With the global pandemic, testing organizations had canceled many of their exams like the AP, IB, and SAT exams. Despite this, language proficiency tests are still mandatory if you want to study abroad. The TOEFL test is one of the most popular language examinations with tens of thousands of people taking it in Beijing each year. The test has become more critical in recent years, since it is the only way to evaluate an applicant’s academic abilities apart from their GPA. Tons of people sign up for TOEFL prep courses in Beijing, often spending more than RMB 10,000. Is this necessary? How do you pick the right course?

Choosing a course 

If you think carefully, there are two different types of TOEFL prep courses. The first focuses on English concepts and skill development, while the other focuses on TOEFL test-taking skills. Although most courses are a combination of the two, each will lean towards a general direction you can figure out by looking at their specific course schedule. Below is a chart contrasting the two different types of courses. Again, it’s essential to think carefully before making your decision. 

I interviewed Ella Li, a student at JPED Academy, to find out if these courses are actually worth the time and money.

Does the course you take lean towards English ability or test-taking skills.

A mix between both, but leaning towards test-taking.

What is one thing the course made you do?

I needed to memorize three lists of TOEFL words every day, and I went to the teacher to check the words.

Do you think memorizing words really works?

The institution will not ask to apply it in practice, so I think it’s not so necessary to memorize the words.

Do you think prepping for the test is worth it?

Yes, the course gave me insight into the questions that will appear and taught me different methods to complete the questions quickly and correctly. Though I don’t approve of how they made students dully memorize vocabulary words.

TOEFL prep may be useful for Ella, but Amber Yao, a student at Tsinghua International, School says otherwise.

According to Amber: “TOEFL courses are not helpful for improving my scores because it’s different from the tests that I actually practiced. They are just adding pressure and causing anxiety. The template for the speaking test they made me follow is not how I can get my points and they are not effective for the actual test. And as for reading, the teachers only let me translate sentences into Chinese and didn’t let me know how to answer the questions.”

Memorizing vocabulary words

No matter which TOEFL course you take, chances are they are going to make you memorize a lot of words. This may be unnecessary, since the chances of seeing one of the words you memorized is quite slim. In addition, learning to recognize the words is different from learning how to apply them. For me, if you don’t know how to use all the words you memorized, it’s going to be a waste of time. Because of this, forcing your brain to remember words is completely unnecessary. Instead, learning words through flexible methods like reading and writing is the better option. This is one of the most critical reasons some would argue that prepping courses are not worth it.

Why is my diagnostic test score so low?

Most test prep institutions will use this tactic when you take your diagnostic test before signing up for the course to understand your abilities better. Though the intention is excellent, there are things to keep in mind. Some institutions will intentionally lower your diagnostic score (using more rigorous reading materials, grading the speaking and writing section harshly, etc.) to create the illusion that you need more test prepping. They aim to create stress and tension so that you are more likely to sign up for their course. This happened to me once. When I took a mock TOEFL exam provided by a test prep institution, I got a total score of 101/120, but in reality, I got 115/120 on the actual test. With that being said, take it with a grain of salt and don’t feel discouraged or pressured. 

Final Tips and Tricks

• If you want to sign up for a TOEFL prep course, carefully evaluate your current situation and the course’s structure before making the decision.
• Study for the test in a noisy room to train yourself to adapt to the actual testing environment. Hundreds of people are taking the actual test simultaneously, and trust me when I say it sounds like the zoo.
• Familiarize yourself with the test’s structure, so you know what to expect.

TOEFL prep courses can be helpful, but you will have to carefully select which course you want to attend based on your current situation. Even though they might ask you to memorize words, try to learn vocabulary through different methods. After you have enrolled, take your diagnostic test with a grain of salt. At last, study in a noisy area and familiarize yourself with the testing environment as well as the test’s structure. I’m sure you will do great!

Images: Unsplash

From the last time I wrote about standardized testing more has transpired. Both SAT and ACT have had more issues.

Let’s start with SAT. After the report that the August test had been compromised scores have been released. There seems to be an inordinate number of students with whom I am associated one way or another who scored very well on the test.  I raised the issue of the testing situation with some university representatives a week or so ago and the question was raised whether schools would be skeptical of the scores students received.  While not entirely skeptical, the reps did say they would take the overall situation into account when considering scores from the August test.

Further along those lines, not everyone who took the test has received their scores. Placing them in no man’s land wondering if their scores will be released or cancelled.  So once again, students are paying the price for an issue caused by College Board.

At the beginning of last week, in Florida, a student filed a Class Action suit against College Board and ETS (the test administrators). The interesting thing is that the lawsuit claims, “Rather than accept the responsibility and acknowledge its errors, the College Board, and by association, ETS, appear to blame students for their failure to keep the exam secure.”* Which is interesting that both organizations responsible for the test are blaming students for recycled test questions. More on the lawsuit can be found in this article from the Washington Post, and the quote is from the piece by Valerie Strauss.

What is also quite interesting is that College Board and ETS are very aware of how test prep companies get ahold of the material and yet are blaming students for what students do for any test – prepare. And when the stakes are high, they will go where they think they can get the best advice or information.

Now on to the ACT fiasco. This last Saturday was the first ACT online test. Held around the world schools were frantically working with their in school Technical staff to get the platform up and running. Lest one think that this all went smoothly, it did not. Aside from technical glitches that forced students to be unable to complete one section of the test and move on to the next section and losing time trying to sort it out, students had their registrations cancelled. One of the functions –the Pause button, that would allow students to pause the test if there was a technical issue during the test, had been disabled for all international test centers. No test administrator had been forewarned and when calling the help line, some administrators were told to unplug the computer.

Schools that offered the ACT were sent this:

“Important message from ACT: As you know, ACT conducted its first two days of computer-based testing at our international ACT test centers this weekend. The large majority of international examinees were able to successfully complete their ACT test and appreciated the new format. Some international test centers, however, did experience technical and administration issues that unfortunately prevented some students from completing their test. ACT takes these issues very seriously, and we sincerely apologize to those students impacted by them. We understand the importance of ACT scores to students, and we are diligently working to determine the best options for affected students. These options may include retesting, arranged testing, and rescheduling to a future test date. We will be working individually with each impacted student in the coming week to determine which option best meets their needs. Thank you.”

At the heart of all this is the anxiety that students feel in what is already an insane process. They go forward wondering if they will be able to take a test, whether the test conditions will allow them to finish, whether their scores will be released or the test cancelled. As mentioned previously the students are the victims here. I do not think that the SAT event was one of cheating, as in previous occurrences. The August mess is on College Board. ACT, well, one might forgive an inaugural event, but really! Sort the issues out the Spring before, not the first test of the testing season.

I feel for the students, but I also place a bulk of the blame on universities and colleges, which still require standardized testing. Yes, I know there are some schools that have to use scores, but in reality they are quite few in comparison.

Calling all colleges and universities – It’s time to stop subjecting students to this chaos!

Photo: ivywise.com

In the last couple of days, testing agencies have come under the microscope. Both College Board (CB) and ACT are creating a bit of havoc with students, counselors, and universities.

Last Saturday was the first SAT test of the year, but not internationally. CB last year started to reduce the number of tests internationally but opened August in the US. The pressure on seniors to get testing completed before the beginning of the application season made the US a potential testing destination for Chinese and other international students who could afford the time and the money to test abroad. There is also the rumor, and certainly just a rumor, that certain test dates are easier than others. While there is no substantiated information to correlate this, the rumor still exists.

Back to the topic. Apparently, the test last Saturday was the same or had a number of the same, questions as the October 2017 international test. Almost as soon as the test was completed outcries of cheating spread through social media and the Internet. “It’s unfair,” “some students had an unfair advantage,” and more have come from a number of corners. CB, on the other hand, said little until Monday. Always keeping “test security” as their ace in the hand, CB had little to say other than scores will be released as usual.

What is so odd about this event is that CB is the one responsible for the use of the test. It should be hardly surprising to them that international students can and will take any test possible. From their own data, they should know that students traveled to the US last August. Also, they should know from past experience that their data – test questions are available through a variety of means. They should also know that whole tests are available, for the right price, to anyone willing to pay. This has been a point of contention for the last decade. Are students to blame? Not so sure.

And finally, the CB should know that recycling test questions is something that drives everyone nuts. Many critics of the SAT cannot understand why the CB insists on recycling test questions. The CB maintains that in order to have concordance between tests and to have viable scores, there need to be base questions to substantiate and validate each test. For some, that falls on deaf ears.

What is hard to understand is that the CB will not cancel the test from last Saturday? Are they worried about lost income? Saving face? Hard to tell, but what it has done is once again put the SAT in the crosshairs of universities. Anyone following the news over the last couple of months will notice that a number of schools have changed their testing requirements – either dropping the Writing section of the test or going completely test optional for students. The CB has put another nail in their own coffin.

ACT, on the other hand, is in the process of putting their test online. Yesterday one school spent over 4-hours and still could not sort out the process of getting their school up and running as a secure test site. The ACT has provided little if any information to high schools about the new testing procedures, the requirements of what it takes to be a test center and most concerning, the availability of the Act for this year’s seniors.

One would think that testing companies would be open and forthcoming to seek the guidance and assistance of its stakeholders – schools and colleges. Yet, they continue to hide behind “test security” as the primary and sole response. In the end, it leaves seniors concerned, anxious and rightly so. Testing is a center and focal point for many students looking to apply to college. They are the guinea pigs and subject to an unending series of abuse, misdirection, and confusion.

I am all for test security. It is important. But when will everyone wake up to the fact that this machine is broken. Colleges and Universities should be screaming from the rooftops! Students should also voice their opinions about the lack of validity of testing. While I am for test security, I no longer believe and have for some time, that standardized testing cannot measure up to what a student does every day in school. There must be a better way. Hopefully, if enough voices are raised, more schools will go test optional. For a list of all the schools which are test optional go to Fairtest.org. Students should be careful and check each school’s policies on test-optional qualifications.

Photo: www.insidehighered.com

Spring is here, with its funky, unpredictable weather. But it is definitely here! Spring is a time when there is regrowth, inspiration, and promise. It is when the doldrums of winter are left behind, and we can now focus on the newness of life.

Entering April, it is time to buckle down and prepare for upcoming exams – AP, IB, A Level etc… and it is a time to look forward. Not too earnestly yet because the former responsibilities carry plenty of weight and anxiety. But they are apart of your now and your future. They best attended too with the maximum of effort.

How you foresee your future depends on how you approach this period of reinvigoration. Focus to get the most out of your courses so that you may be prepared for the future, whether that future means another year in high school or setting off to college.

Speaking of which, choosing that final school is now in the final phase if you haven’t yet deposited or notified the school you will attend. It can be a daunting prospect to choose that one place where your future will begin anew. I spent the weekend with my daughter doing just that. She has been doing the final bits of research to help her make that final choice. She has reached out to students attending those schools, “Liked” the schools Facebook page, used Niche.com to do further research, spent time investigating courses, programs, and majors. She is both excited and a bit nervous. She’s almost there.

For seniors, you are in the middle of a transition – ending the past and choosing your future. Final exams mean the end of life as you know it. Friends, teachers, and familiar environments will soon be left behind for a whole new world of experiences. Lots of things are coming to a close for you, and a whole new beginning awaits. Being too hasty to get to the future is not a good thing. Spend some time relishing the present; it will be gone too soon. While you’re preparing to leave, make sure that your time is focused on good friends, make a positive final impression. High school is a great time and though you may be ready to get on out and move forward; do so one-step at a time.

I’ve seen too many students think lightly of the present, particularly final exams only to be rejected over the summer when those results come out. Be aware that colleges and universities around the world are expecting you to put forth the effort to either attain or surpass predicted results sent earlier this year to your colleges.

While I was hanging out with my daughter at her school last week, I was both proud and sad for her. She has made good friends. Friends, many of whom will be in her life for years to come. Her school is very much a part of who she is and who she has become. It was not easy; there were trying times, even really hard ones. But those times, good and bad have shaped her character. She is sad to leave and inching toward graduation when it all comes to an end.

It is also quite interesting to see her become her own woman. Not quite self-assured, but getting there; making positive decisions and reflecting on important factors. So as this final academic year comes to a slow close, I see her thinking of making steps – thinking of working over the summer (her first job ever!), taking a stand on certain issues and releasing herself from those meaningful bonds of friendship and school while preparing for new ones to be made once university starts.

Spring is an exciting time. Warm weather, sunshine, new beginnings and things coming to a close. Do things right, do the right things and you will have no regrets. Live in the spirit of rejuvenation, anticipation, and bring to a close this chapter of your life. Inspire yourself to do the best and be the best you can be. Finally, challenge yourself to grow into that young woman or man that you want to be!

Photo: theolddeanery.co.uk/

SAT and TOEFL Breached
Just the other day, news agency Thompson Reuters, posted an article about SAT and how College Board knowingly recycled tests in China and that, despite increased security measures, even the new Revised SAT will be compromised. Last year, the Chinese version of Newsweek, posted an article about how a reporter was able to purchase online a mechanism that held answers to the TOEFL test.  ETS has amazing security, from voice recognition to using students’ photos to identify the test taker.

When the Reuters article broke there was a immediate backlash from counselors around China. Personally, I stated that I was both disgusted and disheartened by the news. Even though I have known of the “breaches” and lived through the anxiety with my students over cancelled tests and delayed scores, this news, while not truly new, reaffirmed my conviction that testing on the level of SAT, TOEFL, and even SSAT is no longer truly valid.

No Longer A Level Field
To what extent does the leaked information go? Who really knows, but the reality is that the information is available to any student, whether they know it or not, if they are engaged in test preparation. Granted this is a generalization, and certainly not all test takers are “cheaters.” But the facts, as pointed out in the article, are that testing is compromised. If we go on that premise, what is the real value of standardized testing? Even if a majority of the test takers in Asia do not use errant methods, how can one truly ascertain the validity of their tests when put up against those who did use illicit means?

In my day-to-day work, I have students who have avoided test prep, and yet when compared to their applicant pool in the admission process they come out wanting. Their scores are not competitive and so they lose out in one way or another. But even still, students who may have come across real test material during their preparation are less competitive compared to those who used more aggressive prep providers.

What is further infuriating is whether a school, reading the application, is aware on any level of the unbalanced tests scores they are using. For a minute, lets assume they have no idea, and they are looking at scores without bias. Certainly with students presenting promising scores combined with grades and other materials, admission committees are accepting at face value what they see. Is that fair? Perhaps one could argue that given holistic review, one could say “sure”, but not really.

If admission committees accept that scores are skewed, to what extent do they count scores in the admission process? Do they down grade overall test scores? Subtract a percentage? To what extent is that fair?

Members of the school counseling arena have been decrying the testing environment in Asia for quite some time. Yet, universities and other schools continue to use testing as a factor in admission. Knowingly or not, they are complicit in the high stakes pursuit of “talented” youth. From ranking to accepting tainted scores, everyone marches on as if there is nothing to really do about it. Universities accept College Board and ETS practices, continue to use test scores in the admission process. High schools continue to administer the tests, hoping that students have not gained an unfair advantage in one way or another, all the while hoping that their students will score to gain entry to more selective schools. And the wheel goes around and around, year by year.

My question is this – when will everyone agree that this is not that answer? When will all the stakeholders say enough is enough? High schools are at the mercy of a broken system, yet those with the ability to make change – those on the receiving end of applications – continue to proceed as if nothing is wrong. Or if is wrong, make little effort to change. And, by the way it is not just an Asian problem. The system is broken, and no one seems capable of finding an appropriate fix to solve it.

We can all agree that the admission process is unfair, especially for highly selective schools. Counselors, parents and students, particularly this time of the year cry about how they did not get into their “dream” school with amazing resumes and materials to back up their applications. But if the system is broken from a fundamental level, and we all know it, why do we continue to rant and rave when it does not work in “our students” favor?  Blind faith?

Coming this April is the new Coalition application, which is supposed to change the playing field. Yet, I know of no counselor who has any idea what the application looks like or how the application will work. The Coalition has been particularly mute on the subject. But what will really change? It seems as if there is now just another thing to worry about, another system to game, continuing the inequality of the application system.

Elite schools will not change to become more inclusive. Why? They cannot accept all the qualified students who apply, even if the system did not have its major flaws. Yet, overall, until those who control the admission process take a stand and create true change, we will all continue to bemoan the system, roll our eyes, and march forward, hoping that one day it will change.

Real change will happen when ranking disappears and other means of evaluating students come into play – like performance on AP, IB, A Level and other measures of student ability that have true meaning, even interviewing students through processes like IntialView and Vericant. Schools should be applauded that have changed their admission criteria by becoming test optional or schools like NYU that have multiple entry criteria. Schools that are willing to go against the grain of a process and lead, not accept status quo.

Break free and lead! Bring some sanity back to the admission process. Please!

Photo: Diablomag.com

“Students, this is the end of the exam. Please close your test papers and put your pens down—I repeat, no more writing, please.”

Disgruntled by your incomplete exam, you slam my pen on the table and close your eyes, trying to calm yourself from the horrifying fiasco. But instead, your mind is drawn back to the empty lines in your exam, not yet filled due to the time constraints.

Why are time limits imposed on examinations that are meant to diagnose a student’s understanding of a particular subject? Why should the speed of our handwriting take part in such a large role of determining our intellectual ability? By setting a time limit to an exam, we may be testing how quickly students are able to complete it, rather than how well they actually know it. This fails to accomplish the real purpose of tests.

For example, the speed of your writing is often a crucial factor in completing tests with time limits. Furthermore, seeing as the purpose of a test is to assess the student’s understanding of a topic, when teachers see an empty space on a students test, how should they react to it? Should they assume that the student “did not fully grasp the concepts of this topic”? Or could it be that the student needed two more minutes to write down the correct answer? It isn’t completely fair to equate an answer left blank to poor understanding of a particular topic.

Suppose Van Gogh only had an hour to draw his sunflowers, or that Thomas Edison only had an hour to think of how he could possibly create illuminating bulbs. Would Van Gogh’s sunflowers be the iconic image they are today? Would electric currents even be able to flow through Edison’s light bulbs successfully? Great work comes with time, and when timeframes force us to hustle through an exam, it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to present our full potential understanding towards a particular topic.

Being able to work under pressure is obviously a good thing, but in the case of seeking an objective measure of an individual’s understanding of a topic (especially a multi-faceted, humanities-related topic), forcing a student to work to the stopwatch can be detrimental and ineffective.

This article originally appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of UNIT-E. It was written by Dion Dong, a student at the International School of Beijing.

About UNIT-E
UNIT-E was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of establishing a non-profit, student-run magazine for international students in Beijing. Staffed by current students from a range of international schools, the magazine provides an amalgam of cultural tidbits, fragments of Beijing student life, and a broad spectrum of unique perspectives from a diverse group of young adults.

Photo courtesy of ccarlstead (Flickr)

Photo by timlewisnm via Flickr