Global Breaking News - Monday, December 23, 2024

A private company has just launched what it calls “the world’s first free standardized English test.” Anyone with an Internet connection can take the test for free. The new exam is called the EFSET, which is short for Education First Standardized English Test. The company, Education First, is known by the letters EF. It operates schools and offices in more than 50 countries. Minh Tran is EF’s Director of Research and Academic Partnerships. He estimates there are two billion English language learners worldwide. Many of them are interested in attending an American college or university. To do so, foreign students need to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language – better known as TOEFL.
* launch = (상품을) 출시(출간)하다; (일을) 시작(개시/착수)하다/ standardized = 표준화된/ short for ~ = ~의 생략(단축) [형]인

Tran says many foreigners are not wealthy enough to take the TOEFL, which can cost more than $250. In addition, test takers often have to travel overnight to reach an official testing site. For example, it costs $175 to take the TOEFL Internet-based test in Cambodia. The World Bank says the average Cambodian worker earns only about $1,000 per year. That means the cost of taking the TOEFL is about 17.5 percent of the average worker’s yearly wages. It is not just individuals who find the test pricey. Some governments find the costs to be prohibitive. Mr. Tran says EF is in talks with education ministries in several countries. He hopes governments will use the EFSET to test millions of employees and students. He notes that not everyone needs official results from the TOEFL or IELTS – the International English Language Testing System.
* in addition = 게다가, 덧붙여/ overnight = 하룻밤 동안/ pricey = 값비싼/ prohibitive = (가격, 비용이) 엄두도 못 낼 정도로 비싼(높은)