Some Important Foreign Educational Courses Details

TOEFL for School Children

To help students who are studying English as a foreign language, Educational Testing Service (ETS) has launched the TOEFL Junior test, a global assessment of middle school-level English language proficiency.

The TOEFL Junior test is a low-stakes assessment that measures the degree to which younger students have attained the language proficiency representative of English-medium instructional environments.

The TOEFL Junior paper-based test (pBT) contains three sections – 

• Listening comprehension (ability to listen for basic, interpersonal purposes, ability to listen for instructional purposes and ability to listen for academic purposes)
• Reading comprehension (ability to read and comprehend academic texts, ability to read and comprehend non-academic texts) and
• Language form and meaning (ability to demonstrate proficiency in key enabling skills such as grammar and vocabulary in context)

For more details visit www.ets.org  

TOEFL: Test of English As A Foreign Language 

The TOEFL- IBT (Internet Based Test) is taken by students who are interested in furthering their academic careers and want to demonstrate a proficiency in North American English.

The TOEFL test covers 4 areas:

1. Speaking
2. Listening
3. Reading, and
4. Writing

The key TOEFL testing tips are stated as follows:1. Improve your writing skills.
2. Review reading passages that frequently occur on the TOEFL test.
3. Improve your vocabulary.
4. Be familiar with the format of the TOEFL test.
5. Practice intensely for the listening test on the TOEFL test. 

The maximum amount of time allowed to take the TOEFL test - 4 hours.

Select one answer per question. Do not leave questions blank.

Scores are reported online fifteen business days after the test.

Website: www.toefl.org> or www.ets.org/toefl 
Books for preparation: Kaplan TOEFL iBT, Cambridge preparation for the TOEFL TEST.
Test Fees: US $165.

GRE: Graduate Record Examination 

GRE General Exam OverviewThe General GRE Exam consists of 3 sections, the
• Verbal
• Quantitative
• Analytical writing sections.

Verbal Reasoning : This section contains 30 questions to be attempted in 30 minutes. The verbal section requires a good vocabulary level, and basic skills of grammatically correct English coupled with reasoning and analysis. The questions consist of four types : Antonyms, Analogies, Sentence Completion, and Reading Comprehension. The four types are intermingled, with no fixed number for each type.


The skills measured include the test taker|s ability to
• analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it
• analyze relationships among component parts of sentences
• recognize relationships between words and concepts

Quantitative Reasoning : This section contains 28 questions on Mathematics that are to be completed in 45 minutes. This difficulty level of questions is comparable to Class X. Major topics include Number Systems, Percentages, Fractions & Decimals, Algebra (including Quadratic Equations), Geometry (including Basic Coordinate Geometry), Ratio & Proportion, Area & Volume of 2-D and 3-D figures, and Probability.
The skills measured include the test taker|s ability to

• understand basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and data analysis
• reason quantitatively

• solve problems in a quantitative setting

Analytical Writing : The writing assessment section requires you to write two short essays. The first is the Issue task, in which you need to analyze the issue presented and explain your views on it. For the Issue task, you will be able to choose 1 of 2 essay topics selected by the computer from the pool of topics. The time allotted is 45 minutes.
The second essay is Analysis of an Argument, in which a given argument has to be critically analyzed and evaluated. The Argument task does not offer a choice of topics; the computer will present you with a single topic selected from the topic pool. The time allotted is 30 minutes.

The skills measured include the test taker|s ability to
• articulate complex ideas clearly and effectively
• examine claims and accompanying evidence
• support ideas with relevant reasons and examples
• sustain a well-focused, coherent discussion
• control the elements of standard written English.

Test Fees: US $160.

Books: Kaplan GRE, Princeton Review, Barron’s GRE.

GRE Subject Tests Overview:
The GRE Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement in the eight disciplines listed below. Each Subject Test is intended for students who have majored in or have extensive background in that specific area.
• Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Literature in English
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Psychology
The Subject Tests are given at paper-based test centers worldwide three times a year in:
• October
• November
• April

Test Fees: US $170.

Books: Kaplan GRE, Princeton Review, Barron’s GRE.

 IELTS: International English Language Testing System

The IELTS test is taken by students who are interested in furthering their academic careers. The competitiveness of college admissions dictates a good IELTS score as a minimum to even be considered by some colleges. The IELTS test requires that you understand the underlying concepts of the English language. The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), the British Council and IDP Education Australia jointly manage the IELTS. Most universities in UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand accept an IELTS overall band score of 6.0 or 6.5 for entering academic programmes.

• The IELTS test covers 4 content areas:
  
  • Writing- 60 minutes
  • Reading- 60 minutes
  • Listening – 28-30 minutes
  • Speaking- 12-14minutes
• The maximum amount of time allowed to take the IELTS test - 2 hours and 45 minutes.
• The key IELTS testing tips are stated as follows
  1. Improve your writing skills.
  2. Review reading passages that frequently occur on the IELTS test.
  3. Improve your vocabulary.
  4. Be familiar with the format of the IELTS test.
  5. Practice intensely for the listening and speaking tests on the IELTS test.
• Select one answer per question. Do not leave questions blank.
• Website:www.ielts.org or www.idp.com
• Books for preparation: Cambridge IELTS, Ace The IELTS.
• Test Fees: 7200 INR.
  Pearson Test of English (PTE) like TOEFL and IELTS to study Abroad 
  
  

  The education arm of Pearson Group, PTE Academic, has developed English language proficiency test for students who aspire to study abroad at institutions where English is the primary language of instruction.

  Pearson Test of English (PTE) is an assessment of international English and measures the reading, writing, listening and speaking ability of the candidates.  Leading business schools such as Stanford, Yale, INSEAD and ISB, Hyderabad are accepting PTE academic scores. Just like TOEFL and IELTS, PTE is also computer-based test. The test costs candidates a total of USD 160. As on date, there are 15 test centers across country. The test is for three hours and registration can be done a day’s notice, says Philip.  A score of 58 out of 90 in PTE is equivalent to 6.5 of IELTS. The validity of the test is for two years.  For more details Click here

   GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test

 GMAT exam is a standardized assessment, delivered in English that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management.

By taking the GMAT exam, you have a better chance of being targeted by business schools that are a good match for you—and learning more about their programs and admissions processes. You can help them find you by creating an mba.com profile and opting in to being contacted by schools.

Schools use the test as one predictor of academic performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs.
Over 1900 graduate business schools around the world use GMAT scores as a part their admissions process.

Test Fees: US$250
The GMAT Exam consists of 3 sections 
• Verbal – 75 minutes.
• Mathematical – 75 minutes
• Analytical writing sections – 60 minutes.

Books: Princeton Review Cracking the GMAT, Kaplan GMAT, GMAT Review.

Website: www.mba.comor www.gmat.com

SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test

SAT is a mandatory exam to get undergraduate admission into any college of USA. The SAT is developed and administered by the USA-based |College Entrance Examination Board|. This implies that College Board sets the questions, conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report. High school juniors and seniors take the SAT exam. The test is a measure of the critical thinking skills of each student for the academic success in their under graduation program. SAT exam is conducted seven times a year. • There are two SAT exams namely SAT I and SAT II. SAT I is structured as a reasoning test that basically tests candidate|s verbal, mathematical and reasoning abilities. SAT II is a subject test; to test the candidate|s knowledge of specific subject opted by the candidate. SAT exam is more of multiple choice questions based. Some schools or colleges expect students to clear more subject tests. • Candidates may either take the SAT reasoning test or up to three SAT subject tests on the given test date. Candidates wishing to take the test may register online, by mail, or by telephone, at least three weeks before the test date. Many U.S. universities use tests such as the SAT as a way of assessing students coming from schools using different grade, class and division system. Nearly every college in USA accepts SAT score to admit students. Books:  The official SAT Guide- The College Board, Princeton Review – Cracking the SAT, Kaplan SAT. • Website: www.collegeboard.com Test Fees: US $94.

 LSAT: Law School Admission Test

 LSAT exam is mandatory for getting admission in those Law Schools of USA, which are approved by ABA (American Bar Association). LSAT is also compulsory for getting admission in Law courses in most of the Canadian Law Schools and many of the non-ABA approved Law Schools too. LSAT is conducted four times a year at selected centers all over the world. LSAT helps Law Schools make sound admission decisions by providing standard measure of verbal and reasoning skills of the students. The Law schools can use LSAT score as one among the few other features in evaluating the candidates for admission.

The LSAT precisely comprise of five sections namely,
• Reading comprehension section.
• Logical reasoning (arguments) section.
• Analytical reasoning (games) section.
• Experimental section (another Arguments, Games, or Reading Comprehension).
• Essay section or writing sample section.

The Experimental section will be games, arguments, or reading section. You will not know which is the real section and which is the experimental one, so you must just try your best on every single section. The good news is that if at some point you have a strangely difficult section that makes no sense, there|s a strong chance that it was the experimental section. There is also a writing sample or essay section. The writing sample does not count towards your score, but the law schools to which you apply will receive a copy of your essay to evaluate. The duration of the test is about 3.5 hours. There is no negative marking as such, but you are expected to attend all the questions. After your test is graded, your score will be converted into an LSAT score ranging from a low of 120 to a high of 180. Your score and hence your percentile will roughly follow along a bell curve pattern, a score of 150 is an average one, and 170 is the 99th percentile.

Books: LSAT Prep Tests, Master The LSAT by Jeff Kolby and Scott Thornburg.

Website: http://www.lsac.org

 USMLE - Admission to Medical Colleges

Introduction

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step examination for medical licensure in the United States and is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).
The Composite Committee, appointed by the FSMB and NBME, establishes policies for the USMLE program. 

Purpose of the USMLE
In the United States and its territories ("United States" or "US"), the individual medical licensing authorities ("state medical boards") of the various jurisdictions grant a license to practice medicine. Each medical licensing authority sets its own rules and regulations and requires passing an examination that demonstrates qualification for licensure. Results of the USMLE are reported to these authorities for use in granting the initial license to practice medicine. The USMLE provides them with a common evaluation system for applicants for medical licensure.
The USMLE assesses a physician's ability to apply knowledge, concepts, and principles, and to demonstrate fundamental patient-centered skills, that are important in health and disease and that constitute the basis of safe and effective patient care. Each of the three Steps complements the others; no Step can stand alone in the assessment of readiness for medical licensure. Because individual medical licensing authorities make decisions regarding use of USMLE results, you should contact the jurisdiction where you intend to apply for licensure to obtain complete information. Also, the FSMB can provide general information on medical licensure.

USMLE consist of three steps:

1. STEP 1 - Basic Science Exam
2. STEP 2CK - Clinical Knowledge Exam
3. STEP 2CS - Clinical Skills Exam
4. STEP 3 - Patient Management Skills

Step 1 assesses whether you understand and can apply important concepts of the sciences basic to the practice of medicine, with special emphasis on principles and mechanisms underlying health, disease, and modes of therapy. Step 1 ensures mastery of not only the sciences that provide a foundation for the safe and competent practice of medicine in the present, but also the scientific principles required for maintenance of competence through lifelong learning. 

• Minimum passing score - 185/75
• Number of Questions - 336 (Computer based test)
• Duration - 8 hours
• Exam content - Basic Science (anatomy, behavioral sciences, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, interdisciplinary topics, such as nutrition, genetics, and aging, interpret graphic and tabular material, identify gross and microscopic pathologic and normal specimens, apply basic science knowledge to clinical problems).

Step 2 assesses whether you can apply medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for the provision of patient care under supervision and includes emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention. Step 2 ensures that due attention is devoted to principles of clinical sciences and basic patient-centered skills that provide the foundation for the safe and competent practice of medicine.

STEP 2CK - Clinical Knowledge Exam

• Minimum passing score - 184/75
• Number of Questions - 370 (Computer based test)
• Duration - 9 hours
• Exam content - Clinical Knowledge(internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, preventive medicine, psychiatry, surgery, other areas relevant to provision of care under supervision, a diagnosis, a prognosis, an indication of underlying mechanisms of disease, the next step in medical care, including preventive measures).

STEP 2CS - Clinical Skills Exam

• Minimum passing score – No Score(Pass/Fail)
• Duration – 7-8 hours
• Number of Questions – 12 standardized patients
• Exam content - Clinical skills / Doctor-patient Communication [Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE), Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS), and Spoken English Proficiency (SEP)].
• 
  

Step 3 assesses whether you can apply medical knowledge and understanding of biomedical and clinical science essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine, with emphasis on patient management in ambulatory settings. Step 3 provides a final assessment of physicians assuming independent responsibility for delivering general medical care.

• Minimum passing score – 187/75
• Duration – 16 hours (2days)
• Number of Questions – 480 MCQ Questions& 9 Clinical Case simulations
• Exam content - Patient Management skill [Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE), Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS), and Spoken English Proficiency (SEP)].

Eligibility
To be eligible for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, you must be in one of the following categories at the time of application and on the test day:

• a medical student officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a US or Canadian medical school program leading to the MD degree that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
• a medical student officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a US medical school leading to the DO degree that is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or
• a medical student officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a medical school outside the United States and Canada and eligible for examination by the ECFMG.

If you have been dismissed from medical school, you are not eligible for USMLE, even if you are appealing the school’s decision to dismiss you.

STEP 3
To be eligible for Step 3, prior to submitting your application, you must:

• obtain the MD degree (or its equivalent) or the DO degree,
• pass Step 1, Step 2 CK, and, if required based upon the rules, Step 2 CS,
• obtain certification by the ECFMG or successfully complete a "Fifth Pathway" program

Fees:

Steps	Examination Fees	International test surcharge
Step1	$710	$130
Step2CK	$710	$145
Step2cs	$ 1200	NA

For further details visit www.usmle.org

The GRE General Test is changing

The GRE revised General Test is coming in August 2011

Starting August 1, 2011, the GRE revised General Test will replace the current GRE General Test, giving you the advantage of a better test experience — and new types of questions that help show your readiness for graduate-level work.  A new test-taker friendly design for the computer-based test that lets you edit or change your answers, skip questions and more, all within a section — giving you the freedom to use more of your own test-taking strategies. Another new feature: an on-screen calculator. For those taking the paper-based GRE revised General Test, calculators will be provided at the test center for use during the test.  New types of questions in the Verbal Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning sections, many featuring real-life scenarios that reflect the kind of thinking you'll do in today's demanding graduate and business school programs.  Special savings of 50% when you take the GRE revised General Test between August 1 and September 30, 2011. The 50% discount means big savings for you — and another big advantage to taking the GRE revised General Test.  Important score reporting information you need to know: If you take the GRE revised General Test during our special discount period of August – September 2011, your scores will be sent by mid-November. However, if you need your scores before November 2011, take the current test before August 2011. The GRE revised General Test features a new score scale that can make it easier for schools to compare your GRE scores with the scores of other candidates.  Choosing Between the Current Test and the Revised Test  To help you decide which of the two tests to take, start by selecting which schools you're most interested in, then find out when they need your scores. Different schools have different admissions deadlines, so knowing when your prospective schools need your scores is an important part of making the decision between the GRE General Test and the GRE revised General Test.  If you need scores before November 2011, start planning now. You will need to take the current test. You will want to register early to ensure you get a seat for your preferred date and location. If you take the current test in either a split-test administration or paper-based test location early planning is especially important.  If you don't need scores until after November 2011, taking the GRE revised General Test is a smart move. With these new changes in place, the revised test will give you a better test experience — and offer an even better way to show schools that you're ready for graduate-level work.  Here Are Important Dates You Need to Know:  MONTH MILESTONE 2010 JULY Free test prep is available for the GRE revised General Test 2011 MARCH March 15: Registration opens for the GRE revised General Test (If you plan on taking the current test, you can register now.) AUGUST – SEPTEMBER August 1: First day of testing for the  GRE revised General Test August 1 – September 30: Save 50% on your  test fee; if you test during this period, your scores  will be sent by mid-November OCTOBER – NOVEMBER If you test between October and November, you should check the detailed score reporting schedule to know what day your  scores will be sent DECEMBER Normal score reporting resumes. Your score report will be sent 10 – 15 days after  your test date For those taking the paper-based GRE revised General Test in areas of the world where the computer-based test is not available, the test design and question types will be modified to be appropriate for a paper-based, linear test.  For more details Click Here GMAT to replace one essay with analysis from 2012 The Graduate Management Admission Test — the dominant test for MBA admissions, will soon have a new section, designed to test the ability of would-be business students to analyze multiple kinds of information. The new "integrated reasoning" questions will present test-takers with a spreadsheet, a table, text and other information and then ask either single or multiple questions. While the answers will be multiple choice, there will likely be multiple correct answers, with test-takers asked to list all correct answers. These new questions will replace one of the two GMAT essays and will be reported in a new score, while preserving existing scores for the essay and the verbal-quantitative total. The new section will be added in 2012.  The reason that the GMAT was open to a challenge is that it is not a test specific to business schools, but rather features general verbal, quantitative and writing sections. While designed to test someone's ability to succeed in a business program, the test itself doesn't stress economics or accounting or any specific business school skill set or at least that has been the case until now.  As an example of the kind of questions that might be on the test, the students might receive a spreadsheet with data on the number of passengers and flights in and out of 21 airports, and then be asked to respond to a series of statements about the data and/or other information with regard to the various airports. Many of the questions may not be factual, but may be about trade-offs raised by certain choices.  The new questions will take 30 minutes and with the elimination of the essay, will not add to the time of the test (currently 3.5 hours).