Preparation module for CAT aspirants

Tata McGraw-Hill Education has announced a new innovation for all CAT aspirants across the country. The company has launched CAT ONLINE — an offering for CAT aspirants that integrates print, electronic, online and mobile medium for preparation for CAT.

This offer includes a printed book, a CD, live classroom training and mobile support for CAT aspirants.

The printed book is a comprehensive support system for the CAT aspirants with coverage of all sections supported by plenty of exercises.

The CD contains tips and techniques video by Arun Sharma, recorded classes, mock tests and a walkthrough on how to join the online classes.

The online resource at

www.mindworkzz.in has 30 hours of live classroom sessions and access to further classes.

mConnect provides mobile support in a dynamic testing environment, easy to download application, with features like time schedule, negative marking, among others.

CAT ONLINE print book is designed and authored keeping in mind the change in the format of CAT examination.

The mobile support feature, mConnect, has real-time practice modules for vocabulary-based questions.

This product is priced at Rs. 1295. It can also be bought online from www.tmhshop.com.

For more details, call 09415333920.

Comparison tool for TOEFL iBT, IELTS

Comparison tool for TOEFL iBT, IELTS

Educational Testing Service (ETS) has released an official score comparison for the TOEFL iBT test and IELTS academic test. The mapping tool provides the higher education community with an ETS-authorised comparison tool for each of the four skill sections (reading, listening, speaking, and writing), as well as for the total scores for both the English language assessments. The tool was created in response to the field's request for an accurate comparison that is grounded in research.

The newly-released ETS-authorised score comparison is based on a sampling of 1,153 students who took both the TOEFL iBT test and IELTS test. The equipercentile linking method was used to align the scores from the two assessments. This method is based on best practices required by the Guidelines for Practice by the International Language Testing Association (ILTA, 2007), the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing (AERA, APA, NCME, 1999), and ETS Standards for Quality and Fairness (ETS, 2002, page 45). “Reviewing and comparing test results from two very different English language assessments that vary in design, content, and scoring can be a complex task,” commented Teresa Sanchez-Lazer, Executive Director of the TOEFL Program. “Based on feedback from the field, ETS felt a user-friendly, research-based comparison that can be used with confidence was warranted. We hope the new tool will be useful to admissions officials around the world in reviewing the English skills of non-native speakers.”

The TOEFL test measures a student's ability to use and understand English at the university level and evaluates how a student combines listening, reading, speaking and writing skills needed to succeed in an academic setting. The TOEFL test is recognized by prestigious universities around the world.

ETS has also published Linking TOEFL iBT Scores to IELTS Scores – A Research Report that outlines the research design, including the data collection, data analysis, and study results in which the score comparison was created.

More information regarding the TOEFL test is available at the TOEFL Go Anywhere website www.TOEFLGoAnywhere.org.

NAC-TEST For IT Recruitment

IT companies to calibrate scores with students’ performance in individual tests; colleges unhappy

It will take more than ‘just one written test and an interview’ to get into an IT company from now on.

Major recruiters including TCS, Cognizant, Wipro, Accenture and HCL among others, have insisted that students who want to be recruited, take the Assessment of Competence-Technology (NAC-Tech), conducted by NASSCOM a consortium of IT companies, from this year onwards. The companies will ‘calibrate the scores’ with the student’s performance in the individual tests.

“For two years we have been contemplating a test that will be an industry benchmark. Students will not have to take the test of every single company. This year, we will have the NAC-Tech and also our own test to determine the co-relation. This is to eventually make NAC-Tech the only test," said S. Viswanathan, HR (Country Head), Wipro.

The move is intended to create a quality pool of engineering graduates from which the companies can choose. “The test has been put together by companies that are responsible for 90 per cent of campus placements in the industry and it will help us get the best students," said K. Purushottaman, regional director, NASSCOM.

While many colleges say they will agree to the proposal, they admit they will have to do so because there is no way out. “Only companies such as IBM and Capgemini have not agreed to the test. Major recruiters want it,” said the placement director of a city self-financing college.

A student can re-appear for the NAC-Tech only after a month, which could lead to his losing out on interviews with other companies. It will also add to the stress among students to perform, say college principals.

Some colleges feel that companies, by pushing for the test, are shifting their training costs on to college managements and students. “Students will have to pay over Rs. 250 for the test and the college will have to spend at least Rs. 1,250 to train every student. Why should the college or student pay for this?” asked one principal.

The fact that the placement officers were not consulted has also upset colleges. “The test is not compulsory but we have already received mails from companies asking us to implement the test. The decision was taken by the companies and we were not even called for deliberations,” said a placement officer.

Officials of several educational institutions, including Anna University have said that internal discussions are on to decide on what to do next. Why NASSCOM was not conducting the test but asking vendors to do so, what the credibility of the test was, and did it guarantee placement, is what most colleges are concerned about.

Company officials on the other hand, say the test will be no different from the aptitude tests of many companies and that there is almost no extra expenditure that the college has to incur. A part of the exam will test the candidate on verbal ability, analytical skills and reading comprehension while another part will have questions on the engineering subjects he specialises in. “We as companies, want the best,” a company official said.