Michael Goodine's Blog, page 24

ALP Test Changes @ Columbia in 2025

A few quick notes about changes to the ALP Test at Columbia in 2025. First up, newly accepted students (including transfer students) will still take the regular ALP Test that has been used in the past.  You can read about it in my guide, or watch my latest YouTube video about it.  If you need […]

CGFNS Lowers PTE Score Requirement

The CGFNS (Commission for Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) has rescinded its decision to raise its PTE speaking score requirement for foreign-trained nurses seeking work visas for the United States.  The requirement will once again be a score of 50 (down from 63).  This comes after other issuers of nursing certifications declined to follow the […]

Morningstar on IDP Education

Morningstar just covered IDP Education in its regular “ask the analyst” column.  The analyst’s perspective is rosier than my own.  The analyst feels that IDP’s present woes are mostly connected to student placement, and he isn’t too concerned about English testing.  The article notes that: “IDP’s recent share price troubles – the stock is down […]

On ETS and the NAEP

A few developments on the NAEP front over the past few weeks: The Department of Education cancelled the national test of 17-year-olds. NCES commissioner Peggy Carr was placed on administrative leave. Mark Schneider, who ran the Institute for Educational Sciences in the previous trump administration was asked about this by “the 74.”  They reported that […]

Test Companies – Do Your Best!

The College Board messed up a recent administration of the SAT. On March 8, tests were submitted at 11:00 sharp, whether or not test takers had actually finished.  This was possible because the SAT is delivered digitally nowadays.  Affected test takers were given a refund and a voucher for a free re-test.  The incident attracted […]

Cost of Sending GRE Score Reports has Increased

Supplementary GRE fees were just hiked. It now costs $40 to send a score report after the test (a $5 increase). Rescheduling a test date now costs $55 (also a $5 increase). I’m glad to see that the GRE website has already been updated to reflect these changes. Remember that while supplementary TOEFL fees were […]

Prince of Wales Uses Duolingo!

Last week, the Sunday Times published a story about the Prince Of Wales delivering an address in Welsh with proficiency in the language that the headline writer said was “thanks to Duolingo.” The article prompted a letter to the editor from Pamela Baxter, who is Chief Product Officer, English, over at Cambridge University Press & […]

TOEFL Account Requesting ID Information to get Score Report

In recent weeks, some people have been prompted to enter their ID number in order to download their TOEFL score report PDF.  They get a screen that looks like this: The user is prompted to “Enter your ID information to complete your request and ensure your data stays secure.”  I can’t explain it.  Apparently entering […]

IDP Stock Price Issues

IDP Education shares are currently trading at $8.86, reflecting a 53% decrease over the past year and a 78% decline since November 2021. These declines come after a 1% increase in IELTS volumes in FY2023, a 18% drop in FY2024, and a 24% drop over the half-year reported on last month. IELTS has always been […]

OET Results: Now Faster in India

I read that results for the paper version of the OET are now available in five days or less, when the test is taken in India. It is evident that test takers today really value quick score reporting. In the past, test takers usually gave themselves plenty of breathing room between their test date and […]