The new policy that the United Kingdom has adopted regarding not accepting results from the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test Of English for International Communication (TOEIC) for visa applications will not significantly affect Chinese students who plan to pursue their studies there, according to overseas study consultants.

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According to Terence Murray, operating manager of the Overseas Students Service Centre only a few Chinese students take the ETS administered tests for visa applications.

ETS is a US based non-profit educational testing and assessment entity that administers both the TOEFL and TOEIC worldwide.

The Home Office of the UK government announced on April that it will not renew its contract with ETS. As a result, TOEFL or TOEIC scores will no longer be accepted by the UK Visas and Immigration division for UK visa applications.

Liu Fenglie, director of consultants at the UK department of Chivast Education International, a Beijing based overseas study consultancy group, said that only 9 to 10 per cent of the 62,000 Chinese students who applied for admission in UK universities used TOEFL scores for their visa applications.

Both Murray's and Liu's comments were made to respond to concerns voiced by Chinese students who wish to apply for UK student visas.

According to the Chinese embassy in London, there are around 130,000 Chinese students now studying in UK.

The effect that the latest development on the non-acceptance of ETS results on the willingness of Chinese students to study in UK still remains to be seen.

Liu however thinks that the UK's decision to no longer accept TOEFL results will not have an effect on students who have set their minds in studying in a UK university. These students can opt to take the IELTS or the PTE.

As early as February, Liu had already suggested to their clients who are planning to study in the UK to register for either the IELTS or the PTE exam, an English proficiency test administered by a British education group after a TOEIC exam related fraud was exposed by a program aired over BBC.