Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL

TOEFL

The Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL) is a prerequisite for admission to more than 5000 colleges, universities, and educational institutions. TOEFL measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings.

TOEFL usage is not limited to only universities. Many government agencies, companies, exchange and scholarship programs ask for TOEFL to evaluate English proficiency of nonnative speakers of English.

TOEFL is administered by ETS, Educational Testing Services, of Princeton, New Jersey. TOEFL, a registered trademark of ETS was 1st administrated in 1965.

Test Formats

TOEFL is offered in more than 170 countries and about 850,000 candidates take this test annually. Since 1995 TOEFL has been offered in three different formats:

Computer Based Test (CBT)
Internet Based Test (IBT)
Paper Based Test (PBT)

The available formats for taking TOEFL depends on a test taker's location. Most places offer Computer- Based Test (CBT) of TOEFL. Internet-Based Test (IBT) is offered in The United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy. Paper-Based Test (PBT) is offered only in places in which there is no access or there is limited access to computers and or Internet.

The Computer-Based TOEFL Test (CBT)

The Computer-Based Test (CBT) measures English language proficiency in the following areas:

Listening
Structure
Reading
Writing.

Candidates who take the computer based test will go through a computer tutorial before taking the actual test. This tutorial is not time limited and has no score. It just teaches you the skills needed to take the test such as using a mouse or scrolling.

Section	Time (min.)	Questions
Tutorial	Unlimited
Listening	40 to 60	30 to 50
Structure	15 to 20	20 to 25
Break	5
Reading	70 to 90	44 to 55
Writing	30	1 Topic

Note that Listening and Structure parts of Computer-Based-Test (CBT) are computer adaptive. Computer adaptive means:

Your answer to the first few questions determines the difficulty of the next question
You can answer one question at the time
You have to answer questions as they come because you cannot go back later
You cannot skip a question or change your answer later on
You can change your answer to a question as many times as you want while you are working on it. Once you go on to the next question you cannot go back.

The Internet-Based TOEFL Test (IBT)

The TOEFL Internet-Based Test (TOEFL IBT) tests all four language skills that are important for effective communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The test helps students demonstrate that they have the English skills needed for success. TOEFL IBT also emphasizes integrated skills and provides better information to institutions about students' ability to communicate in an academic setting and their readiness for academic coursework.

The Paper-Based TOEFL Test (PBT)

The TOEFL Paper-Based Test (PBT) measures your English knowledge in three areas:

Listening Comprehension
Structure and Written Expression
Reading Comprehension

The following table presents the type and number of questions in each area.

Part I: Listening Comprehension
Dialogues	30 items
Two Conversation	7 to 8 items
Three Talks	12 to 13 items
Part II: Structure and Written Expression
Sentence Completion	15 items
Error Handling	25 items
Part III: Reading Comprehension
Reading Comprehension	50 items

Registration and Test Results

Registration for TOEFL test can be done online, by phone, or by mail. However, the fastest way is online registration. Contact your prospective college and university or visit the following web sites to schedule a date and select a location to take the test.