The number of U.S.-bound Taiwanese students taking International English Language Testing System (IELTS) tests grew 20 percent in 2009 from a year earlier, according to the British Council, which helps promote the test. 'Many of the top schools recognize the effectiveness of IELTS, in particular its face to face speaking module, rigorous security processes and comprehensive assessment of all four language skills, ' said Beryl Meiron, executive director of IELTS International in the United States, said in a statement re;eaed by the Brithis Council. 'The old idea that Tests of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is the test for the U.S. and IELTS is for the UK, Australia and New Zealand just doesn't apply anymore,' he said. Some premier institutions, such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale School of Divinity, and Concordia College have gone further and made the IELTS their preferred language proficiency test, the council said. Also, more than 2,500 U.S. institutions, including undergraduate, graduate and professional school programs, recognize IELTS, and it is now accepted at the eight elite Ivy League schools and almost all of the top schools as ranked by US News & World Report, the council added. Along with the rise in the number of U.S. institutions accepting IELTS, the number of IELTS test takers globally increased to over 1.4 million in 2009, said an official with the British Council Taiwan. British Council IELTS teams delivered 25,000 more exams to U.S.-bound students in East Asia in 2009, with Japan up 30 percent, Singapore up 25 percent, Taiwan up 20 percent, and China showing strong double-digit growth, according to the council. 