Updates on International Restrictions on Tests

March 24, 2020 Update: Additional Information About Home Testing

ETS is proud to introduce a solution for students who have been impacted by the coronavirus to take the TOEFL iBT® test and the GRE® General Test at home until test centers can reopen. TOEFL® testing is scheduled to begin on March 26, and GRE testing will begin on March 27.

Testing will be conducted through the use of live remote proctoring serviced by ProctorU®. This high-touch, real-time human monitoring of test sessions limits the number of seats available. Students can register beginning today in the following countries:

• United States
• Canada
• Colombia
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Spain
• Hong Kong (China)
• Macau (China)

ETS is working diligently to provide this at home option in other affected areas. We will share additional details about the rollout plan as we are able and appreciate your patience as we work toward this goal.

ETS is taking every precaution to ensure that the tests students will take from home meet our high standards for validity, reliability and security. We are employing multiple best-in-class security measures that use both real-time human monitoring and artificial intelligence technology:

• Live proctors will ensure constant vigilance, including confirming the test taker’s identity and scanning their home environment before testing begins, flagging any suspicious activity and intervening if necessary.
• Artificial Intelligence technology – such as facial recognition, gaze tracking and video recording of the entire session – will guard against malicious activity. Examples of test taker activities that AI will flag as possible cheating incidents include attempts to open a new browser, run unpermitted software and use unpermitted objects such as a cell phone.

Find more details about security measures and answers to other questions you may have on the TOEFL and GRE web pages dedicated to this purpose.

We recognize the intense pressure that many institutions are under to ensure that prospective students are able to complete their applications on time and apply to your institutions. Thank you for your continued support of ETS’s high-quality assessment solutions; your trust means the world to us. Should you need ETS’s support during this time, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at TOEFLnews@ets.org or GREtests@ets.org.

 

Prometric® Closes Test Centers

Prometric® announced yesterday that it has closed its test centers in the United States and Canada until April 16. This action is in accordance with the new guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which restrict gatherings of people to 10 in the United States. As Prometric is a large member of ETS’s test center network for the TOEFL iBT® test and the GRE® General Test in the United States and Canada, these closures will impact students’ ability to test. Prometric representatives are actively reaching out to reschedule individuals with GRE or TOEFL® testing appointments at Prometric test centers for the latter half of April. Updates are available on the Prometric site. In addition, ETS is waiving rescheduling fees for those whose testing has not been canceled but who feel uncomfortable going to a test center. As communicated previously, ETS is working to introduce a secure solution that will allow students in some areas to take the TOEFL iBT test and the GRE General Test from home until test centers reopen for regular testing. We anticipate introducing this solution by the end of March. We appreciate your patience as we finalize this solution and will be in touch soon with further details. In addition, the April 4 GRE® Subject Test administration has been canceled worldwide. Students scheduled to test will receive an email alert and will be issued a full refund.

• GRE Subject Test administration dates for the 2020–21 testing year will be published in April, and registration will open on July 1, 2020.