You can take the international TOEFL certification without needing to send your test scores to the United States or waiting for months to get results. This exam allows you to test your speaking skills as well. These are just three of many advantages offered by the new TOEFL testing technology: the high-speed Internet version of the TOEFL exam – TOEFL iBT, administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). This is considered a breakthrough in providing English proficiency assessment services using modern technology.
For many young Vietnamese, studying and taking an international language certification is a pressing need. TOEIC, IELTS, and TOEFL are the certifications many are pursuing to qualify for studies at English-speaking institutions.
However, until now, those who wanted to obtain the international TOEFL certification faced considerable obstacles in the registration process and waiting times. Registering, waiting for test scheduling, and waiting for results can lead to errors and significant inconveniences. Furthermore, the old exam format did not include a speaking component, which is increasingly emphasized at many international institutions.
Launched globally in September 2005, the high-speed Internet TOEFL exam developed by ETS, a trusted partner of the Vietnamese Ministry of Education and Training, has been recognized as a perfect and necessary combination of technology and candidate assessment.
According to Mr. Đoàn Hồng Nam, Director of IIG Vietnam, the only authorized ETS representative for TOEFL iBT testing, “The previous paper-based test assessed three skills: listening, reading, and writing, but did not evaluate the speaking skill. As a result, some receiving institutions raised concerns; candidates achieved scores, but their speaking abilities remained unclear. Given this requirement, the TOEFL test now addresses all four skills, adhering to ETS’s principle of ensuring 100% objectivity, meaning there is no human interference; thus, teachers are not directly involved, and technology is used for assessment.”
Since January 2006, after being appointed as the official representative of ETS in developing the TOEFL program in Vietnam, IIG Vietnam has implemented ETS-standard testing rooms at various locations in Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. These testing rooms are specifically designed for Internet-based TOEFL and are supervised and directly inspected by ETS’s information technology experts.
According to engineer Phạm Hùng, who was trained in the U.S. on implementing these standardized testing systems, the testing process is straightforward. He stated: “Candidates will be assigned unique codes to access the ETS server. Once connected, candidates can start their exams, from which point they will work entirely with the computer. Throughout the speaking, writing, and reading sections, candidates will see instructions on the screen or hear guidance through headphones. The entire testing process is automated. After each section, the candidates’ tests are sent to the ETS server.”
It is expected that this new version of the TOEFL exam will officially be introduced in Vietnam by the end of May. IIG Vietnam is also collaborating with ETS to develop programs to help gradually adapt to this new technology, such as training teachers for test preparation and disseminating learning support software like CALL and CRITERION.
Clearly, the application of high-speed Internet technology in an international exam like TOEFL offers more convenience for test registrants. The emergence of this test also highlights a new trend in testing that we need to embrace: the trend of Internet-based examinations utilizing advanced technology… Technologies that have been successfully applied to Microsoft’s tests for many years.
Professor Bành Tiến Long, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, stated: “First, taking the TOEFL test using Internet technology is a new form of testing for the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, making it more convenient for candidates and registrants. In the future, I believe that if we complete foreign language testing in this Internet format, it will be very beneficial; we will gradually enhance and expand it.”
The exam will officially launch in Vietnam this May. You can learn more and assess your proficiency with ETS experts at http://www.ets.org/toefl
