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Standardized Admission Tests
If English is not your native language, U.S. Universities and colleges will ask you to take an English language proficiency test before admitting you to a degree program. Almost all institutions require that this test be the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
http://www.toefl.org
The test uses a multiple choice and essay format to measure each examinee's ability to understand North American English. The test is divided into four sections: listening, structure, reading, and writing. The writing section requires the test taker to write an essay.
As a part of the application process, most American colleges and universities require scores from one of the U.S. standardized admissions tests. However, some colleges and universities do not require international applicants to take admissions tests, and some schools do not ask for admissions test scores from any applicant. Community colleges do not usually require applicants to take standardized admissions tests.
There are three main undergraduate admissions tests:
Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT I)
SAT II Subject Tests
American College Testing (ACT) Assessment
The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)
http://www.collegeboard.com
SAT I is primarily a multiple-choice test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities. SAT II Subject Tests are also primarily multiple choice and measure knowledge in specific subject areas. The subjects currently offered are: American History and Social Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, English Language Proficiency, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Literature, Mathematics, Modern Hebrew, Physics, Spanish, World History, and Writing.
Many U.S. Colleges and universities, especially those that have more competitive admissions criteria, either require or recommend one or more SAT II test scores for admission and/or placement purposes.
The American College Testing Assessment (ACT)
http://www.act.org
The ACT is administered by the American College Testing Program. As an international student, you may not need to take the ACT. The ACT Assessment is a multiple-choice test that measures English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.
Abridged from If you want to study in the United States
Other standardized tests:
GRE – Graduate Record Examination
Often required by the universities for graduate study. Designed to measure verbal, analytical and quantitative ability.
GMAT – Graduate Management Admission Test
Required by most universities for graduate studies in business administration. Measures abilities necessary to study management at the graduate level.
LSAT - Law School Admission Test
Required for admission to all 200 law schools that are members of the Law School Admission Council. Measures acquired reading and verbal reasoning skills.
See also: Application Procedures for the University Studies in the United States
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