1. INTRODUCTION What is the TOEIC test? What are the benefits of using the TOEIC test? What is the content of the TOEIC test? What is the format of the TOEIC test? Listening comprehension Reading comprehension Who developed the TOEIC test? Who uses the TOEIC test and how is it used? Organizations Recruiting, promoting and deploying employees Technical training Overseas assignments Language training English Training Programs/Language Schools Placement Demonstrating progress Evaluating program effectiveness Schools School-to-work transition Which skills are measured by the TOEIC test? Can candidates fail the TOEIC test? What is the difference between the TOEIC and TOEFL tests? Does the TOEIC test meet ISO 9000 standards? How fair is the TOEIC test? How accurate are TOEIC test results? Why are there different test forms? Is it possible to study for the TOEIC test? How quickly will candidates see improvements in TOEIC scores? 2. TOEIC IN CHINA Occupational Skill and Testing Authority (OSTA) Laureate Education Inc. Educational Testing Service 3. TOEIC SCORING AND RESULTS Listening, Reading, and Total Scores How is the test scored? What do TOEIC scores mean? Benchmarking Experience. Functional descriptions . How long are TOEIC scores valid? Are TOEIC scores confidential? 4. TEST ADMINISTRATION IN CHINA Test Administration in China On-site administration Open sessions on fixed dates TOEIC CAN-DO GUIDE TOEIC GLOBAL CLIENT LIST (PARTIAL) 1. INTRODUCTION What is the TOEIC test? The TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) test is an English language proficiency test for people whose native language is not English. It measures the everyday English skills of people working in an international environment. TOEIC test scores indicate how well people can communicate in English with others in the global workplace. The test does not require specialized knowledge or vocabulary; it measures only the kind of English used in everyday work activities. The TOEIC test is the world s leading test of English language proficiency in a workplace context. More than 5,300 corporations world wide use the TOEIC test and more than 3 million people take the test every year. What are the benefits of using the TOEIC test? The TOEIC test: Gives an objective assessment of English language proficiency Offers a quantifiable standard of performance Is highly reliable, so that scores are always accurate and consistent Is reasonably priced Is available on demand - there is no need to wait for a pre-determined testing session Offers rapid test scoring and reporting-results are returned within a maximum of two weeks. (In most locations 24 - 48 hour turnaround is available.) Is recognized as a worldwide standard for English proficiency Is taken by more people than any other English language test Allows trainers and hiring managers to project the amount of training necessary to bring people to the appropriate levels for specific jobs Provides a continuous scale that allows for monitoring of improvement and comparison of candidate performance Measures proficiency rather than achievement so that trainers and language teachers can focus on the needs of the learners Provides behavioral descriptions of typical candidate performance on work-related tasks Uses equated test forms, so that a score on one test form means exactly the same as on another form Does not require costly test preparation materials What is the content of the TOEIC test? The TOEIC test was developed to meet the needs of the working world. The test questions are developed from samples of spoken and written language collected from various countries around the world where English is used in the workplace. Test questions incorporate many different settings and situations, such as: General business - contracts, negotiations, marketing, sales, business planning, conferences Manufacturing - plant management, assembly lines, quality control Finance and budgeting - banking, investments, taxes, accounting, billing Corporate development - research, product development Offices - board meetings, committees, letters, memoranda, telephone, fax and e-mail messages, office equipment and furniture, office procedures Personnel - recruiting, hiring, retiring, salaries, promotions, job applications and advertisements Purchasing - shopping, ordering supplies, shipping, invoices Technical areas - electronics, technology, computers, laboratories and related equipment, technical specifications Housing/corporate property - construction, specifications, buying and renting, electric and gas services Travel - trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries, tickets, schedules, station and airport announcements, car rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations Dining out - business and informal lunches, banquets, receptions, restaurant reservations Entertainment - cinema, theatre, music, art, media Health - medical insurance, visiting doctors, dentists, clinics, hospitals These settings provide only the context for TOEIC test questions candidates are not required to know specialized business and technical vocabulary. The TOEIC test is suitable for use in all environments where English is used by native speakers of other languages. What is the format of the TOEIC test? The TOEIC test is a two-hour, paper-and-pencil,multiple-choice test that consists of 200 questions divided into two separately-timed sections. Section I: Listening Comprehension This section consists of 100 questions and is delivered by audio cassette. It is divided into four parts. Candidates listen to a variety of statements, questions, short conversations, and short talks recorded in English, then answer questions based on the listening segments. The Listening Comprehension section takes approximately 45 minutes. Part 1: Photographs 20 items (4-choice) Part 2: Question-Response 30 items (3-choice) Part 3: Short Conversations 30 items (4-choice) Part 4: Short Talks 20 items (4-choice) Section II: Reading Comprehension The Reading Comprehension section consists of 100 questions presented in written format in the test booklet. Candidates read a variety of materials and respond at their own pace to questions based on the item content. The Reading Comprehension section takes approximately 75 minutes. Part 5: Incomplete Sentences 40 items (4-choice) Part 6: Error Recognition 20 items (4-choice) Part 7: Reading Comprehension 40 items (4-choice) Candidates respond to test questions by marking one of the letters (A), (B), (C),or (D) with a pencil on a separate answer sheet. Although the actual testing time is approximately two hours, additional time is needed to allow candidates to complete the biographical questions on the answer sheet and to respond to a brief questionnaire about their educational and work history. Therefore, you should allow approximately 2.5 hours to take the test. Who developed the TOEIC test? Educational Testing Service (ETS) developed the TOEIC test in 1979 at the request of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry in Japan. Over the years, the TOEIC test was adopted in many other countries and quickly became the global standard for assessing English in work-related contexts. Educational Testing Service is a private organization devoted to educational measurement and research in psychometrics and educational policy. Many of its well-known testing programs, such as the TOEFL® test, the SAT® ,the GMAT® and the GRE® , involve multiple-choice test questions. Each year, ETS also administers and scores approximately one million open-ended tests. Who uses the TOEIC test and how is it used? Organtizations The TOEIC test has become a recognized standard for many organizations around the world that need to evaluate the English proficiency of prospective or existing employees. The test is used by a wide range of companies, from small businesses to multinationals to government agencies, operating in many different industries and regions. The TOEIC test is an important management tool that allows organizations to make significant personnel decisions. For example, it is often used to evaluate: Personnel who use English in real life work settings, such as businesses, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, international meetings or conventions, and sports events Managerial, sales, and technical employees in international business, commerce, and industry who require English for their work Candidates for training that will be conducted in English Appropriate uses of the TOEIC test in organizations may include: Recruiting, promoting and deploying employees - Organizations may use the TOEIC test to establish score standards,or benchmarks, based on the levels of English necessary to carry out particular responsibilities. These benchmarks are then used as one criterion in making personnel decisions. Technical training - TOEIC test scores can be used to determine whether an individual has sufficient English proficiency to participate in, and benefit from, training that is conducted in English. Overseas assignments - TOEIC scores can indicate whether an employee will be able to work and interact successfully if posted to an English-speaking country. Language training - TOEIC scores can be used to identify employees who require further English language training,to set learning goals, and to monitor their progress. English Training Programs/Language Schools Language training programs find that the TOEIC test is an excellent placement tool and a valuable measure of post-training proficiency. Many language schools offer the TOEIC test to companies and individuals as an external means of language assessment. Organizations encourage training programs to use the TOEIC test to demonstrate program effectiveness. Appropriate uses of the TOEIC test in English training programs may include: Placement - TOEIC test scores are used to place incoming and continuing students into appropriate classes or levels of language training. Demonstrating progress - The proficiency of a student or group can be tracked over time by administering the TOEIC test multiple times (using different test forms) and monitoring individual or group progress. Evaluating program effectiveness - When the TOEIC test is administered to all students at the beginning and the end of an English language course, the increase in test scores can be used as one criterion to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in improving students English language proficiency. Schools An increasing number of universities and institutions of higher education, particularly engineering and business departments,require that their students take the TOEIC test prior to graduation. These institutions recognize the importance of English skills in today s global workplace and they see the TOEIC test as a tool to help new graduates integrate into the professional world. Appropriate uses for schools may include: School-to-work transition - A specific level of English proficiency, as demonstrated by TOEIC scores, is sometimes required by individual institutions as part of their students overall education. This level is often established by educational institu-tions in collaboration with employers to ensure that graduates possess sufficient English language ability to participate effectively in the workforce. Which skills are measured by the TOEIC test? Our clients and candidates have asked us for rapid, affordable, and convenient service, as well as for consistency of measurement worldwide. To accommodate these demands, a decision was made to measure only listening and reading skills directly. These skills can be tested objectively and cost-effectively. Testing speaking and writing directly requires considerable time and expense, both for administering the test and for scoring. Furthermore, any constructed response test relying on human raters tends to be less reliable.However, the TOEIC test does provide an indirect measure of speaking and writing. Studies with large samples of non-native speakers of English from around the world have confirmed a strong link between TOEIC results and oral proficiency. Smaller studies have shown a similar link with writing skills. Technical Manual or Research Summary; Introduction for further details about these studies. Can candidates "fail" the TOEIC test? The TOEIC test was developed to assess the English proficiency of those for whom English is, or will be, necessary within a professional framework. The test is a norm referenced proficiency test and is not an achievement test based on a specific course syllabus. Thus, there is no one passing or failing score. However, organizations may use the TOEIC test to set their own standards and may require that employees or students have a certain minimum TOEIC score. This does not mean that an individual will pass, or fail, the TOEIC test it simply means that he or she will meet, or not meet, the standards set by a specific organization. What is the difference between the TOEIC and TOEFL tests? Because the TOEIC test provides a measure of general English used in the workplace and does not contain academic language, many North American universities and colleges prefer to use the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test for admission decisions. The TOEFL test was created by Educational Testing Service for students whose native language is not English and who are seeking admission to colleges and universities in North America. Students planning to pursue undergraduate or graduate degrees in North America will wish to take the TOEFL test. Students who want to demonstrate their ability to use English in the workplace, or organizations that must document employees English proficiency, will prefer to use the TOEIC test. Because the TOEIC and TOEFL tests were developed to serve distinctly different purposes, the design, content, context, and range of proficiency each test measures are also very different. Does the TOEIC test meet ISO 9000 standards? The TOEIC test is not affiliated with ISO 9000. Rather than use general industrial quality standards, the quality of the TOEIC test is ensured by specific psychometric standards within ETS , the ETS Standards for Quality and Fairness. These standards meet or exceed the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, published jointly by The American Educational Research Association, The American Psychological Association, and The National Council on Measurement in Education. How "fair" is the TOEIC test? Like all ETS tests, each new form of the TOEIC test undergoes a stringent fairness review. This review is conducted by the test developers, in collaboration with outside reviewers, to be certain that all items (questions) are appropriate for use on a global basis. Every effort is made to ensure that the test is unbiased and culturally relevant to our many candidates worldwide. The TOEIC test development team is careful to: Avoid testing language that is specific to U.S. English (e.g., vocabulary, grammatical constructions, idioms) Avoid contexts that may be specific to one culture, or that may be foreign to candidates from some cultures Ensure the use of names from different nationalities Avoid the use of locations, people, or events that would be known in only certain regions or countries Avoid situations that are too specific to one occupational area Ensure that different cultures and both genders are ad equately represented How accurate are TOEIC test results? The TOEIC test provides an extremely reliable indication of English proficiency. Extensive research has demonstrated that TOEIC test scores are strongly related to scores on many other measures of English language proficiency. This indicates that the TOEIC test is a valid measure of English language proficiency. For more information on the reliability and validity of the TOEIC test, please see the TOEIC Technical Manual. Although the TOEIC test is highly reliable, no test measures performance with perfect accuracy and consistency. An individual who takes several versions, or forms, of the test within a short period of time obtains a number of scores that center around an average value known as the true score. Two-thirds of the time, the obtained score on either the Listening Comprehension or Reading Comprehension section of the TOEIC test is within 25 points of the true score. Why are there different test forms? There are many different versions, or test forms, for the TOEIC test. In this way, it is unlikely that a candidate will take the same test form twice. This eliminates the possibility of improving test scores by simply memorizing test questions rather than by improving English language skills. TOEIC representatives are very careful to provide clients with different test forms on each testing session. One of the strengths of the TOEIC test is that each of the many test forms is equated to previous tests so that a given score always means the same thing, regardless of which test form is used. The equating process entails including a selection of items from previous test forms on every new test form. Based on information about these items, it is possible to accurately gauge the difficulty of the new test in relation to previous forms. Raw scores can then be converted, using a statistical formula, into scale scores that are equivalent across test forms. Is it possible to study for the TOEIC test? The TOEIC test is not based on the content of any particular English course or textbook. It is a measure of general English language proficiency the overall ability to use English. Improvement in proficiency may take some time and is generally achieved through a combination of practice and study. The TOEIC test does not require specific study or test preparation. As a person s level of English competence increases, so too will his or her TOEIC score. However, it is recommended that candidates read the Examinee Handbook prior to each testing session. The Examinee Handbook provides information about the test and familiarizes candidates with the content and format of the test so that they will be more at ease when taking the test. Candidates should also immerse themselves in the language as frequently as possible and in as many ways as possible. For example, reading, watching TV and videos, taking an English course, and speaking with friends and colleagues are some of the ways to practice English. There are also a number of books and CD-ROMs about the TOEIC test that are marketed by independent publishers. However, ETS does not operate, license, endorse, or recommend any schools or study materials published by third parties that claim to prepare people for the TOEIC test or that promise to improve a person s test score. How quickly will candidates see improvements in TOEIC scores? Improvement in overall English ability generally takes a considerable amount of practice and study. There are many things that affect an individual s progress in earning English motivation, amount of practice, the number of hours or weeks of classroom study, previous exposure to English, as well as the type and quality of instruction can all affect an individual s progress. It is difficult to say exactly how much learning time is needed before a significant improvement in English proficiency is seen. However, research has shown that at least 100 hours of language training is usually required before students are able to demonstrate a real increase in TOEIC score Of course, given the many factors that influence learning, some students may require additional, or fewer, hours of instruction. The TOEIC program generally recommends that students do not retake the TOEIC test until they have received approximately 100 hours of English instruction and/or practice. However, native speakers of languages that bear some similarity to English may find that they require less instruction and/or practice. 2. TOEIC IN CHINA The Occupational Skill and Testing Authority (OSTA) of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of the People's Republic of China and Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc., USA announced in November 11th, 2002 that the first administration of the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) would be officially launched in China on December 7th, 2002. This marks for the first time the TOEIC is officially recognized in China. OSTA uses TOEIC test to assess the English language capability of employees and issues its official English Proficiency Certificates for workplaces in China based on the TOEIC scores. TOEIC measures the reading and listening abilities of test takers. I am pleased OSTA is sponsoring the official introduction of the TOEIC test in China, said Professor Chen Yu, Director General of OSTA. This is the first time that a Chinese government testing authority officially recognizes an overseas profe- ssional English standard applicable in China. This is one important step in aligning China's occupational skill certification with international standards. The TOEIC Test, (more than 3 million tests delivered a year worldwide), is the world's leading test of English language proficiency in a workplace setting. More than 5,300 multinational companies in more than 60 countries use the TOEIC to assess the English language capability of their employees. Occupational Skill and Testing Authority (OSTA) of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security of the People s Republic of China The Occupational Skill and Testing Authority (OSTA) is the China national authorized testing organization under Ministry of Labor and Social Security for occupational qualification, technical guidance for national employment, vocational training and occupational skill assessment. Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. (currently Laureate Education Inc.) Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc. is one of the largest for-profit providers of university level education worldwide. Sylvan offers a broad range of career-oriented academic programs, which includes traditional full time students for professional careers with undergraduate, masters and PhD degree programs. With approximately 150,000 students at present, Sylvan's growth strategy moving forward is to grow student enrollment by expanding existing campuses as well as building new campuses. The company's goal is to build a post secondary education organization serving 200,000 students, and generating revenue of more than $1 billion over the next four years. Educational Testing Service Educational Testing Service is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization and a leader in educational research. The company is dedicated to serving the needs of individuals, educational institutions, and government bodies in almost 200 countries. ETS develops and administers more than 12 million tests worldwide. 3. TOEIC SCORING AND RESULTS Listening, Reading, and Total Scores Three TOEIC scores are given for each candidate: a Listening Comprehension sub score, a Reading Comprehension subscore, and a Total score that consists of the sum of the Listening Comprehension and Reading Comprehension subscores. Each subscore can range from 5 to 495. The Total score ranges from 10 to 990. For the majority of candidates, the Listening Comprehension and Reading Comprehension scores are rather similar. However, this may not hold true in all cases. For example, a candidate may receive a Total score of 600 points but score 400 on Reading Comprehension and only 200 on Listening Comprehension. In such cases, the candidate is likely to be more at ease with the written language than with the spoken language. This information can be used, in conjunction with the Total score, in making placement, training, or personnel decisions. How is the test scored? Each candidate uses a pencil to mark his or her answers to the TOEIC test questions on a scannable answer sheet. Information on the candidate s English learning history and use of English is also collected at the time of the test session. The answers and candidate information are then read by an optical scanner and recorded by the TEAM (TOEIC English Assessment Management) system. The TEAM system is designed to record all test data (including candidate s identity and test answers), to analyze the information and to create reports for TOEIC representatives and their clients. What do TOEIC scores mean? Because the various test forms are equated, TOEIC scores from any form can be interpreted in the same way. Clients may use a number of different methods to gain a clear understanding of how TOEIC scores can be interpreted within their own
