test take?
It usually take a day to complete, although when I did mine, the speaking section took about a week so I had to go back to the test center each day for my speaking assessment and after a week, it was completed. Since then I have made it a business for the sake of my audience to ask others who took IELTS test and their responses maintain that theirs took a day just like mine for the writing, listening, and writing sections while the speaking skill was assessed over a week by the IELTS officials. So if you chose to go with the paper and pen type or the computerized test, you can expect to complete it in a day, and finish the speaking section in one week.
When do I see my IELTS score?
I saw my IELTS score online about two weeks after taking the test using paper and pen, so IELTS result usually takes up to two weeks to be available. Since then I have asked most of my site audience who took IELTS, all of whom revealed it took about a week to see their result and on each occasion I inquired further, I realized that those who saw their score after a week took the computer test. My sister who is currently studying in the United States saw her IELTS score after 15 days.
So it typically takes two weeks for your IELTS result to be available online if you took your test using paper and pen, while it takes a week to see your result online if you took the computerized test.
How do I collect my IELTS result?
One thing I noticed is that you can’t print your IELTS result online, although I tried but all effort proved abortive. I went to my center to ask my tutor to help print my result and she said there is no provision for printing my IELTS result online even though I saw my result online, so I had to go back there three weeks (after my test) to collect my IELTS Test Report Form (IELTS result), same with my sister.
So you get your IELTS test report form at the center you took the test in your country because you will need to upload it when you are applying to a university abroad as part of your application for admission, as well as when applying for visa.
(ii) TOEFL academic – Test of English as Foreign Language: is one of the most popular platforms for testing proficiency in English around the world and is recognized by the government and universities. I personally didn’t take TOEFL test when I was applying but many international applicants I know took the TOEFL test. From what I gathered from them, you can take TOEFL test at a center located in your country of residence. The only obvious difference is that TOEFL test is mostly computer-based, which is all good.
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(iii) PTE academic – Pearson Test of English:
The PTE is one of the recognized tests for proving English proficiency if you want to study abroad, particularly in the UK. I was a guide to two persons who took the PTE in January 2020 to apply to a UK university, one of them already have an offer of a place, although the other is still in the waiting list. One remarkable thing about the PTE test is that the results are released within four days.
When taking the Pearson Test of English, please take the PTE academic because that is the one required by schools abroad.
(iv) Duolingo English Test: it is recognized internationally and its scores are accepted by many universities abroad. One significant thing to take from here is that the Duolingo English Test is an online test that takes approximately an hour to complete and the results don’t take so much time to be available. It takes about three days after the test to see your result. One of my native Chinese friends who is applying to study in New Zealand this year is currently taking it.
(v) SAT – Scholastic Assessment Test: it’s a general test required to study in College, especially in the United States. SAT can be likened to JAMB in Nigeria, and although many universities accept SAT scores, it’s important for international students studying in the USA to take the test because some universities request for SAT score during application.
(vi) ACT – American College Testing: is similar to SAT in the way they operate. Most universities in the US require international students to provide either ACT or SAT scores when applying for admission, although some universities in the US don’t require it from international student as a medium of testing English skill.
(vii) CAEL – Canadian Academic English Assessment: it’s one of the recognized English language tests in Canada used in determining proficiency in English. International students applying to study in Canada, who didn’t take any other language test, can take the CAEL test.
(viii) C1 – Cambridge Assessment English: the C1 is one of the oldest English tests. C1 scores are widely accepted by most schools as a way of assessing the English skills of international students. Most of my colleagues had an offer of a place in Australia with acceptable scores in the Cambridge Assessment English.
Although there are many other English-language tests around the world with new ones being introduced, the ones I mentioned in this post are the most widely accepted. If you want to study in the USA, make effort to have ACT or SAT score since it’s an application requirement of most US colleges.
The specific scores required to demonstrate proficiency in English vary by universities as determined by their admission committees, however, obtaining excellent scores in any of the tests show that you are good in English language and won’t have problems thriving in the English-coated academic environment.
Also, I found that Australian universities accept IELTS academic, PTE academic, or TOEFL, so if you are studying in Australia, I advise you take either of these tests to prove your ability to write, speak, and understand English.
I recall at a seminar, a panelist revealed that some international applicants were not given an offer into top universities abroad because of their invalid English test results. Simply put, universities consider English test results more than two years invalid, which means that if you took your English test in June 2018 and was unable to get an offer of a place, it becomes invalid by June 2020 and you may need to retake a test if you still wish to study abroad. I don’t know exactly the timeline all other universities around the world use, but most universities I know, consider English test result to be valid for two or three years.
Let me also add that you are not required to take all the English tests, only one is enough. They are all alternative to each other and whichever you end up taking, ensure you put in the hours and obtain great scores.
That’s it on language test as a requirement to study abroad. If you like to share your thought or there is anything you would like me to make clearer about studying abroad, please let me know by leaving a comment below.
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Maxwell is a Dietitian with passion for showing people hope. With nearly a decade experience helping people make key decisions on education and career, you can find him almost everywhere on this site. From answering admission and scholarship questions to creating tutorials and helping others live their best lives though nutrition. Connect with me on Twitter.
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