Michael Goodine's Blog, page 18

Coupon Code for Sending TOEFL Score Reports

Just a quick note that Galvanize has a coupon code to help students save money on sending score reports.  Using the code GALVANIZEASR7 at checkout should lead to a 7% discount.  I think it works in all countries.  I mention it here because people frequently ask me for discount codes for sending score reports, and this […]

How Long Does it Take to Get TOEFL Paper Score Reports?

I’m often asked how long it takes for TOEFL paper score reports to arrive.  Some people ask this question after they’ve been waiting for a long time.   There is no way to answer this question.  Sometimes it takes a very long time. Sometimes the paper score report never comes. Basically, unless you pay for “express […]

Using “He has a hard time…” and “He had difficulty…” Properly

This grammar point is a bit tricky.  I’ll try my best to explain it properly! Do not write: “He/they had/have/has a hard time to VERB.”   Or: “He/they had/have/has difficulty to VERB.” That’s because “had a hard time” and “has difficulty” should be followed by a gerund (not to + infinitive). So instead of writing “He […]

“The” and Shared Concepts

We use “the” to refer to shared concepts like “the environment” and “the countryside” and “the government.” For instance, when we say the environment, we’re usually referring to the whole natural world around us. This makes it a shared, singular concept that everyone is familiar with.  Sort of like the sky or the Earth.  So […]

TOEIC Stats for 2024 Now Available

The TOEIC “Report on Test Takers Worldwide” for 2024 is now available.  The report is based on responses to a questionnaire given to a total of 3,229,884 people.  I think that represents the entire test taking population.  The figure is just about identical to 2023 and 2022.  It was about 4.8 million in 2019. Note […]

At-Home TOEFL Now Includes ID Verification via Mobile Device

The at-home TOEFL test now includes ID verification via a mobile app called IDVaaS (developed by Entrust). It looks like test takers receive an email following their test registration with instructions on how to do it. As I understand it, test takers must install the app and carry out the verification procedure BEFORE their testing […]

TOEFL Speaking Task One – 2025 Guide, Templates, Etc.

I finally uploaded the 2025 version of my guide to TOEFL Speaking Question One.  It includes new sample questions, a new sample answer, a couple of templates (one reason & two reasons), some general tips and some comments about AI.  It also discusses how fast you should speak when giving an answer.  Check it out […]

Where are IELTS and TOEFL Most Popular?

For those who are interested in the business of English testing, it is worth taking a second look at Table 2 in the new IELTS/TOEFL score concordance.  It lists various first languages/first language groups and what percentage of the overall test taker population they made up back in 2022.  If nothing else, they confirm some […]

The White Paper and Testing

The UK White Paper on “Restoring Control over the Immigration System” hit a few days ago. Most of the content is outside my wheelhouse, but it did contain some important updates re: English tests. Specifically: We will increase language requirements for Skilled Workers and workers where a language requirement already applies from B1 to B2 […]

New MET to IELTS Concordance Study

Last month Michigan Language Assessment published a concordance report comparing MET scores to IELTS scores.  We’ve been blessed with a bunch of these in recent weeks.  They aren’t emerging out of the blue, but instead are likely linked to the ongoing REOI from the Australian Home Office.  I’m not an academic, but I imagine that […]