TOEFL ITP

Our Academic Test follows the same policy, independently of TOEIC Test regulations.
In December 2015 ETS announced that the note-taking policy for the TOEFL ITP will no-longer lead to ETS cancelling student scores.
TOEIC and TOEFL ITP administrations remain almost identical for administrators.


Marking the Booklet


Candidates should mark their answers directly on the answer sheet, not in the test book. They shouldn’t make stray marks on the answer sheet either.

There is a regulation against this to ensure a smooth running test session. Dismissal is only used when cheating is highly likely - though if a large number of people are refusing to follow regulations after warnings, making it is difficult to maintain a fair session, it may be necessary.


Making marks is more likely to lower the TOEIC score, affecting the candidate who didn’t follow the rules.

This is consistent with Japanese and Korean test procedures.


Regulations:

  1. 1)Notes may not be made in the test books, nor on the Answer Sheets  (Administration Guide Regulation)

  2. 2)You may not mark or underline words in the test book or make notes in the test book or on the answer sheet.
    (Examinee Handbook Regulation)


Purpose:
  1. a)Score students correctly.

    Every month some candidates make a mistake on their answer sheets,
    the most common are:
    - marking/circling on the answer sheets, so the scanner can’t read the answer
    - marking the answers in the booklet and failing to copy them across correctly
      (eg: answer 60 in the spot for 61).


  1. b)Prevent last minute panic and anger.

    If candidates don’t fill in their answer sheets correctly as they go, they can run out of time to ‘fix’ their answers. They can misalign the answers when copying across, or rush and don’t fill in the circles fully. They don’t erase stray marks or mistakes fully.

    For genuine unintentional mistakes, a candidate might be allowed time after others are dismissed to copy answers across. Once reminded, any candidate who continues intentionally to answer in the wrong place must have every answer on the answer sheet at pencils down.

    Candidates will be highly upset if they haven’t followed instructions (even after they are reminded) and are forced to put their pencils down while some answers are not in the right place. A candidate abusing an administrator for their own mistake is not acceptable.

  2. c)Prevent cheating

    Making marks in the booklets, circling answers, can sometimes be used to cheat and communicate with nearby candidates.

  3. d)A smooth fair test session.

    The test session will end with a clear pencils-down at the end of the time.

    We can not allow candidates to intentionally write in the wrong place and expect to be allowed time after the test. It is not possible to ensure a fair session if this is expected. 


Consequences and Actions:

  1. BulletIf seen marking the answer sheet, the administrator will tell them not to make stray marks, and have them erase any so that everything is scored correctly.

  2. BulletIf seen writing answers in the booklet once, candidates will be told not to write in the booklet, and to put their answers directly on the answer sheet. If needed a candidate might be permitted to copy across their answers under proctor supervision after the others are dismissed.

  3. BulletIf continuing to write answers in the booklet, candidates do so at their own risk. Candidates will be periodically reminded not to write in the booklet, and to move their answers to the answer sheet - and they won’t have extra time to copy anything across if they run out of time. Candidates should manage their time and copy across correctly. 

  4. BulletIf found writing after pencils-down, candidates must be told again to stop writing and the proctor will need to investigate possible cheating or check what’s been answered in the wrong place. Candidates might be permitted to fix their sheets, after the other candidates have been dismissed.

  5. BulletIf found cheating, a candidate will be dismissed.

  6. BulletIf cheating is suspected, the administrator will exert greater control over the room.
    To ensure effective administration, the administrators may draw attention to any regulations. Candidates are also expected to have read the examinee handbook before taking the test.

    By instructing the whole room that marking booklets is against regulations it ensures this form of suspected cheating is stopped, and makes the room easier to observe and help correct students who are making errors on their answer sheets. If a candidate refuses to adhere to the regulation and the administrator still believes there may be cheating with this method, the refusal to follow the test regulation is a valid reason for dismissing or cancelling a score even if the candidate is not cheating.