By Rishi Singh | 30 August, 2023

Updated TOEFL Format Guidelines for the 2023 Changes

TOEFL, or Test of English as a Foreign Language, tests non-native speakers’ ability to use and understand North American English as it is written, spoken, heard, and understood in college and university contexts. You can retake the test only three days after taking the first TOEFL test. The TOEFL now the exam has:

1) Fewer questions to make the exam shorter by 30 minutes, and
2) An extra style of score reporting called MyBest™ scores.

New TOEFL Changes

The TOEFL Reading Section

You will read three to four passages in this part and respond to ten questions about each one. The quantity of accurate reading comprehension responses determines how well the section scores.

The reading section of TOEFL iBT tests your ability to comprehend academic texts. It typically consists of 3 – 4 reading passages, each of which is followed by a set of questions for you to answer. You will now answer only 10 questions after each passage instead of 12-14 questions. The duration will now be between 54 – 72 minutes instead of 60 – 80 minutes. The total number of passages has not been changed. No question types have been eliminated.

The TOEFL Listening Section

You will hear lectures and conversations using the college lingo in the listening test part. This component evaluates the test-taker’s comprehension of English-language conversations and lectures. It entails linking and synthesizing information as well as basic comprehension and listening.

The listening section of TOEFL iBT tests your ability to understand spoken dialogues and decipher academic speech. You will now face only 3 – 4 ‘lectures’ instead of 4 – 6. The number of questions per lecture remains unchanged at six per lecture. The duration will now be 41 – 57 minutes instead of 60 – 90 minutes. The total number of ‘conversations’ has not been changed. The number of questions after each ‘conversation’ (five) has also not been changed.

The TOEFL Speaking Section

Your responses must meet the requirements of the specified task with only minimal errors or lapses in order for you to receive the best scores in the Speaking Section. The speaking section of TOEFL iBT tests your ability to communicate effectively in different situations. You will now be doing only 4 tasks instead of 6. The duration will now be 17 minutes instead of 20 minutes. The two question types that have been removed from the test are Speaking Question 1: Personal Preference and Speaking Question 5: Campus Situation. The remaining questions are now numbered 1 to 4.

The TOEFL Writing Section

Each topic in the two essays should be effectively covered. The response should be well-developed, and well-organized, and use pertinent justifications and thorough justifications. The writing section of TOEFL iBT tests your ability to construct clear and meaningful sentences. You will still complete 2 tasks in a duration of 50 minutes.

SUMMARY

  • The reading section will be shortened to just two articles, with ten questions each. There will be no change to the content of the articles and the question styles.
  • The listening section will be shortened to just 28 questions in total. There will be no change to the content and question styles.
  • The speaking section will be the same.
  • The writing section will have two questions. The first will be the same integrated writing question as before. The second will be an academic discussion question.
  • There will be no break.
  • There will be no unscored questions.
  • The test will take slightly less than two hours to complete.

SCORES AVAILABILITY

The official TOEFL iBT score will be accessible to you within 6 days of the exam date, and test-takers who choose the Special Home Edition of the TOEFL exam will receive their results within 6 to 10 days after the test date. If a candidate requests a print copy of their score report before taking the exam, it will be mailed to them within 11 days after the test date. The new TOEFL score scale’s scoring system and requirements remain unchanged.

Rishi Singh

By admin | 15 June, 2022

Study in Australia- Programs, Cost, Work Opportunities, and More!

Australia is one of the most popular destinations for students who are choosing to study abroad. Australia is standing proudly with 8 of the top 100 universities in the world, Australia is much more than just kangaroos. International students select Study in Australia for a variety of reasons, including artistic diversity, quality of education,post-study work opportunities, and excellent quality of living.

The top universities in Australia are gaining a character worldwide for furnishing quality education and advancing an excellent support system to international students. Perth is the most-picked megacity in Australia, followed by Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney. The provision of world-class education, sophisticated technology, culture, more-paying job openings, etc. 

Australian Government provides an opportunity for all Indian students to study in the country but as a prerequisite, you’ll have to obtain a student visa first. The visa you need will depend on your age, the type of study you want to pursue, and how long you want to stay in Australia. A student visa for Australia will allow you to study, work part-time, and live in Australia for up to 5 years.

Popular Courses in Australia

Business and operation, Law, Medicines, Health and Science, Arts and Design, Education and Teaching, Accounting, Engineering, Computer Science, and IT and Engineering and Management are the best courses in Australia for international students. Australia offers a varied range of study options with more than 1,100 institutions and 22,000 courses to choose from. International students can also apply for Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, which will make them ready to work. They can study in all situations of education from the primary and secondary academy to vocational education and training (VET), from English language courses to advanced education as bachelor’s, master’s, and research degrees. Australia’s laws promote quality education and protection for international students. 

Cost to Study in Australia

The cost of studying in Australia varies depending on which university and course you choose. Some institutions may also charge for other costs, in addition to education fees. These might include library, laboratory, or sports installation costs. Students should also consider the costs of excursions, books, stationery, and any essential materials specific to their course of studies, similar to lab coats or photographic inventories.

An undergraduate bachelor’s degree from an Australian university can cost anywhere from A$14,000 to 35,000 a year, while a postgraduate degree can cost from A$15,000 to 36,000 a year.

There are several ways to offset these expenses. Like taking up a Graduate or a Teaching Assistantship, doing a part-time job in Australia, and applying for fellowships and scholarships to study in Australia.

Student Visa Requirements in Australia

The Australian Government provides an opportunity for all Indian students to study in the country but as a prerequisite, you will have to obtain a student visa first. The visa you need will depend on your age, the type of study you want to pursue, and how long you want to stay in Australia. As an international student, you would most commonly require a student (subclass 500) visa, regardless of your field of study.

Basic checks before you apply

  • be enrolled in a course of study in Australia
  • hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), or fall in one of the exemption categories
  • must be 6 years or older
  • prove you have a welfare arrangement if you are under 18
  • If in Australia hold an eligible substantive visa. See, ‘Have this Visa if applying while in Australia” in Eligibility Tab.

Meet our health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa must meet our health requirements.

Extra time will also be given for health checks where COVID-19 disrupted access to services

Job Opportunities in Australia

Australia is an excellent place to work as an international student. You may choose to work while you are studying. This can be an option to earn spare spending money and get a taste of the original culture.

Australia offers two types of post-study work permits for international students. The first is after the completion of 2 years of full-time studies and another one is the successful completion of their coursework/research degrees. The employability rate of International students graduating from Australian Universities is veritably high.

The qualifications are accepted worldwide and numerous programs have professional commissions and work-integrated literacy, enabling graduates to be more employable by the time they finish their courses. Devoted divisions in Australian Institutions also help in placements, interviews, and CV preparation to support international students.

“In-Demand” Jobs in Australia

IT Systems Architect- Average salary is around A$ 140,000

IT Manager- Average salary is around A$ 125,000

Business Operations Manager- Average salary is around A$ 139,000

Director of Operations- Average salary is around A$ 125,555

Cloud Engineers- Average salary is around A$ 112,000

Data Scientist- Average salary is around A$ 100,000

Python Developers- Average salary is around A$ 100,000

Teaching / Education- Average salary is around A$ 96,300

Project Managers- Average salary is around A$ 80,000

Telecoms Technician- Average salary is around A$80,000

PR Possibilities after study in Australia

Many international students are attracted to Australia’s sightseeing, quality of life, and laid-back environment. Some of them even aim to settle in the country by acquiring PR from the Department of Immigration and Border Control (DIBP).

The chances of gaining permanent residency (PR) are enhanced when working and studying in regional areas. But you still need to meet all DIBP requirements. Australia is known for its rich educational and research initiatives. International students choose Australia for their studies. Because of the quality institutions that add tremendous value to their life and career.

If your interests fit with the industries that Australia is known for, this country is one of the greatest places to study. Even though the costs are slightly more than in the USA but you cannot neglect the fact that your pay will also be bigger in the future. Plus, there’s financial aid!

If these reasons aren’t enough to convince you that Australia is a great destination, or if you have any queries about Australia please feel free to drop a comment or call us at +91 9321695404.

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By admin | 3 January, 2022

Your Secret Recipe for a stunning Master’s SOP

Just as in case of undergraduate applications, the Statement of purpose (SOP) has a great importance in Master’s applications. It is also believed that an excellently written SOP can compensate other weaker factors on the profile and can also reduce the chances of admission if not found up to the standards of the university applied to. 

The difference from UG SOP lies in the fact that now the admission committee would expect a matured and professional write up as you are either a college graduate or a working professional. So, we would move away from being abstract and creative towards being sound and precise. Well, that doesn’t mean you should copy points from your resume to prepare this 1100 words document.

The major points that should be focused in SOP 

The introduction should ideally have a statement or a relevant quote. Avoid words like “during”, “As”, “I think/I feel “. Give a clear idea of what you are. For example, “I developed the flair for teaching long back when I was just in 5th grade. I started admiring the fact that a person can be a strong inspiration to others and eventually that happened to me my profession.”

Then give a detailed account of your academic, professional and extra-curricular achievements. The major points should be like what inspired you to select that particular subject for your college education or further as your career option. How you have reached the level, what has been your key learnings and what have been your experiences should be written elaborately. You should make separate paragraphs for education, profession and extra-curricular.  

Career Goals

It is very important to give a detailed account of your career goals. Do not just write you want to pursue a Master’s program in the USA to expand your qualification. You should be very clear about the idea of what you want to do post-masters.

There are many countries in the world and you selected the US to be your study destination. You have to justify this properly and also why the particular university (subject to change in the name of the University). And, last but not the least, just in 2-3 sentences express why you deserve to be there.

If you’re searching for a statement of purpose service Connect with Education Street and access our expert assistance.

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