TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language
The TOEFL test is the most widely accepted test to evaluate your English-language skills. This test can help you get admission in most of the colleges/universities across the globe.
The TOEFL test is administered by the US-based “Educational Testing Service” (ETS). ETS sets the questions, conducts the test, and sends each examinee the score report. You can take the TOEFL test in either of the two formats; Internet-based test (iBT) or Paper-based test (PBT). The format you take depends on your test center location.
TOEFL Test Format: Internet-Based Test
The duration of the test is 4½ hours. It tests your English speaking, listening and comprehending, reading, and writing skills. You can also take notes during the test.
| Section | Type of Question | No. of Question | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 3-5 passages; approximately 700 words long; 12-14 questions per passage. | 36-70 | 60-100 minutes |
| Listening | 4-6 lectures, some with classroom discussion; each 3-5 minutes long; 6 questions each. 2-3 conversations; each 3 minutes long; 5 questions each. |
34-51 | 60-90 minutes |
| Speaking | 2 tasks to express an opinion on a familiar topic; 4 tasks to speak based on what is read and listened to. |
6 tasks | 20 minutes |
| Writing | 1 task to write based on what is read and listened to; 1 task to support an opinion on a topic. |
2 tasks | 50 minutes |
| Total score | – |
Test Score
Scores are posted online and mailed approximately 15 business days after your test date. The iBT version of the TOEFL test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points and a good score is 90+.
TOEFL Test Format: Paper Based Test
The duration of the test is approximately 3½ hours. It measures your listening, structure (grammar), reading, and writing skills. It is a paper-based test (using paper and pencil) and you can take it 6 times a year at test centers where TOEFL iBT is not available.
| Section | No. of Question | Approx. time | Score Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening Comprehension | 50 | 30-40 minutes | 31 to 68 |
| Structure and Written Expression | 40 | 25 minutes | 31 to 68 |
| Reading Comprehension | 50 | 55 minutes | 31 to 67 |
| Writing (Test of written English) | 1 topic | 30 minutes | |
| Total | – | – | 310 to 677 |
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Listening Comprehension tests your ability to understand North American English.
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Structure and Written Expression tests your ability to identify language that is appropriate for standard written English.
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Reading Comprehension tests your ability to understand the non-technical reading material.
TOEFL Test Score
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Scores are mailed to the student as well as to the selected institutions after 5 weeks from the test date. The final PBT score ranges between 310 and 677. Unlike the iBT, the score of the Writing section (referred to as the Test of Written English, TWE) is not part of the final score; instead, it is reported separately on a scale of 0–6 points and a good score is 4+.
The validity of TOEFL scores
The TOEFL score is valid for two years. Colleges and universities usually consider only the most recent score
Tips and Strategies
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Aspiring applicants can undertake an English language training program that will emphasize on communication using all 4 skills as well as provide integrated knowledge pertaining to reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
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In order to improve your reading skills, you can depend on the internet or consider reading a lot of books and even newspapers.
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While reading scan for information and highlight the key points which are ideally 5 W’s and 1 H i.e. who, what, why, where, when, and how. Practice this frequently to increase your speed and become habitual of this exercise.
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Increase your diction by learning new words every day and make an attempt at sentence formation using the newly learned words.
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Try to time yourself using a clock watch. Instead of reading the entire passage with concentration try to skim through the entire passage looking for essential facts.
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Build a habit of drawing conclusions and making inferences depending on the meaning of the passage as a whole.
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In order to enhance listening skills, you can watch movies and television.
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Additionally, it is also a great idea to listen frequently to a wide spectrum of different types of material in numerous subject areas. Different websites such as www.npr.org and www.bbc.co.uk/radio will help you to grow accustomed to listening to varied accents.
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Practice pronunciation, focusing on word stress, pauses, and intonation patterns.
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Work extensively on tenses so as to ensure correct sentence formation.
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Learn to write in an organized and coherent manner by identifying one core idea and other points to support that idea before beginning with the essay.
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Study the principles of spelling, punctuation, and layout.
TOEFL Registration
You can register for the TOEFL online or by phone or post and make the payment through your credit card or through the bank draft.
TOEFL Test Fees
TOEFL Test Fees: Internet-Based Test
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Registration | Fees vary by country. |
| Late registration | US$ 40 |
| Rescheduling | US$60 |
| Reinstatement of canceled TOEFL iBT scores | US$ 20 |
| Additional score reports (per institution or agency) | US$ 20 each |
| TOEFL iBT Speaking or Writing Section rescore | US$ 80 |
| TOEFL iBT Speaking and Writing Section rescore | US$ 160 |
| Returned personal check (paper or electronic) | US$ 20 |
TOEFL Test Fees: Paper Based Test
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Registration | US$ 170 |
| Additional score reports (per recipient) | US$ 20 each |
| TOEFL PBT answer sheet rescore | US$ 25 |
| Test of Written English (TWE) essay rescore | US$ 50 |
| Returned personal check | US$ 20 |
Dates and Deadlines
The TOEFL takes place all around the year. It is administered from Monday to Friday, twice a day.
