Face validity. In the modern, consumer-driven world, image is everything. And judging by its pervasive nature within Japanese society, and its presence in the global language testing sphere, the TOEIC test appears to enjoy a remarkably high level of face validity. The product has been extremely well-marketed. Ihara and Tsuroka (in Rebuck, 2003: 24) argue that initially marketing solely to companies and firmly establishing itself as “the Company English Test” was a masterstroke in being later able to promote itself to individuals and universities.