Fear of terrorist attacks may have prompted many to cancel their trips to exotic foreign locales, but it has not deterred students from boarding flights for admission to colleges and universities abroad. Young aspirants still feel that a degree from a reputed US or UK university can stand them in good stead in today’s competitive world. With globalisation increasing education opportunities everywhere, Indian students are flying in droves in search of better career options.

Going to another country for education, of course, has its share of hard work. Students have to take one of several tests such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE). In addition, all Indian students have to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The purpose of this exam is to test the English proficiency of non-native speakers of the language.

Tests like GRE, GMAT and SAT require months of planning and preparation. But a candidate can score pretty well in TOEFL without slogging it out for endless days and nights. Says Sudhir Arya of the New Delhi-based Council for American Education, a preparatory school for TOEFL, “Indian students generally have a good command of the English language. For a student from an English medium background, 15 to 20 days’ preparation is enough.”

TOEFL evaluates a candidate on a scale of 0-120. Soham Ghosh, who took the exam in September 2008 and scored 116, says, “It helps if one is fluent in the language. I enrolled at George Edcare, Calcutta, and attended their sessions regularly. You don’t have to mug up on anything in TOEFL, and so it’s not difficult.”

Pronabesh Mahapatra, another TOEFL taker, agrees. “If you have no trouble understanding and speaking English, you can be sure of fetching a high score,” he says. “I studied for two hours every day for about a week or two and scored 80, which is decent enough.”

No wonder Saifuddin Ahmed, who will be taking the test in January 2009, is relaxed. He says, “I have enrolled at a coaching institute. I have done well in the mock tests and am pretty confident that I will do well in the final exam.”

Over 6,000 colleges and universities abroad accept TOEFL scores for admission to their programmes. These include well-known institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Yale University, Stanford University and Columbia University in the US; the University of Toronto and McGill University in Canada; the London School of Economics, the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and Imperial College, London, in the UK.

TOEFL can be taken as a paper-based test (TOEFL-pBT) or an Internet-based one (TOEFL-iBT). TOEFL-pBT is available in some parts of the world, though it has been done away with in India. “The big plus of iBT is that it allows ETS to evaluate the test thoroughly, accurately and quickly,” says Gena Netten, TOEFL expert and spokesperson for the New Jersey-based Educational Testing Service (ETS), a non-profit institution aimed at advancing quality education. ETS also conducts TOEFL, GRE and the Test of English for International Communication.

Has the online test resulted in an increase in the number of TOEFL takers? “We have been able to reach out to more students in different locations than ever before,” says Netten. “In fact, since the introduction of iBT, we have tripled the number of test centres to 4,400 which are spread over 165 countries,” she adds.

TOEFL-iBT has four sections — reading, listening, speaking and writing, each carrying 30 marks. Says Mahapatra, “There is no negative marking, so make sure that you attempt all questions. Therefore, time management is very important.”

What can one expect in the section on reading? There are 36 to 70 questions which a student has to answer in 60 to 100 minutes. There are three to five passages from academic texts, each approximately 700 words long, and 12-14 questions per passage.

“This is the section in which students score least,” observes Netten, “Aspirants must read articles and books on various subjects, take notes, organise their ideas in charts and write summaries of what they have read,” she advises.

The section on listening comprises 34 to 51 questions. Students are required to listen to four to six classroom lectures, each three to five minutes long. Each lecture is followed by five questions. The time allotted is one-and-a-half hours. After this, there is a break of 10 minutes.

In the speaking section students are given two topics to speak on. They are also asked questions based on what they read and listen to in the test. The time allotted is 20 minutes. “There is no need to be tense because you might then get tongue tied and goof up. Your success in TOEFL mainly depends on your familiarity with the language,” says New Delhi-based education counsellor Pervin Malhotra.

“This is the section in which students may face a few hiccups, as you are given the topic on the spot and allowed a preparation time of only 15 seconds. Just prepare some topics beforehand and time yourself so that you don’t go blank on the day of the exam,” suggests Ghosh.

The last section is on writing and this takes 50 minutes. Students are required to write on what they read and listen to in the test. They are also asked to pen their opinions on a given topic. Says Arya, “Use simple words and make sure your writing is easy to read. Avoid lengthy sentences and difficult words.”

There are many coaching institutes which train and counsel students on TOEFL, providing them with study material and other help. “There are many books with / without CDs on TOEFL (iBT). Books such as Peterson’s, Princeton Review, Barron’s, Kaplan and ETS publications are commonly referred to,” says Sunhrit Mullick, regional officer and educational adviser, the United States-India Educational Foundation. “There is another book that is helpful — Delta’s Key to the TOEFL Test by Nancy Gallagher, and this also has a CD-ROM edition,” says Deepti Bhatla, TOEFL counsellor of Edstar TOEFL Prep-New Delhi.

Students such as Arya, however, feel that books and CDs are not of much help. “What is important is to take as many online mock tests as possible,” he says.

Whatever be the mode of practice, students from India have consistently scored well in TOEFL, say experts. According to Arya and Malhotra, a score of 80 should suffice for most institutions. Bhatla, however, feels that a score of 100 or more is necessary to secure admission to a good institution.

So here is a word of advice from Netten for those planning to take the exam next month, “Integrate practising English into your lifestyle by reading and listening to subjects of interest outside the classroom. Talk to your friends and write summaries of what you read and hear. And enjoy yourself as you practise.”

TAKE NOTE

1) What is the fee for the exam?

One has to draw a demand draft of $165 (Rs 7,894) in favour of ETS-TOEFL, payable anywhere in the US.

2) What is the duration of the test?

TOEFL-iBT is of four and a half hours.

3) How and when do I register myself?

Online registration is the easiest method. Registration starts three to four months before the test day at www.ets.org. You can also register by mail or by phone.

4) How do I get my score?

Scores are posted online 15 business days after the test date, then mailed to you and the institution selected.

5) How much should I attempt to receive a score?

You must answer at least one question in reading and listening each, write at least one essay, and complete at least one speaking task to receive an official score report.

6) How long are the scores valid?

ETS reports scores for two years after the test date.

7) How can I prepare for TOEFL-iBT?

ETS offers a variety of practice materials to help you prepare.

8) Which computer keyboard is used for TOEFL-iBT?

QWERTY, the most common English-language keyboard, is used. It takes its name from the first six letters at the top of the keyboard. Test takers should practice on a QWERTY keyboard before taking the test.

9) What do I bring on the test day?

You must bring valid identification and your registration number on that day.