What's the difference between IELTS, TOEFL and SAT? Or their main test sites and uses?

TOEFL: TOEFL (Test of English as a foreign language) is an English proficiency test organized by Education A 1 Test Service, which is aimed at students from non-English-speaking countries who apply for universities or graduate schools in the United States or Canada. Educational testing service began to take charge of the examination from 1965. From 1988 to 1989, more than 560,000 people took the TOEFL test worldwide, and more than 1700 TOEFL test centers were established in more than170 countries and regions around the world. So far, there are more than 2,300 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It is stipulated that all foreign students applying for admission must provide one or two standardized tests in TOEFL, GRE, GMAT or TSE. Only applicants who have achieved the required grades can get admission and apply for scholarships. In addition to universities in most countries such as the United States and Canada, some countries and regions in Europe (such as Britain), Oceania (such as Australia and New Zealand) and Southeast Asia also recognize TOEFL scores. In recent years, domestic organizations of the United Nations in China, foreign companies and joint ventures have also adopted TOEFL scores when recruiting staff or when testing the English level of staff at the International Fund.

In China, in order to facilitate candidates to take TOEFL and other exams, 198 1 In the second half of the year, the State Education Commission approved the establishment of China International Examination Coordination Bureau, which is responsible for centralized management and undertaking TOEFL and other foreign exams. Up to now, China Foreign Language Examination Coordination Office has set up test sites in Tsinghua, Peking University, Beijing Language Institute and other 17 universities in Beijing, and set up 28 test sites in six regions including Northeast China, East China, North China, South China, Southwest China and Northwest China. But these test centers are only responsible for exams, not for studying abroad.

SAT: At present, studying in a prestigious North American university has become the goal pursued by some high school students. In the past, many high school students who planned to apply for undergraduate courses in American universities had to take GRE exams to increase the weight of getting scholarships. But GRE is too difficult for high school graduates, and many high school graduates can only sigh. Since 2004, hundreds of Shanghai candidates have taken the "College Entrance Examination" in the United States, moving towards their dream of studying abroad. If you get a high SAT score, you can not only apply to a better undergraduate university in the United States, but also hope to get a scholarship.

What is the SAT? -the stepping stone of American undergraduate course.

There is no unified national college entrance examination in the United States. The Academic Assessment Test (SAT) sponsored by Educational Testing Service is an exam that American high school students need to take to enter American universities. It is used by most universities as a standard to compare different regions, different high schools and different scoring systems. Its importance is equivalent to the national college entrance examination in China, and it is also an important reference for high school students from other countries to apply for undergraduate courses in American universities.

Although the SAT is a reference for foreign high school students to enter American universities, in fact, many undergraduate schools require students to provide SAT scores. After high school graduates SAT, they don't have to take GRE. TOEFL is an English proficiency test for students from non-English-speaking countries who apply to go to universities or graduate schools in the United States or Canada. In short, TOEFL tests students' language ability, while SAT tests students' logical reasoning ability.

What's so good about the SAT? It is easier to apply for a full prize if you get good grades.

SAT and GRE have different functions. High school graduates can get scholarships without taking the GRE exam. SAT is easier than GRE, which can better reflect their comprehensive level. Especially for China students, mathematics and other contents are quite simple. With a high SAT score, it is relatively easy to apply for a scholarship.

In the past, it was difficult for domestic students to think of going to the United States for undergraduate studies, because the difficulty of GRE was difficult for high school students to cope with, and it was also difficult to apply for scholarships. China students can only apply for graduate programs after graduation. However, other parts of Asia, such as China, Taiwan Province Province, Hongkong and Japan, popularized the SAT many years ago.

What's on the SAT? -Introduction to the exam

The SAT test is divided into two parts, including SAT I (reasoning test) and SAT II (special test). For the majority of applicants, SAT I scores are necessary, and if there are SAT II scores, the competitiveness of applicants can be enhanced.

The SAT is divided into two parts. One is the general part, including math and English, called SAT I-Reasoning Test. SAT I scored 800 points in math and English (the lowest score was 200), so the full score was 1600. The SAT I test lasts for three hours, which mainly tests the candidates' language and mathematical reasoning ability. SAT II (Subject Test) lasts for one hour, mostly multiple-choice questions, and mainly examines the knowledge of a certain major of candidates. SAT two out of 800. SAT II is a single subject examination, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and foreign languages (including Chinese, Japanese, German, French and Spanish). And it is based on the requirements of various majors and schools.

The key points of SAT I (reasoning test):

1. Verbal problem: understand and analyze sentences, understand the relationship between different parts of sentences, and establish the relationship between words-the ability to choose words and make sentences. There are three types of questions in this part: analogy (19); ); Complete the sentence: complete the sentence (19); Reading: Critical reading (40 questions)

2. Math problem: arithmetic; Algebra; Geometry. There are three types of questions in this part: one of five choices: five choices (35 questions); One out of four: comparison of four selected quantities (15); Q&A: Student-generated answers (10 question).

Plus a 30-minute "equivalent topic": it may be Chinese or math. The total time for answering the SAT I exam is three hours.

Before 1995, only twenty or thirty candidates took the SAT every year in the world, and they got double full marks on SAT I (1600). But by 1996, 545 people in the United States alone got the full score of SAT I. Among them, 365 people who applied to Harvard have this score.

Ielts: IELTS (International English Test System) is composed of UCLES, an English proficiency test for non-native English speakers jointly organized by IDP Education Australia and British Council. It was popularized in China in April, 1990.

With the gradual promotion of IELTS in China and the adjustment of immigration study policy, IELTS test is gradually warming up and popularizing in China. At present, immigration offices in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other countries regard it as the only standard to measure the English language ability of skilled immigrants and other immigrants. At the same time, many colleges and universities in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and other countries have recognized IELTS as an English language proficiency test score. Since July 1, Australia has regarded IELTS as the only recognized English score for enrolling overseas students. From 200 1, studying in European countries such as Norway, Finland and Austria will also require IELTS scores; Many universities in the United States also regard IELTS as a language proficiency test, which has the same effect as TOEFL.

According to different needs, the Examination Committee of Cambridge University has designed two different examination modes, namely, the general training module (usually we call it immigration) and the academic module (usually we call it academic or study abroad). The exam is divided into four parts: listening, reading, writing and speaking. The examination time is 2 hours and 45 minutes. However, immigrants and international students only differ in reading and writing, and adopt the same topics in oral test and listening. The whole exam is non-standardized and the questions are changeable. The IELTS score is also a single score, and the total score is given at last. The score * * * is divided into 9 grades, from 0 to 9. Generally speaking, 0-3 is a very low score, 7-9 is a very high score, and most of the scores are concentrated between 4-6.

For domestic candidates, the vocabulary requirement of IELTS test is not high, and they are mainly biased towards life. Immigrants' reading ability is not very high and writing is difficult. Because listening and speaking are generally the weaknesses of China students, and the listening test adopts completely different ideas and questions from the general domestic test, and the oral test needs one-on-one communication with examiners, so these two special items need more attention.

I. IELTS test questions and test sites

IELTS test ***2 hours and 40 minutes. The exam is divided into four parts: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Among them, listening and speaking are the same in Class A and Class G exams, while reading and writing are different. Reading and writing in class A are more complicated and difficult than those in class G.

II. Listening part (30 minutes to listen to the tape, 10 minutes to copy the answers)

Listening usually consists of four recordings and 40 questions. The test content is based on a large number of real language environments. The first two paragraphs involve general life, social forms and interpersonal relationships. , while the last two paragraphs are about education, academics and the world. Candidates are required to answer 40 questions according to the recorded content, such as multiple-choice questions, fill-in-the-blank questions and complete sentences. Candidates can only listen to the recording once and cannot repeat it. Therefore, while listening and reading, candidates should also make records.

ⅲ. Writing part (60 minutes)

Ⅳ. Oral part (10- 15 minutes)

In the oral exam, candidates will have a face-to-face conversation with the examiner. Usually, it is carried out according to the following steps:

The first stage: the examiner introduces himself and confirms the identity of the candidate, and the examiner asks the candidate questions on familiar topics. (4-5 minutes)

The second stage: the examiner asks the candidates to talk about a specific topic for 1-2 minutes according to the contents of the card, and then the examiner asks one or two related questions (3-4 minutes, including 1 minute preparation).

The third stage: the examiner asks the candidates to discuss more abstract topics related to the theme of the second stage by asking questions. (4-5 minutes)

The form and content of IELTS test

The IELTS test includes four parts: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Because English learning includes four basic skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing, IELTS can reflect the level of candidates more comprehensively than TOEFL.

ⅵ. Examination part

All applicants have to take listening, speaking, reading and writing exams. They took the same listening and speaking exams. Due to the different types of applicants, the modes of reading and writing exams will be different.

ⅶ. Check classification

There are two main forms of IELTS for different candidates: academic and ordinary. Candidates who study in English-speaking countries and want to get a degree should choose academic subjects (called class A candidates); Candidates who work or study non-degree courses in English-speaking countries should choose general classes (called G-class candidates).

ⅷ. Significance of inspection

The IELTS test is designed for candidates studying in overseas English-speaking countries and foreign English-teaching institutions of higher learning. Usually, candidates who want to get a foreign undergraduate degree, or university graduates from China who want to study abroad for a master's degree, or those who have already got a master's degree who want to work or emigrate abroad, must take the IELTS test. IELTS test plays a vital role in these three types of candidates. In addition, after China's entry into WTO, more foreign-funded enterprises pay attention to the English ability of candidates. The IELTS test has played a role in proving the ability of candidates. Due to the above effects, IELTS is particularly popular with candidates in China. In recent years, the examination center is full almost every day, and candidates need to make an appointment for examination seats several months in advance.

ⅸ. Countries and institutions that recognize IELTS scores

Study abroad: Britain, Australia, Canada, the United States (at least 40 American colleges and universities recognize IELTS scores), New Zealand and Europe.

Immigrants: Australia, New Zealand, Canada.