There are many international language exams, especially in English. Each has its own purpose and its own requirements. And before signing up for preparation courses or for the exam itself, you should think carefully. It would be a shame if you successfully passed the very difficult TOEFL, but, say, the foreign university you are aiming for requires IELTS or CAE.
The most common language exams
TOEFL - Test of English of Foreign Language. Test of English as a foreign language. It is required for admission to many universities in English-speaking countries, mainly the USA and Canada.
IELTS (Academic Module) - International English Language Testing System. The international English language testing system. This test is intended for foreigners who want to obtain higher education or do an internship in Great Britain, Australia, or New Zealand. It is also recognized by many universities in the USA, Canada, Singapore, Denmark, and other countries. There is also a second variety of this exam - General Module, with a lower level of requirements.
Among the large family of Cambridge certificates, three are valued: FCE, CAE, and CPE. By passing CAE, you can apply for work or study in Britain.
FCE - First Certificate Cambridge. The first Cambridge certificate - a third-level Cambridge exam.
CAE - Certificate of Advanced English. The Cambridge advanced certificate of the fourth level. It is recognized by most higher education institutions in Great Britain.
And finally, CPE - Certificate of Proficiency in English - reflects professional command of the language.
Cambridge exams are taken once and have no statute of limitations.
German language exams in Ukraine and abroad are mainly handled by the Goethe Institute.
DSH (Deutsche Sprachpruefung fuer den Hochschulzugang auslaendischer Studuenbewerber) - a language test in German for foreigners for the purpose of admission to a German university. The DSH language exam is taken at the university or at the preparatory department of the university, Studienkolleg, upon admission. The main difference from the exam at the Goethe Institute at the Mittelstufe level is that a student has the right to take the DSH exam only twice. The DSH exam can be skipped if a foreign student has received a secondary education diploma, Abitur, or a Goethe Institute German language certificate, Mittelstufe.
With other languages, things are somewhat simpler than with English and German: in the sense that there are fewer exams. But here there are their own peculiarities. So, the “main” certificate for the French language is DALF.
DALF (Diplome approfondi de langue francaise) gives the right to study at a French university and work in France. But as a rule, only those who have passed a lower-level exam - DELF or a special verification test - test d’access au DALF - are allowed to take it.
DELF (Diplome d’etudes en langue francaise) is intended for foreigners for the purpose of officially confirming their knowledge of the French language. The DELF diploma is divided into two levels: DELF premier degree and DELF deuxieme degree. The DELF exam confirms basic knowledge of French and does not give the right to study at a French university.
DELF and DALF diplomas are not limited in time, and if a student has already received such a diploma, it remains valid for the rest of his or her life.
D.E.L.E. - an exam in Spanish. But behind this abbreviation there are not one, but as many as three exams, of which only one - DSE - serves as confirmation of proficiency in Spanish at an advanced level.
For specialized professionals
BEC - Business English Certificate. A certificate of knowledge of business English. BEC certificates come in three levels: BEC-1 (elementary), BEC-2 (intermediate), BEC-3 (advanced).
There are also many narrowly professional exams - for doctors, lawyers, engineers, etc.
For teachers
CEELT - Cambridge Examinations in English for English Teachers. Cambridge exam in English for teachers. It is designed to assess the knowledge of those teachers for whom English is not their native language.
Oksana RUSSAKOVSKAYA,
company “Ukrtechintur”.