Educational Testing Service Reviews 302

If I could I'd give 0 stars. Online test was a huge scam. They terminated my test for no reason and stole $370 from me, no refunds, no option to reschedule even. A bunch of incompetent people working at a call center somewhere in India that barely speak English themselves. Never again!!! I would genuinely recommend everybody to consider IELTS instead.

Horrible experience. They canceled my score without giving me a clear reason why. They said that my writing task did not follow the instructions or contained ideas found in other sources. I am very confident that none of this is true. I followed the instructions closely and my work is completely original. After calling and emailing them, they refused to give me the exact issue with my writing and they said there's no possibility for re-evaluation or refund. Avoid at all costs.

I hate this website.
I got a 118/120 on the test, so this is not about the test at all.
I cant log in.
I cant reset my password.
I dont even know where to go to get my results.
I cant reach out because they have a horrible bot.
When I fill in a form to reach out the bot says
"couldnt send it. try again".
I just wanna know whos responsible for this HORRIBLE WEBSITE. You know where you're going after this life. Shame on you

Don't use Ets training services to obtain CSCS cards or sentinel cards as they don't train you properly . They don't teach you content that will come up in your exams , and when you do come to sitting the exam you won't know the questions and are destined to fail as u haven't covered it . They try and condense learning for CSCS into a 1 week course , giving you little to no time to prepare for a test and they say that certain topics for a exam won t come up or not to worry about it and then when you do the exam they do so they set you up to fail .

I am only retaking this test (which is very inaccurate to judge English skills, by the way) because of very inadequate policies from us universities. MyEnglish is bad, but you won’t notice that from this test (where I always get incredibly high results).
ETS took the money of my payment and no test was scheduled. I’ve been fighting for two weeks with customer service. Totally dissatisfied and losing motivation for my phd applications.

I had a very bad experience with ETS. My TOEFL Home Edition test disconnected near the end because of their system, and my score was cancelled even though I did nothing wrong.
For almost two months, after sending dozens of emails, making multiple phone calls, and repeatedly chatting with their customer service, ETS still ignored my case. They kept giving me copy-paste replies and transferring me between departments without providing any real help. I kept asking for a refund, but they never refunded me or offered any proper solution.
Only after I filed a BBB complaint, they suddenly offered me a makeup test ,but by that time, I had already missed my university deadlines, so it was useless for me.
When I rejected the makeup test and continued the complaint, ETS finally refunded my money , and even then, they didn’t refund the full amount at first. I had to follow up again to get the rest.
Very unprofessional and stressful experience. I had to fight for weeks just to get my own money back.

Unfortunally 0 stars is not an option. This is the biggest fraud of a company that somehow got the monopoly of testing for school certifications. They will not give your money back or provide a different testing date if you are beginning your test and something happens to your internet or computer. I'm still fighting the charges! This organization should be put out of business. Absolutely 100%, hands down, the worst business with which I've done business. I' have asked for my chat threads multiple times so that I can send it to my credit card company. They just igonore it. I have not been successful finding a phone number...everything is done by email...and while getting ready to take the test, the Proctors have such broken English that it adds to the frustrations. The Department of Education should be ashamed for using EST to conduct their Praxis exams!

I took the TOEFL Home Edition test over a month ago, and the test was suddenly disconnected near the end due to a technical issue.
Since then, I’ve sent multiple emails and called three times but no one has given me a clear answer.
ETS keeps redirecting me between the general support team and the Test Taker Advocacy Team, and I still haven’t received my results, a refund, or even a chance to retake the test.
This experience has been extremely stressful and disappointing.
As an international test taker who needed this result for a university deadline, I expected professionalism and transparency,,unfortunately, I got neither

Booked the wrong date, tried to cancle immidiately.
They said there is no full refund.
I payed the 350,39$ and havent gotten the extremely low refund amount they offer.
Email support is terrible, live chat can't help either.
Still waiting for my refund after two months.
SCAM, be aware

Don't take the TOEFL test if you have options since you could be paying for nothing. My 17 yo son took the test in an accredited test center. There were 3 students in the room, under strict control. My son did not do the test from his bedroom! TOEFL decided that there were inconsistencies and invalidated the test. We don't know why, ETS did not provide any explanation and only sent standard language saying that in accordance with their policy they have the right to invalidate tests with no appeal right for us, no refund (and no explanation). This is completely unfair because my son did nothing wrong. We lost USD300, and a month for university application. The damage is huge, and ETS does not explain. So we could do the test again at our own costs, and have it invalidated again!!! Outreageous. A total scam

In the following, you can read my writing assignment for the TOEFL Home Edition. I tried to stay under 150 words and within 20 minutes, as following the rules is important. Please also check my grammar and expression, since they seriously affect the test results:

Like any other participant, I applied for the test because I had to. I have dreams — I want to study abroad, and like every other student in my situation, my dreams wouldn’t come true without the “non-profit” organization ETS. (Why non-profit, you ask? Well, there’s one big advantage compared to a profit-oriented company: they don’t pay taxes on their profits. Quite inspiring, isn’t it?)

If you don’t trust my opinion, here’s a voice from history: “[…] critics say it has transformed into a highly competitive business operation that is as much a multinational monopoly as a nonprofit institution — one capable of charging hefty fees, laying off workers and using sharp elbows in competing against rivals; even as it edges more toward large, competitive company, it remains nonprofit organization--status critics say gives it unfair advantage; mounting criticism has rekindled debate over whether it deserves nonprofit status, which has exempted it from tens of millions of dollars in Federal income taxes, or same as major foundation or charity” — The New York Times, 1997.

Anyway, test day — 8:30 a.m., my apartment. Perfectly prepared, according to the handbook of academic obedience. I ran the device check, completed two practice tests (extra cost, of course — ambition has its price), simulated the setup with my second device, arranged my desk, and finally met my proctor: a very friendly Indian woman who would soon know my apartment better than I do. They supervise your test almost like a one-way Zoom meeting — they have access to everything: your screen, your webcam, and your second device camera.

I didn’t expect what came next. I thought that paying almost €400 would ensure excellent service and user experience. I was wrong. My proctor was so friendly as to help me clean almost my entire apartment. I thought I was well prepared — I had read the instructions carefully: no items on the desk, one camera showing the entrance, and many more.

Without boring you with all the details, I had to rearrange nearly my whole apartment: moving desks, replacing my ergonomic seat (which wasn’t allowed), removing items from, above, and under the desk and my shelf — even within a 1.5-meter radius. Everything suddenly became a suspect in a crime of potential dishonesty. Honestly, I’m a bit traumatized by this experience. This unknown woman had full insight into my private space and forced me to rearrange everything just to meet the strict rules of the test. My apartment was a total mess afterwards. I mean, how could I possibly cheat with a glass of water, a blank sheet of paper, or my ergonomic seat?

I respect rules. I understand the need for fairness and standardization. But this process was so exhausting that it visibly affected my performance. You start with Reading, then Listening, Speaking, and Writing. For the first section, I scored only 16 out of 30, but after calming down during the second, I reached 28 out of 30. I’m not entirely convinced about the fairness of these conditions.

Now I’m waiting for the rest of my results. I hope this writing assignment earns me some extra points — even though I spent an hour too long writing it and ended up with more than 600 words. I guess I’m just too emotional about this forced scam. Still, I’m sure it will somehow help my future career.

Unbelievable...$60 fee for rescheduling a digital test immediately after booking. This company is truly evil.

Terrible experience with ETS Toefl at home test, no response from customer service, they take too long to answer emails, and they cancelled my exam without reschedule or refund. TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. If you're thinking on getting a test at home, DON'T DO IT!

Like many others I made the mistake of taking this exam at home. Their links were broken and site was down showing the requirements for the test until right before the test. So I logged in with earphones. The proctor said I couldn't use them, so I said I'd take them off. He still would not let me take the exam. After a week of asking for a refund or at least a discount on rescheduling I was told no. So I did a chargeback on my card. Which apparently comes with them banning you from taking the test again. One company has a monopoly on the test required for most schools, and they know it. Of course they will rob you for every cent they can. I can't wait until ETS is phased out from all schools.

Sent scores to the wrong address, claimed I changed the address after ordering, hung up twice when called (once before even getting a human on the line)

If that. I would give it a zero. It took over 2 hours to log in and they had no real customer service. Their ai bot Anita could not even comprehend simple questions or directions. The proctor was unintelligible and in a call center probably in Asia where it was loud and many people were talking on multiple conversations. Their server didn’t work. The practice test would not display diagrams so it was impossible to practice. I will call the department of education to complain.

Never have I worked with a more incompetent company. The Mac/Safari integration doesn't work properly, which lead to a missing first name in the system, which only became apparent when I had my test. Since then, I send them my problems several times, including my ID. Nothing happened except for finger pointing. This company plays pingpong with the dreams and academic ambitions of young people. It's a shame.

I paid to take the TOEFL Home Edition and was never even allowed to start the test. After a long security check with a proctor who cleared everything, I received an error saying I couldn’t take the exam for “security reasons.” No explanation, no proof, just a generic automated email refusing any refund or reschedule.

Like many others online, I was accused of having "unauthorized software" running — but they won’t tell you what it was. It could be anything. ETS knows this is a recurring problem but continues to take advantage of test takers, who pay a lot and are under pressure to meet deadlines.

Now I’ve lost my money, my time, and missed my application deadline — all for a service I never even received. I feel scammed and powerless. This system is broken, and ETS refuses to take accountability.

Do NOT trust them. Take the test at a center if you must — never the Home Edition.

I’ve created an X account just for this — a space where everyone who has been silenced or unfairly treated by ETS can share their stories and be heard. Here is my page: @Pamela88175040
Please join the conversation and help us push for change.
#TOEFLScam #ETSinjustice #TestFairness

This Company is a Scam , DO NOT Use it!

As soon as I logged in for my test, I heard someone’s voice—a man with an Indian accent from ETS who was guiding me through the process. He asked me to show my desk and surroundings and approved my ID. However, before I even started the test, I received a message saying the test had been terminated. The same person then instructed me to restart my computer. After doing so, I was unable to log back into the test, and my computer is now unable to access the web.

This experience feels like a scam. I strongly advise others to avoid using this service.

I had a scheduled test on June 7th 2025, I set up at the library and had to leave because the internet was horrible. Went home got logged in, went through the steps finally got logged into the test only for it to be terminated because of a time zone mismatch or the time on my device was wrong, which ever one they choose for the day. I have attempted to get a reschedule but have been denied now 3 times. Customer service doesn’t care they read the same script and say the same words no matter who I’m on the phone with. Mahammed Nijee from the test advocacy team has no sympathy at all for anyone’s situation and keeps denying a retest unless I pay another $156.00 for the PLT test, and if I cancel the psychology test I have scheduled for June 21st I only get half of that $130.00 dollars back. So I lose money and they gain money either way it’s my I lose. I’m not even asking for a refund but a chance to take my test without have to pay another fee I can’t afford because they chose to put several different eastern time zones instead of just one which makes to much sense!!