Presently students have a dream to pursue their studies in foreign universities. But do they know how to make it possible?
What is an English certificate?
The students must be aware of the fact when they apply for the international University for further studies, they do need an English proficiency certificate. It justifies that you do understand the English language and are capable of participating in the classes for understanding the textbooks and completing the given assignments.
There comes an English examination, which may be a bottleneck in your way to studying at the University of your choice. But today we are going to tell you about some professional English courses by international universities with worldwide acceptance that can help you get enrollment in a foreign university for further studies.
How to get an English certificate?
There is cutthroat competition for better education. There are various international universities that provide a lot of courses exclusively in the English language. These universities make it easier for the students to make their dream come true.
Learning a language is a life-long process. It is a much more time-consuming process to have a good command of a language. Like other languages, English also takes some time but comparatively, it is easier than other languages. If you are also planning to pursue further studies in a foreign university, you must start your preparation for the English exam right now.
In this article, I am going to tell you about the most trending English certificates with worldwide acceptance.
CEFR levels in English
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages categorizes 6 different levels in English for linguistic students.
S No. |
CEFRL Term |
Level |
1 |
Basic user |
A1 |
2 |
A2 |
|
3 |
Independent user |
B1 |
4 |
B2 |
|
5 |
Proficient user |
C1 |
6 |
C2 |
They do mark the ability of a student at each level in all aspects of the English language in terms of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
The minimum expected result by most universities is level ‘B’, but some universities may require an advanced level of proficiency in the English language for enrollment.
I am going to share information about the 3 most salient English language tests that are globally accepted.
TOEFL: Test of English as a foreign language
It is one of the most famous English certificates across the globe. It is divided into two parts
1. Computer-based test
2. Paper-based test
The paper-based test is conducted in the unavailability of an internet connection and in a separate place. Presently, students do have an option for online tests. It can easily be taken from your comfort zone.
TOEFL examination generally takes 3 hours. It consists of 4 different parts. Each part has 30 points and it adds up to the maximum number of 120 points.
Test |
Points |
Reading |
30 |
Listening |
30 |
Speaking |
30 |
Writing |
30 |
Reading
You get 3-4 passages with 10 multiple-choice questions for each.
Question: 30-40
Time: 54-72 minutes
Listening
An examinee gets audio of lectures and general conversation and lectures based upon the language used on the university campus. It checks the comprehensive ability of the examinee.
1) 3-4 lectures (3-5 minutes for each with around 500-750 words); 6 questions for each.
2) 2-3 conversations (3 to 3.5 minutes long) 5 questions for each.
Time: 41- 72 minutes
Break; you will get a short break for 10 minutes after the completion of the first two tests.
Writing
A) Integrated task; Read, listen, and write; 3 minutes for reading, 2 minutes for listening, and 15 minutes for writing.
B) Independent task; you have to write two essays properly. 2 questions
Time: 50 minutes (20 minutes for task ‘A’ and 30 minutes for task ‘B’.
In your computer-based paper, you interact with the computer in the first two parts you have to read paragraphs and listen to the audio carefully. These may be about different topics. You just have to answer the multiple-choice questions.
Speaking
Your speaking skill should be excellent in order to score well in the speaking part. Your scores depend on how perform in it. You are generally judged for the gap between your words and the correct use of sentence structures.
A) 1 independent task; you get 15 sections to prepare yourself for speaking 45 sections without any interruptions.
B) 3 integrated tasks; read, listen, and speak
Questions: 4
Time: 17 minutes
When it comes to the speaking part, all the answers are recorded and sent to the board. Around 3 to 5 expert examiners evaluate your answers and give you points accordingly for it.
The most commonly accepted points for the universities are between 70 and 90, but some universities may also ask for a specific minimum score in each part.
The test fee for the TOEFL exam?
Test free for the TOEFL examination may vary from place to place as it costs approximately 205 USD in the US, on the other hand, it costs 255 USD in Germany and 194 USD in India.
Certification validity
The TOEFL English certificate is valid for 2 years.
IELTS:
International English Language Testing System
Like TOEFL, IELTS is also one of the most required English language certificates around the world.
This test is designed in academic version and professional versions. IELTS is also accepted as a piece of evidence for the English language it helps you get enrollment in international universities and migrate for work purposes. Similarly, TOEFL also has four different parts.
Test |
Questions |
Time (min.) |
Listening |
40 |
30 |
Speaking |
2 |
11-15 |
Reading |
40 |
60 |
Writing |
3 |
60 |
The duration of this test is calculated at around 2 hours and 45 minutes. The academic version of the IELTS examination is available in both computer-based tests and paper-based tests. For further information about IELTS exam preparation, the computer-based test does not allow you to sit at home and take it at your own comfortable place.
In both situations, you need to register and take the examinations at the official center for both examinations. The speaking part of the examination is conducted face-to-face with an expert examiner.
Now the students have an advanced option they can register for the online examination of IELTS. It is the same IELTS academic examination. It allows you to take the test from any corner of the world with good internet connectivity and voice resistance.
The test scale of the IELTS examination is from 0 to 9 grading scale. The universities requirement for enrollment lies between 5.5 and 6.6. It may vary from your choice of university do check for the universities wherein you want to get enrolled. If you wish to increase your score, learn the best grammar rules for the IELTS examination.
The test fee for IELTS
Like TOEFL, the IELTS examination fee also varies from country to country it costs between 250 to 240 USD in the US and 331 337 USD in Norway.
Certification validity
The IELTS English certificate is valid for 2 years.
Thanks for reading!