Since the beginning of the year, approximately 260 people have taken a TOEFL English test, which is a prerequisite for entering many foreign schools, visir.is reports. Since the banking system collapsed, the number of people has tripled.
Banking in Iceland. Photo by IPA
The TOEFL test can be taken on a computer at computer school Tölvuskólinn or answered the good-old-fashioned way with a pen and a paper at the University of Iceland. The vast majority chooses the computer.
Tölvuskólinn’s manager Gudmundur Pálmarsson says that in 2008, 167 people took the test. In 2009, 532 took the test and so far this year, the number has reached 260.
According to Pálmarsson, after the collapse, many people have decided to start over and study abroad; a large portion of those taking the test were not newly graduated students. “Many of these people had just lost their jobs and therefore decided to go to graduate school. I believe that this year will not see an increase from last year. It will probably be the same or even a little bit less.”
