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Students Struggle to Pass IELTS and TOEFL

DUBAI – Students are being encouraged to register and prepare early for university examinations as a large number of students are rejected by universities because they do not fulfil the criteria of International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), said university officials.

“Just because a person speaks English regularly in his daily life doesn’t mean he/she doesn’t have to prepare for the exams. We have received a record number of applications for the autumn intake, but shockingly several of them are facing rejection because they do not meet the IELTS or TOEFL criteria,” said Sandra Lee, Registrar and Manager Admissions, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD).

It is common to see a sizable number of applicants fail the IELTS or TOEFL tests because most of them register for universities and apply for the exams at the last minute, she added.

On an average, some 5,000 students appear for the IELTS and another 1,500 for the TOEFL annually at UOWD, said Lee.

The American University of Sharjah (AUS) said around 4,500 students had applied in 2008 for the TOEFL exams.

Students also expressed that they were having a hard time passing the exams, and some of them have even gone in for intensive English education outside the UAE.

After failing a TOEFL exam, some students might continue to AUS Intensive English Program to improve their English or to do a TOEFL preparation course to practice the exam, said Eleni Papailia, manager, Testing & Professional Development Center, AUS.

“I took the TOEFL exam seven times. The first time was in Turkey and the next five times were in the UAE. The last time I took the exam was in Malta where I scored 537 in my TOEFL after taking eight weeks of intensive English courses there,” said AUS student Wesam Jalibi, 23.

“I have taken the TOEFL exam two times, one in Knowledge Village and another in AUS. After scoring 433 in my first TOEFL exam, I took one semester of intensive English at AUS. That helped me pass the exam the second time,” said AUS student Ahmed Shamam, 22.

Students of American University in Dubai (AUD) also need to score 515 and above to be admitted in the university. If the student is unable to achieve the expected grade, from the first try, he/she can sit for the English placement exam which will determine what level of English he/she should be taking, said Aisha Saleemi, admissions assistant, AUD.

Again, if the student is unable to pass the English placement exam, he/she will need to take English provision courses for a period of seven weeks before enrolling in his school of choice, she added.

“We can never know for sure how many students are either taking the TOEFL or the English Placement exams. There is such a rush of students at AUD that makes it extremely difficult to know for sure.”

ibrahim@khaleejtimes.com

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