A couple of weeks ago I received this keen certificate from LanguageCert in the mail. It was printed on nice cardstock and came protected by a durable mailer. Everyone who takes the LANGUAGECERT Academic test gets a certificate – it isn’t necessary to opt-in and no extra fees are charged.
I appreciate how, at $165, the LanguageCert test represents a pretty decent value. It seems to be part of a new category of at-home tests that has emerged in recent years. We might dub the category “affordable-traditional.” This category also includes the Kaplan Test of English which costs about $149, and the Password Skills Plus Test, which costs about $139.
The category has become particularly valuable for test takers as fees charged by more established companies have increased precipitously in recent years. At-home tests from legacy firms cost more than $400 in some countries.* Notably, the at-home TOEFL just hit $470 in its most expensive market.
Of course my friends at Duolingo will be quick to point out that their test costs just $70. But I think you get my point – in an ideal world individuals aren’t charged an arm and a leg just because they opt for a more traditional testing format.
*Yes, some testing companies charge a different price depending on which country the test-taker is located in. Prices can differ by hundreds of dollars depending on the location of the test-taker.
