Language Certificates and Tests
IELTS
International English Language Testing System is a test which measures the English Languages level of those volunteers who intends to continue their study or work in an environment where English language is the first language of speaking and writing. This test will measure all four sub-skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking to announce the result which ranges from 0 to 9.
Over 6,000 academic state institutions and technical organization in 120 countries of the world accept IELTSs certificate officially as the most validate indicative of English Language Level. Nowadays this certificate will be used in academic and immigration issues, along with the preparation of works certificates.
IELTS test will jointly be held by three international organizations which have activities regarding English Language Learning for many years:
- British Council
- International Development program (IDP) of Australian Universities and Colleges
- University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations
Every year more than 1,000,000 IELTS exams will be held all over the world. This number shows that this test has the best developments speed comparing to other English Language Tests. Moreover this exam has introduced a new level of innovation, accuracy and research.
About IELTS Exam
IELTS exam will be held in two version of Academic Version and the General Training Version. The Academic Version measures the English ability of those volunteers who intends to continue their study in Master or higher education program in an English Speaking university. One of the most important conditions for being accepted in these universities is presenting an acceptable score in IELTS exam.
The General Training Version of this test measures the volunteers information in a wider level and at a scientific-social background. This version is intended for those planning to undertake pre-university studies in an English speaking country or plans to travel to these countries for passing jobs short-time periods or acquiring works opportunities. Moreover the workbook of this exam will be asked for while checking immigration cases for Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
All four skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking will be measured I four separate parts. While there are the same way for measuring listening and speaking skills of applicants in Academic and General Training exams, each of these groups receive different questions in reading and writing parts. The responsibility of selecting the exams type is on the applicant himself/herself and participants must mention their considered type of exam in registrations form.
The first three parts of each exam will be held in one day, but the interview may be held one week before or after the exam. Applicants, who come to Tehran form other cities for exams holding, are in priority. These types of applicants should register their name in a separate list while registering and announce the registrations administrator.
IELTS exam is s designed in a way that is capable of measuring students information in different levels of English language and will categorize based on IELTS standards. Participants in this exam answer to a diverse range of questions from very easy to very hard and finally based on the score they got in each of different parts, they will be categorized in a level between completely unaware of English language by the score of zero to complete awareness to English language by the score of 9.
Exams results will be announced by 2 weeks after the end of last interview. The results must be received personally by the applicant and exams administrators are not allowed to announce the results by phone, fax, or e-mail to the applicants.
According to a general rule, the exams result is validated till 2 years after the exams hold. In cases that it can be approved that the applicant has been diligent in preserving and improving their information and language knowledge, the exams result can be used even more than this 2 years time.
TOEFL
TOEFL in English is the abbreviation of Test of English as a Foreign Language; its the name of an exam which measures your ability regarding making conversation in English at the level of universities and educational institutes. This test will be held by ETS institute in three types of paper-based, computer-based and internet-based and it will be accepted in more than six thousand institutes in more than one hundred and thirty countries of the world. TOEFL has been executed in 1964 for the first time and until now near 20 million people have participated in this test.
TOEFL certificate has only two years of validity.
Paper-based Test (PBT)
As it is clear in its name, applicants must answer to the existing questions in tests booklet in order to participate in it. This test has gradually been substituted by internet-based exam and in fact it will be abolished in a not very far future. In paper-based exam, the applicants triple ability will be evaluated:
- Listening Comprehension
- Structure and Language
- Reading Comprehension
In addition to the above mentioned abilities, there is a section for writing ability which the applicant must write about a specified topic in 30 minutes. Scores gathered from each section, will be added after the change of scale and will specify the applicants overall score. This score can range from 310 to 677. Therefore there is no specific score for being accepted or rejected in this test and all participants receive the exams score. The applicants required score depends on the place where she/he wants to send his/her TOEFL score for. For continuing study in abroad universities usually the score above 550 is required.
Internet-based Test (IBT)
This test has been introduced at the end of 2005 and was a substitution for two other types of computer-based and paper-based. This test has been held first in America, Canada, France, Germany and Italy and led to other countries since 2006. In this type of test applicants must be present in the exams place in defined dates and held the exam through internet. The validity of this test is the same as old exams but it has some differences among them the following can be mentioned:
- Unlike older TOEFLs which the emphasis was mostly on grammar, this test covers all language skills.
- The interval time between presentation in the exam and receiving the results on internet is about two weeks.
- This exam will be held many times in a month and applicants can act more freely in selecting the exams time.
This test is about 4 hours and has 4 parts. Each part may measure one or even more abilities. Writing notes is allowed in this system, unlike paper-based type. This exam cannot be held more than once a week. Of course it must be noticed that one or more parts may be presented in a long way. In this case it is not clear that which part of the questions are really corrected and has been considered in score. Selection of questions is almost random.
- Reading Comprehension
This part includes 3 to 5 long texts and some questions about them. Texts topics are academic and are usually found in universities course books. Questions are mostly about texts main subject, details, concepts, paraphrasing, sentence substitution, synonymous words. In IT exam the student must have abilities such as summarizing, fast comprehension of main ideas, and table making. Generally there is no need to pre information however it can be helpful.
- Listening Comprehension
This part includes six texts; two student conversation and four texts resembling universitys class and free conversations.
- Speaking Comprehension
This part totally includes six parts; two separate parts in each part a question will be asked about academic living and the student should speak about them. There are four collected types which include listening, reading, and speaking. In these parts the student should speak about the summary of the text she/he reads or hears and announce his/her new ideas. These speaking must be exact, clear and have exact analysis of information.
- Writing Comprehension
This part includes two sections, one complex section and one independent section. In the complex section the student should read the academic text, then listens to its continue and after that write his/her ideas about the text. In the independent pat the student write a personal article about the presented question.
Each abilitys score is between 0 to 30 and the overall score is between 0 to 120. The score of 79 or 80 in this test is equal to 550 in paper-based exam which is required for entering most universities in Master or PhD periods.
TOEFL in Iran
Based on the existing data at the beginning of 2009, this exam will be held internet-based in Amol, Urumiyeh, Tabriz and Shiraz, paper based in Kish Island and in both ways I Esfahan, Tehran, and Zanjan.
List of the institutes which accept TOEFL exam:
Allameh Sokhan English Institute
Aryanpour Language Centers
Isfaham University of Technology
Islamic Azad University-Qazvin
Islamic Azad University-Tehran
Marefar Noor Pars Educational Company Ltd
Qazvin Islamic Azad University
Sharif University
Shiraz University
Shomal University Amol
University of Tabriz
TOLIMO
Iran Educational Measurement Organization will hold advanced English language Test (TOLIMO: E-A 2009-10) in order to create ad develop the background of language learning in the country and preparing the facilities for measuring the language knowledge of students, university students graduated.
Registering for participating in this exam is only through internet and all applicants in all educational levels have the right to register and participate in this exam. Applicants of participating in this exam must refer to Iran Educational Measurement Organizations website to the address of www.sanjesh.org and study this organizations announcement about conditions and rules of internet-based registration of TOLIMO: E-A advanced English language tests and then start the registration in any of the mentioned periods. Registration applicants must pay the registration fees through internet and credit card which are SHETAB members (which their internet password has been activated). Therefore, registration applicants must pay their registration fees till 72 hours after reservation in the considered exam period. Its clear that in case of un-payment in the defined time, the reserved exams opportunity will be removed automatically and the applicant has no right regarding the exam.
This exam is very much like TOEFL exam and usually will be hold every 2 months in state universities all over the country.
The first part is listening and it has 30 questions, the nest part is grammar and has words dictation and the next part is reading comprehension and has 40 questions, 4 tele texts and each text has 10 questions.
MCHE
This exam will be hold by the Ministry of Science and PhD students of Iran and outside of Iran are in priority while registration. Different parts of this exams cases are described in the following:
PART ONE:
SHORT DIALOGUES
(17 skills) 20 hr
PART TWO:
STRUCTURE 35 hr
Sentences with one clauses (skills 1-5)
Sentences with multiple clauses (skills 6-8)
More sentences with multiple clauses (skills 8-12)
Sentences with reduced clauses (skills 12-14)
Sentences with inverted subjects and verbs (skills 15-19)
The written expression (skills 20-23)
Problems with subject/verb agreement
Problems with parallel structure
Problems with comparatives and superlatives
Problems with the form of the verb
Problems with the use of the verb
Problems with passive verbs
Problems with nouns
Problems with pronouns
Problems with adjectives and adverbs
More problems with adjectives
Problems with articles
Problems with prepositions
Problems with usage
PART THREE:
READING 15 hr
Questions about the ideas of the passage
Directly answered questions
Indirect answered questions
Vocabulary questions
Overall review questions
