English language proficiency tests are a very important part of the application process for overseas education. Irrespective of the country, everyone needs a good score to be eligible for selection. However, there is a confusing aspect to this. Different universities prefer different tests. Hence, it becomes quite chaotic for an aspiring Indian student to decide which course to opt for and prepare. To end this, we have decided to dedicate a complete post on talking about some of the most common English language proficiency tests in detail. This explanation aims to address all the queries that students generally have about these tests. So, here we begin:
Types of English Language Proficiency Tests
There are four English language proficiency tests that are most commonly accepted in universities across the world. They are:
IELTS (Academic version) – IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System. This is one of the most popular English language proficiency tests across universities in the world. Most Canadian universities prefer an IELTS score. This is a 3 hour test in which a student is evaluated in the 4 areas of English language usage – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. While score range is from 1 to 9, but most of the universities require a score of 6.5 or above score for admission. The test score is valid for 2 years.
TOEFL – Its full form is Test of English as a Foreign Language. TOEFL is another very popular English language proficiency test required by a lot of universities across the world. To give you a rough estimate, this is the preferred test for over 8,500 institutions in 130 countries with UK, USA and Australia topping the list. It is a 4 hour test which has 4 sections – reading comprehension, listening comprehension, speaking and writing. It is often experienced by students that TOEFL is comparatively tougher than IELTS especially the reading comprehension section. Most of the universities requesting a TOEFL score accept a range between 90 -100. TOEFL score is also valid for 2 years.
CAE – CAE stands for Certificate of Advanced English Test. This test is conducted by Cambridge University and is a popular test score used for admission to a variety of UK universities. As the name suggests, this test is for people who are already comfortable using English as a language for communication and they would want to test if their level is that of advanced/native speaker like. It is a 4 hour test and it also has 4 sections like IELTS and TOEFL. This test can be taken online as well as offline. The grades range from A to C. C is the lowest and A is the highest. Anyone scoring a B or A gets a certificate labeled C1 Advanced. Unlike, TOEFL and IELTS, this test score has no expiry. However, it is comparatively less popular since it is for more advanced speakers while IELTS and TOEFL test only a student’s ability to use and understand English. Hence, for academic purposes, IELTS and TOEFL are more suited.
CPE – Its full form is Certificate of Proficiency in English Test. It is the one of the most advanced English language proficiency tests available. A C2 in CPE test is equivalent to 8.5 or 9 in IELTS. This test is mostly used by UK Universities. It is a 4 hour long test which tests all the four sections namely Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Scores range from C to A, with C being the lowest score. Anyone who scores a B or A in this test gets a C2 Proficiency Certificate. One of the points to note here is that popularity of a proficiency test is determined by the proficiency level that it aims to test and its relevance for the universities. Most of the universities in Canada and other countries aim to test if a student has a basic to moderate proficiency level in English. Such a level is enough to survive in English speaking countries. Hence, tests like IELTS and TOEFL are more popular.
While some universities mention the specific English Language proficiency test score they want, there are a lot of others who provide an option of 2 to 3 tests for students to choose from. It is in the latter case that the confusion arises in the minds of students. It is important to understand the scope of each test. This helps students take a decision on which test to opt for, if a choice is given. In case of further query, you may always get in touch with one of our language experts to understand these tests in further details. Do not let the innumerable tests overwhelm you. The choices are for your ease and convenience. Use them to improve your chances of selection. If need be, consult an expert for they would have years of experience in helping students successfully clear these tests. We, at GoCan at just a call away to guide you through this!