TOEFL® iBT Accepted in Dutch Study Visa System

TOEFL® iBT Accepted in Dutch Study Visa System Contact: Tom Ewing +1 609-683-2899 mediacontacts@ets.org Nina Ni (APCO Worldwide) +86 (10) 6505-5127 ext. 232 nni@apcoworldwide.com Princeton, N.J. (September 5, 2008) — Educational Testing Service (ETS) is pleased to announce that starting Sept. 1, 2008, Chinese students are allowed to use TOEFL®iBT scores to apply for the Netherlands Education Support Office (Neso) China certificate as part of application procedures to study in the Netherlands. Students who apply to Dutch universities with TOEFL iBT scores also can use TOEFL iBT scores to apply for the Neso certificate as part of the visa application process, and are no longer required to take further English proficiency tests. “The new TOEFL iBT launched in China in 2006 uses leading technology to measure student’s communicative and academic English proficiency in all four language skills, and therefore meets the language requirements of Dutch universities to recruit qualified candidates,� says Mr. Jacques D. van Vliet, Director of Neso China. “Dutch universities have been receiving increasing attention from Chinese students in the past several years. The number of Chinese applicants for study in the Netherlands for the 2008–2009 academic year increased to approximately 2,500 by the end of August, representing a growth rate of nearly 30 percent over the previous year. With Neso’s recognition of TOEFL iBT, we welcome Chinese students who have TOEFL iBT scores to apply for study in the Netherlands.� The TOEFL® test currently is the world’s most popular and widely accepted academic English exam. More than 6,000 institutions, including the top 100 universities around the world, use the TOEFL test to measure the English-language proficiency of international student applicants. More than 135 top educational institutions in the United Kingdom — including the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and the London School of Economics — accept TOEFL test scores for admission. Within the past two years alone, an additional 850 institutions have become TOEFL score users. “We are excited to see that the TOEFL iBT now can help Chinese students to study in the Netherlands. Further acceptance of the TOEFL iBT scores by Dutch higher education institutions underscores TOEFL’s worldwide recognition, through which we hope to broaden opportunities for Chinese students to study overseas and achieve success,� says Philip Tabbiner, Senior Vice President of ETS Global, K–12 Learning & Development and Business Development. Students now can apply for the Neso certificate at the same time they begin the application process to Dutch universities. Students should submit application materials at least four months before the beginning of the semester. For more information regarding application for a Neso certificate with TOEFL iBT scores, please visit the Neso China website: www.nesochina.org, or contact a Neso China representative by calling +86-10-67089311/2 ext. 218 or 219, or sending an e-mail to helpdesk@nesochina.org For the most up-to-date information regarding TOEFL administration in China, please visit the NEEA TOEFL iBT registration website http://toefl.etest.edu.cn or http://toefl.etest.net.cn. For more information about TOEIC in China, please visit the official TOEIC Chinese website at http://www.toeictest.com.cn. ABOUT ETS AND ETS GLOBAL SUBSIDIARIES ETS is a nonprofit organization with the mission to advance quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. Founded in 1947, ETS designs, develops, delivers and scores more than 50 million tests annually in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. ETS and its related ETS Global subsidiaries have offices around the world to meet the needs of non-U.S.-based entities in Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. In serving individuals, businesses, educational institutions, government agencies and membership organizations worldwide, ETS offers valid and reliable assessments, research and related services such as customized solutions, workforce products and services, and research-based teaching and learning tools.