Title: Testing English as a foreign language Content: This page lists ways of testing English as a foreign language (EFL). It is for teachers of English who teach people whose first language is not English. It lists tests with brief descriptions. == Types of exam == ===Cambridge exams=== The Cambridge exams are very popular in Europe. The University of Cambridge ESOL makes these exams. There are five exams for general English. Students take these exams in many schools. Students can take the exams in England or in schools in many other countries. The Cambridge exams test: *Reading *Grammar *Speaking and listening. The easiest exam is the KET. KET means Key English Test. The KET is the start of the Cambridge exams. The KET tests basic English. The PET is more difficult. PET means Preliminary English Test. People with a PET know some English. They can survive social situations in English. They can also survive work situations in English. But they often find English difficult. They also make many mistakes. The FCE is the most popular of the Cambridge English exam. FCE means First Certificate in English. The FCE is good for many businesses. People with a FCE can use English. They sometimes find English difficult. Normally they have no problems with English. But they make mistakes. The CAE is a difficult exam. CAE means Certificate in Advanced English. The CAE is good for many universities. The CAE is also good for many businesses. People with a CAE have no problems working in England or United States of America. The CPE is the most difficult exam. CPE stands for Certificate of Proficiency in English. People who have a CPE are very good at English. Their English is nearly as good as people who are from England or America. The CPE is good for universities. The CPE is also good for business. Many universities who teach courses in English want a CPE or CAE from foreign- language students. There are two English exams systems for business. The Business English Certificate (BEC) is available at three levels comparable to PET, FCE and CAE above BEC means . The BULATS Business Language Testing Service is a single examination which can offer organisations or individuals the opportunity of assessing their current language level. === IELTS === The IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. This system is from the University of Cambridge, the British Council and IDP Education in Australia. It has one exam for academics or professionals, and one for people who want to live in an English-speaking country. Universities in Britain, Ireland, Australia, South Africa, Canada and New Zealand often want an IELTS exam. IELTS is also becoming popular in North America. The IELTS tests: speaking, listening, writing and reading. === TOEFL === The TOEFL is a very popular English exam. It is very useful for student who wish to study in the United States of America. TOEFL means Test of English as a Foreign Language. The TOEFL is an academic exam. Many universities in America want a TOEFL exam. In 2005 a new TOEFL was made. The new TOEFL uses Internet. Its name is Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT). The old TOEFLs did not stop. They are called Computer-Based TOEFL (CBT) and Paper-Based TOEFL, but are not now available in all countries. === TOEIC === The TOEIC is a general English exam. TOEIC means Test of English for International Communication. The exam has 200 questions. Every question is a multiple choice question. A multiple-choice question is a question where you choose which answer (e.g. a, b, c or d) is correct. The result of the TOEIC is a number. This number is between 10 and 990. 990 is the best number. The TOEIC number is often used for jobs. Many jobs need a number higher than 600. Managers often need a number higher than 800.  ==Professional organizations== There are many groups of teachers, professors, and other experts that do research on English language testing. Some of these may be have good information to help teachers understand testing better. *The Japan Association for Language Teaching Testing & Evaluation Special Interest Group == Related pages == * English as a foreign language