ETS Brings TOEFL Experience Day to Delhi as Students Navigate a Changing Global Study Landscape

New Delhi emerged as an important meeting point for professionals supporting international education as ETS, the creator of the TOEFL iBT test, hosted its TOEFL Experience Day at the Sheraton New Delhi on August 12, 2026. The event brought together 119 participants from Delhi’s education and study-abroad community, offering educators, counsellors and other professionals an opportunity to better understand the enhanced TOEFL iBT test, changing student preferences and the evolving requirements of international education.

The event comes at a time when students planning to study overseas are facing an increasingly complex decision-making environment. Beyond choosing a university and course, students and families are now considering factors such as visa regulations, education costs, employability, post-study opportunities and the long-term value of an international degree. Against this backdrop, access to reliable assessment information and informed guidance has become increasingly important for the educators and counsellors who help students make these decisions.

TOEFL Experience Day Focuses on Changing Needs of International Students

The Delhi event was designed to strengthen the ability of education professionals to guide students through the international admissions and English-language assessment process. ETS experts and senior members of its South Asia team led structured sessions covering the enhanced TOEFL iBT test, its assessment approach and the skills students need to demonstrate when preparing for academic study abroad.

Participants were introduced to the four strategic pillars underpinning the TOEFL experience: Fair, Agile, Smart and Tailored (FAST). The sessions also explored the four core skills assessed by the TOEFL iBT test—Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening—giving participants a broader understanding of how the assessment evaluates academic English proficiency.

Rather than focusing only on the test itself, the event aimed to provide educators with information that could be translated into more effective preparation and student-support strategies. Participants were able to clarify questions around the test format, delivery and assessment while receiving official TOEFL preparation and classroom-support resources.

Delhi-NCR Remains a Major Study-Abroad Market

The focus on Delhi reflects the region’s position within India’s international education landscape. Delhi-NCR attracts a diverse population of students and professionals exploring undergraduate, postgraduate and career-focused study opportunities overseas.

The region also reflects the changing nature of international student mobility. Students are no longer necessarily focused on a small group of traditional destinations or conventional academic pathways. Instead, their decisions are increasingly influenced by a combination of academic quality, affordability, immigration policy, career prospects and opportunities after graduation.

This changing environment places greater responsibility on educators, counsellors and study-abroad professionals. Students need guidance that goes beyond application deadlines and university lists; they also need accurate information about assessments and the requirements associated with international study.

For ETS, engaging directly with education professionals in Delhi provides an opportunity to strengthen that information ecosystem while helping counsellors and educators better understand the tools available to students.

Understanding the Enhanced TOEFL iBT Test

A major component of the Experience Day was an introduction to the enhanced TOEFL iBT test and its approach to assessing academic English. The sessions examined the structure of the assessment and provided participants with a clearer understanding of what students encounter when taking the test.

The four skills—Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing—remain central to the assessment. For students preparing to enter international academic environments, these skills are particularly important because success at university often requires the ability to understand complex material, participate in discussions, communicate ideas clearly and produce written academic work.

By giving educators and counsellors a deeper understanding of these areas, ETS aims to help them provide students with more targeted preparation support. Participants also received official resources that can be incorporated into classroom preparation, counselling sessions and student guidance.

ETS Strengthens TOEFL Access Across Delhi

Accessibility was another important component of ETS’s engagement with the Delhi education community. ETS currently has four active TOEFL test centres across Delhi, positioned in different parts of the city to provide students with greater access to the test.

For students preparing for international education, the availability of nearby testing facilities can form an important part of the overall application experience. Greater geographical access can make it easier for students to plan their testing around academic schedules, application deadlines and other commitments.

ETS is also supported by more than 30 active TOEFL Market Ambassadors in the region. Their responsibilities extend beyond referrals and include activities such as student engagement, TOEFL preparation sessions, campus outreach, mock tests and digital advocacy. The organisation plans to further expand its ambassador network across NCR, strengthening connections between TOEFL, students and the wider education community.

From Test Awareness to Student Preparation

The role of education professionals in international admissions is changing alongside the international education landscape itself. Students increasingly have access to large amounts of information online, but more information does not necessarily mean better information.

Counsellors and educators can help students distinguish between general advice, institution-specific requirements and reliable assessment information. Events such as TOEFL Experience Day are intended to equip these professionals with official resources and a clearer understanding of the assessment so that they can translate that knowledge into practical student guidance.

The emphasis on classroom and preparation resources is therefore significant. A test is only one part of a student's international education journey, and effective preparation requires students to understand both what they are being assessed on and how those skills relate to the academic environment they hope to enter.