Yangyel Lhaden

Eighteen Bhutanese will appear Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL IBT) at the Royal Institute of Management ( RIM) in Thimphu.

The test is a substitute for International English Language Testing System (IELTs), which was common amongst Bhutanese aspiring to study and work abroad, and is currently unavailable in the country.

RIM and Chhundu Training Institute are certified test centres for TOEFL IBT approved by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) based in the USA.

RIM’s Director, Sonam Pelden Thaye, said that the institute worked for more than one and a half years to meet the requirements to register as a testing centre for TOEFL IBT.

A press release from RIM states that establishing a test centre for TOEFL IBT was in line with aim of RIM to establish RIM as a one-stop test and tutorial centre in Bhutan.

RIM’s test centre can accommodate nine individuals for each test. Today, two tests will be held. On October 9, one test  will be conducted.

TOEFL IBT test registration for 2021 has been closed with all seats booked until the end of this year. “RIM is going to offer test two or three times a month provided the minimum number of candidates is fulfilled.”

She said the institute also planned to provide free coaching classes to registered candidates.

TOEFL IBT test is accepted in more than 11,000 universities and other institutions in over 150 countries, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and across Europe and Asia.

TOEFL IBT test score is valid for two years and test scores can be viewed approximately six days after appearing the test date on the test taker’s ETS account and PDF scores will be ready to download within eight days after the result.

To avail TOEFL IBT test with RIM one has to login to www.rim.edu.bt/toefl or www.ets.org and create an account and pay is USD 185 or Nu 13,412 as a registration fee.

Chhundu Training Institute (CTI) registered around 200 individuals for the test.

The institute’s Head of Operations Palden Tshering said, “We expect to announce the test date within this month.”

He said that to cater to many people aspiring to go abroad they were looking into maximising the test frequencies.

He said that there were between 9,000 and 12,000 interested test takers and with two centres it opened a choice for the public. “CTI alone cannot meet the demand.”

CTI has purchased about 200 test vouchers from TOEFL in advance for the clients. Palden Tshering said that the institute purchased test vouchers as not everyone had access to online facilities and pay in US dollars with a credit card. “Test vouchers are expected to make registration easier.”

Edited by Tshering Palden