Baruch College Zicklin School of Business First in U.S. to Turn to Pearson for New Test of English Language Ability of International Students
Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business, is first U.S. institution to recognize new Pearson Test of English. Pictured (left to right) are Frank Fletcher, Executive Director of Graduate Programs, Baruch College; Guy Harrington, Director of University Relations, Pearson; John Elliott, Vice President and Dean, Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business; and Frances Murphy, Director of Graduate Admissions, Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business.
Pearson Test of English is now recognized by the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business. Beginning in October 2009, the business school will use Pearson’s new computer-based academic English language test to measure the language skills of candidates for admission who are non-native English speakers.
The Zicklin School of Business is the only CUNY unit that offers business programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is the largest collegiate school of business in the United States.
John Elliott, Dean of the Zicklin School, notes that one especially important feature of the new test is the ability of admissions professionals to listen to recorded speech by the candidate, a capability that is not available with other tests and is a key input to difficult admissions decisions. He adds, “Moreover, the test is administered with the same high standards of security that characterize the Graduate Admissions Test® – GMAT®- assuring that the test taker and the applicant for admission are the same individual.”
Baruch College has been recognized as the most ethnically diverse campus in the nation by both “U.S. News & World Report” and “The Princeton Review” more times than any other college in the United States. The Baruch community is a true reflection of its location in the heart of New York City. Its student body of 15,700 represents 160 countries, and its students speak 110 languages.
“We are delighted that Baruch College’s prestigious Zicklin School of Business is making our Pearson Test of English part of the candidate evaluation for its international admissions process,” says Mark Anderson, President of Pearson Language Tests. “Having the largest collegiate school of business in the United States recognize our new test emphasizes the need for a more accurate measure of the reading, writing, listening and speaking abilities of international students who are candidates for admission.”
Pearson Test of English is a new computer-based academic English language test, delivering real-life measures of candidates’ language ability to universities, higher education institutions, government departments and other organizations requiring academic-level English. The test is designed to better predict the ability of candidates to function in an academic environment where English is the language of instruction.
Frances Murphy, Director of Graduate Admissions at Zicklin, comments, “I am truly excited about Pearson Test of English. After working for years with other English language tests and getting increasingly frustrated, I am ready for something new and better. I have worked with Pearson during the development of this test and have had the opportunity to see its innovative design and capabilities. In addition, Pearson Test of English has been endorsed by the Graduate Management Admission Council – so it is backed by Pearson and GMAC, both brands that we know and trust.”
The full list of recognizing institutions is available here.