Learn about English Tests

General tests of English to prepare for academic study abroad are IELTS (International English Language Testing System, UK) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, US). For the US students may also be required to take the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) which covers mathematics, English and logical thinking.


The TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) was developed for business English and is more practical and easier than the other tests.

Before taking any of these tests it is a good idea to study the test format. 4Tests provides free practice tests for TOEFL, TOEIC and GMAT, examenglish provides TOEFL, TOEIC and IELTS, and more IELTS can be found at the British Council and IELTS Exams.

Thailand
In Thailand English tests for Chulalongkorn University (CU-TEP, Chulalongkorn University Test of English Proficiency) and Thammasat University (TU-GET, Thammasat University Graduate English Test) are often used by students to prepare for the more expensive TOEFL test.

The (Thai) Military
In the military, students or officers preparing to go abroad first take the ALCPT (American Language Course Placement Test). After this, those continuing their study or training in Australia have to take the ADFELPS (Australian Defence Force English Language Profiling System) test. For the US, they take the ECL (English Comprehension Level) test, which covers the same contents as the ALCPT.

Free practice materials and sample tests for ADFELPS, ALCPT and an ECL can be found online, and software with outdated ALCPT tests can be downloaded.

Read an article about these tests in Thai, written by an RTNA Humanities officer for Navigasart Magazine in 2004. Please note that the TOEFL test has changed; find new TOEFL information at ets.org.

Improve your English with ELLIS

The ELLIS (English Language Learning Instructional Solutions) Essentials system is licensed (NOT FREE) software for English self-study to improve your vocabulary, listening comprehension, grammar and some pronunciation.

There are five programs to work with: Basics, Intro, Middle Mastery and
Senior Mastery support starters to advanced learners. There is a separate program for Pronunciation.

You need a User Id to use ELLIS. Through the User Id the system remembers what program, unit and task you were working on the last time you logged in, and it automatically continues from there.

To decide what program to start with, you do the ELLIS Placement test. The test consists of three parts: Vocabulary, Grammar and Listening Comprehension. Each part takes a maximum of 30 minutes, but usually 10-20. The result of each part is a score between 5 and 605 and a level between 1 and 12. Depending on the results of the test, you are advised to start with the Basics, Intro, Middle Mastery or Senior Mastery program.

The first time you want to use ELLIS for self study, ask your teacher to give you a brief introduction, to create a User Id, and to recommend what program to start with based on the results of your Placement Test.

[ELLIS software is usually installed on a dedicated server in a language lab. The licensed software can not be installed on a regular computer.]