ETS has introduced an at-home testing solution for test takers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, while iTEP International is temporarily waiving test centre requirement, paving the way for test takers to use its virtual proctoring process.

iTEP announced it would begin at-home options from March 17, while ETS, which runs the TOEFL iBT^® test and GRE^® General Test, opened up at-home testing solutions from March 26 in response to the pandemic.

“It was imperative for us to create a timely, flexible and reliable solution”

“Our goal is to ensure test-taker health and safety while maintaining test security and integrity of scores for our partner schools,” iTEP said.

Many of the organisation’s exams had already been designed to be delivered at home, iTEP added, meaning it had been a “quick and efficient transition”.

iTEP’s Virtual Proctoring service will offer the same admissions exams and pricing, and has enhanced its Fotosure security software to ensure results remain reliable.

Human remote proctoring service ProctorU^® will oversee ETS’s at-home exams. Unlike iTEP’s provision, ETS exams will be available in the US, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain Hong Kong and Macau to begin with.

The testing provider is working towards extending the locations of its at-home solutions, it added.

“It was imperative for us to create a timely, flexible and reliable solution to allow students the opportunity to take these tests, so that they can complete time-sensitive applications that will allow them to continue on their educational journeys,” said Alberto Acereda, executive director of the Global Higher Education Division at ETS.

ETS understands the challenges test takers are facing worldwide, and this solution will not compromise the integrity of its tests, executive director of the TOEFL^®Program Srikant Gopal said.

“ETS prides itself on its test security measures, and this solution is consistent with those self-imposed high standards, which are relied upon by institutions around the world who trust that these tests provide an accurate picture of an applicant’s abilities,” Gopal noted.

In March, the Duolingo English Test said it had recorded a wave of US institutions agreeing to accept the results of its test in international admissions.

IELTS and Pearson have both brought in additional health and safety precautions to protect the health of test takers and staff in locations where its test is still going ahead. Testing for IELTS and Pearson’s PTE Academic continues to be suspended in many regions in the world however.

IELTS has introduced an online practice test to help students prepare for the exam using real IELTS questions.