An unexpected delay in the release of results for the Test of English as a Foreign Language has baffled and upset its Korean takers, many of whom are college applicants.

The Educational Testing Service, a U.S.-based developer of one of the most popular English tests, notified participants through email and its website on Aug. 28 that the release of results for the Aug. 19 test, scheduled for that day, would be postponed.

The ETS did not reveal the reasons, but said that it sincerely apologizes to test takers for the delay in reporting TOEFL scores. It put up a notice on its website that the test results will be released by Friday.

People who take the exam typically can see their results within 10 to 14 days online, and receive their score reports in four to six weeks.

According to an ETS official at the Korean branch, too many people around the world took the test on Aug. 19 and grading had been delayed because of the Labor Day holiday in the U.S. on Sept. 3.

However, posts blaming the test conductor for being irresponsible surged in Internet communities for the test, with some saying they wished to file a lawsuit against ETS.

Many use the test results on their college applications both at home and abroad. The application deadline for many major colleges in Korea is Saturday.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)