Teacher Discussion Forums

I am a college graduate in Asia and I plan to take my Masters in Washington, USA. One of the requirements is the TOEFL thing exam. Admissions tell me that I need to submit this.

I can speak and write in English. I can read entire books. I can communicate perfectly with any English person. I've been going to the USA since year 2000 and I really can speak english. English is so common in our country in such a way that almost 99% of the people here can speak a single english sentence. In schools and universities, the medium of instruction is more on english.

My question is, do I really need to undergo that exam? I think it is pretty obvious that I can speak english. Do they offer an interview so that I can prove to them that I can speak and read in english?

If I need to take the exam, where can I take it?

Thanks!

Hi Patch,

I'm afraid you can't get out of taking the TOEFL. It's a requirement for every international student who wants to enter a graduate or undergraduate program in the U.S. There are a few exeptions to the rule. You can read about them on www.ets.org under "Who Should Take the TOEFL Test?"
If I were you, I would get back to Admission and ask them which TOEFL they require (iBT, cBT, pBT), what score you need for admission (In general, better universities require higher TOEFL scores and worse schools require lower TOEFL scores.) and if, by any chance, you could take the test on campus. Some colleges, universities are also testing centers, you see. If the university doesn't administer TOEFL, they could still point you in the right direction and give you some addresses in Washington.

Because the new IBT toefl is so screwed up, many colleges are accepting other tests in lieu of the toefl, such as the toeic or the ielts. Check with the school you want to apply to for others.

In college a friend of mine from India not only was fluent in English but excelled at it. He scored 700 verbal on the SATs, (^1%) was familiar with Shakespeare and major English authors, spoke English at home, etc, etc. But he had to take the TOEFL! Its a bit of bureaucratic red tape that easier to take and get over with than to try to avoid.