Michael Goodine's Blog, page 34

More on SELT Changes

Here’s an article from the PIE News about how the testing sector has reacted to possible changes to the SELT program. The article quotes myself and a couple of individuals who commented on my LinkedIn post about the changes. As the article suggests, the initial reaction is quite negative. Indeed, the PIE could have quoted […]

Review: TOEFL iBT Official Beginner’s Guide

My friends at ETS India sent me a copy of the new “TOEFL iBT Official Beginner’s Guide.”  A hard copy of this book is now sent free of charge to people who register for the TOEFL in India.  ETS’s current “get a free book” promise seems to be a unique quirk of the super-competitive Indian […]

I took the EnglishScore WRITING Test

A few days ago I completed the writing component of the British Council’s EnglishScore Test. I unlocked this component by first completing the EnglishScore “Core Skills” Test. You can read my thoughts on that test in an earlier post. This is a mobile-only test which takes 30-40 minutes to complete. As I noted in that […]

TOEFL Speaking Advanced Templates for 2024

In case you missed them, here are some updated TOEFL templates for 2024.

More on Potential SELT Changes

The PIE just published a useful summary of the ownership structure of the IELTS test.  It can sometimes be tricky to wrap one’s head around the ownership of the test, which is shared, equally, between Cambridge English, the British Council (both non-profit organizations) and IDP Education (an Australian for-profit).  Making things even trickier is the […]

Major SELT Changes Coming?

Shocking news out of the UK this morning.  The PIE is reporting that the UK Home Office is reconsidering how it handles Secure English Language Testing .  Rather than accepting results from a handful of approved tests, the Home Office is considering instead a single test, owned by the Home Office and designed by one […]

I Took the EnglishScore Test from British Council

A few days ago, I took the British Council‘s EnglishScore Test.  This one is a mobile-only English test.  It is used by institutions for placement purposes and by individuals who need a certified English score for some purpose.  I suppose it operates in the same space as the TOEIC, TOEFL iTP (ETS), Upskill (Cambridge) and […]

I Took the LanguageScore Test from British Council

A few days ago, I took the British Council‘s EnglishScore Test.  This one is a mobile-only English test.  It is used by institutions for placement purposes and by individuals who need a certified English score for some purpose.  I suppose it operates in the same space as the TOEIC, TOEFL iTP (ETS), Upskill (Cambridge) and […]

IDP Annual Report for FY2024

Yesterday, IDP Education released its financial report for FY2024. Regarding the IELTS test, a few things are worth mentioning here.  They are: IELTS test volumes are down 18% worldwide. IELTS test volumes are down 42% in India. Outside of India, things are rosier: IELTS test volumes are up 12%. IDP says they “expect to record […]

You Should Read More – Part 48!

My wife and I enjoyed a holiday in Borneo this month.  And that means we spent many hours on an airplane.  And that means I read a few more issues from my endless stack of New Yorker magazines! First up, I read the May 8, 2023 issue (yeah, I am still more than a year […]