Date:07/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/07/stories/2009010757570600.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Impersonation on the rise in TOEFL

Students seek services of candidates with sound knowledge in English

HYDERABAD: After giving attendance by proxy in the colleges, students seem to be extending the practice to tests that play an important role in their entry into foreign universities.

If some students are to be believed, impersonation is on rise in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and premium scores are available for a good price of Rs. 30,000 and above.

Services of candidates with sound knowledge in English are being sought by students with lesser skills for gaining good score that is key for admissions in US universities. For a handsome price of Rs. 25,000 and above a minimum score of 100 and above is guaranteed.

“The modus operandi is simple. Instead of the original candidate the impersonator takes the test and this is done in connivance with test centres,” discloses a student.

In TOEFL the candidates are only photographed before the systems are allotted and there is no monitoring.

“In GRE CCTVs monitor the students and since the scores are instant all the info including the picture is fed into the system,” says a candidate explaining the scope for cheating. “Such a score with decent academic record not only guarantees a seat in a reputed University but also teaching assistance-ship that gives higher remuneration than other unskilled jobs in the US,” says Gouripathi of Visu International. “However, majority universities accept scores above 80 out of 120 marks.” But he refuses to comment on impersonation. While students are not willing to be quoted even the consultants take the same path though lot of them agree that impersonation is a fact.

Serious students are worried that such dubious methods will not only rob their chances but also project a poor picture of the country on the US campuses.

“Let us not forget how people with fake certificates entered the US during the IT boom which later affected the genuine candidates’ chances,” says an engineering final year student.

About 10 centres in the city have been authorised to conduct TOEFL by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) that manages the TOEFL across the world and around 14 engineering colleges in the State also got permission to start test centres.