Education USA
Tests and Entrance Exams
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required by almost all English speaking universities in order to determine whether your level of English is proficient enough to study in an English speaking institution. The test lasts for about four hours and consists of four parts – reading, listening, speaking, and writing. (http://www.ets.org/toefl)
SAT I un SAT II
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is designed to verify the general knowledge of students applying to the first year of an undergraduate program in a US university. The SAT I test includes a language and a mathematics section.
The SAT II subject tests (rarely required) evaluate a student's knowledge of specific fields, such as: Writing, Literature, Math level IC, Math level IIC, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, American History and Social Studies, World History, French, German, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Please note that if you have already studied in any university, you are not required to take the SAT I or II, unless it is specifically requested. (http://www.collegeboard.com)
GRE
The Graduate Requirement Examination (GRE) is designed to evaluate a student's knowledge and logical thinking before entering a graduate program (except the MBA, see GMAT) in a US university. It contains mathematics, verbal reasoning (English language) and essay writing. (http://www.ets.org/gre)
GRE Subject Tests
The GRE subject tests (rarely required) are designed to test a candidate's knowledge in a specific field before entering a graduate program in a US university. The subjects include Biochemistry, Cell and molecular Biology; Biology; Chemistry; Computer sciences; Economics; Engineering; Geology; History; Literature in English; Mathematics; Music; Physics; Psychology; and Sociology. (http://www.ets.org/gre)
GMAT
The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) measures general verbal, mathematical and analytical writing skills of students applying to Business and Management master’s and doctoral programs in a US university. (http://www.gmac.org)
TOEIC
TOEIC (Test of English For International Communication) is used by institutions, companies, and government agencies worldwide to measure the English proficiency of non-native English-speaking people. With more than 4 million test takers per year, the TOEIC test is the standard for workplace English language proficiency worldwide. (http://www.ets.org/toeic or http://www.toeic-europe.com)
Visvaldis Valtenbergs, Fulbright Fellowship Alumnus, Master’s degree in political science, New School University, PhD candidate and Research Project Manager, Vidzeme University: "Firstly, even before you apply - be well rounded in the field you want to pursue. Talk to people, exchange business cards, build a network of friends and acquaintances. Be sure to get some practical work done – volunteer, be active in an NGO, and your community. This network will help you feel welcome when you come back in a year or two. This is very important because re-integration is very difficult for some people. Secondly, be willing to see yourself back home after you finish with your studies in the U.S. Ask yourself – how will I be able to contribute? "