HILAPS Institute
@Gicmtc Education
B.P.: 31.772, BIYEM-ASSI
SUPERETTE
MONTEE MAISON BLANCHE
YAOUNDE 13. CAMEROON
WhatsApp/Mobile: 655.22.71.44 http://www.gicmtc.com
HILAPS Institute
@Gicmtc Education
B.P.: 31.772, BIYEM-ASSI
SUPERETTE
MONTEE MAISON BLANCHE
YAOUNDE 13. CAMEROON
Tel: (237) 222.31.O3.83 / 242.14.48.48
GSM: 677.53.42.47 / 699.20.98.77
WhatsApp/Mobile: 655.22.71.44 http://www.gicmtc.com
The Test of
English for International Communication (TOEIC) is an
international standardized test of English language proficiency for
non-native speakers. It is intentionally designed to measure the everyday
English skills of people working in an international environment.
There are different forms of the exam: The TOEIC Listening & Reading Test consists of two equally graded tests of comprehension assessment activities totaling a possible 990 score; There are also the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Tests. The TOEIC speaking test is composed of tasks that assess pronunciation, intonation and stress, vocabulary, grammar, cohesion, relevance of content and completeness of content. The TOEIC Writing test is composed of tasks that assess grammar, relevance of sentences to the pictures, quality and variety of sentences, vocabulary, organization, and whether the opinion is supported with reason and/or examples. Both assessments use a score scale of 0 – 200.
TOEIC Listening & Reading Test
The TOEIC Listening &
Reading Test lasts two hours [45 minutes for Listening, and 75 minutes for
Reading]. It consists of 200 multiple-choice items evenly divided between the
listening and reading comprehension section. Each candidate receives
independent scores for listening and reading comprehension on a scale from 5 to
495 points. The total score adds up to a scale from 10 to 990 points. The TOEIC
certificate exists in five colors, corresponding to achieved results:
·
orange (10–219)
·
brown (220–469)
·
green (470–729)
·
blue (730–859)
·
gold (860–990)
TOEIC test certificates are optional,
unofficial documents that are meant for display only.
TOEIC Speaking & Writing Test
The TOEIC Speaking &
Writing Tests were introduced in 2006. Test takers receive separate scores for
each of the two tests, or they can take the Speaking test without taking the
Writing test and vice versa. The Speaking test assesses pronunciation,
intonation and stress, vocabulary, grammar, cohesion, relevance of content and
completeness of content, while the Writing test assess grammar, relevance of
sentences to the pictures, quality and variety of sentences, vocabulary,
organization, and whether the opinion is supported with reason and/or examples.
The tests are designed to reflect actual English usage in the workplace, though
they do not require any knowledge of specialized business terms. The TOEIC
Speaking Test takes approximately 20 minutes to complete; the TOEIC writing
test lasts approximately 60 minutes. Each test has a score range between 0-200,
with test takers grouped into eight proficiency levels for Speaking and nine
proficiency levels for Writing.
What is the DifferenceBetween
the TOEIC Test and the TOEFL Test?
The TOEIC® tests measure proficiency in English relevant to the
global workplace whereas the TOEFL® tests measure
the academic communication skills in English. Both tests aim to measure the
level of English proficiency for non-native English speakers.
SAT Preparation
SAT
The Scholastic Aptitude
Test, also known as the SAT, is taken by high school juniors and seniors
applying to colleges and universities. This exam can be taken internationally
six times during the year. Find out when to take it, how to take it, and why as
we discuss the SAT in more detail.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, is a global recognized test admitting students into colleges and universities all over the United States.
About the
SAT
The SAT test is taken by
high school students to demonstrate to colleges what the prospective student
knows and how well they can apply their knowledge. There are three aspects of
the test: reading, writing, and math. SAT scores are sent out to your desired
colleges and universities as part of the admissions package.
Colleges and universities
look at the combination of high school grades and SAT scores. This combination
serves as a prediction of a student’s future academic success. A student’s
scores on the reading, math, and writing sections will project the student’s
ability to handle college courses in critical reading, mathematics, and
writing. The content of these courses is more complex in college than it is in
high school, but the skills and their practical application are the same.
The skills assessed on the
SAT are skills that you have been learning since you started grade school. The
skills that will be assessed are critical reading, grammar and usage,
identifying errors in a written passage, arithmetic operations, algebra,
geometry, statistics, and probability. You will show your knowledge of these
skills through the process of answering multiple choice questions. There will
also be a written essay portion of the exam. The SAT is meant to show your
scholastic ability. Logic and abstract thinking are not tested during the
taking of the SAT.
Format
The SAT is the more
reliable and validated standardized test in the United States and around the
world. The three sections are all assessed during the same day. The SAT is a
timed test. The test, if a student uses all the time available to them, takes
three hours and 45 minutes. Within these three skill sets—reading, mathematics,
and writing—there are 10 separately timed sections. Three sections of the test
focus on reading, three on mathematics, and three on writing.
The tenth section is a
variable section that could be any one of the three subjects. This last section
is not scored. Possible SAT questions are being tested on students every year.
This final section is made up of questions that a board of educators has
already approved for the SAT question bank, but need to be tested on current
high school students. SAT questions are constantly being changed and updated.
Questions are tested on current high school students to determine whether they are
learning these topics in school or not. The SAT is a test that assesses the
reading, writing, and mathematical skills that students have been taught from
grades K-12 (with perhaps the exception of English if that is your second
language).
How To
Prepare
In order to prepare for the
SAT, you must know what type of questions to study for. Questions on the SAT
are multiple choice, student-produced responses (in the math section) and there
is an essay format as well.
The critical
reading section of the SAT includes reading passages and sentence
completions. Passages are provided and students will be asked to answer
questions about the passages. Students will also be given a sentence, and asked
to choose the word that best completes the sentence. Students preparing for the
SAT should prepare for these questions by studying common vocabulary words.
The multiple choice
questions and student produced questions in the math sections are
divided into three sections and focus on arithmetic operations, algebra,
geometry, statistics, and probability. By the time this test is taken, junior
or senior year in high school, a student should have taken courses covering all
of these mathematical topics. A test taker is allowed to bring an approved
calculator, and a reference sheet of conversions will be provided.
The writing section has
multiple choice questions as well as a hand written essay portion. The multiple
choice questions ask students to identify errors in sentences and passages and
improve grammar and usage. The short essay is an opinion piece. A prompt is
given to the test takers on the day of the test. After being given the prompt,
the student has a set amount of time to write a complete short essay with a
beginning, middle, and end.
Once you know the type of
questions and format for each skill set assessed, you can then start to review
the content. There is a SAT prep soft cover book that can be purchased at a
nationally known bookstore or borrowed from your public library. This SAT prep
book will give you sample tests with SAT questions used in the past. It is not
the exact test that you will be taking, but a simulation of the number of
questions and types of questions to expect, and will give you an accurate score
of how well you did on the sample test.
SAT
Registration
Registration for the SAT
exam can be done online. The cost is typically $51 USD for the standard SAT
exam and can be paid for at the time of registration. The SAT exam is offered
seven times a year in the US and six times a year internationally. The months
in which the test is offered are October, November, December, January, March
(U.S.A only), May, and June. The registration deadline for the SAT exam is a
month prior to the date in which you plan to take it. For most, the SAT exam
needs to be taken two times. In order to figure out when you need to take the
test, determine the application deadlines of all the schools to which you plan
to apply.
Night
Before the SAT
The night before the SAT
exam is crucial for student’s success. It’s never a good idea to try to cram a
last-minute study session the night before the exam. You need to make sure that
you can get a good night’s sleep—at least eight hours.
Preparing
for Test Day
On the day of your SAT
exam, there are some things you will need and some things that should be left
at home. First of all, you will need a form of identification and your SAT
admission ticket that you received when you registered for the SAT exam. Remember
to take water and a snack for break times. You will not be allowed to leave the
room if you finish a section early. With this being said, bring a book to read.
Keep an eye on the time so you know how much time you can spend on a particular
section. Bring a couple (at least two) sharpened number 2 pencils with good
erasers.
For the math section, you
are allowed to bring a calculator. There are strict policies regarding
calculators. You are allowed to bring a graphing calculator, scientific
calculator, or a four-function calculator, although the last one is not
recommended. You are not permitted to bring a laptop, iPad, cell phone
calculator, calculator that is a TI-92 plus or Voyage 200, or calculators that
use an electrical outlet or have a paper tape.
Bringing certain items into
the exam room could result in you being kicked out of the exam. Leave cell
phones at home or in your car. You are also going to want to leave any music
device at home, such as MP3 players or iPods.
SAT
Scoring
What is the SAT scoring
system? Each of the three subjects tested on the SAT is scored separately,
giving you three separate scores for the SAT exam. The scores are combined to
form the overall SAT score. Colleges and universities look at each skill’s
score separately as well as the overall SAT score.
The SAT exam gives the test
taker points for getting the answer correct. One point is awarded for each
question answered correctly. For wrong multiple choice answers, ¼ of a point is
subtracted. For wrong student produced answers, zero points are given or
subtracted. For omitted questions, a test taker does not get positive points or
subtracted points, just zero points for each of the omitted questions. This
being the case, students should not guess on the SAT, but rather skip questions
they do not know how to answer.
Your raw score which could
be between 20-80 points per each math and reading section is then converted to
a scaled score (reported on a 200-800 scale) by a statistical process called
equating. The writing essay portion is based on a 0-6 scale, 6 being the
highest score. This score is equated to the 200-800 scale as well. Equating
allows comparisons among test takers who take different editions of the test.
Although the SAT is the
commonly used formative assessment and is accepted by virtually all colleges
and universities in the United States and around the world, there are other
reasons a student should take the SAT. The SAT shows how you apply the
thinking, writing and study skills required for college course work, and
provides an opportunity for scholarship money. Colleges and universities grant
scholarships to high academic students coming into the freshman class. SAT
scores play a role in who is awarded these scholarships.
When a colleges look at
your admission’s package, they look at a wide range of areas to get to better
know you. Colleges and universities look at extracurricular activities,
personal recommendations, high school courses taken, high school grades as well
as a formative assessment, like the SAT.
GRE Preparation
What is
the GRE?
The Graduate Record Exam
(GRE) measures your ability to succeed at graduate-school level studies,
exactly like the SAT and ACT measure your ability to
succeed at undergraduate schooling. Your score on the GRE is one of the primary
factors used by university admissions officers for determining whether or not
to accept you into their programs. As such, it is important to prepare for the
GRE and score as highly as you can.
GRE
Format
Developed by Educational
Testing Services (ETS), the GRE exam has many similarities to the SAT. Both are
now computer adaptive tests (CAT); no need to bring a pencil, pen or paper to
the test site. In a CAT, you answer one question at a time; your answer to each
question determines the difficulty level of the next question. As you answer
questions correctly, the computer program increases the difficulty of your
questions; when you answer a question incorrectly, the computer program
provides another of the same difficulty or a slightly reduced difficulty.
Eventually, the computer program determines your score based on the correct
level of your skill in that area.
The GRE exam measures three
skill areas:
Analytical
Writing (2 tasks for a total of 60 minutes)
Verbal
Reasoning (2 sections for a total of 60 minutes)
Quantitative
Analysis (2 sections for a total of 70 minutes)
The analytical writing
section uses a free-response (or essay) format to measure your
ability to write complex thoughts in clear, precise English prose. The skills
you need to demonstrate in this section include:
For this section of the
test, you will need to write an essay or argument for each of the two tasks.
You should be able to type and use a basic word processing program (no, the
word processor does not have grammar or spell check – you have to supply those
skills on your own).
For most international
students, this section is moderately difficulty. Although the GRE exam requires
you to demonstrate a sophisticated command of written English, the free
response format allows you to craft your answer in whatever ways highlight your
strengths.
The verbal reasoning section uses
a multiple choice format to measure your command of English vocabulary and
reading comprehension. It is very similar to the SAT and ACT reading
comprehension tests, although the questions are generally more evaluative and
require a finer command of the subtleties of the English language.
The skills measured in the
verbal reasoning sections of the GRE exam include:
For most international
students, the verbal reasoning section will be the most challenging, especially
for those students for whom English is not their primary language. This section
demands a very sophisticated level of English comprehension; however, don't
despair. As with any test, preparation is the key to success. If you have concerns
about the GRE exam and your English, that just means you invest more time in
preparing before you sit for the exam.
The quantitative reasoning sections
also use a multiple choice format to measure your ability to perform basic and
complex mathematical calculations. This section is the most similar to the SAT
and ACT tests, in both style and question difficulty.
The skills measured in the
quantitative reasoning sections of the GRE exam include:
For most international
students, the quantitative reasoning section will be the easiest to master and
require the least preparation. However, that does not mean you should take it
lightly. You should invest some time in reviewing basic mathematical formulas,
with special emphasis on statistical and probability analysis.
What are the GRE Subject Tests?
Along with the general
revised Graduate Record Exam (GRE), there are subject-specific exams you can
take. The GRE has specific tests on the following subject areas:
These tests are optional. Please
check with the university to which you are applying to determine if they want
you to take a subject area test. But, even if your program does not require a
subject-area GRE test, you might choose to take it and submit the scores – with
the hope that your excellent score will help distinguish you from the other
applicants.
GRE
Registration
You can register to take
the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) in a variety of ways. The easiest method for
most is to register on-line by creating a GRE account. However, you may also register for the GRE
exam by mail or by phone.
The cost to take the
general GRE is currently $185; each subject tests costs $150. There are also a
variety of additional services (such as test preparation services) that are
available to you for additional fees.
GRE
Testing Around the World
You do not have to wait
until you are in the USA to take the GRE exam. There are about 700
ETS-authorized testing centers in more than 160 countries. In most countries,
you can take a computer-based GRE at any time throughout the year. And in those
regions where computer access is more limited, you may still be able to take
the GRE in a pencil-paper format. Regardless of location or format, your GRE
exam scores will be transmitted to the universities you designate, so they may
evaluate your scores with the rest of your application.
What
about GRE Scoring?
Your performance on the
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) will earn a numeric evaluation for each of the three
testing subsets:
Analytical
Reasoning
0 – 6 in half point
increments
Verbal
Reasoning
130 – 170 in single point
increments
Quantitative
Reasoning
130 – 170 in single point
increments
It is nearly impossible to
advise you what score you should aim for (beyond stating “as high a score as
you can”). Each university has its own expectations for GRE scores. The best
way to set a GRE goal is to research the programs to which you are applying.
GRE exam scores are valid
for five years after the test administration. Within that timeframe, you can
request (for a fee) ETS to transmit your scores to any universities you'd like.
GRE
Preparation
Preparation is the key to
success in the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), as it is in nearly every area of
life. There are a host of resources available for you to help improve your
scores (arranged in ascending order of cost):
Before you invest in a
course (or even a book), keep in mind that the first step to GRE success is
self-awareness. You need to accurately judge your own academic and intellectual
strengths and weaknesses, so you may make wise decisions about how to improve
your GRE scores.
GRE
Practice
1. The
candidate announced, to the _______ of her devoted campaigners, that unless her
performance in the polls improved she would _______ the race.
1. consternation
.. withdraw from
2. bewilderment
.. abstain from
3. mortification
.. continue
4. delight
.. constrain
5. awe ..
renounce
2. A large
aquarium contains 20 more guppies than angelfish. If the ratio of angelfish to
guppies is 4 : 5, what is the total number of guppies and angelfish in the
aquarium?
1. 200
2. 180
3. 100
4. 54
5. 36
3. Company
regulations prohibit employees from smoking in the company cafeteria. Susan is
an employee of the company. Thus, Susan does not smoke in the cafeteria. Which
of the following is an unstated premise of the argument above that is necessary
to make the conclusion valid?
1. Susan has
never smoked in the cafeteria.
2. Company
regulations prohibit Susan from smoking in the cafeteria.
3. Susan
obeys her company's regulations.
4. Company
employees usually do not do what they are prohibited from doing.
5. Company
employees have never been allowed to smoke in the cafeteria.
Answers
and Explanations
1. The
correct answer is (A). Sentence completions are meant to test your intuitive
grasp of the structure and logic of sentences. Keywords usually indicate either
opposition or similarity. That is, the keyword will indicate that the missing
word is either opposite or like another word in the sentence. In this example,
the keyword unless indicates opposition: in this case, opposition to continuing
in the race. The unless tells us that unless something good happens to her
performance, she'll go in the opposite direction. That is, she'll withdraw from
the race. Because we know her campaigners are devoted, we can imagine that they
would feel consternation at her withdrawing. Therefore, the answer is (A). You
might have been tempted by (B), but "abstain from" isn't quite right,
as it would indicate that she isn't in the race already.
2. The
correct answer is (B). This is an example of a problem-solving question. For
every 4 guppies there are 5 angelfish: it's a ratio. Since there can't be a
fraction of a fish, the total number of angelfish and guppies must be an
integer multiple of 9. For every 9 fish, there is 1 more guppies than angelfish.
Since you are given that there are 20 more guppies than angelfish in the
3. The
correct answer is (C). This is an example of a logical reasoning question.
Questions that ask you to find an unstated premise, or assumption, are testing
your ability to fill in missing steps in an argument. If you get stuck on a
question like this, use the denial test: Negate each answer choice as you read
it. The correct answer, when it's been negated, will turn the argument into
gibberish. The negation of the correct answer must be inconsistent with the
argument. Here, the answer is (C). Let's try negating (C). Let's pretend that
Susan DOESN'T obey her company's regulations. Then the company's regulations
would have no effect on her, and we'd have no reason to believe that she
doesn't smoke in the cafeteria. That is, the author's evidence about the
company's regulations wouldn't add up to the conclusion that "Susan does
not smoke in the cafeteria."
It is critical that you
bring your registration information and photo identification with you on the
day of your test administration. Because your GRE exam score can determine
whether or not you get a Masters’ degree or PhD, test security is absolutely
essential. For that reason, you may not bring your cellphone, PDA or any other
electronic device into the testing center.
HILAPS Institute @Gicmtc Education B.P.: 31.772, BIYEM-ASSI SUPERETTE MONTEE MAISON BLANCHE YAOUNDE 13. CAMEROON Tel: (237) 222...