ETS Launches Next Generation TOEFL Practice Site

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 2004--Hundreds of thousands of students around the world preparing for the next generation of ETS's Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), can now take an online practice version of the new test, which premiers officially in September 2005.

TOEFL Practice Online is the latest in a series of efforts to familiarize students and score users with the new test, which, for the first time ever, reflects the integrated reading, writing, listening and speaking skills used on English-speaking higher education campuses worldwide. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the TOEFL test, the world's most widely used and respected English language assessment.

Registration to the practice site is free, and includes access to sample test questions as well as a discussion board, where students and teachers can exchange study tips. Free sample questions and answers from the Speaking portion will also help people become familiar with this new section of the test.

Members also have access to a practice test that includes the Reading, Writing, and Listening sections of the next generation TOEFL test. This practice test will provide test takers with an unofficial score and feedback on their performance. The cost of the practice test is $20. The opportunity to practice and get feedback on Speaking is available through the TOEFL Academic Speaking Test (TAST) for an additional $30.

"When the next generation TOEFL test premiers in September 2005, nonnative English-speaking students worldwide will finally have confidence in their ability to use the integrated English they will encounter on university campuses," explains Mari Pearlman, Senior Vice President of Higher Education at ETS. "Admissions officials at English-speaking colleges and universities want international students to be successful and ETS, the world's leading expert on high-quality tests, is proud to join them in this effort. This is our commitment to advancing English-language teaching, learning, and assessment."

Students can purchase the practice test directly with a credit card. Institutions and advising offices may purchase authorizations for students who do not have access to credit cards or who want to pay in local currency.

Later this year, ETS plans to expand the site to provide additional English language learning services and resources, including online practice for speaking, writing and pronunciation.

For more information, visit www.ets.org/toeflpractice.

About ETS

Founded in 1947, ETS is the world's largest private, nonprofit educational testing and measurement organization and a leader in education research. ETS products and services measure knowledge and skills, promote learning and performance, and support education and professional development. ETS's 2,700 employees produce and administer nearly 12 million tests annually in more than 180 countries. ETS is dedicated to serving the needs of individuals, educational institutions, and government agencies around the world.

ETS has three subsidiaries: ETS Global BV, headquartered in Utrecht, the Netherlands, which makes the world-class products, services and resources of ETS more readily accessible to the European education and training community; ETS Pulliam, a leading provider of educational software products and professional development services that enable assessment for improved student performance; and Capstar, a leading provider of training, online distance learning and assessments, and certification and licensure exams for associations, corporations and government and academic markets.