Category: Blog

I Took the EnglishScore Test from British Council

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

A few days ago, I took the British Council‘s EnglishScore Test.  This one is a mobile-only English test.  It is used by institutions for placement purposes and by individuals who need a certified English score for some purpose.  I suppose it operates in the same space as the TOEIC, TOEFL iTP (ETS), Upskill (Cambridge) and Versant (Pearson) tests.  I’m so happy that this space has become more crowded in recent years. Competition is vital.

Below, check out my official certificate.

Keep in mind that EnglishScore actually consists of three separate tests: the core skills test, the writing test and the speaking test.  The writing and speaking tests are unlocked after you earn an A2 or above result on the core skills test.  Each test takes about 30-40 minutes to complete.  I’ll take the writing and speaking tests in the weeks ahead.

A few thing are worth noting here:

  1. Yeah, this one is mobile-only.  The only other major test of this type I can think of is Cambridge’s Upskill test. That said, this one is much bigger: EnglishScore has 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store, while the Upskill test has about half a million.

 

  1. The test taker completes a room scan before beginning, and photos are taken throughout the test and appended to the official certificate.  If test makers can get institutions to trust their security features, mobile tests are a great way to increase access and reduce costs. I think we’ll see more tests like this in the future (especially for lower-stakes uses).

 

  1. Everyone can take the test (and get a score) for free.  An official digital certificate costs $24.99.  A printed certificate (couriered to your door) costs $49.99.  Since printed certificates are still big in my neck of the woods I’m curious about the printed version, but I don’t want to pay for it.

 

  1. Account creation can be done via Google, and the whole setup process and security check can be done in minutes.  How nice.

 

  1. The core skills test is a multiple-choice affair, so it is the easiest to deliver via mobile.  And the easiest to score.  I have no complaints about the delivery, which was very smooth.  I’ll raise some issues when talking about the W and S tests.  But this one is completely painless.

 

  1. If you are helping someone prepare for the test, ensure that they go through the test guide beforehand.  Make sure they know how the timers work, as it isn’t always clear in the UI.  Note, also, that the reading test includes quite a few “pick the best title for this passage” questions, which can be tricky for people who haven’t encountered that sort of thing in the past.

 

  1. The grammar section seems to go heavy on questions about verb tenses.  A keen teacher could probably build a study guide using Murphy’s “English Grammar in Use.”

 

  1. Results max out at C1.

 

  1. Attached are both pages of my certificate.  Note the derpy photos on the second page, which were taken while I was completing the test.  The certificate was available a few hours after I completed the test.

 

  1. BC’s private sector partner on this one is Blenheim Chalcot.

 

IDP Annual Report for FY2024

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

Yesterday, IDP Education released its financial report for FY2024.

Regarding the IELTS test, a few things are worth mentioning here.  They are:

  1. IELTS test volumes are down 18% worldwide.
  2. IELTS test volumes are down 42% in India.
  3. Outside of India, things are rosier: IELTS test volumes are up 12%.
  4. IDP says they “expect to record a decline in volumes in [their] key business lines in FY25.”

IDP Education seems pretty determined to convey that IELTS declines are due to regulatory changes in Canada, Australia and UK.  And that competition from other tests is not a major factor.  I don’t know if I buy that.  Ithink competition from Pearson and Duolingo is having a serious impact. But I’m just a guy on the Internet.  What do I know?

I listened to the shareholder’s call and about 30 seconds of it really captured my attention.  CEO Tennealle O’Shannessy said:

“We completed a strategic review of the mainland China market. Off the back of that, we are exploring a direct testing model in China. We’re at the early stages of this process, but we believe that over time this will open up additional growth for us as we connect directly with a greater number of test takers and students in China.”

Currently in China, the British Council alone administers the IELTS test (in conjunction with the NEEA, which is part of the Ministry of Education). Based on an agreement between IDP and the British Council, the British Council pays IDP a fee for each IELTS test that is taken in the country. This arrangement dates back to 2001.

What O’Shannessy seems to be suggesting is the  sunsetting of this arrangement in favor of IDP Education directly administering IELTS tests themselves in China.

This could be advantageous for both IDP and test takers. But, as is well known, China can be a tricky place to do business.

You Should Read More – Part 48!

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

My wife and I enjoyed a holiday in Borneo this month.  And that means we spent many hours on an airplane.  And that means I read a few more issues from my endless stack of New Yorker magazines!

First up, I read the May 8, 2023 issue (yeah, I am still more than a year behind).  I enjoyed “The Fugitive Princess of Dubai” about how several princesses (daughters of the ruler) have attempted to flee that country.  It’s a weird, weird story.  But it really captured my attention.

Next, I read the June 5, 2023 issue.  That was the annual music issue!  An interesting story is “The Case for and Against Ed Sheeran.”  The premise here is that one of Sheeran’s songs sounds quite a lot like Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.”  Did he steal from Mr. Gaye and co-writer Ed Townsend? That’s for the court to decide.  Some academic stuff about writing will strengthen your TOEFL muscles, perhaps.

Later, while sitting in the lobby of the luxurious Capital Residence Suites in Bandar Seri Begawan, I read a copy of the “Borneo Bulletin.”  It had a perfect TOEFLy article about the discovery of some hobbit-sized bones.  They connect to a scientific concept called “Island Dwarfism,” which I’m sure has already appeared on the test at least once.  I took a picture of the article for you!

Moving ever forward, I also found the time to read a proper non-fiction book.  It was “The Meritocracy Trap” by Daniel Markovits.  The central premise here is that work in America has changed in recent decades.  The author supposes that a small elite group of workers has monopolized profitable work, at great expense to themselves (who work way too hard) and the former middle class (who doesn’t have as much to do as before).  If true, I suspect that this trend will be accelerated as AI takes over more and more tasks.  I’ve even seen it in test prep – five overworked AI gurus can replace 100 teachers who formerly worked at a leisurely pace and enjoyed a nice work/life balance.  Highly recommended.

Finally, continuing along with the Norton Library Podcast, I read a modern English translation of “The Canterbury Tales.”  Look… I don’t recommend this to my TOEFL students, but the matching podcast episode could strengthen your academic listening skills.

More recommendations next month.  Maybe even a bit more airplane time, if I’m lucky.

New TOEFL Registration System!

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

A new TOEFL registration system is being rolled out. You might be able to see it now. Or you might not be able to. In any case, you can check out some screenshots which I’ve attached.

I joked a few months ago about how booking an English test sometimes feels like booking an airplane ticket. I suppose that’s no longer the case with TOEFL as the process is much more straightforward than in the past. I’m happy to see that the endless requests for personal details and demographic data have been pushed to the post-registration period, to be filled out at the test taker’s leisure. Same for the selection of score recipients. And for the search service opt-in. The hard sales pitch for prep products has mostly been eliminated as well.

I believe that pushing all of that stuff to the post-registration period will reduce user error and registrants make more informed choices about the preparation products they buy. It can be overwhelming to do all of that stuff while you are picking a test time, a test center and parting with $250.

Additional DET Security

Posted on by TOEFL Resources

Here’s an interesting new Duolingo English Test thing. Some test takers are now required to use their phone as a second camera while taking the test.

After scanning a QR code on the DET desktop app, the test taker must prop their phone against an object on their desk so that the camera can capture a live image of their monitor and keyboard for the duration of the test.

This has not yet been rolled out to all test takers.

I really ought to take the test sometime next month.

TOEFL’s Potential in India

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I saw this quote from TOEFL head Omar Chihane in Education Times the other day:

“The percentage of TOEFL test takers in India increased from 5.83% in 2021 to 7.77% in 2022.”

That number is lower than expected. Going by Amit Sevak’s earlier statement that the TOEFL is taken by “almost a million” people per year, we can deduce that the test is taken about 77, 000 times in India per year. That’s a respectable number, but also a modest one.

I suppose this speaks to the potential for growth in that market and explains why ETS seems to be so all-in on India.

The astronomical growth of the PTE in recent years suggests that Indian test takers aren’t as wedded to the IELTS as once believed. If ETS can figure out how to address the issues that have plagued the TOEFL in recent years they might be able to quickly increase the test’s overall market share. That’s a big ol’ if, but hope springs eternal.

A Made in India English Test?

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I was quoted in this “Inside Higher Ed” article about lobbying to create a made-in-India English test.

As I said, “it won’t be easy.” And: “it will be very slow-going at first to convince more than a handful of schools to accept a new test. It will be even harder to get governments to accept a new test for immigration purposes.”

It isn’t quoted, but in conversation with the author of the piece, I noted that it will take years of research, development and relationship building.

But, hey… it isn’t just wishful thinking. Many new tests have successfully launched and attracted score users in the past five years.

TOEFL Test and Score Data for 2023

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TOEFL Test and Score Data for 2023 is now available. 

The overall mean score was 87 points.  That’s down from 88 points in 2022.  I’m glad that changes to the test format do not seem to have had a major impact on scores.

Here are the mean scores for each section (change vs last year):

  • Reading: 22.3 (-0.5)
  • Listening: 22.3 (-0.7)
  • Speaking: 20.8 (-0.1)
  • Writing: 21.2 (-0.5)

Among the countries I track closely…

  • The mean score in China was 86 (-4)
  • The mean score in Korea was 86 (no change)
  • The mean score in Japan was 73 (no change)
  • The mean score in Brazil was 88 (-1)
  • The mean score in India was 93 (-2)
  • The mean score in Iran was 95 (-2)
  • The mean score in the USA was 92 (-1)

 

Wheebox Proctoring TOEFL?

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Individuals on social media have recently reported having their at-home TOEFL tests proctored by Wheebox rather than ProctorU. These instances seem to be limited to tests scheduled after August 5.

Wheebox is a subsidiary of ETS (acquired in 2023) based in India.

As regular readers know, most of ETS’s at-home tests are currently proctored by ProctorU, a part of Meazure Learning, as part of a contract that runs through 2028. According to ETS’s 990 filings, for the year ending September 2023, ETS paid that firm $25.1 million dollars to provide proctoring services (for various tests).

Despite these reports, I understand that Wheebox is not replacing ProctorU as the primary proctor of the at-home TOEFL at this time.

More on Score Cancellations Due to Jagged Profiles

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I returned from vacation to find – what else – a few more complaints about the TOEFL Test.  I’ve attached some screenshots.  I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but I think this is worth paying attention to.

These reports, though shared on different platforms, seem to be about the same case.  You can see that the test was canceled due to what’s called a “jagged score profile.”  This means that the test taker performed quite well in one or more sections of the test, and quite poorly in some other sections of the test.  They also completed at least one section of the test faster than some other section(s).

In cases like this, the result is deemed “invalid” and the test result is canceled.  No refund is offered.  No opportunity to take the test again for free is offered.  There is no appeal.

Keep in mind that no evidence of cheating or malpractice on the part of the test taker is mentioned.  All that is mentioned is validity.

One of the screenshots notes:

“You don’t even have to be a linguist to see why this is utter nonsense. L2 learners *can* have wildly different levels of skills across areas, not to mention other factors like neurodivergence. This is at best discriminatory, and at worst a scam.”

TOEFL test takers have been complaining about this for some years.  I’ve highlighted it in this space many times.

Obviously, if a test score is invalid, it must be canceled.  It must not be sent to recipients.  My objection is to the idea that the test taker is forced to pay a second test fee in order to prove their ability.  Again, keep in mind that in these cases no concerns about impropriety are expressed.  The expressed concerns are merely in regards to validity.

In 2022 and earlier when a test score was canceled due to validity concerns, the test taker was given three options: a refund, a free re-test or an appeal.  In the case of an appeal, they could provide documentation explaining why their score profile was “jagged.”  A panel convened by ETS would review the evidence.  I sometimes assisted test takers in the preparation of this document.  One time I even helped a test taker win the appeal.

This was how ETS handled such cases for decades. Even as far back as the case depicted in the Academy Award nominated film “Stand and Deliver.”

In late 2022, all three options were eliminated.  No one has ever explained why that happened.  I suspect no one remaining at ETS today has any idea. It sounds like “the curse of the MBA” to me, but I could be wrong.

ETS is spending a large amount of money on marketing and rebranding.  I think those efforts will be unlikely to bear fruit due to the frequency with which concerns like these are shared on social media.

Stuff like this is part of the reason why Duolingo and Pearson have been able to grow so rapidly in recent years.  As I noted in a private conversation a few days ago:  Duolingo is loved.  PTE is liked.  IELTS is tolerated.  TOEFL? Well, that’s another matter.

Duolingo Q2 2024 Financials!

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Duolingo has just reported its financials for the second quarter of 2024. Revenue for the Duolingo English Test was 10.7 million dollars, up from 9.8 million in Q2 of 2023.  Note that the price of the test increased from $59 to $65 in this time frame.

If we divide the revenue by the per-test cost, we find that the DET was taken about 164,500 times in the quarter, about a 1% drop from last year.  Note that this is a crude estimate as some test takers pay more than $65 (to get faster results) while some test takers pay less (by purchasing a bundle).  Others take the test via Duolingo’s Access Program, and get vouchers from receiving institutions.   A more precise number of test takers (for 2023) was given at DETcon 2024, but I suppose that is covered by my NDA.

This flat quarter comes after a very strong Q1.

Using the same math as above, we can estimate that DET’s test volume is up about 5% in the first two quarters of 2024 (compared to the same period in 2023).  Perhaps I’ve buried the lede here as Pearson reported a 10% decline in test volume during the same period, and IDP Education is expecting a 15-20% decline in the volume of IELTS test takers for the year ending June of 2024.

It seems that growth is still happening at Duolingo, but we must pay careful attention to the final six months of 2024.

TOEIC Cheating in Korea

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A fellow in Korea was sentenced to three years in jail for helping people cheat on the TOEIC. His scheme involved taking pictures of his answers during the break following the listening section and sending them out to his clients from a bathroom stall. It is more involved than that, but it involves a very real likelihood of many people cramming themselves into a single bathroom stall and I don’t want to write about it in detail.

Regular readers know that the TOEIC is big business in Korea and Japan (and a few European markets). Indeed, the TOEIC may be the most widely taken standardized English test in the world. I once had a job in Korea where I sat at a desk in Gangnam and wrote TOEIC practice questions for eight hours a day. Every day. For almost a year.

It is worth mentioning that test centers are not quite as secure as they ought to be. When Duolingo or Pearson or someone else convinces governments to accept their at-home tests for immigration purposes, the pitch will be (in part) that their approach is actually MORE secure that traditional test center testing. They will probably be correct in that assertion.

Faster IELTS Results

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The IELTS partnership is picking up the pace! According to a new press release, people who take that test on a computer can now “usually” get their results in 1-2 days. That’s impressive for a test that is graded wholly by humans.

For the record, Pearson says that PTE scores “typically” arrive within two days. Duolingo says that DET scores arrive in two days (and no adverbs are used).

ETS still promises TOEFL scores in 4-8 days. They might have to speed things up in order to remain competitive.