To test or not to test…that is the question!

Some of you may be lucky enough to be learning English just for fun or personal development, without any pressure or deadline. However, one of the more common, less fun reasons for studying English is exam preparation: many companies, governments and universities require non-English speakers to sit an offical exam to establish their level of proficiency. Even if you are not forced to take a proficiency test, of course there’s no harm in doing so anyway for the sole purpose of assessing your own level or having a clearer goal to work towards!

Whether you know you’ll have to take an English exam in the near future or you’re just toying with the idea, you’ll have to decide which tests best fits your needs. Since there are so many options, you might find the table below helpful. It gives an overview of the purpose, cost, location and other key elements of the most popular international English exams.

[Image retrieved from https://www.languagecorner.amsterdam/all-english-courses/international-english-exams-tests/ ]

Remember that, even if you don’t need that piece of paper right now, you may need it in future for whatever reason. Therefore, it’s never a bad idea to sit an exam while you’re still studying English (especially if you choose one with unlimited validity) rather than wait until that course you took 10 years ago is a distant memory! Exams may not be fun, but they do give you a clear focus for your language studies and a way to measure your progress!

Of course you can always walk into our office and ask for more specific information on each of these exams. At Englishtogo, we can not only advise you on which test may be right for you, but also design a tailored course to prepare you for the exam.

Our goal is to help you achieve yours!