About TOEFL® test rooms...

[Silvana_]

Hello, Friends!

I am new here and first I'd like to thank the administrators and moderators for creating such a useful site.This is a great idea as well as a support for all of us who are walking on this road in order to achieve our aims.

I have a little different question than to write an essay.It is about the conditions that are required for a room where TOEFL is taking.I took my TOEFL yesterday in Sofia,Bulgaria and I was not satisfied with the conditions in the room.It was too noisy and too crowded and this lowers the score and abilities of the takers.Moreover we were separated only with a LITTLE THIN metal barrier that did not isolate sounds and speech of others and when the speaking started it become a completely mess up. I just wanted to ask if any of you have taken the test in other country to explain me how were the rooms there or if anybody knows what are the legal requirements for the rooms because I really doubt that they were kept in Bulgaria and this is very important issue.
Thank you in advance!

[Loma]

Hi Silvana,
you are not the only one who complains about the iBT test centres, I’m from North America, the situation here is not much different than there.

Recently, I took an iBT Toefl test, and I was very disappointed about the testing conditions they offered. In my room, some test takers started with Speaking or Listening and screwed up my all test, and even though I had the headphones all the time on, I heard any noise and I could not concentrate at all, I heard everything even what was told to my neighbors through their headphones. We really must do something to convince the universities or colleges where we want to apply that this iBT Toefl test measures your ability to concentrate in a noisy environment but not English.

This ETS comp. is the only one organization all around the world that is accredited to organize the Toefl which is really a bullshit, they don’t care at all about all this mess they are developing. If you try to call them and speak to someone there you won't get help or any info, just humiliation, everything is secret, there is no any other organization where you can make a complaint against them, no one is supervising their services, just they, and they don’t care.

I am thinking to go with a PBT even though I studied for iBT till now.

[Silvana_]

Hi,Loma
I really understand you,Im in the same situation and Im angry because I prepared so hard,so effords made,so dedication and at the end... Im absolutely disappointed.What score did you receive?

[Torsten]

Hi Silvana,

I think it'll be best if you speak to the administrators of your local TOEFL Test center first and in case this doesn't help you can always contact ETS direct using this form.
_________________
Test Of English for International Communication
TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary

[Loma]

Silvana,

I didn’t get my score, still waiting... but as I said, once more they disappointed me with this too; they don't provide you with the score within 2 weeks as they promised... another black ball

Torsten,
I tried to speak to the test administrator after I started my test, before... I didn’t know how it goes, and he just told me to remain silent and go ahead with the test.... I said at least to try since I was there and lost my money anyway
At the end when I left the room I tried to speak to him again but no chance, there were still test takers in the center who started late after my group.

I spoke to ETS many times by phone, and they don't have any solution to my problem, I searched on the internet and this is a major problem with the iBT toefl test... so ... what you can do?

[Silvana_]

Well I will first wait for my score results,then...if Im not satisfied I will try again.I think we cant change anything...but if people who are complaining are more...there might be any chance to change things somehow.

[Stew.t.]

Dear Loma and Silvana

I am sorry to hear this. But in my circle of experience ESL/EFL trainers this test has had a lot of criticism since it?s recent structural changes.

Simplicity, ease and lack of monitoring has cause a fall in standards.

Just do any general search on the subject and you will see the amount of unhappy customers. This is a sad result of cutting corners by pushing a supposedly more efficient system through quickly.

Good Luck!
_________________
Please meet Stewart Tunncilff

[Silvana_]

Hi,again.
I visited my TOEFL account in ets.org and fell on an e-survey about exit test takers.And there were losts of questions and spaces for notes for every section-writing,listening,writing,speaking..
I wrote this about the speaking section.I hope that it will help somehow:

"I want to make a complaint about the bad conditions of testing rooms in Bulgaria,Sofia.There was to much noice and activities distracting test taker's attention and concentration and that sertainly affects test taker's score in a negative aspect.Moreover,during the speaking section it is difficult for one to hear him/herself because of the voices sounds and speeches of other.And all of the test takers were dissapointed and complaining at the end of the tes,because we have devoted all our free time,private life and efforts in order to succeed on this so important day and event in our life.Additionally,those test takers who were still on listening section while others were entering the room for speaking after the break,were also distracted.When some are on the listening part they could not hear clearly their tasks and concentrate on answers because of the circumstance.It is the same on the writing section when coincide in time with the speaking of others.It is really annoying and disturbing.It took us more efforts to isolate the noise and to try to concentrate that to make the test."

[Esther Loo]

Im having the same problems, the test center in Malaysia is toooooooo distracted. The test administrator were testing the pc all the time and talking with each other loudly without knowing what they are actually did were really distracted the test takers to concentrated on their reading passages. In my case, my seat was facing the door and both the test administrators keep on setting up the pc and talking with each other and allowing the test takers to come in one by one and it was really disracted when I first read my passage even the instruction. I understand that in the reading passage I can skip the question and go back again to the previous question and redo again. My case was because I can't concentrate on almost half of the first passage because of the distraction and I've thus skip till the last question and accidentally went to the next passage. When I went to the next passage, I realised that I can't go back to the first passage anymore. I've lost total f 10 points there without answered any questions simply because I got distracted reading the first passage and would like to try to look for the last question until I accidenatlly clicked to the next passage and caused me not able to do any of the questions in my first passage anymore.

Another worse case was the server was down several times (think more than 3 times) which I was working on the listening test and this was another distraction for me. Really really upset about it especially the noisy environment that really distracted.

I would really hope that I can retake my TOEFL test again and Im totally sure without any distraction I can do much much better than today.. Sad and mad the whole day on it.. We are the consumer who paid the money for the TOEFL test and end up what do we get..

Do anyone of you able to retake the TOEFL once again?

[Usatestgonewrong]

Dude, I totally feel you! I just had my test at Cambridge College, Lawrence, MA USA. I'm absolutely sure my score SUX, though I'm fluent in english. I thought I wanted to sue them right away. Headphones were cheap and crappy, I could hear everything around. A bunch of people were extremely loud and, on the top, I had some guy right next to me coughing all the time. Those mzfckrz from toefl charge $150 per test and can not afford to buy some good headphones?... that doesn't sound right to me.

[SkiIucK]

Hey Silvana,

First, I haven't read the other posts.

Second, I, too, am from Bulgaria A.K.A Absurdistan, so why do you even bother asking? Things WON'T get better regardless of your efforts. To clarify, Absurdistan is the mock-name made up by the dear denizens of Bulgaria and means 'Land of absurdity'.

Best regards

[Sonapriya]

hii guys,,,
Same goes with me too I gave my exam at houston,texas,and there was also same thing.Room was so noisy one person was so loud as if he ws taking class for all exam takers.and he was just behind me..Very difficult to concentrate on speaking and listening....I had one hell of time....And score was unexpected...very less....this time I really did well...dont know what to do..............

[Vvv]

Hey gays,
the situation is the same all over. I took my TOEFL in Toronto downtown. Not a big difference compared to your description. It was extremely squishy and the separation between the the students was guess what? - Piece of cardboard. The same noise, cough, sniff .
If everything was perfect with the test centers then less people will fail and less money they will make.

Don't worry, Silvana, you will pass the test with the score you need. Bulgarians are very smart.

[Nasir89]

thanks for help, best regards!

[Gabriel123]