If you’re someone who has aspired to study in the U.S. then you’re probably familiar with the range of admissions tests you likely had to consider or take. These might include the TOEFL, or the Test of English as a Foreign Language, to assess someone’s English proficiency for university study, immigration and more, and that is accepted by more than 10,000 organizations in 130 countries, including top English-speaking universities worldwide. More than 30 million people have taken the TOEFL test. And then there is the GRE test, the world’s most widely used admissions test for graduate and professional school. Just over 341,000 people took the GRE admissions test between 2021 and 2022 and 75% of them were outside the U.S., and many of them from India. This episode’s guest is Rohit Sharma, Senior Vice President for Global Higher Education and Workskills at ETS—or the Educational Testing Service—the U.S.-based organization that conducts these important tests. Rohit is himself a former international student from India and now oversees ETS’s engagement in international higher education and also its new focus on upskilling and skill development for adult workers. Prior to joining ETS in 2022, Rohit has held senior leadership roles across higher education, training, certification and workforce development sectors, with over two decades of international experience covering more than 25 countries and jurisdictions. In today’s conversation we talk about the value of international students and why ETS is at the forefront of fostering student mobility; how tests like the GRE aim to be responsive to a diverse and global student population; and yes—the topic on everyone’s minds these days—how AI will affect testing and assessment.
Episode Themes:
Rohit’s own journey of taking ETS tests when coming to the U.S. to study and now coming full circle to work for the world’s largest testing and assessment organization
Why ETS is focused on keeping the door open to international students in the U.S.
How ETS ensures that its tests are fair, unbiased, and culturally sensitive for test-takers from diverse backgrounds
ETS’s new focus on upskilling and reskilling adults and why it matters
How AI will affect the future of testing and assessment
When it comes to higher education or jobs, what excites Rohit the most about this particular moment in time
Episode Resources:
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Episode sponsor:
This episode was made possible by the generous support of MPOWER Financing which provides no-cosigner loans and scholarships for international, DACA, and refugee students. Headquartered in Washington DC, MPOWER has to date helped tens of thousands of students fund their educational dreams and journeys.
