Month: May 2026

Duolingo Lobbied IRCC for DET Acceptance

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

The Globe and Mail reports today that Duolingo lobbied IRCC to have the Duolingo English Test accepted for immigration applications, but that the firm “was ultimately unsuccessful in its attempts.”

According to the report, back in 2025 Duolingo attempted to get its test accepted for the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP), which granted permanent residency to certain highly-skilled refugees. There were also discussions about using the DET “for federal immigration programs more broadly.”

These overtures were rebuffed.

The Globe’s report describes the case of one Hamdan Albuhaisi. A resident of Gaza, Albuhaisi applied for Canadian residency via the EMPP program shortly after 11 of his family members were killed in an Israeli airstrike. As the last traditional test centers in Gaza closed in 2023, his application included DET scores. That application was rejected by IRCC.

The EMPP program has since been terminated.

On Fairness and Proctoring

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

There is a nice article by Jieun Kim in TESOL Quarterly which explores how the language spoken by remote proctors (of English tests) impacts test takers.  Researchers created a remotely proctored test using reading and listening questions from the IELTS test and administered it 66 times either with an English-speaking proctor or a proctor who spoke the test taker’s first language (Korean).  Scripted disruptions were included in each administration.

The article notes that “proctoring language (Korean vs. English) did not have a statistically significant effect on test scores across reading, listening, or overall scores.”

It also notes that “on average, participants took longer to report the technical difficulties when proctored in English compared to Korean” and “participants in the English-proctored condition demonstrated greater difficulty in communication, as indicated by the number of conversational turns required to resolve the technical issue.”

A few test takers just gave up communicating with the proctors.  That made me chuckle.

Not surprisingly, lower-proficiency users required more turns to resolve problems.  And most test takers (from both groups of test takers) expressed a preference for Korean-speaking proctors.

In interviews, a majority of test takers expressed a preference for test-center administrations over remote administrations for reasons of fairness, security and privacy.

A few thoughts come to mind:

  1. It is worth remembering that Korea has really (really really) nice test centers.  Anecdotally, I’d say that Korea has the best test centers in the world.  There is also nice geographic coverage for major tests.  Test takers from other countries might express different preferences when it comes to test delivery.
  2. When I registered for the remote LANGUAGECERT test in December of 2024 I was able to choose which language my proctor would speak (from eight different options).  Sadly, it seems that choice is no longer available.
  3. I’ve written before about live proctors being on the way out. I predict that more tests will eschew this mode of administration in favor of “record and review” options.
  4. Test takers are right to be concerned about their privacy. Every now and then a remote proctor will use a test taker’s personal information to engage in cyberstalking via social media accounts.  Beyond that, reports abound of room scans that have descended into terrifyingly creepy invasions of privacy.

Passing the ALP Essay Exam

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

I’ve spent the past five years helping students prepare for the ALP Essay Exam. There isn’t much information about the test online, so I thought I would write a few notes here.  I might revise this post in the future, so stop by again for updates. If you need tutoring for the ALP Essay exam, you can contact me.  My email address is mgoodine@gmail.com

What is the ALP Essay Exam?

The ALP Essay Exam is used by Columbia University to assess the writing skills of students.  It is used to determine if students have the language skills necessary to take classes at the university. Test-takers have 120 minutes to write a standard (four or five paragraph) argumentative essay about a specific topic.  The essay will respond to two short reading passages.

There are sittings of the ALP in the spring and sittings in the fall, I think.

You can read more about it over here.

What Does the ALP Essay Exam Look Like?

You’ll get a question about a serious topic.  Don’t expect something basic and simple like on the TOEFL or IELTS.  Instead, expect something that might actually be studied in a first-year university class.  You might get something about AI, the purpose of jobs, colonizing other planets, standardized testing, self-driving cars… that sort of thing. 

The question might look like this:

Please read the two passages below. The authors have differing opinions about the topic of specialization. Which author do you agree with, and to what extent? In your essay you should support your opinion, and challenge the opinions of the author you disagree with. You have 120 minutes to complete your essay.

The passages should be fairly short.  Maybe just a paragraph or two, excerpted from a longer article.  They will have opposing opinions on the same topic. The author of each one will be credited

If the topic is specialization, they might look like this:

…generalists hold a unique and crucial role in today’s society. While specialists focus on deepening their expertise in a specific domain, generalists possess a wide range of knowledge and skills that allow them to thrive in diverse fields and tackle complex problems. In our rapidly changing world, where information is abundant and boundaries between disciplines are becoming increasingly blurred, generalists offer a valuable perspective. They can connect ideas from different fields and apply their interdisciplinary knowledge to solve intricate challenges. By looking beyond the confines of a single discipline, generalists bring fresh insights and innovative solutions to the table.

…such people possess a breadth of knowledge that allows them to adapt and pivot when faced with unexpected disruptions. In an era of technological advancements and shifting job markets, generalists are better equipped to navigate change and explore new job opportunities. Generalists also excel in fostering collaboration and communication across disciplines. They serve as bridges between specialists, facilitating the exchange of ideas and knowledge. This ability is vital for interdisciplinary projects and breakthrough innovations.

-Caroline Mutuku, “More Power to the Generalists!,” Time Magazine

and:

In today’s complex and specialized world, specialists hold a critical role that cannot be overlooked. While generalists may possess a breadth of knowledge across various fields, it is the specialists who bring deep expertise and a profound understanding of specific subjects. Through their focused dedication, specialists contribute immense value to society and play a pivotal role in driving progress.

Specialization allows individuals to delve deeply into a particular domain, honing their skills, and acquiring specialized knowledge. This depth of expertise enables specialists to tackle intricate problems with a level of mastery that generalists may struggle to achieve. By dedicating their efforts to a specific area, specialists develop a profound understanding of its nuances, complexities, and emerging trends.

…Specialization also fosters a culture of collaboration. It is the language and knowledge that true specialists possess that allows for effective collaboration within a specific field. They can engage in nuanced discussions with each other, exchange advanced ideas, and collectively push the boundaries of knowledge, leading to significant advancements.

-Emily Chong, “Become a Specialist, Everyone,” The New Yorker

As you can see, they aren’t particularly long.

How to Structure the Essay

The structure is fairly easy.  Write an introduction that provides some background on the topic and a clear thesis statement that states your opinion on the topic.  Then write two or three body paragraphs.  Each one should focus on a specific argument in support of your argument or the rebuttal of a specific point in the article you don’t agree with.  Finally, write a conclusion that sums of what you’ve just created.  Aim for 600 or more words in total.  Easy, right?  Well…

How to Get a Good Score

Getting a good score isn’t so easy.  To award you a high score, the rater needs to see an argument, but they also need to see the use of fairly sophisticated writing techniques.  The list below is drawn from the official ALP website, and a few other sources used in ALP classes at Columbia.

Remember that in addition to this advanced stuff, your essay needs to show mastery of basic stuff.  That means basic transitions (therefore, however, in addition) and a mix of all three sentence types (simple, compound, complex).  You also need nearly perfect grammar to get a high score.

Also keep in mind that your essay must also quote from the sources when appropriate.  This is important.  If you don’t use the articles you will get a bad score even if your English is great!

Sample Paragraphs

I can’t teach you everything here, but I can show you a few sample paragraphs from an essay about the above readings.  Remember, if you want more help you can contact me for tutoring. My email address is mgoodine@gmail.com.

Here’s a sample introduction:

They say that jobs are being transformed at a more rapid pace than ever before in history. The development of AI over the past few years has totally changed the way people think about employment, and how to succeed in the workforce. As a result, both young people and experienced workers struggle with whether to master one specific domain or to become proficient in various fields. Some people, like Caroline Mutuku, believe that the only way to succeed in the modern world is to become a generalist. However, in this essay I will support the argument, which is shared by Emily Chong, that specialists are critical to the modern world.

Note that I began with some background information that introduced the topic in general.  Then I stated the opposite of my thesis.  Then I stated my thesis.

Here’s a body paragraph:

First, specialists have an easier time collaborating with other experts in their field. Chong notes that “they can engage in nuanced discussions with each other, exchange advanced ideas, and collectively push the boundaries of knowledge.” Basically, Chong is saying that when a group of experts come together they can achieve breakthroughs that generalists are incapable of. Consider the world of cinema, where a master film director might collaborate with a master cinematographer and a master screenwriter to produce a film that pushes the boundaries of the art form. If one person with bits of knowledge about all three areas tried to make a film alone, the result wouldn’t be nearly as incredible. This is because, as Chong explains, experts understand “nuances, complexities, and emerging trends.” Chong’s point here is that specialists, due to their years of intense focus, understand even the smallest details of their subject areas. When a group of expert specialists come together there are no knowledge gaps and no missing understanding. They intuitively understand everything that is necessary to succeed at their tasks and can overcome any problems that arise.

Note how I started by stating a clear supporting argument.  Then I blended my ideas with quotations from the article I agreed with.  Check out how I followed each quote with a sort of “template phrase” that integrates it better with the rests of the paragraph (“Chong’s point here is…” and “Basically, Chong is saying that…”)

I’ve shared just one supporting paragraph, but you should probably write two.  The second one can have the same basic structure as the first.

Next, here’s a body paragraph that rebuts the argument I disagree with:

Caroline Mutuku argues that generalists are more likely to succeed in the workplace. She notes that generalists “possess a wide range of knowledge and skills that allow them to thrive in diverse fields.” However, Mutuku overlooks the fact that generalists can thrive only in entry-level positions. While this might be attractive early in their careers, they are likely to stop making progress in their jobs unless they choose to specialize in some specific area later on. Rarely do companies promote generalists to senior positions. Mutuku also claims that generalists are capable of bringing people together. She notes that they “can connect ideas from different fields.” This may have been true when Mutuku originally published her article. Today, however, things are much different. A lot of the bridging between fields is done by AI nowadays, so generalists are less in demand. Only specialists can perform work more capably than a well-trained AI.

This paragraph is structured a little differently, as it isn’t about one of my own supporting ideas.  It is merely a response to the author I disagree with.  Note that, once again, I blended quotes from the author with my own opinions.

Finally, here’s a short conclusion:

In conclusion, I am firmly convinced that it is better to pursue specialization than to be a generalist. This is because specialists can more easily communicate with other specialists and because they are better equipped to deal with global issues. Some may argue that generalists are more likely to succeed in professional settings, but I think that this is only true at entry level positions.

Wrapping Up

Okay, so that’s a broad look at what the ALP test looks like and what you need to do.  For more help, or tutoring, feel free to contact me. To keep up with the latest changes to this test, contact Columbia University.

 

More on “Writing on Paper” IELTS Delivery

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

The IELTS partners have published a description of the upcoming “Writing on Paper” delivery method.  I’ll link to it in the comments, but in the meantime here are a few facts:

  1. Writing on Paper will be available for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests.
  2. Writing on Paper will not be available for IELTS for UKVI tests.
  3. Writing on Paper has not yet been approved for Australian visas.
  4. The IELTS Test Results form will not indicate that the writing section was done on paper.
  5. One Skill Retake is available as normal, but when the writing section is retaken it must be done so via the original delivery method.
  6. Timing is the same as in the wholly computer delivered IELTS.
  7. This format will be available “in select countries only from mid-2026.”

CELPIP for Universities?

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I wrote about Prometric’s CAEL test yesterday morning.  A few hours later it was pointed out that Prometric is currently seeking to hire an academic relations manager for the CELPIP test.  The successful applicant will “develop and deliver a test recognition program for the CELPIP across higher education institutions in Canada and internationally and work to increase CELPIP volumes for admissions purposes.”

Traditionally, CAEL and CELPIP have served distinct purposes – CAEL has been for admission to higher ed, and CELPIP has been for migration.

Obviously, though, Prometric is hoping that CELPIP will someday be used for both purposes.  Indeed, a few weeks ago it was announced that Lambton College had begun accepting the test.

CELPIP is, of course, a test of general English without much “academic” content. But perhaps that doesn’t matter as much as it did in the past.

Will CAEL have much of a future if CELPIP gains widespread acceptance at Canadian universities?  Maybe. But…

I’ll share a link to the job posting in the comments below.

(Elderly readers might recall that for many years there actually was an academic version of the CELPIP test that was used for admissions.  It was discontinued after Paragon purchased the CAEL in 2015.) 

Paper-Delivered IELTS will End in China September 1

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The British Council has announced that the paper-based IELTS will come to an end in China on September 1 of this year.  After that date, only the computer-based IELTS will be offered.

IELTS for UKVI will go entirely computer-based in that country even earlier.  That switchover will happen on July 1.

The termination of paper-based testing worldwide was announced a few months ago, but this is the first time a specific date has been given for the key Chinese market.

Curiously, the announcement for China doesn’t mention the “writing on paper” option (take the test on computer, write your essay on a sheet of paper) at all. IELTS has announced that such a testing mode will be available in some markets… at some point.

Paper-based testing is more popular in China than you might think.  Indeed, it is actually pretty popular all over the world – while zoomers possess many well-documented talents and skills, they aren’t really known for being proficient typists.

Oxford Test of English on “Talking ELT”

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The latest issue of the Talking ELT Podcast from Oxford University Press is pretty great.  In it, Anthony Green and Sara Pierson discuss the Oxford Test of English and Oxford’s recent white paper on English language assessment.  I’ll include an embed at the end of this item.

A few bits caught my attention:

  1. Around 15:20 there is a discussion about the ability of students to combine information from multiple sources.  The white paper suggests that score users value this skill quite a lot.
  2. There is a discussion around 18:20 about the “authenticity gap” between what can be tested in a short English test and what students do on campus (and beyond).   This has come up quite frequently in recent conversations.  I talked about it in London, even.
  3. At 23:50, there is some conversation about how score users “don’t value long form essays quite as much as they used to.”  And that “the essay isn’t the only game in town” right now.  Indeed, we’ve seen some test makers move away from this sort of task.
  4. There is some interesting discussion at 36:00 about how test providers should think about the whole experience as comfortable as possible for test takers.

A few thoughts come to mind:

  1. It is interesting to hear about how much score users value the ability to combine information from various sources. For twenty years (2005 to 2025) questions that tested this skill were one of the main selling points of the TOEFL iBT. During that period they formed the backbone of the TOEFL’s speaking and writing section.  In January of this year they were all removed from the test.  One day I hope to learn more about the factors that contributed to this decision. One one hand, people really liked them, and they weren’t particularly time consuming. But on the other hand, they were somewhat imperfect items due to prep strategy and familiarity, and test takers found them challenging.
  2. The ability to combine sources is often associated with integrated tasks, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. The TOEIC, for instance, has included some attractive “triple passages” in its reading section for the past decade.  This task might require the test taker to read a business pamphlet, an email to the business, and a sales invoice before answering multiple choice questions that require comprehension of all three.  I think these tasks have been carried over into the next-gen TOEIC Link product.
  3. Traditional test makers have struggled, now and then, with creating a comfortable testing experience – including during the post-test period.  This can be partially explained by the fact that from a business perspective, it didn’t used to matter.  It does now, though, since test takers have more options to choose from. One throughline of my writing in this space is how the traditional players continue to struggle in this area.

Anyway. I’m going to take the Oxford test as soon as I reach a place where they operate test centers. 

 

CAEL Deep Dive!

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

Our friends at Prometric have uploaded a long walkthrough of the CAEL test to YouTube.  That’s really great, as we don’t hear a ton about the CAEL test nowadays. I’ll include an embed at the end of this item.

I haven’t actually taken the CAEL under real conditions (but let me know if you’ve got a voucher), though I did complete a couple modules of teacher training back in 2021.  It’s an interesting test, and I don’t think there is anything else quite like it on the market.

This could be called a fairly traditional test – it contains a number of very long reading and listening passages (similar to the old TOEFL iBT) and takes a whopping 3.5 hours to complete.  I suppose that makes it one of the last of the marathon tests.

It is also traditional in the sense that it heavily (really heavily) emphasizes integrated skills – each of those long reading and listening passages is accompanied by questions that are answered via extended written and spoken responses.  It feels silly calling integrated questions an aspect of “traditional” tests… but you know what I mean.

I believe test taker responses are scored wholly by human raters.

Pricing is somewhat traditional as well.  The CAEL is cheaper than the TOEFL and IELTS, but only slightly.  And test takers can only send five score reports for free.

On the other hand, the test is modern in that it is mostly taken remotely.  An annual report from 2024 notes that 80% of administrations were taken online that year. I suspect that the 2025 report (check for it next month) will include a higher number, as in-person test dates seem to be in short supply, at least according to the registration system on the CAEL website.

So there ya go.  Some CAEL content in 2026. The test is widely accepted by schools across Canada.

(A history lesson:  CAEL was developed at Carleton University in the 1980s by Janna Fox and others, was sold to Paragon – a subsidiary of the University of British Columbia – in 2015, and Paragon was purchased by Prometric in 2021)

More CUP on Remote Testing

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A new paper from Cambridge University Press & Assessment says that:

“…the use of scores from remotely delivered assessments for high‑stakes decisions should be considered with particular care and should not prematurely replace established in‑centre delivery modes. Ultimately, where an evaluation of the advantages and limitations of remote delivery indicates that its risks cannot be sufficiently mitigated for a given highstakes context, in-centre testing should remain the preferred mode of delivery. Remote delivery should only be adopted once its security and operational challenges can be addressed to a level that ensures it is fit for the intended purpose.”

This is a refreshingly reasonable and nuanced take on the topic from CUP.

(Frustratingly, though, it did lead Times Higher Education to trumpet “Remote English language testing ‘not yet fit for purpose’” in a headline that seems to miss the point of the research.)

That said, I’m left wondering how Cambridge approaches this topic in conversations with IELTS score users.  The fully remote IELTS Online has been used since 2022 for high stakes purposes (especially in Canada and the USA). Including the issuance of study permits and visas.  How does Cambridge respond when they are asked if the test is fit for those purposes? How does the British Council respond, for that matter?

I understand that score users are free to make their own decisions based on their own expertise and their own risk assessment. And their own ability to compensate for shortcomings of a particular test delivery method. Indeed, that seems to be the whole point of the research at hand. But what, specifically, does Cambridge say when asked about the security they have put in place to support their own remote assessments?

I don’t write this to be snarky. As we’ve discussed, a big part of determining if a remote test is secure and/or “fit for purpose” is to have detailed conversations with the test makers. So I am honestly curious how those conversations go when they involve IELTS Online.

IDP Education – $2.88/share

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I saw that IDP Education closed at $2.88 a share today. That’s down from a high of $38.88 during the pandemic.

I promise I will stop reporting on share prices now. I mention this new low only because it means IDP now has a market cap of about 578 million USD. Compare that to the 500 million USD purchase price that ETS was reportedly seeking for the TOEFL and GRE (per reporting by the Wall Street Journal).

Duolingo Q1 2026 Results

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Duolingo has released Q1 results for 2026.  Revenue from the Duolingo English Test was 11,317,000 USD.  If we divide that by a $70 test fee, we can guess that the test was taken about 162,000 times in the quarter.

That represents about a 9% volume decline compared to Q1 of 2025.

Just keep in mind, as always, that these are crude estimates.  Some people pay extra to get faster results, some people pay less by purchasing a bundle of tests and some tests are sold to resellers in big batches.  And many students pay nothing at all, as they get vouchers through Duolingo’s Access program.

In recent months we’ve learned that the largest tests continue to lose volume. IDP Education reported a 7% drop in IELTS volumes for the half year ending December 31, 2025.  And a few days ago Pearson reported that PTE volumes “declined slightly” in Q1 of 2026.

I wonder who will be first to report a leveling off of sales.

No More Free TOEFL Paper Score Reports?

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It appears that TOEFL no longer provides free paper score reports to test takers. I only see the option to pay $35 for express shipping… even after changing my address to a bunch of different countries.  Worse yet, I think it used to cost $25 for express shipping.

That’s too bad. But on the plus side, it appears that ETS no longer charges test takers a hefty fee to update their address on the TOEFL website.