Students who have not been in a school where English is the language of instruction for three or four years are often required to submit an English proficiency score with university applications. Some providers offer an option to take the test at home.
The first step is to check with the university to inquire if an English proficiency test is required and which type is needed (ex: IELTS Academic Test, at-home testing option, etc.). The tests listed below summarize those that are most commonly used:
TOEFL is a US-based test and accepted by universities worldwide, although the IELTS is recommended for the UK. The TOEFL is offered frequently at a variety of test centers.
The TOEFL is offered frequently and is divided into four sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Each section of the iBT (computer-based test) is scored out of 30. Students also receive a total score that is a sum of each section, making 120 a perfect score.
IELTS is a UK-based test, which universities throughout the world accept. Some students will need to take the IELTS Academic Test as part of the UK student visa application. Similar to the TOEFL, the test is offered frequently at a variety of test centers.
There are four sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Scores are in bands up to 9.0.
DET is a newer test that is accepted by a growing number of universities. It can be taken online on your own device anytime and anywhere and includes a spoken component that is recorded through your webcam. It is also a computer adaptive test, where the question sequence and difficulty changes for each test taker and test session.
Like the TOEFL and IELTS, DET has four sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. Each individual section is scored on a 10-160 scale. Students receive an overall score, also out of 160, that is an average of all four sections. Students also receive Integrated sub-scores (on the same 10-160 scale) that measure their proficiency in the following areas: Production (Ability to write and speak); Literacy (Ability to read and write); Comprehension (Ability to listen and read); and Conversation (Ability to speak and listen).
DET scores can be compared to TOEFL and IELTS scores here.
TASIS cannot register students for these tests (but will only do so for the PSAT). The student should create and maintain an account with the specific company. Students must go to the following sites to register and pay for the test(s).
TOEFL www.ets.org/toefl
IELTS www.ielts.org
Duolingo englishtest.duolingo.com