Following allegations in a BBC programme in February this year that fraudulent measures were adopted by candidates to obtain TOEIC accreditation, the British Home Office has announced that its contract with the global testing giant ETS will not be extended.
As per the UK Council for International Student Affairs' official website, "ETS is no longer providing TOEIC and TOEFL tests for people who want to use them in support of UK immigration applications. This is because of allegations of fraud."
"The Home Office has been investigating the allegations of fraud and decided that in future it will change the list of English language test certificates that are acceptable in support of UK immigration applications. So that ETS tests are not included," it says.
The ETS has confirmed this news on its TOEFL website.
"Following the broadcast of a BBC Panorama programme in February 2014 which highlighted an organised element seeking to circumvent the UK's visa-granting process, ETS has made the decision not to extend our Secure English-language Testing (SELT) licence with the Home Office. As a result, TOEIC and TOEFL iBT testing will no longer be offered for UK visa-granting purposes," ETS said in a statement on its website.
However, the organisation said, "The fraud uncovered by the BBC programme was limited to TOEIC testing", and the security of TOEFL was not questioned.
"The fraud uncovered by the BBC programme was limited to TOEIC testing. Security measures around the TOEFL test were never under question," the statement said.
The UK Council for International Student Affairs has advised students who use ETS tests in their immigration applications to take other English proficiency tests approved by the Home Office, or to contact the advisors at their education institutions for assistance.
The TOEFL test remains the most widely respected English-language test in the world recognised by more than 9,000 institutions in more than 130 countries.
RESULT
to provide Secure English Language Testing as required in the student visa application ETS tests no longer accepted by UK visa authorities http://t.co
ETS (TOEFL and TOEIC) tests no longer accepted by UK visa ...
The UK government has announced that it has not extended its licence agreement with ETS the global testing giant to provide Secure English Language
Update on TOEFL® Testing in the U.K. - ETS Home
circumvent the U.K.s visa-granting process, ETS has made the ® testing will no longer be English-language test in the world
Toefl and Toeic suspended for UK visas
The Toefl and Toeic English language tests will no longer be to provide Secure English Language Tests the UKs visa-granting process, ETS has made
TOEIC: U.K. Visas - ETS
ETS has made the decision not to extend our Secure English-language Testing will no longer be offered for U.K. visa by Educational Testing
Total Student Care (TSC)
TOEFL and TOEIC no longer SELTs. ETS has decided not of ETSs Secure English Language Testing testing will no longer be offered for UK visa
Students protest to UK for 'unfair' exams ban in visa ...
found these are no longer valid in UK visa all English language tests done through ETS in UKVI to "provide reasonable
ETS Global in the UK / My Country / Global - ETS GLOBAL [eng]
circumvent the UKs visa-granting process, ETS has made ® testing will no longer be offered for UK visa English-language test in the
Students protest to UK for 'unfair' exams ban in visa ...
found these are no longer valid in UK visa suspended all English language tests done through ETS in UKVI to "provide reasonable measures to
TOEFL & TOEIC test suspended for UK visa | The London ...
UK Home office earlier this week suspended any ETS recognized English test TOEFL & TOEIC as approved English language qualification for overseas students and
