Frequently Asked Questions

What is ETS?

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) is the world's largest private educational testing and measurement organization, operating on annual budget of approximately $1.1 billion on a proforma basis in 2007. ETS develops and administer various standardized tests such as the Test of English is a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and SAT.

What is TOEFL?

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) evaluates the potential success of an individual to use and understand academic English at a college level. It is required for non-native applicants at many English-speaking colleges and universities. Additionally, institutions such as government agencies, businesses, or scholarship programs require this test. A TOEFL score valid for two years and then is deleted from the official database. Colleges and universities usually consider only the most recent TOEFL score. The four-hour test consists of four sections:

  • Reading (3 passages and 39 questions, 60 minutes)
  • Listening (6 passages and 34 questions, 50 minutes)
  • Speaking (6 tasks and 6 questions, 20 minutes)
  • Writing (2 tasks and 2 questions, 55 minutes)

The test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points.

What is SAT?

The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. SAT is administered in about four and one half hours and costs $50 ($71 international). The test consists of three major sections:

  • Critical Reading (grammar, usage and word choice, 60 minutes)
  • Mathematics (number and operations; algebra and functions; geometry; statistics; probability, and data analysis, 70 minutes)
  • Writing (Critical reading and sentence level reading, 70 minutes)

Possible scores are from 600 to 2400 combining test results from above three 800-point sections.

What is GRE?

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is commercially run standardized test that is an admissions requirements for many graduate schools principally in the United States, but also other English speaking countries. GRE costs $140 and the scores are valid for five years. The Exam consists of three graded sections, plus a required experimental section that is not included in the reported score. The three graded sections are:

  • Analytical writing (issue task and argument task, 45 plus 30 minutes)
  • Verbal section (analogies, antonyms, sentence completions and reading comprehension)
  • Quantitative section (high-school level mathematics)

The maximum possible score is 1600 (verbal and quantitative sections) plus 6 (analytical writing section).

What is GMAC?

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is an international non-profit association of business schools that provides products and services to academic institutions and prospective management education students. The organization owns the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), a standardized exams that is widely used by MBA and other graduate management programs to measure quantitative and verbal skills in applicants.

What is GMAT?

The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is a computer adaptive standardized test in the English language for measuring aptitude to succeed academically in graduate business studies. Business schools commonly use the test as one of many selection criteria for admission into an MBA program. As of 2007, the fee to take the test is U.S. $250 worldwide. GMAT consists of three sections:

  • Verbal section (sentence correction, critical reasoning, reading comprehension, 41 multiple choice questions and 75 minutes)
  • Quantitative section (problem solving, data sufficiency, 37 multiple choice questions and 75 minutes)
  • Analytical writing assessment (30 minutes)

The maximum score that can be achieved on the exam is 800.

What are Gadgets?

Gadgets are simple HTML and JavaScript applications that can be embedded in webpages and other apps.

What is iGoogle?

iGoogle (formerly Google Personalized Homepage and Google IG), a service of Google, is a customizable AJAX-based startpage much like Netvibes, Pageflakes, My Yahoo!, MySurfPad and Windows Live Personalized Experience. It was originally launched in May 2005. Its features include the capability to add web feeds and Google Gadgets (similar to those available on Google Desktop).