SOURCE: EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE
Internet Issues Affect TOEFL iBT Administration for Asian Test Takers
Company Working to Reschedule or Reimburse Affected Test Takers
PRINCETON, NJ--(Marketwire - September 6, 2008) - A significant number of students in countries across Asia were unable to take their TOEFL iBT tests Saturday morning because of Internet-related issues outside of Educational Testing Service's control company officials announced today. Test takers in other parts of the world were not affected.
The issue appears to be related to the temporary failure of Internet functionality outside of ETS's test delivery system, and while company officials continue to investigate, steps are already being taken to reschedule affected test takers with a special administration in the very near future. Affected students will be contacted by phone this coming week. Test takers may take the special administration, reschedule to a more convenient future date or receive a refund for Saturday's test. Reimbursement will also be provided for reasonable and documented expenses associated with traveling to the test center.
"We are investigating this external disruption that occurred outside of our TOEFL iBT network, but our primary concern at this point is accommodating affected test takers with a new testing opportunity that allows them to meet university application deadlines," says Phil Tabbiner, Senior Vice President of ETS Global. "Students may rely on us to help them recover from this unfortunate situation and we are committed to identifying the cause and ensuring against similar issues in the future."
About ETS
ETS, a nonprofit organization, celebrates a 60-year history of advancing quality and equity in education by providing fair and valid assessments, research and related services for all people worldwide. In serving individuals, educational institutions and government agencies around the world, ETS customizes solutions to meet the need for teacher professional development products and services, classroom and end-of-course assessments and research-based teaching and learning tools. ETS today develops, administers and scores more than 50 million assessments in more than 180 countries, at more than 9,000 locations worldwide. Additional information is available at www.ets.org.