ETS Lifts Suspension On GRE, TOEFL In Nigeria

The Educational Testing Service says it has lifted the suspension it placed on the conduct of the Graduate Record Examination and Test of English as a Foreign Language in Nigeria.

The United States-based education testing and assessment organisation, last November 7, suspended the administration of the two tests in Nigeria, citing “security reasons.”

Although ETS did not elaborate on the security breaches, accredited agents of the examination body had stated that they were informed that an “administrative review” was being carried out.

However, our correspondent gathered that the ETS, after its review, said the test administration would now commence on January 25 in three “select” test centres in Nigeria.

“The ETS is resuming TOEFL and GRE testing in Nigeria at a select number of test centres in Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt starting January 25 and 26, 2014 respectively. Registration for
all upcoming GRE and TOEFL test dates will open on Monday, January 13.

“Individuals interested in registering to take the GRE and TOEFL tests should refer to the online registration system for details about test centre locations and available test dates,” a message posted on the ETS website states.

Findings by our correspondent revealed that the tests, offered more than 50 times a year at authorised test centers around the world, would no longer hold in many locations in the country.

It was gathered that accreditation had been withdrawn from some of the authorised agents after the ETS completed its review process.

While the tests will no longer hold in such cities as Ibadan, Oyo State, it was learnt that only two centres would be used for the test administration in Lagos.

Our correspondent, who visited the Ikeja, Lagos office of First Logic, one of the major centres where the GRE and TOEFL tests used to hold, learnt that the exercise would no longer hold there.

A female official of the centre, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the firm would however continue to assist candidates seeking to take the tests.

While the 11-week suspension lasted, Nigerians seeking to secure admission to foreign universities travelled to neighbouring West African countries, especially Ghana, for the tests.

Dr. Peter Awosika, who wrote the GRE in Ghana, last December, said the lifting of the suspension was a “big relief”.