In a recent post to her blog, Harvard Business School (HBS) Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Dee Leopold announced that for future incoming classes, HBS will accept only the Internet Based Test (IBT) version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) exam. The change will take place beginning with the class of 2012.
The TOEFL or IELTS test is required of applicants to HBS who did not use English as the language of instruction in their undergraduate education. Because both the IBT version of the TOEFL and the IELTS feature speaking components, the new test requirements will enable HBS to assess the speaking ability of these prospective applicants.
“In our discussion-based, case method classroom, we have found that speaking ability (along with strong listening, reading and writing skills) is critical to success,” Leopold said. “Therefore, we need to see speaking scores in order to evaluate applicants appropriately.”
The IBT version of the TOEFL is available in all testing centers, according to Leopold’s post.
