The Lowdown on English Language Evaluations: Which test is right for you?
Among the services that BridgeEnglish offers is language testing. Students can choose between the IELTS , the TOEIC and the iTEP, depending on their needs and requirements. Which test is right for you? Find out by checking out the rubric below!
BridgeEnglish has offered the IELTS test (International English Language Testing System) since March of 2008. Starting with just one test per month, we have expanded our test availability to three tests per month and now offer off-site testing through our partner, the University of Northern Colorado at their extension classroom campus at Loveland, Colorado.
Who's it for?
Developed by Cambridge University and its partners, the IELTS is quickly becoming the test of choice for individuals preparing to enter college or university in the U.S. and needing to show their English proficiency level. It's also used by individuals planning to immigrate to Canada, Australia, New Zealand or the U.K. to demonstrate their English proficiency.
What's it like?
The test consists of...
Read more
What Every English Student Should Know Before Taking a Language Evaluation.
The big day is approaching. You've registered and paid for your English language test, you've sharpened your pencils and you've got extra sheets of scrap paper. But what's missing?
Let's face it: everyone needs a little help preparing for a big test. There are several strategies a student can use when faced with an important exam:
1) Chance it - Hope that your combination of good looks and wit will get you the score you need.
2) Buy a test prep book and study your brains out.
3) Enroll in a preparation course and benefit from the guidance and knowledge of a certified teacher.
All three options will work, (although I wouldn't recommend the first one) but if you are looking for extensive preparation, skill-building and a peace of mind on the big day, your best bet would be a prep course. But how do students need to approach prep courses in order to benefit from them? Here are three things you should know on your way down the path of test preparation:
1) Know your subject
Whether the test is a language test, like IELTS or TOEFL, a test to get into university, like SAT or ACT, or something more specialized, like LSAT or MCAT, if you do not know the subject, you will not do well. A native-Spanish speaker studying French should not take the TOEFL, just like someone who wants to be a lawyer should not take the MCAT, which is destined for medical students, and someone who has only been studying English part-time for a couple months, should probably wait to take the IELTS. However, that does not mean that those people can not do well with those tests eventually; they just do not have as much experience with the subject matter as they need in order to get a good score on the test. Don't rush into taking a big test if you've only been studying for a short time; spend more time studying the subject matter so you are comfortable with it as a whole and not focusing on passing a test. As long as you are familiar with the subject-matter before hand, then all you really need to learn is the format.
Read more
Does the IELTS Prep Course Really Work?
A student's perspective.
For many students, taking standardized exams such as the IELTS is an intimidating process; there is a limited amount of time and it is difficult to know where to spend it. However, enrolling in a quality preparation course focused on testing-taking strategies can give students the confidence necessary to obtain the highest score possible. But, do they really work? To find out, I conducted a short interview with Wahib Dallal, a student in Bridge's Academic English program who took our preparation course before his IELTS exam.
JM: To start, could you please tell us a little about yourself?
WD: Yes of course. My name is Wahib Falall and I am from a city in the Easter region of Libya. I came here in November of last year to prepare for a Ph.D in Dentistry. I was awarded a scholarship from the higher education department in Libya and I studied for one month in another school before transferring to Bridge.
JM: How long have you been studying English?
WD: Actually, I studied Dentistry in Libya and then completed my Masters degree in the UK. I spent 2 years there so I improved a little but I wanted to keep studying English to have a higher level for a Ph.D program. That is why I started taking English at Bridge. Right now, I am working to obtain acceptance at a Ph.D. program in the United States.
JM: When you took the IELTS exam, where you nervous?
Read more
|
