Australia   

Germany

New Zealand

USA 

Studies In 

 Exams 

 GRE TOEFL GMAT LSAT SAT

ACROSS THE SEVEN SEAS

Planning to study abroad? 
Information on admission procedures and tests? 
We tell you all that you need to know?

     Initial Considerations 

• Define your academic and career goals, personal preferences about the location and campus environment.
• Research the provisions for admission including requirement of work experience, if any.
• Find out the status of your educational qualification-vis-à-vis the foreign country.
• Obtain estimates of the comparative cost of education-India and abroad as also variation in costs within the different kind of institutions.
• Research comparative advantages between different countries with reference to duration, possibility of part time employment.
• Calculate the living costs.
• Assess the social adjustment and climatic conditions.
• Clarify provisions for part time employment and associated formalities.
• Research the sources of financial aid/loans.
• Assess career and professional development after the course.
• Shortlist universities and check whether the institutions are recognized.
• Find out what test scores are required by the colleges and universities you are aiming to join.
• out the schedule for the tests.

While planning to study abroad keep in mind the alternatives in India too so that you do not suffer an academic setback in case of glitches at any level.

TIMEFRAME: Students must start planning around 15 months in advance of the commencement of academic programme they plan to join.

TESTING: All Indians planning to study abroad in universities offering courses in English are required to report the scores of either TOEFL or IELTS whether they are joining an undergraduate, postgraduate/graduate or doctoral degree programmes.

TOEFL: (Test of English as a Foreign Language) mostly offered in the computer based format has four section-Listening, Structure, Reading and Writing.

TSE: (Test of Spoken English) is designed to evaluate the general oral language proficiency of non- native speakers of English. You are asked to give oral answers to questions that are presented in written and oral form. The scores are used by many North American Institutions of Higher Education to select International teaching assistants, sometimes called ITAs and also for selecting and certifying health professionals. 

ILETS: (International English Language Testing System) covers four language skills-listening, reading, writing and speaking. It is not recommended for candidates under 16b years of age. LETS is available in two formats-academic and general training. The academic module is recommended for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses. www.ielts.org gives the list of centres in India including two in Mumbai.

SAT: Originally an acronym for the Scholastic Aptitude Test, SAT has now become a simple way of referring to the SAT I: reasoning test, a three  our test that measures verbal and mathematical skills. SAT I scores are used for undergraduate admissions. SATII: subject tests are one hour. These are primarily multiple choice tests in specific subject that measure knowledge or skills in a particular subject and your ability to apply that knowledge. Many Colleges require recommended one or more of the subject tests for admission or placement.

GRE ( www.gre.org ): The GRE general test measures an analytical writing, verbal and quantitative skills that are not related to any specific field of study. It is taken by individuals applying to graduate schools in USA or CANADA. Beginning July 1,2003 all GRE examinees must word process their essay responses on the GRE analytical writing section at CBT centres world wide. GRE subject tests measures achievement in a particular subject area and assumes major or extensive background in that discipline.

GMAT: ( www.gmac.com ): The Graduate Management Admission Test is a computer adaptive test that measures general verbal, mathematical and mathematical and analytical writing skills. It is designed to help graduates schools of business assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced study in business and management.

CONTACTS FOR SCHEDULING GRE/GMAT/TOEFL

Regional registration centre region 14:
Prometric Senior plaza,
3rd floor,160-A Gautam Nagar, 
Yusuf Sarai behind Indian Oil Building,New Delhi 110049.
Registration phone:91-11-26511649/26531442; 
fax:91-11-26529741/265232666 
web: www.Prometricindia.com 

Institute of Psychological and Educational Measurement(IPEM):119/25-A Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Allahabad, 211001.IPEM is the programme representative of the Educational Testing Service(ETS) Princeton,NJ,USA in India. Use IPEM's website www.ipem.org to order free information bulletins for TOEFL,GRE,GMAT,SAT,TSE exams.It has recently also diversified into forign education services by providing offline and free consultation services through www.ipem.org and www.videsheducation.com 

BEAR IN MIND THAT:

• There are costs attached to the entire application process which would not be reimbursed by a scholorship/loan. For example, test fees could account for more than Rs 20000 in expwnses.

• In addition to standardized test scores, colleges/ universities take into consideration your academic record, essays, recommendations, interviews, and extracurricular activities.

• After completing educational programmes abroad, it is unusually mandatory to return home.

• Employment from campuses of foreign universities is usually not guaranteed even from the best campuses.

• Looking for employment back home requires a lot of initiative, research and hard work since the best companies of the reputed educational institutions and universities within India. 

More Resources on the web

http://www.petersons.com Peterson's Education & Career Center The site guides you through the application process, tells you where to get aid and how to bankroll your education, helps you prepare for the numerous admission tests like TOEFL, GRE and GMAT http://www.ets.org ETS (Education and Testing Services) site on educational testing, you can go to GRE, GMAT, AP, SAT, TOEFL, the Praxis series through this site. There are FAQs for students, parents and educators. http://www.toefl.org The official site for test of English as a foreign language. http://www.gmat.org The official Home page of GMAT http://www.gre.org/ Official site of GRE http://www.sat.org/ Official site of SAT http://www.idp.edu.au IDP Education Australia helps students aspiring to study in Australia, this site is a good starting point. IDP Education Australia, an independent organisation jointly owned by Australia's universities', recruits students worldwide for studies in Australia. http://www.hobsons.com Hobson's website gives Comprehensive information on studying in UK. http://www.edufrance.fr Gives you comprehensive information about colleges/universities in France apart from that cost of studying in France, admission procedures and time. http://www.ies-ed.com This site helps foreign students worldwide in finding the right educational institution in the United States and Canada http://www.studyabroad.com Study Abroad is a on-line study abroad information resource. This site lists thousands of study abroad programs in more than 100 countries. http://education.vsnl.com/iiche/study.html Information on studying abroad http://www.sharath.com/ Provides information for those wanting to study in USA http://www.studyincanada.com Gives you comprehensive information about colleges/universities in Canada like the cost of studying in Canada, admission procedures and time.