TOEFL
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) tests the English language skills of non-native students who want to study or work in countries where English is the language of communication. It is an exam developed by ETS (Educational Testing Service). More than 10,000 institutions and agencies in 150 countries rely on TOEFL scores to select students with the English skills needed to succeed.
TOEFL tests all four language skills that are important for effective communication: speaking, listening, reading and writing. There are two versions of the TOEFL: paper-based,internet-based (iBT). The majority of test centers now use the Internet Based TOEFL (iBT).
TOEFL CBT | What You Need To Know About Paper Based And Computer Based TOEFL
The paper based and computer based TOEFL have the following sections.
Listening Comprehension
During the TOEFL listening test, you have to listen to people speaking. A monitor will show their photos and some other information. The listening test has two parts: A and B. In part A, you will hear dialogues between two people. After each dialogue, you are required to answer a question. You will be given 4 answer choices from which you have to choose the most appropriate.
In part B, you will hear longer dialogues. Like in Part A, each dialogue in Part B is followed by a question. The English you will hear in the listening section is modern American English. Familiarity with the American accent is extremely essential to score well in the listening test.
Try to answer quickly. Keep in mind that you cannot skip questions and go back.
Structure and Written Expression
There are two types of questions in the structure and written expression test. Type 1 questions have gaps in them. Each question is followed by four answer choices one of which can be used to fill the gap. Type 2 questions have an error them. Each question has 4 marked parts one of which contains the error. Your task is to identify the part that contains the error. Note that you don’t have to correct the error; you just need to mark it.
Reading Comprehension
The reading comprehension tests in the paper based and the computer based TOEFL are the same. Read the text carefully and start answering. You can skip a question and then go back to it. Start with the easiest questions. Don’t leave questions unanswered.
Writing
You need good practice to do well in this section. Practice writing essays at home. Note that you will have to write your essay in half an hour. You will have to agree or disagree with the given statements. Support your arguments with facts.
Note that the paper based TOEFL does not have a writing section.
TOEFL iBT | Internet Based TOEFL
TOEFL: Internet based
The TOEFL (iBT) was launched in 2005. It is intended to replace the other two versions of the test and is gradually becoming available worldwide. The new TOEFL iBT is a linear and not a computer adaptive test. This means that every candidate answers questions from the same range of difficulty, rather than receiving questions based on their ability levels.
The TOEFL iBT consists of four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. All four sections are taken on the same day, and the entire test is about four hours long. What is most unique about the test is that it asks you to combine, or integrate, more than one language skill, just like you do every day. For example, sometimes you read a passage, listen to a short lecture about a topic, and then speak or write a response. And you can take notes throughout the entire test just like you would in a real academic class. Language heard on the TOEFL iBT is designed to sound like real-life conversations. The reading passages are taken from real textbooks and course materials.
TOEFL iBT Test Sections
| Section | Time Limit | Questions | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 54–72 minutes | 30–40 questions | Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. |
| Listening | 41–57 minutes | 28–39 questions | Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. |
| Break | 10 minutes | — | — |
| Speaking | 17 minutes | 4 tasks | Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks. |
| Writing | 50 minutes | 2 tasks | Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing. |
The test you take may include extra questions in the Reading or Listening section that do not count toward your score. These are either questions that enable ETS to make test scores comparable across administrations or new questions that help ETS determine how such questions function under actual testing conditions.
Please read the timing instructions for the Reading Section carefully. The instructions will indicate how many passages you will receive and the amount of time you have to respond to questions for those passages. Be sure to pace yourself so that you have time to answer all the questions.
A standard English language (QWERTY) computer keyboard is used for the test. We recommend that you practice typing on a QWERTY keyboard before taking the test.
Test registration
Go online to register for a test. You can also register by phone or mail. When you register for the test, you can designate which universities you want to receive your scores. Or, you can wait until you receive your scores before sending them to your selected universities. Your scores will be available online 15 business days after you take the test. ETS will also send you a paper score report for your records.
TOEFL requirements
TOEFL is a source of anxiety for most international students who are not educated in English. But remember that it is almost unavoidable. Required TOEFL scores vary by institution, usually, the more prestigious the university, the higher the TOEFL score. So contact your selected university or college to determine their score requirements. On the TOEFL Web site at www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/codelists.html you’ll find a list of 6,000 institutions that accept TOEFL scores. You can also view a list of score requirements for some representative universities.
TOEFL waivers
Some universities have what is called a TOEFL waiver option. You can opt for this option if you are willing to study at the university’s Intensive English Program (or another affiliated English program) until acquiring the required level of proficiency in English.
TOEFL Paper Based
TOEFL: Paper based and computer based
The computer-based TOEFL (CBT) was introduced in 1998. Its format is very similar to that of the original paper-based test. In areas where the computer-based test is not available, the paper-based test is used. Remember that you cannot change your answers in the first two sections of the CBT after you have confirmed them on the computer. There are more “types” of questions in the CBT, such as clicking on a phrase and looking at a diagram. Before you start the CBT you will take a tutorial which shows you how to answer the questions properly. The total time you will spend taking the paper-based test is 2.5 hours. The CBT takes approximately 4 hours (including tutorials).
TOEFL format (paper based)
Listening comprehension (30 minutes)
Part A: short dialoguesPart b: Long conversationsPart c: mini-lectures
Structure and written expression (25 minutes)
Sentence completion (15 questions)Error recognition (25 questions)
Reading comprehension (55 minutes)
50 questions – approximately 5 passages
Computer based
Adaptive listening (60 minutes)
Part A: short dialoguesPart B: conversations, academic discussions, mini-lectures
Adaptive structure (15-20 minutes)
Sentence completion (approximately 10 questions)Error recognition (approximately 15 questions)
Reading comprehension (70-90 minutes)
Over 60 questions – approximately 6 passages
Writing (30 minutes)
1 essay topic
TOEFL Listening
What is the hardest part of the TOEFL test? Most people will agree that it is the Listening section. And that is hardly surprising. Students who have grown up in countries where English is not the first language have difficulty understanding the various accents with which English is spoken. What’s more the listening section of the TOEFL iBT is full of long talks which are quite hard to understand.
Why good listening skills are important?
Having good English listening skills is essential for ‘surviving’ on an American campus. If you have difficulty understanding spoken English, your chances of doing well in an English classroom are slim. That’s why ETS has made listening an integral part of the TOEFL test.
Why listening is the hardest part of the TOEFL test?
The TOEFL listening test is hard because it uses complex vocabulary. It is full of long talks or lectures which are supposed to simulate the real lectures you could hear in a class room in an American university. These long talks could last for several minutes and may consist of difficult vocabulary. Worse still, students are not allowed to take notes while listening. And since the talks are very long, they often find it difficult to understand what was said in the beginning.
So the question is: how can you raise your score in the TOEFL listening section?
The best way to improve your English listening skills is to live in a country where English is spoken as the primary language. For most students this is hardly possible. They are coming from countries where English is the second or third language. If you can’t go to the US or Canada to improve your listening skills, you should try other proven methods.
Do you have native English speakers among your friends? If so, listen to them as they talk. This is one of the most practical ways of improving your listening skills. If you can’t find native English speakers to listen to, watch English films and television programs. Many TOEFL students would testify that this is a very effective technique. Turn off the subtitles when you watch English films. Of course, in the beginning you will hardly understand a word. But if you try this over a period of time, your listening skills will improve. Watch American news programs and documentaries such as the CNN and 60 minutes. These are similar to the kind of talks you will hear during the real TOEFL test.
Understanding Your TOEFL Score
The TOEFL iBT has four sections – reading, listening, speaking and writing. Each of these four sections is scored on a scale of 0 to 30. The scores in the four sections are then added together. Your final score is on a scale of 0 to 120.
Note that your section scores are as important as your final score. Besides your numeric scores you will also receive score descriptors as part of your result. These are explanations of what the numeric scores in each section mean.
Reading and writing sections
Most questions in the reading and listening sections are of the multiple-choice type. You will be given four answer choices from which you have to choose the most appropriate one. Questions of this kind usually carry one point. Some multiple-choice questions are worth more than one point. In that case, it will be clearly indicated so you will have no difficulty understanding the value of each question.
The Drag-n-Drop Table Completion and Summary tasks in the reading section involve partial scoring. That means if some of your answers are correct, you will get a portion of their total point value.
Drag-n-Drop Summary
In the Drag-n-Drop Summary you will receive 2 points for 3 correct answers. If you got only two answers correct, you can still get 1 point. If only one of the three answers is correct, you won’t receive any point.
Drag-n-Drop Table completion
In the Drag-n-Drop Table completion tasks, you will receive 3 points for 5 correct answers and 2 points for 4 correct answers. You will receive no points if you get 3 or fewer number of answers correct.
Another variation of this task has 7 questions. If you get all of them correct, you will receive 4 points. You will get 3 points for 6 correct answers and 2 points for 5 correct answers. You will receive no points if you get fewer than 5 answers correct.
The total number of questions you answer correctly in these two sections are then converted into scaled scores of 0 to 30.
Your speaking and writing samples are rated by human raters. Each of your speaking samples is given a score between 0 and 4 and each of your writing samples is given a score between 0 and 5. These scores, too, are then converted into scaled scores of 0 to 30. As you have probably already assumed, the highest score you can receive is 120. The lowest score is 0.
What is a good TOEFL score?
Well, it depends upon the university. Prestigious universities will only admit students who have high TOEFL scores. To know the exact TOEFL requirements of each university, you have to contact them.
TOEFL FAQ
Frequently asked questions about TOEFL
What is the TOEFL?
The TOEFL is a test designed to assess your level of English. It is taken by students who want to pursue higher education in an English speaking country. Almost every university in the US has a minimum TOEFL score that they require. Prestigious universities will only admit students who have a high TOEFL score.
What is the difference between the TOEFL iBT and TOEFL PBT tests?
The TOEFL test has two formats. TOEFL administered via internet is called TOEFL iBT. TOEFL administered in a paper based format is called TOEFL PBT. The TOEFL PBT is administered in areas where the internet based TOEFL test is not available. The format you take depends on your testing location.
The TOEFL iBT
The TOEFL iBT test has four sections: reading, listening, speaking and writing. More than 4,500 testing centers in over 165 countries administer the TOEFL iBT test. It is offered 30-40 times a year.
The TOEFL PBT
The paper based TOEFL test too has four sections: reading, listening, grammar and writing. As you may have noticed PBT doesn’t have a section on speaking. Instead it focuses on grammar. The TOEFL PBT is offered six times a year. It is only administered in areas where the TOEFL iBT is not available. You can’t usually decide which format you want to take. It depends upon your testing location and the capabilities of the testing center.
Where are TOEFL test scores accepted?
The TOEFL score is accepted by more than 8000 colleges, universities and agencies in over 130 countries.
Can I take the test in one day?
The TOEFL test is given in one day. You can register online, by mail, by phone or in person. The test takes about 4 hours.
Can I retake the test?
If you are not satisfied with your score you can retake the TOEFL. There are no limits. Remember that you can’t pass or fail in the TOEFL test. You can consider yourself successful if your TOEFL score is good enough to get into the university of your choice. As we have already mentioned, prestigious universities require higher scores.
How much does the TOEFL test cost?
The cost depends upon your testing location. It usually ranges between $150 US and $225 US. You can find more details at the official TOEFL website.
Your test fee includes one examinee score report and up to four official score reports. The official score reports are sent to universities or institutions you selected while registering for the test.
What to bring on the test day?
On your TOEFL test day you have to bring a valid, acceptable ID card with your name, recent photo and signature. You will also need to bring your registration confirmation.
You must arrive at the site at least 30 minutes early. The TOEFL test takes 4 and ½ hours. You will get a 10 minute break mid-way. You will not be allowed to bring your mobile phone or other devices into the test room.
For how long is my TOEFL score valid?
Your TOEFL score is valid for a period of two years. If you take your TOEFL test in July, 2011, your score will be in the official TOEFL database until July, 2013. Afterwards, they will delete your score. If you still have a copy of your original TOEFL score report, you should be able to ask universities if they will accept it. But most universities won’t accept a score report from you; they require a score sent directly from ETS, the agency that administers the TOEFL test.
What is a good score on the TOEFL?
The highest score on the paper based TOEFL test is 677. The highest score on the TOEFL iBT is 300. The score that you need depends upon the universities you want to get into. Prestigious universities require higher TOEFL scores. To find out the exact TOEFL requirements of each university, you will need to contact the university itself.
Are there universities that don’t require TOEFL?
Most universities require TOEFL. You can’t get into a good university if you don’t have a respectable TOEFL score. However, there are a few universities that require no TOEFL score. Be careful, though. These are not good universities. You are pursuing higher education in the US to brighten your career prospects, right? Then you should try and get into a decent university.
How can I raise my TOEFL score?
Practice. Practice. Practice. Generally speaking, scoring well in the grammar section is easier than scoring well in other sections, provided that you have a good understanding of the grammatical structures in English. Many students who take the TOEFL test have difficulty understanding the different accents with which English is spoken. To improve your chances of scoring well in the listening section, watch English TV channels and English films. To do well in the speaking section, practice speaking out loud in English.