As an international candidate who is applying to an English-taught program abroad, it is no news that you are required to demonstrate your good mastery of the language.
And perhaps you already even know that having a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) certificate is one of the surest ways to secure your scholarship.
While TOEFL is one of the widely accepted language testing options today, you still have to decide whether taking the test is the right choice or not for your scholarship application. To help you make the right decision, we will be sharing some of the important pros of taking the TOEFL tests ahead of your scholarship application.
1. It is recognized by almost all institutions in the world
One remarkable advantage of the TOEFL test is its wide acceptability by most colleges and universities in the world. In fact, it is accepted by every university in the United States. As many as 10,000 institutions across 130 countries recognize TOEFL, including Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada. TOEFL is accepted by all the top 100 ranked universities in the world.
What this means is that no matter the institution you decide to apply for, the TOEFL test will be very useful, and you can worry less about language requirements if you switch schools or apply for exchange programs. Nonetheless, it is paramount that you still check to confirm that the institution you are choosing is not one of the few schools that do not accept the test.
2. Booking a TOEFL test is as easy as pie
No matter your location, you can book the TOEFL exam online. Moreover, they have exam centers in every part of the world. This is something other test providers won’t offer. Additionally that, the TOEFL test has a flexible schedule, allowing you to book any of the fifty TOEFL iBT exam dates every year. What’s more? You get your results within 15 days or thereabouts of taking the test.
3. Availability of many free learning resources
As a result of the high popularity of the test, you can find so many learning materials both offline and online to assist you in your preparation, a number of which are freely accessible. All you have to do is search the internet and you’ll find a lot of online tutorials, videos, books, and exercises, including the resources provided by ETS (the platform that runs the TOEFL tests).
4. The exam has a detailed scope of assessment
TOEFL exam is not just about correct or incorrect answers. It also entails context and different versions of answers which are acceptable. For instance, the oral aspect of the exam is evaluated more objectively, since it is assessed by about 3-4 teachers and not a single interviewer. In all, both the student body and universities consider TOEFL to be a truly balanced assessment.
These pros mentioned in this article constitute some of the important aspects every international student should consider before submitting their scholarship application. A TOEFL certificate may just be the missing puzzle piece that will complete your scholarship application to a university abroad.
