Education testing major ETS and NIIT announce strategic alliance; to offer English testing services

The new initiative is aimed at enhancing employability of graduates and providing competitive advantage to Indian organizations, says NIIT.

As part of the strategic agreement, NIIT will offer ETSs TOEIC test (Test of English for International Communication), which evaluates a candidates English language skills as demanded in day-to-day business functioning. Apart from TOEIC, NIIT will also offer TOEFL Practice Online (TPO), and CriterionSM Online Writing Evaluation Service in India. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Vijay K. Thadani, Chief Executive Officer, NIIT, said, India is poised to be a talent hub for global manpower needs. In our efforts of developing global talent, we are happy to partner with ETS to enhance employability of individuals and help large Indian organizations become more competitive in the global market place.

Through this alliance, NIIT will leverage its Testing and Assessment capabilities to offer ETS tests to students, professionals and job aspirants who seek to evaluate their English Communication skills for employment prospects in emerging sectors such as IT, ITES, Retail, Banking and Insurance, among others in India.

The agreement comes at a time when millions of people throughout the world are learning English; workplaces are increasingly becoming more globally focused; and workforces are more culturally diverse than ever. In addition, non-native English speakers outnumber native English speakers by more than three-to-one, an accelerating trend worldwide.

We are pleased to enter into this strategic relationship with NIIT and we welcome them as our Country Master Distributor in India, says David Hunt, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of ETS Global Division.
The TOEFL test is a popular academic English language examination, accepted by more than 6,000 universities in 160 countries. The TOEIC test is the global standard for communicative English ability in the international workplace, says ETS. The TOEIC test is offered in about 60 countries around the world. More than 5,000 companies, government and public offices and other organizations use the TOEIC test, informs ETS.