Whether or not to take an official English exam

There are many exams that you can take to measure your fluency in English. Some are from the University of Cambridge, and others, like the TOEFL and the TOEIC, are from an American organization called ETS.
Should you take one of these exams?
In my opinion, it's important to know why you want or need to take one.
If you want to go to an educational program that requires an exam, then it's necessary. Some jobs require you to demonstrate your level with an official certification. In these cases, it makes sense to take an exam because you need it to do something you want to do.
On the other hand, if you're learning English, you may start to feel that you want to take an exam to have a concrete measure of your progress. If this is your case, it's important to research the different exams and see which one is right for you.
Here are a few questions to consider:

• Do you prefer general English, or something focused on business?


• Do you feel more comfortable with British or American usage?


• How much time and money do you want to dedicate to preparing for and taking the exam?


• What will you do if you don't pass?

In my experience, these questions can be helpful in focusing your efforts and giving you the best chance to achieve your real goals If you're taking classes, your teacher can also help you to find a tests that's right for you. Also, you may discover that you don't need or want to take an exam, and that's great too, because it frees you to spend your time pursuing English fluency in your own way!