Australian Immigration Daily News

Australian agencies, professional bodies, universities and other organisations rely on TOEFL iBT^® scores to give them consistent, objective results about test takers’ English-language abilities. But how do they do that, with test takers from all over the world?

The structure of the test

First, a brief review of the test structure. The TOEFL iBT test has 4 sections—Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. The test is taken on computer at secure test centres, where test takers use headphones for the listening passages and a microphone for the spoken responses.

Accounting professionals who wish to achieve a positive migration assessment will need to meet the English proficiency requirements set by the professional accounting bodies for the general skills assessment.

There are 3 professional accounting bodies in Australia that assess qualifications and experience for applicants: 

• CPA Australia
• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ)
• Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) 

All 3 organisations accept TOEFL iBT® scores to meet the requirements for their general skills assessment.

Agents and their clients who want to get an in-depth look at the TOEFL iBT® test can now enroll in the new massive open online course (MOOC), hosted by edX. This is a unique opportunity to prepare for the TOEFL iBT test and develop English-language skills that immigration agencies, professional bodies, universities and other institutions look for in applicants.

TOEFL Test Preparation: The Insider’s Guide, beginning on Monday, June 13, 2016, is a six-week course designed by the experts who created the TOEFL test. Each week will focus on different aspects of the test. There will be a general introduction in week one, followed by a week for each of the four skills tested — Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing — then concluding in week six with test-day information and other helpful tips. 

The course features a mix of short lectures, including “Inside the TOEFL Test” videos for each question type and sample questions from past tests complete with answer explanations. During the Speaking and Writing weeks, the team that developed the TOEFL test will review a handful of responses and provide evaluation and feedback. You will also get to meet and share information with students from around the world through discussion boards.

On the TOEFL iBT® test, the Speaking and Writing questions are often regarded by test takers as the most challenging questions.

Agents can learn more about how their clients will be tested on these two important skills at a TOEFL Propell workshop on 23 June from 2:00-4:30 pm in Sydney.

The workshop will be led by ETS Global consultant and TOEFL expert Cath Moore. The workshop includes: