Front-runners in online exams, LangaugeCert exams are recognised by public and private organisations worldwide, both in business and academic institutions. LanguageCert exams are secure and flexible – exams can booked the same day and results are issued within three working days. The written exam (writing, reading, listening) and the spoken exam (speaking) can be taken separately.

There are two versions: IELTS academic and IELTS general. Since 1989, IELTS has grown to become the main measure of English in academic institutions around the world, including 3,000 universities in the USA. There is no ‘pass’ or 'fail’ – IELTS issues a score on a scale of 1 – 9; most universities require a score between 6 and 7.5. There are four papers (Reading, Writing, Listening Speaking) for a total of around 175 minutes. From 2022, IELTS will be available online.

CAMBRIDGE ASSESSMENT ENGLISH organises a range of exams at all levels of the CEFR and are the ‘traditional’ English tests in Europe, widely used within the school system. The Cambridge B2 and C1 exams are accepted by many British and European universities.

Test of English as a Foreign Language TOEFL is the North American competitor of IELTS, being recognised by around 11,000 academic institutions globally. There are four parts: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking for a total of approximately 180 minutes, The most common version of TOEFL is online (iBT) but there are also some centres for the pen and paper version.

Test of English for International Communication TOEIC is mainly used as an assessment of language skills by businesses, both for selection and training purposes. TOEIC gives a score on a range from 1 to 999. The exam consists of 200 questions in listening and reading for a total of 120 minutes. A reliable testing system at intermediate and advanced levels, TOEIC is designed to be more ‘intuitive’ than other ‘academic’ tests and requires less specific preparation. In 2006 the speaking and writing tests were introduced.