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Aptis is a new and innovative global English assessment tool from the British Council. Aptis is an English test for adults, which can be used to assess ability in all four English skills - speaking, listening, reading and writing. Aptis allows testing the skills relevant to your requirements accurately, and getting results within as little as 24 hours.

Aptis is used by corporate businesses, government organisations, educational institutions and NGOs for:
For more details visit http://www.britishcouncil.org/exams/aptis

Introduction

The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) is a three-step examination for medical licensure in the United States and is sponsored by the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) and the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME).
The Composite Committee, appointed by the FSMB and NBME, establishes policies for the USMLE program.

Purpose of the USMLE
In the United States and its territories ("United States" or "US"), the individual medical licensing authorities ("state medical boards") of the various jurisdictions grant a license to practice medicine. Each medical licensing authority sets its own rules and regulations and requires passing an examination that demonstrates qualification for licensure. Results of the USMLE are reported to these authorities for use in granting the initial license to practice medicine. The USMLE provides them with a common evaluation system for applicants for medical licensure.
The USMLE assesses a physician's ability to apply knowledge, concepts, and principles, and to demonstrate fundamental patient-centered skills, that are important in health and disease and that constitute the basis of safe and effective patient care. Each of the three Steps complements the others; no Step can stand alone in the assessment of readiness for medical licensure. Because individual medical licensing authorities make decisions regarding use of USMLE results, you should contact the jurisdiction where you intend to apply for licensure to obtain complete information. Also, the FSMB can provide general information on medical licensure.

USMLE consist of three steps:

STEP 1 - Basic Science Exam
STEP 2CK - Clinical Knowledge Exam
STEP 2CS - Clinical Skills Exam
STEP 3 - Patient Management Skills

Step 1 assesses whether you understand and can apply important concepts of the sciences basic to the practice of medicine, with special emphasis on principles and mechanisms underlying health, disease, and modes of therapy. Step 1 ensures mastery of not only the sciences that provide a foundation for the safe and competent practice of medicine in the present, but also the scientific principles required for maintenance of competence through lifelong learning.

• Minimum passing score - 185/75
• Number of Questions - 336 (Computer based test)
• Duration - 8 hours
• Exam content - Basic Science (anatomy, behavioral sciences, biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, interdisciplinary topics, such as nutrition, genetics, and aging, interpret graphic and tabular material, identify gross and microscopic pathologic and normal specimens, apply basic science knowledge to clinical problems).

Step 2 assesses whether you can apply medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for the provision of patient care under supervision and includes emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention. Step 2 ensures that due attention is devoted to principles of clinical sciences and basic patient-centered skills that provide the foundation for the safe and competent practice of medicine.

STEP 2CK - Clinical Knowledge Exam

• Minimum passing score - 184/75
• Number of Questions - 370 (Computer based test)
• Duration - 9 hours
• Exam content - Clinical Knowledge(internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, preventive medicine, psychiatry, surgery, other areas relevant to provision of care under supervision, a diagnosis, a prognosis, an indication of underlying mechanisms of disease, the next step in medical care, including preventive measures).

STEP 2CS - Clinical Skills Exam

• Minimum passing score – No Score(Pass/Fail)
• Duration – 7-8 hours
• Number of Questions – 12 standardized patients\
• Exam content - Clinical skills / Doctor-patient Communication [Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE), Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS), and Spoken English Proficiency (SEP)].

Step 3 assesses whether you can apply medical knowledge and understanding of biomedical and clinical science essential for the unsupervised practice of medicine, with emphasis on patient management in ambulatory settings. Step 3 provides a final assessment of physicians assuming independent responsibility for delivering general medical care.

• Minimum passing score – 187/75
• Duration – 16 hours (2days)
• Number of Questions – 480 MCQ Questions& 9 Clinical Case simulations
• Exam content - Patient Management skill [Integrated Clinical Encounter (ICE), Communication and Interpersonal Skills (CIS), and Spoken English Proficiency (SEP)].

Eligibility
To be eligible for Step 1, Step 2 CK, and Step 2 CS, you must be in one of the following categories at the time of application and on the test day:

• a medical student officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a US or Canadian medical school program leading to the MD degree that is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
• a medical student officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a US medical school leading to the DO degree that is accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA), or
• a medical student officially enrolled in, or a graduate of, a medical school outside the United States and Canada and eligible for examination by the ECFMG.

If you have been dismissed from medical school, you are not eligible for USMLE, even if you are appealing the school’s decision to dismiss you.

STEP 3
To be eligible for Step 3, prior to submitting your application, you must:

• obtain the MD degree (or its equivalent) or the DO degree,
• pass Step 1, Step 2 CK, and, if required based upon the rules, Step 2 CS,
• obtain certification by the ECFMG or successfully complete a "Fifth Pathway" program

For further details visit www.usmle.org

The College Board’s College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) has been the most widely trusted credit-by-examination program for over 40 years, accepted by 2,900 colleges and universities and administered in more than 1,800 test centers. This rigorous program allows students of a wide range of ages and backgrounds to demonstrate their mastery of college-level material in introductory subjects and earn college credit. Students can earn credit for what they already know by getting qualifying scores on any of the 33 examinations.

CLEP offers 33 exams in five subject areas, covering material taught in courses that you may generally take in your first two years of college. Most CLEP exams are designed to correspond to one-semester courses, although some correspond to full-year or two-year courses.

Exams are approximately 90 minutes long, with the exception of College Composition, which is 120 minutes. Exams contain mainly multiple-choice questions. College Composition and a few other exams contain other types of questions and essays.
CLEP exams are available in the following segments
CLEP Study Materials
The CLEP Official Study Guide is the only official CLEP guide created by the test developers. It offers:

• Official practice questions for all 33 CLEP exams, published by the College Board
• Helpful guides to earning college credit, evaluating a college's CLEP policy, and applying for credit
• Valuable suggestions for preparation, including methods of self-assessment and strategies for answering exam questions
• For study materials: Click here - clep.collegeboard.org/study-resources

To Register for a CLEP Exam
Step 1: Find Out Your College's CLEP Policy.
Each college sets its own policy regarding which CLEP exams it will grant credit for and how many credits it will award. Contact your admission officer or academic adviser to learn more about the CLEP policy at your institution. If you are not yet enrolled in a college when you take your CLEP exam, you can send your scores to your college when you enroll. For a list of the colleges that grant credit for CLEP, visit the Institution Search.

Step 2: Log In to the My Account Registration Portal.
You can create and manage your personal account through the My Account registration portal. The registration platform will allow you to register for a CLEP exam 24/7, manage your personal information any time prior to taking the exam, search for test centers, select your score recipient institution, and purchase study materials. Register today.

Step 3: Schedule Appointment with the Test Center.
CLEP examinations are administered throughout the year at over 1,800 test centers in the United States and abroad. You can find the most up-to-date database of test centers through My Account. After you register for an exam, it is important that you contact the preferred test center to schedule your appointment to test. Registering for an exam provides you with a payment receipt and a Ticket ID, but you must contact a test center to schedule the date and time you wish to take the test.

One CLEP exam costs $80, for military personnel, CLEP exams are free -- find out more! The 90 to 120 minute exams are administered at over 1,800 test centers, and are accepted for credit by 2,500 colleges and universities world-wide.

Select any of the 33 exams and register! You will be taken to the My Account registration portal, your own space to manage personal information, search for test centers, select a preferred test center and score recipient institutions and purchase study materials any time prior to taking the exam.
To find a test centre: Click here -clep.collegeboard.org/search/test-centers

About the GMAT Exam:

About GRE:

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is administered by the Educational Testing Services. GRE is a standardized test that is required to be taken by students seeking admission in any of the graduate schools.

It is a test to evaluate skills of the aspirants. The GRE has been developed to evaluate the verbal, analytical and mathematical skills of the candidates.

Students seeking admission into any Masters Program in the US and many other European countries are required to take GRE. Individuals applying to graduate schools in order to pursue a Masters in Arts (MA) or Science (MS) are required to take the GRE (Graduate Record Examination).

Commencement of Exam:

Computer-based GRE Revised General Test is given year round at computer-based test centres. Appointments are scheduled on a first come first serve basis.
You can take the GRE Revised General Test (Computer based test and paper based test) once in every 60 days and not more than five times within 12 months period. If you choose to take only the paper based GRE Revised General Test, you may take it as often as it is offered.

Eligibility Criteria for GRE:

A Bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement for seeking admission in any Masters Program in US and therefore, it is also an essential qualification for taking GRE.
Most US Universities have made it mandatory for a student to complete 16 years of education for admission to Science and Engineering programs.
However students holding BE, B.Tech., B.Sc. (Agriculture) or B.Arch. degrees, i.e. students who have spent four years for their Bachelor’s degree can directly seek admission in Science and Engineering program in any US University.

Application Procedure for GRE:

There are four ways to apply for GRE:
Phone:

You can use your American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa or a voucher number.
Note: Phone registration is not applicable for test takers in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea.
Online:

You need to have a “My GRE Account” to register online.
You can’t register online if you need a fee reduction, testing accommodation.
You can register on: http://mygre.ets.org/greweb/login/login.jsp
Fax:

You can use American Express, Discover, JCB, Master Card or a voucher number.
You need to fax the International Test Schedule Form (PDF) to the appropriate RRC.
The form you fill must be submitted at least seven days before your first choice test date.
You will be assigned a test date, time and the test centre address will be e-mailed, faxed or mail to you.
If you do not receive the confirmation of your appointment, call the appropriate RRC at least three business days before your earlier test date.
Mail:

Mail the International Test Scheduling Form (PDF) to the appropriate RRC with appropriate payment.
A confirmation number, reporting time and the test centre address will be e-mailed, faxed or mailed to you.
You will be assigned a test date, time and location, based on the information you provide on the form.

Fee Structure:

Subject Tests for United States, U.S Territories and Puerto Rico – USD$140
For other locations including India – USD$160 (Rs. 7,615.20)

Types of GRE:

Types of Graduate Record Examination Test:
Revised General Test
GRE Subject Tests
Revised General Test
Revised General Test consists of 3 sections:
Verbal reasoning (130-170)
Quantitative Reasoning (130-170)
Analytical Writing (0-6) in half point increments
Verbal Reasoning
Measures your ability to analyze and evaluate written material and synthesize information obtained from it, it also analyzes the relationships among component parts of sentences and recognize relationships among words and concepts.

Quantitative Reasoning:
Measures problem-solving ability, focusing on basic concepts of arithmetic, algebra, geometry and data analysis.

Analytical Writing:
Measures critical thinking and analytical writing skills, specifically your ability to articulate and support complex ideas clearly and effectively.

GRE Subject Tests:
GRE Subject Tests are meant to test your knowledge and skill level in a particular subject area. These subject tests are emphasized by undergraduate programmes.
The GRE subject test is available only in the paper and pencil version.

Eight different GRE subject tests are available:
GRE Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Subject Test- 180 Questions
GRE Biology Subject Test- 200 Questions
GRE Chemistry Subject Test- 130 Questions
GRE Computer Science Subject Test – 70 Questions
GRE Literature in English Subject Test- 230 Questions
GRE Mathematics Subject Test- 66 Questions
GRE Physics Subject Test- 100 Questions
GRE Psychology Subject Test- 205 Questions
Format of the Exam
Format of Exam

The GRE consists of three main sections:

Verbal Reasoning: 30 Minutes/30 Questions
Quantitative Reasoning: 40 Minutes/28 Questions
Analytical Writing
Scoring Pattern
The total (maximum) marks allotted in GRE is 340
Sectional scores (for verbal and quantitative sections) – allotted is 170 marks (maximum) per section.
Analytical writing assessment scores scored separately on a scale of 0-6 based on the overall impact of the essays written by the student.
Countries Accepting the GRE Score
All the top universities around the world in US, UK, Europe, Singapore and Australia accept GRE score. More than 600 business schools accept the GRE score world-wide.
In the past, business schools have only accepted the Graduate Management Admission Test or GMAT, which looks more at reading, comprehension and reasoning. The GRE has a stronger focus on vocabulary and straightforward quantitative skills.

Test Centers and Dates:
Computer-delivered GRE® revised General Test
1. Click the below link to view test centers, test dates and seat availability.
https://mygre.ets.org/greweb/action/RegPortal
Note that if you would like to register to test, you will need to create or sign in to your My GRE® Account.
2. The computer-delivered GRE® revised General Test is offered year-round at Prometric™ test centers, and also on specific dates at additional testing locations outside of the Prometric test center network. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis.
3. When selecting a test date, make sure your scores will be reported in time for your application deadlines. For computer-delivered tests, scores reports are sent to your designated score recipients approximately 10–15 days after your test date. Please allow time for delivery of scores and processing by the institution.
4. You can take the computer-delivered GRE revised General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously. You may take the paper-delivered GRE revised General Test as often as it is offered.
5. Click here to see list of computer-delivered test centers (does not show test dates or seat availability) (PDF). www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_cbt_dom_intl_rrc_china_etc.pdf

Paper-delivered GRE revised General Test

1. Click the below link to view test centers, test dates and seat availability.
https://mygre.ets.org/greweb/action/RegPortal
2. See test dates, deadlines and score reporting dates below. All dates shown are (MM/DD/YY). All deadlines are registration receipt dates at ETS.
3. When selecting a test date, make sure your scores will be reported in time for your application deadlines. For paper-delivered tests, scores reports are sent to the score recipients you designate according to the approximate score report mailing dates listed below. Please allow time for delivery of scores and processing by the institution.
4. You can take the computer delivered GRE revised General Test once every 21 days, up to five times within any continuous rolling 12-month period (365 days). This applies even if you canceled your scores on a test taken previously. You may take the paper-delivered GRE revised General Test as often as it is offered.
For Paper-delivered Testing in All Other Locations, Including U.S. Territories (2014–15)
Note: All deadlines below are registration receipt dates at ETS. All dates shown are (MM/DD/YY).

Here are some of the top universities which accept the GRE Score:
Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business
INSEAD
Columbia Business School
Harvard Business School
MIT Sloan
Stephen M. Ross School of Business
Yale School of Management
London Business School, U.K
IMD Switzerland
University of Chicago, U.S.A

For more details, please visit:
www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about

The world’s most well-known undergraduate college admission test, the SAT, is changing. When students open their SAT test books in spring 2016, they’ll encounter an SAT that is more focused, useful, clear, and open than ever before. The redesigned SAT aims to be more relevant in changing times. Each change in the redesigned SAT focuses on the knowledge and skills that are most essential for college readiness and success.

SALIENT FEATURES:

The exam will be scored out of 1600. The Evidence-Based Reading/Writing and Math sections will each be scored on a 200 to 800 point scale. Scores for the Essay will be reported separately.
The Essay will be optional, and not mandatory like it currently is.
The duration of the exam will be about 3 hours, with an additional 50 minutes for the Essay. Precise timing will be finalized after further research.

THE EIGHT KEY CHANGES:

1. Relevant Words in Context:
The redesigned SAT will focus on relevant words, the meanings of which depend on how they’re used. Students will be asked to interpret the meaning of words based on the context of the passage in which they appear. This is demanding but rewarding work. These are words that students will use throughout their lives — in high school, college, and beyond.
Requiring students to master relevant vocabulary will change the way they prepare for the exam. No longer will students use flashcards to memorize obscure words, only to forget them the minute they put their test pencils down. The redesigned SAT will engage students in close reading and honor the best work of the classroom.

2. Command of Evidence:
When students take the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Essay sections of the redesigned SAT, they’ll be asked to demonstrate their ability to interpret, synthesize, and use evidence found in a wide range of sources. These include informational graphics and multi-paragraph passages excerpted from literature and literary nonfiction; texts in the humanities, science, history, and social studies; and career-related sources.
For every passage students read in the SAT Reading Test, there will be at least one question asking them to select a quote from the text that best supports the answer they have chosen in response to the preceding question. Some passages will be paired with informational graphics, and students will be asked to integrate the information conveyed through each in order to find the best answer.
Questions in the SAT Writing and Language Test will also focus on command of evidence. Students will be asked to analyze sequences of paragraphs to make sure they are correct, grammatically and substantively. In some questions, students will be asked to interpret graphics and edit the accompanying passages so that they accurately convey the information in the graphics.
The Essay will also require students to demonstrate command of evidence. Students will be asked to analyze a provided source text to determine how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience through the use of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive devices and then to write a cogent and clear analysis supported by critical reasoning and evidence drawn from the source.

3. Essay Analyzing a Source:
The focus of the Essay section on the redesigned SAT will be very different from the essay on the current SAT. Students will read a passage and explain how the author builds an argument to persuade an audience. Students may analyze such aspects of the passage as the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and stylistic and persuasive elements. This task more closely mirrors college writing assignments.
The new Essay section is designed to support high school students and teachers as they cultivate close reading, careful analysis, and clear writing. It will promote the practice of reading a wide variety of arguments and analyzing how authors do their work as writers.
The essay prompt will be shared in advance and remain consistent. Only the source material (passage) will change. The Essay will be an optional component of the SAT, although some school districts and colleges will require it.

4. Focus on Math that Matters Most:
The exam will focus in depth on three essential areas of math: Problem Solving and Data Analysis, the Heart of Algebra, and Passport to Advanced Math. Problem Solving and Data Analysis is about being quantitatively literate. It includes using ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning to solve problems in science, social science, and career contexts. The Heart of Algebra focuses on the mastery of linear equations and systems, which helps students develop key powers of abstraction. Passport to Advanced Math focuses on student’s familiarity with more complex equations and the manipulation they require.
Current research shows that these areas most contribute to readiness for college and career training. They’re used disproportionately in a wide range of majors and careers. In addition to these areas, the exam will sample additional topics in math, including the kinds of geometric and trigonometric skills that are most relevant to college and careers.

5. Problems Grounded in Real-World Contexts:
Throughout the redesigned SAT, students will engage with questions grounded in the real world, questions directly related to the work performed in college and career.
In the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section, reading questions will include literature and literary nonfiction, but also feature charts, graphs, and passages like the ones students are likely to encounter in science, social science, and other majors and careers. Students will be asked to do more than correct errors; they’ll edit and revise to improve texts from the humanities, history, social science, and career contexts.
The Math section will feature multistep applications to solve problems in science, social science, career scenarios, and other real-life contexts. Students will be presented with a scenario and then asked several questions about it. This allows students to dig into a situation and think about it, then model it mathematically.

6. Analysis in Science and in History/Social Studies:
Students will be asked to apply their reading, writing, language, and math skills to answer questions in science, history, and social studies contexts. They will use these skills — in college, in their jobs, and in their lives — to make sense of recent discoveries, political developments, global events, and health and environmental issues.
Students will encounter challenging texts and informational graphics that pertain to issues and topics like these in the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and the Math section. Questions will require them to read and comprehend texts, revise texts to be consistent with data presented in graphics, synthesize information presented through texts and graphics, and solve problems based in science and social science.

7. Founding Documents and Great Global Conversation:
The U.S. founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Federalist Papers, have helped inspire a conversation that continues to this day about the nature of civic life. While the founding documents originated in the early American context, authors, speakers, and thinkers from the United States and around the world, including Edmund Burke, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Mahatma Gandhi, have broadened and deepened the conversation around such vital matters as freedom, justice, and human dignity. Every time students take the redesigned SAT, they will encounter a passage from one of the founding documents or from a text from the global conversation. In this way, we hope that the redesigned SAT will inspire a close reading of these rich, meaningful, often profound texts, not only as a way to develop valuable college and career readiness skills but also as an opportunity to reflect on and deeply engage with issues and concerns central to informed citizenship.

8. No Penalty for Wrong Answers:
The redesigned SAT will remove the penalty for wrong answers. Students will earn points for the questions they answer correctly. This move to rights-only scoring encourages students to give the best answer they have to every problem.
Launch Date and Who Gets Impacted
The first administration of the redesigned exam will take place in spring 2016. The high school graduating classes of 2014 and 2015 will take the current SAT. These students should continue to visit the SAT website to register for the test and to get and send their scores.

Other Things You Need To Know:
Why is the essay optional?
There are two main reasons behind the decision to make the essay optional on the redesigned SAT. The editing work students do in the multiple-choice Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section is deeply predictive of college success. However, one essay alone has not in the past contributed significantly to the overall predictive power of the exam. Furthermore, feedback from college admission officers was split; some of them found the essay useful while many did not.

Can students use calculators on the redesigned SAT?
A calculator will be allowed on one of two sections in the redesigned SAT Math Test. Calculators are important mathematical tools, and to succeed after high school, students have to know how to use them effectively and appropriately. But the no-calculator section makes it easier to assess students’ fluency in math and understanding of math concepts. It also rewards well-learned technique and number-sense.

How will colleges use the scores of the redesigned SAT and compare scores on the redesigned SAT to scores on the current SAT?
By better reflecting rigorous, useful course work, the SAT of 2016 will, more than ever, help colleges form a complete picture of each applicant. This will include a new, more robust score report that will provide greater insight into students’ strengths. The College Board will provide colleges with a concordance that shows how the two sets of scores compare.

Can students take both the current SAT and the redesigned SAT and see which score is higher?
When the College Board switches over to the redesigned SAT in spring 2016, the current SAT will no longer be offered. However, some students might take the SAT before that time and then take the redesigned SAT later. Because the exam and score scale are changing, we recommend that these students send all scores, allowing colleges to use those that are most favorable to the student. Some colleges require students to send all scores.

Is the PSAT/NMSQT changing too?
Yes, the PSAT/NMSQT will change together with the SAT and is planned to launch in October 2015. This schedule will allow students to take the redesigned PSAT/NMSQT before the redesigned SAT.


Full specifications of the redesigned SAT have been made available. For more information, you should visit www.deliveringopportunity.org.