“Unless TOEFL Sites are Secured, Paper-Based Testing Might Be Only Option”

As pattern changes in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are causing “a major stir” in Korea, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) of the U.S. announced on March 29 that after expanding the number of exam sites in Korea, if things do not work out, a paper-based test might be partially adopted.

Paul A. Ramsey, Senior Vice President of ETS’s Global Division, held a presentation before the New York Foreign Correspondents Club in the U.S. on the same day and said, “I know very well that Korea has faced biggest challenges since the adoption of the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) last September, and Korean test-takers cannot take their exam when they want to.”

He said, “Measures are underway to conduct the TOEFL in non-educational institutions to increase the number of test sites,” adding, “If there is not enough space for that, we are considering the adoption of a paper-based test.”

Vice President Ramsey said, “However, the priority is on increasing the number of test sites. As long as there is enough space guaranteed, the paper-based test won’t have to be adopted.”

To the question asking, “If the paper-based test is adopted, when would that be?” he answered, “As early as next January.” He implied that until the end of this year, unless enough test sites are secured after efforts to secure extra sites, a paper-based TOEFL would be an option.

He also said, “We are working on ways to technically annihilate the possibility of “hackers” who successfully applied for the test to re-sell the rights to the test,” adding, “Korea is the only country facing such a problem.”

Korea is seeing increasing numbers of test applicants, including middle school students and even primary school students, entering highly recognized special schools and studying abroad at an early age. However, the number of students taking the test after the iBT was adopted has been reduced to one third of the previous level, so test applicants cannot take the test when they want to. As such, it is causing a great stir even to the point where some people go abroad to take the test.

kong@donga.com