ETS to Develop GRE Testing Creativity

The Educational Testing Service (ETS), which is merely known as an institution that runs the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) here in Korea, is the world`s largest English proficiency testing and measurement organization.

When we visited its headquarters located in Princeton, New Jersey, on Wednesday, the first thing that caught the eyes was its vast size. More than 2,600 employees work at the headquarters situated on a land area of 1,376 square kilometers.

○ CEO is no exception when it comes to security

Some 50 million people in over 180 nations sit for ETS-administered tests, such as the TOEFL, the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Hence, ETS puts its utmost priority on perfection.

In a press briefing held at the headquarters on Wednesday, ETS CEO Kurt Landgraf said ETS aims to make no error as it believes that a single mistake can lead to a devastating result. He further elaborated, saying that even if an airplane has a safe flight record of many years, one accident can take away everything.

One of the most important matters for testing organizations is maintaining the confidentiality of test questions. Everyone who was leaving the building went through a security check and showed the content of their bags. It reminded us of airport security screening procedures. An ETS official said that Landgraf also has to go through the inspection process.

○ ETS’ ambition in the era of English language’s dominance

Its revenue last year was $1.3 billion. This is an astonishing figure for a testing organization, considering that it is not one of those giant companies selling products like automobiles or electronic appliances. More than 6,000 institutions in more than 110 countries officially recognize TOEFL scores.

The success of ETS is attributed to the growing dominance of English language in the world and an increased number of students hoping to study in a U.S. college.

Landgraf said that English has become the common language of commerce, as French was the common language of culture and art in the past. He added that countries, which believe that English communication skills are a key to succeed in the international market, have strengthened English language education.

ETS’ globalization strategy has also coincided with the international trend. ETS has been working with Middle Eastern countries, such as Qatar, in an effort to develop localized English language education programs.

ETS, which has revised the GRE, has issued a challenge to the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). It is also planning to further upgrade the GRE so that it can assess the test taker’s creativity and team work skills, which have been considered difficult to evaluate through written tests.

The driving force behind ETS’ new tests is its outstanding R&D human resources. Among some 2,600 employees at the headquarters, 1,000 are assigned for R&D activities. More than 700 of them have a doctoral degree in psychology, linguistics, or computer sciences.

○ Korea’s TOEFL score, up 7 percent

An ETS official said that the average TOEFL score of Korean test takers was 77 out of 120 points in 2007, up five points compared to that of 2006. This is only one point shy of the world`s average of 78.

By section, the average TOEFL scores of Koreans’ listening comprehension and reading were higher than the world’s average scores of 19.1 and 19.8, with 20. However, the average scores of Koreans’ speaking and writing were lower than the world’s average scores of 19.2 and 20.2, with 18 and 20, respectively.

Analysts say that the five-point increase in the TOFLE score is largely due to a decreased number of teenage Korean test takers after special-purpose high schools, including foreign language high schools, announced that they would no longer use TOEFL scores for selecting new students.

By country, the Netherlands and Denmark topped the list with 103 and 101 points, higher than the scores recorded by English speaking countries, such as Canada (91) and the United Kingdom (95).

Last year, Korea had ranked No. 1 in the number of people taking the TOEFL with 124,000. However, China is expected to surpass Korea as more than 100,000 Chinese have already taken the test as of April this year alone.