Interview: Michelle Froah, Global Chief Marketing Officer, ETS

ETS, short for Educational Testing Service, is the largest private educational assessment organisation in the world, and when it makes changes to its examination patterns, the world sits up and takes notice. That change, pertinent to India, is a shorter TOEFL test and a shorter GRE test. “The English-language test TOEFL now has fewer questions, takes less time, and has a unique question type – Academic Discussion – which replaces the old Independent Essay,” says Michelle Froah, global chief marketing officer, ETS. In an interview with FE’s Vikram Chaudhary, she adds that the GRE test has also been shortened, and it now takes less than two hours to complete – roughly half the time of the previous GRE test. Excerpts:

Why did you shorten TOEFL and GRE?

It was based on our customers’ feedback, backed by our research, where we found that a shorter test was possibly a better way to assess test-takers. This has also helped us to deliver results faster than we used to, benefiting test-takers.

What are these changes?

As far as TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is concerned, it became shorter on July 26, 2023. It now has fewer questions, takes less time, and has a unique question type – Academic Discussion – which replaces the old Independent Essay.

In GRE (Graduate Record Examinations), which is a standardised test that is an admission requirement for many graduate schools in the US, Canada and some other countries, changes include the following:

– Removal of the ‘Analyse an Argument’ task in the Analytical Writing section,

– Reduced number of questions in the Quantitative and Verbal Reasoning sections, and

– Removal of the unscored section.

In addition to these changes, test-takers can expect to receive their official scores much faster, in just 8-10 days. These changes mark the first of several planned future updates to the GRE, all of which are intended to provide test-takers with a better experience that values their time and reduces anxiety and fatigue. This has made the GRE General Test the shortest and most efficient test amongst top graduate, business and law school admissions.

What makes GRE and TOEFL big names in testing in India?

India has one of the world’s youngest populations, and Indians view GRE and TOEFL as fair assessments.

How has learning anytime, from anywhere, impacted test-takers?

I think they have become far smarter, and we have launched new apps to help them prepare better for exams. For example, we have launched the free TOEFL Go! app, on which test-takers can digitally practice all four test sections (reading, listening, speaking and writing), have access to coaching to improve on the speaking and writing sections, as well as have access to high-level sample responses for speaking and writing sections.

Do you only test, or do you also train?

Our training initiatives are big. For example, we have the Converse Workplace, which lets you practise your speaking skills as you go through realistic work-based scenarios and then provides personalised feedback based on both verbal and nonverbal cues. Using these cues, it rates your confidence level and gives you customised insights into how others may receive your message.