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.