Educational Testing Service Reviews 302

The worst online test experience ever. Unprofessional customer support, faulty software and a million excuses not to refund the exam that never happened. Unless you wish to waste your money and time, don't take the Home Edition test

I tried to take the at home test twice, both times it didnt work due to different reasons. When I couldnt start my second test, I was told by proctor support to contact ETS support to reschedule my test. When I did so, I was told they couldnt help me at all, even though I had proof of the proctor support telling me what to do and that a reschedule would be possible. Unfortunately, you cant talk to anyone who actually works there, its all just people in a call-center. Going to try IELTS now, maybe thats better. Really disappointing service, would never use again.

I rescheduled a Praxis test in order to obtain a teaching license. They confirmed a successful reschedule via email and took the rescheduling fee. Today, I found out that reschedule somehow didn’t go through. I managed to get to customer service after 1 hour battle with automated phone system. They promised to call me back and follow up on the issue, but they never called back. My exam result is marked as ‘failed’. Horrible experience. Why are they still in business… what a disaster of an organization.

People who work here are essentially incompetent and the company is always looking for a quick cash grab.

I spoke with one employee by phone who essentially told me the wrong steps for sending test scores to an organization. Then tried to talk to another representative by phone, after receiving an e-mail from the company that they had cancelled my order due to it being incorrect. The second person I spoke with had horrible reception/service to the point where I could not understand him for most of the conversation. Why?

What a joke...

This product is truly awful, I sat for 3 hours trying to take my exam just for them to tell me I wouldn’t be able to take it due to my laptop. DO NOT TAKE these tests at home.

Not sure how it's legal to give a "half refund" when you've cancelled a test within 24 hours of scheduling it. I haven't received any goods or services. I'm not taking an item off your shelf. And it's not like I'm preventing the sale of another person's test reservation because I've taken up the seat for so long. Test was over 3 weeks away and I cancelled within 24 hours after finding out my University no longer requires test scores for admittance. But I only get a HALF refund? I'm sorry... what?

Absolutely atrocious. The executives of this company should be tried at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Like many of the reviewers here, I too fell victim to the alleged convenience of the TOEFL online test, only to have my test scores cancelled a week later as I "may have received assistance" without any further explanation.

Called in to clarify directly and was informed by an obtuse numbskull in a condescending tone that my understanding of "assistance" may have been too narrow and that the decision was final. No recommended course of action or shred of empathy was offered.

If you are reading this, DO NOT ever hand your money over to these rapacious charlatans unless you have to. There are other options out there, however imperfect, they will indubitably be the lesser of the two evils. Trust me when I say that this company will bleed you dry and leave you only with the solace of finding solidarity with fellow victims of fraud of whom there will be no short supply.

I was scheduled to take the Praxis for my teachers license. First off, I missed the test because it was scheduled for 12:10 am which I mixed up for 12:10 pm. My fault, I own that, but I was not given any sort of notice that I was late, or that my test was starting soon. I understand it was my mixup, but if a proctor is sitting there waiting for me for an extended time and has my contact info, I should've received some notification. Also, why was midnight even an option? I called ETS when I realized the mistake and they said I had to repay the full $170 for the test because I was a no-show... How unethical can a company be to charge people for a product that they didn't even use. I asked if I could just use it as a credit for me to reschedule the test. NOPE. Not only did they not let reschedule online, but I had to call several times to get ahold of a live agent to reschedule. They said they couldn't reschedule because they hadn't received my scores yet. The live agent then read me word for word the email they sent saying I missed the test and have to call in and reschedule. Comically, I laughed because that is exactly what I was doing. They told me to call back the next day to see if the scores came in. I called the next day, nope. Then the next day after that, nope. Finally after almost a week, they said I can reschedule, but the billing department has to do it and they don't open until 11 am, so they will call me back. Do you think they called me back? no. I had to recall them the next day and finally reschedule. Horrible user experience. Prospecting teachers should not have to deal with this, let alone pay astronomical fees for these tests that they try and uncharge you the whole time to buy one set of practice questions....

I did the TOEFL home edition test in may, after I finished everything I waited for one week until I saw my scores were canceled. After a few days and emails i was notified that I may have received assistance during the test(which is not the case). My scores underwent administrative review, which would take 2-4 weeks. After 5 weeks of no updates i was redirected to support, which send me an automated email that I would get a reply in 3-5business days. After 12days nothing happened.I am currently still wating.

ETS outsources ProctorU to another country and not only did I wait over 40 mins to connect to proctor when I had a test scheduled for 5:50p and was still waiting to connect at 6:44p but all ProctorU says is contact ETS, and ETS is also located in the same foreign region that ProctorU is and They RARELY respond to calls or customer inquiries. THIS IS A HORRIBLE SERVICE !!! Ghetto, Ghetto, Ghetto CUSTOMER SERVICE !!!! The state certification boards need to outsource SOME WHERE ELSE~!

I took computer-based General GRE test on 7th of June 2023 and before I the test gets started, a page showed up and asked me about the universities and organizations that I wanted my results to be sent for and apparently this service is free of charge for up to 4 universities and if you need more than that you have to pay for it. On my test day I could not remember the first part of my university's name as I have always used the abbreviation. I called a person to help me and she simply said it is not mandatory you can move on and by that I thought like IELTS I can just add my University's name later. Now that I need my official results to be sent they do not accept their systems lack and I had to pay extra 30$!!!! The customer service was awful!!!!!!!!! I don't know if we could go with any other option rather than ETS!!!! I do not recommend a center that their system is this weak and poor!!!

Dear ETS team, my greetings.
My name is Gaella Impundu, I am from Burundi an East African Country.

The 14th June 2023 at 10.10 Am CAT , during more than 4 hours I completed the TOEFL ibt test home edition at the US Embassy in Burundi in a checked, and secured room prior to my use by the Embassy's employees.
However, after 6 days I have received an email informing me that my scores have been canceled because I may have cheated during the exam.
Which is impossible as I did the TOEFL in the US Embassy, they have the 4 hours footages of me doing it without exterior aid; additionally the normal procedure when cheating occurs is to stop the exam which at no time did happen during the +4 hours. So here is my concern on the basis of what are you accusing me? Do you have proofs against me?
Because in my case I have the 4 hours footages as an evidence of my innocence.
As I need my scores as soon as possible for an application to an institution can you help me sort out this situation?

I wish I could give 0 starts to this terrible and dishonest company. Paid 200 dollars for nothing and they won’t do anything about it. Stayed there doing the test for 6 hours, the most stressful 6 hours of my life, i couldn’t even finish the test. They have the worst support ever, the system kept shutting down and putting me in again with no explanations, no one would answer or help me, i’ve shown my room to them at least 10 times, followed all the rules just to lose my money. Ive been trying to contact them and at least get my money back or reschedule the test for 2 weeks now and yesterday i got a response saying i didn’t follow the directions thats why my test was terminated when in reality i was the one that terminated my test by myself cause i couldn’t take it anymore.

If I had read all these tons of outrages and bad practices, I would never have taken the exam.The first time I took the exam, they made me lose 2 months because Proctor didn't have me scheduled on the day of the exam. What a waste to reschedule it. The second time I paid and took the test, they delayed my results saying that I had cheated. What a disaster to have trusted my money and time in such a robbery. I am sorry that American society has these types of corporate services that steal all over the world.
I have been into the United States many times and I have never had the slightest intention of being incorrect.

These people will harass you and are honestly NASTY. When testing at home they are invasive and flex their control on you any way they can. They made me literally show them FIVE rooms in my house including my TOILET. Then they told me my chair was too small??. Where are the dimensions for a too small chair and how does that have anything to do with testing? It is an outsourced company that doesn't give two craps about anything. THEY NEED TO BE SHUT DOWN. I am literally shocked at how invasive the proctors are and how much they try and screw you over. Literally the worst company I have ever had to work with.

Completely dishonest company. Took the TOEFL at home and the results got canceled, they didn't explain what I did wrong because it's "confidential" and they won't give me my $230 back. I did everything the proctors asked me to do before, during and after the test and I wasn't called out on anything during the test.

Just like others taking out my frustration at this fraud company. Don't know what to do. The system was verified but on the day of test the test didn't work.
They are refusing to refund monet.
FRAUDASTER.
WHY UNIVERSITY TAJING THEIR SCORE

I honestly believe this company creates issues so you are forced to take the test again and they get twice the income. ETS should be put out of business, it’s disgusting what they do to test takers. I’ve taken many online proctored exams and have never had an issue. They should be ashamed of their practices, they are playing with peoples lives and their livelihoods.
I ran my systems check the evening before my exam without any issues. Not even 12 hours later the scan said I had an issues and that their system couldn’t tell if I had another monitor connected to my laptop. I had to call customer service who were no help. Next I had to have someone take over my computer only to be told that my system was fine and to ignore the message I was receiving. Now today, I was expecting to receive my test scores, only to find out they are delayed. The two different agents said they can’t do anything but contact the technical team, and that I should hear from them in another TEN DAYS, about what my next steps should be. I wasn’t able to get any other information from them, couldn’t talk to a supervisor and they said there’s no one in the tech department available to speak to.
This is unacceptable and this company needs to held responsible for all of it’s horrendous actions.

It's amazing what I am reading in the reviews. Exactly the same problem for our family member (at our expense). Technical issues and wasn't able to take test. Then ETS claimed test was opened so they charged for it. No test was taken, yet no refund after phone calls, emails and USPS mail. How do they get to continue to operate?!

They terminated my exam due to "security reasons". When asked, I was only met with a vague response stating that an "unpermitted program was running". I made sure to close EVERY single program beforehand and the only thing that was running was Chrome. I even let the proctor get remote access to my PC and check everything, only to get terminated right before the test for practically no reason.

Absolutely atrocious. They literally stole $300 from me as it's non-refundable and now I can't apply to the academy that I wanted to apply to.

NEVER TRUST THIS ORGANISATION.