Placing incoming students quickly and accurately
The University of Toronto is the largest university in Canada and a leading higher-learning institution. As part of its School of Continuing Studies, the university offers an Intensive English Program for international students. About 150 students enroll in each eight-week session, with five levels from beginner through advanced.
With so many students enrolling in each session, the Intensive English Program found that its in-house, hand-scored placement test was difficult to administer and score in a timely manner. Students complained that they were had been placed in the wrong class, so the accuracy of the in-house test was also in question.
Solution
The University of Toronto now uses the TOEIC test because it is:
A reliable placement test for varying levels
Suitable for all of its programs
Rapidly scored
Appropriate as an exit test to measure student progress for entrance into the next level
Internationally recognized
All incoming students are given the TOEIC test so that they can be placed into one of the school's five language levels. At the end of the session, students take the TOEIC test again, allowing them to measure their progress and provide them with a Certificate of Achievement.
Result
Due do the accuracy of TOEIC test results, the number of student requests for class transfers has dropped dramatically compared with the in-house placement test. Students are happy to take the TOEIC test because they feel that there is less chance of being placed in the wrong class level.
The school has been able to save time, money, and resources by testing all incoming students at the same time and placing them in classes within 48 hours.