Foreign students hoping to study at universities like Penn are facing a more rigorous test of their ability to write and speak English.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language -- which is used by major universities to assess English proficiency -- recently underwent major changes that will go beyond multiple-choice questions to examine students' practical knowledge of the English language.
In addition, the test will be available to be taken online for the first time.
Eileen Tyson, the associate director of the TOEFL program at the Educational Testing Service, said that the new exam will require students to show "communicative competence" in English.
"We've changed the theory of the test," Tyson said. "It requires students to combine their skills."
In its new incarnation, the TOEFL will include writing, speaking, listening and reading sections that will add up for a total of 120 possible points. Students will have about four hours to complete the test.
Few international students at Penn seem to have been challenged by the older version of the TOEFL.
Li Chen, an Engineering freshman from Qiaochongdong, China, said he found the exam "not [really] easy, but not as difficult as I thought it would be."
Wharton senior Garima Agarwal, of New Delhi, India, had little difficulty with the TOEFL.
"It was just like a requirement, not a big deal to me," Agarwal said. "It was fourth-grade English, almost."
Sofia Elizondo-Jasso, a junior in the College from Monterrey, Mexico, said she felt that "the SAT II Writing is a lot more accurate than the TOEFL" for determining a person's facility with English and called the TOEFL "rule-based, not usage-based."
Agarwal welcomed news of the changes to the exam.
"A lot of foreign students have the skills on paper," Agarwal said. It is important "to get a better idea of where a person stands as a speaker."
Tyson said that input from many universities caused ETS to reconsider the test's format.
"I think really the reason for [the changes] is that universities wanted a test that could show how well students could do in a classroom," Tyson said. "Universities really want students to be able to succeed."
Dean of Admissions Lee Stetson reacted favorably to the new test.
"My observations are that it's a very positive move," Stetson said. "The test will be even more helpful" to admissions staff.
However, Stetson did express concern about the cost of the test, which can exceed $140, and said that, despite the changes, the TOEFL will not have a more prominent role in the admissions process at Penn.
"I think it will continue to be what it has been for years -- in other words, a part, but not the only part," Stetson said.
Students from outside the United States make up about 12 percent of the average class at Penn, a ratio that Stetson said is unlikely to change in the near future. This year's freshman class contains students from 63 countries and all six inhabited continents.
Stetson added that most students who apply to Penn have a good background in English, though students from some countries, such as the Philippines, tend to produce more proficient students than others, such as mainland China.
"The gap has narrowed versus 20 years ago," Stetson said. "Overall, we're seeing more and more students who have had a strong English curriculum."
