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TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. The TOEFL Test is a standardized test that measures the English language proficiency of non-native English speakers. It is only internet-based nowadays. A paper-based version was available, but it is no longer in use.
Educational Testing Service (ETS), a massive American non-profit organization based in Princeton, New Jersey, owns TOEFL. The test was first administered in 1964. It measures listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills in English. Each section has grades on a scale of 1-30. So, the overall range of grading is 1-120. It is taken by those who want to study, pursue international careers, or immigrate to English-speaking countries.
Testing Options
Since the TOEFL test is only internet-based nowadays, it is called the TOEFL iBT test. Further, TOEFL iBT has three testing options:
- TOEFL iBT
- The test is taken in authorized TOEFL iBT test centers.
- This testing option is present worldwide.
- It is available more than 60 times a year.
- TOEFL iBT Home Edition
- The test is taken at home. One has to meet the equipment and environment requirements on the test day.
- This testing option is present worldwide.
- It is available 24 hours a day, four days a week. Appointments are available as early as 24 hours after the registration.
- TOEFL iBT Paper Edition
- There are two test sessions in this testing option:
- At a test center: One appears for the Reading, Listening, and Writing sections at a test center. These take place on paper.
- At home: The Speaking section occurs at home on a computer. This is held three days after the paper sections. A human proctor monitors the Speaking session online.
- This option is available in Colombia, India, Mexico, and the USA.
- It is available up to 2 times a month.
TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition
The TOEFL iBT test, taken at a test center, and the TOEFL iBT Home Edition test have the same format. The test duration is about 2 hours. There are four sections:
- Reading (35 minutes):
- The Reading section consists of two reading passages. These are about 700 words long.
- Ten questions follow each passage. Therefore, this section contains 20 questions.
- Test takers read and understand the passages to answer the questions. It assesses their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
- Questions include multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and summary tasks.
- Passages cover various academic topics.
- Listening (36 minutes):
- The Listening section comprises five audio recordings. These are of two types:
- Lectures: There are three lectures of 3-5 minutes each. Six questions follow each recording.
- Conversations: Two conversations are there. Both are 3 minutes long. There are five questions per conversation. Hence, this section has 28 questions in total.
- Test takers listen to the recordings and answer questions based on the content.
- Question types include multiple-choice, multiple-answer, and summary tasks.
- The audio materials are academic.
- Speaking (16 minutes):
- The Speaking section evaluates the test taker's ability to express ideas verbally.
- It consists of four tasks:
- Task 1 (Independent): Express your opinion on a familiar topic.
- Task 2 (Integrated): Read a passage, listen to a recording, and respond.
- Task 3 (Integrated): Listen, summarize, and respond to conversations.
- Task 4 (Integrated): Read a passage, listen to a lecture, and respond.
- The test taker gets 15-30 seconds to prepare each response.
- AI and human raters evaluate the spoken responses.
- Writing (29 minutes):
- The Writing section assesses the test taker’s ability to write in English.
- It includes two tasks:
- Task 1 (Integrated): Read a passage, listen to a recording, and write a summary. This task takes twenty minutes.
- Task 2 (Independent): Express your opinion on a topic. It is related to discussion in an online classroom. It takes 10 minutes.
- AI and certified human raters score written responses.
The TOEFL Paper Edition test has two sessions:
- The first session consists of the Reading, Listening, and Writing sections. There is a break of 10 minutes after the first two sections. One takes this on paper at a test center. The session takes about three hours to complete, excluding the break.
- The Speaking section is held at home separately. This session occurs within 3 days after the paper session. One has to take the test on a computer. The time limit is 17 minutes.
Now, we will look at the format of the four sections:
- Reading (54-72 minutes):
- The Reading section consists of three or four reading passages. These are about 700 words long.
- Ten questions follow each passage. Therefore, this section contains 30-40 questions.
- Test takers read and understand the passages to answer the questions. It assesses their comprehension and critical thinking skills.
- Questions include multiple-choice, drag-and-drop, and summary tasks.
- Passages cover various academic topics.
- Listening (41-57 minutes):
- The Listening section comprises five audio recordings. These are of two types:
- Lectures: There are 3-4 lectures, each lasting 3-5 minutes, followed by 6 questions.
- Conversations: 2-3 conversations that are 3 minutes long each are presented, with 5 questions per conversation.
- Test takers listen to the recordings and answer questions based on the content.
- Question types include multiple-choice, multiple-answer, and summary tasks.
- The audio materials are academic.
- Writing (50 minutes):
- The Writing section assesses the test taker’s ability to write in English.
- It includes two tasks:
- Task 1 (Integrated): Read a passage, listen to a recording, and write a summary. This task takes 20 minutes.
- Task 2 (Independent): Write an essay about a personal experience or an opinion. It takes 30 minutes.
- AI and certified human raters score written responses.
- Speaking (11-14 minutes):
- The Speaking section is the same as in the TOEFL iBT test taken on a computer at a test center. The only difference is that, in this case, it is taken at home on a computer. The format remains the same. It has one independent speaking task. The following three speaking tasks require integrated skills.
