The NABP has adjusted the TOEFL section scores that foreign pharmacy graduates must submit to get licensed in the USA (that is, to get their FPGEC certification). The required reading, speaking and writing scores have been lowered. The required listening score has been increased.
The old requirements are:
Reading 22, Listening 21, Speaking 26, Writing 24
The new requirements (starting October 25 of this year) are:
Reading 21, Listening 22, Speaking 25, Writing 22
Though this may not look like a big deal to most readers, longtime test prep folks will immediately recognize the significance of the new speaking requirement. For years, foreign-trained pharmacists have spent an enormous amount of time, energy and money to reach the elusive 26-point speaking score. Indeed, “TOEFL Speaking 26” has become an enduring motto for test prep firms, and a fixation of the SEO firms which service them. Many people in the world of TOEFL prep work almost exclusively with pharmacists. Without a doubt, this change will have a noticeable impact on the overall spend on TOEFL test prep.
The change may also have a slight (but, again, noticeable) impact on the number of times the TOEFL itself is taken. Over the years I’ve interacted with dozens (hundreds?) of foreign trained pharmacists who have taken the test 30+ times, all in pursuit of that magical 26-point score. This is a test taker population full of people who take the TOEFL week after week after week… sometimes for more than a year. Twenty-five points is often achievable. But 26 points? For this group that’s a whole different ball game.
Also note that this is one of ETS’s final and most enduring monopolies; TOEFL is the only test which foreign pharmacy graduates can use to meet their language requirement.