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TOEFL - Test Dates, Full Form, Registration, Eligibility, Syllabus, Preparation

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What exactly is the TOEFL?

TOEFL is a well-known English language test that is accepted by top universities all around the world. It validates your command of the English language essential for pursuing your education abroad. It is administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service), the TOEFL's regulatory body. This test is mostly taken by non-native English speakers who want to get into programs at English-speaking universities. Let’s learn about the TOEFL exam and its important aspects.

Acceptance of the TOEFL exam 

As one of the most popular English language evaluation examinations, TOEFL is widely acknowledged by universities & colleges abroad. This test is accepted by over 11,000 universities in over 150 countries.

Listed below are Some of the TOEFL-accepting countries:

  • USA
  • Canada
  • New Zealand
  • Australia
  • United Kingdom
  • And various other countries across Europe and Asia

A Quick Overview of the TOEFL Test

Before we get into details of the TOEFL test, let's look at some of the most important aspects of TOEFL:

Particulars Details
Full Form of TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language
Organizing Body ETS (Educational Testing Service)
Official Website https://www.ets.org/toefl
Examination Mode Internet-based Test and Paper-delivered Test
Number of Sections 4
TOEFL Exam Duration "3 hours (Internet-based test)   Approx. 2.5 hours (Paper-delivered test)"
Skills Measured Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing
Overall Score Range   0 - 120
TOEFL Score Validity   2 years
TOEFL iBT Exam Fee US$185   

TOEFL exam eligibility (Criteria)

According to the ETS, there are no eligibility criteria for the TOEFL test. Besides, there is no established age limit for taking the TOEFL. Nonetheless, individuals who have completed 12th grade or high school are more likely to take the exam.

TOEFL is typically taken by people who fall into one of the following categories:

  • Students that want to study at an English-speaking university or secondary school.
  • People who need to show their command of the English language to get entry into the United States.

TOEFL is a high-quality test that shows you have the English language abilities needed to thrive in an international university. More than 35 million people worldwide have taken and trusted the TOEFL test. Moreover,the test highlights its applicants' capacity to utilize and comprehend English and provides them with an objective estimate of their English-speaking skills to succeed in their college program overseas.

On the other side, the admissions board also receives the assurance that the applicant can handle the course load of an English-based program. As a result, TOEFL becomes an essential component as you pursue your goal of joining an English-speaking university.

TOEFL Exam Types

TOEFL iBT test
  • The TOEFL iBT exam is given online at a recognized testing location.
  • It is divided into four skill areas: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.
  • Students have three hours to finish the exam
  • If ETS provides TOEFL iBT in your country, it is suggested that you take it.
  • The reason for this is that many universities only accept TOEFL iBT scores, and this TOEFL exam type is also less difficult.
iBT TOEFL Home Edition
  • Students who want to take their test at home rather than in a testing facility prefer the TOEFL iBT Home Edition.
  • This test is same as TOEFL iBT exam; the only difference is that it is offered to test takers at their convenience.
  • ProctorU's artificial intelligence technologies and live remote proctors are used to supervising the test here.
  • It is available in all countries where TOEFL iBT testing is generally provided, except Mainland China and Iran.
"TOEFL Fundamentals Exam "
  • The newly released TOEFL Essentials test assesses test takers' English skills in a range of contexts other than academia.
  • It is created by ETS assessment professionals and validated by certified trained humans and AI tools to ensure validity and accuracy.
  • TOEFL Fundamentals, as a whole, claims to convey a global experience, as the assignments in the sections include a variety of minor accents and test circumstances from throughout the world.
  • Test registration began on June 17, 2021, and the first tests were delivered on August 21, 2021.

Similarities between the TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition

TOEFL iBT®  Feature / Description  TOEFL iBT® Home Edition
Yes MyBest® scores: Present your best section scores from a test (e.g., all scores from a TOEFL iBT and TOEFL iBT Home Edition test; or all scores from a TOEFL Essentials test) in 2 years Yes
Yes Instant Unofficial Reading and Listening scores: Review the unofficial Reading and Listening section scores, and know your performance immediately once the test is over. Yes
Yes Quick official scores:  Receive the official score reports 6 days after the test. Yes
No At-home testing options: Test from the comfort and safety of home Yes
Yes Complete in one test session: Complete the whole test in one go — no need to schedule separate appointments for different sections. Saves time. Yes

Along with the previously mentioned types, there were formerly two types of TOEFL tests accessible in terms of the manner of examination:

  • TOEFL Internet Based Test (iBT)
  • TOEFL Paper Based Test (pBT)

However, TOEFL PBT was abolished on April 21, 2021, and now, only the TOEFL iBT is valid all around the world. TOEFL consists of skill components that have been carefully designed to assess your grasp of the English language. In the following part, learn to familiarise yourself with the TOEFL Exam Structure.

TOEFL Exam Structure

  • The TOEFL iBT exam is broken into four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.
  • You have 3 hours and 30 minutes to finish the entire test.
  • This includes a 10-minute break halfway through the exam as well as time for check-in.

The TOEFL Exam Structure is depicted below. The sections of the exam occur in the same order as described below.

Reading Section 30-40 questions; 54-72 minutes "This section covers the test takers' reading abilities. The TOEFL syllabus provides a full overview of this portion, in which test takers are given 3-4 reading passages. Each reading passage contains approximately 10-12 questions, and the total time permitted is approximately 54-72 minutes. The responses are always graded based on the understanding of the paragraph's contents, and scoring well in this area takes a lot of practice. "
Listening Section 28-39 questions; 41-57 minutes "The section contains a mix of questions from long and small chats. The entire TOEFL curriculum revolves around conversation skills. As a result, one must pay attention to whatever is spoken in the audio. There will be one multiple-choice question from the short conversation, and more questions will follow in the lengthy discussion part. The portion is designed to assess the student's ability to comprehend and understand facts from a discussion."
Break 10 Minutes  
Speaking Section 04 tasks; 17 minutes Candidates would be asked to speak about a well-known subject and go over readings and listening passages for the TOEFL Speaking Part.
Writing Section 02 tasks; 50 minutes "Writing essays that are logical, organized, and understandable are part of this area. The TOEFL test syllabus places a high value on the writing part. A test taker is required to be clear in his or her viewpoint and to address the issue assigned to them. One should not use poetic writing and should always provide relevant examples, case studies, and statistics to back up their point of view. a) 1 integrated task – Read/Listen/Write (20 minutes) (reading time: 3 min; Listeningtime: 2 min; writing: 15 min)b) 1 independent task (30 minutes)"

TOEFL Scoring

There are four components, with TOEFL scores ranging from 0 to 30 for each. You will be placed in one of the following levels based on your final scores:

"Advanced"
"High-intermediate"
"Low-intermediate"
"Below low-intermediate"

The following is a breakdown of the scores for each section:

Section Expertise Level Scores
Reading Advanced
High-intermediate
Low-intermediate
Below low-intermediate 
24–30
18–23
4–17
0–3
Listening Advanced
High-intermediate
Low-intermediate
Below low-intermediate 
22–30
17–21
9–16
0–8
Speaking Advanced
High-intermediate
Low-intermediate
Below low-intermediate 
25–30
20–24
16–19
10–15,0–9
Writing Advanced
High-intermediate
Low-intermediate
Below low-intermediate 
24–30
17–23
13–16
7–12, 0–6

TOEFL scores are calculated using both human reviewers and automated scoring methods. This is done to provide a comprehensive and accurate picture of the candidate's abilities. While the automatic scoring approach is unbiased, it does not assess the effectiveness of the language and content.

Human evaluators must consider a broader range of factors, such as the quality of ideas and content, as well as form. You must also answer at least one question in each area. You must answer at least one question for reading and listening. You must complete one task each for writing and speaking. The online TOEFL iBT test results are four-scaled, with a total score.

Study and Settle Overseas

IELTS band requirement differ for migration and study permit. They also vary from country to country.

Australia

Australia

6.0+ Band

7.0+ Band

Canada

Canada

6.0+ Band

7.0+ Band

USA

USA

6.0+ Band

7.0+ Band

UK

UK

6.0+ Band

7.0+ Band

Date and Frequency

IELTS test dates are offered upto 4 times in a month making a total of 48 fixed dates in one calender year. The availability of IELTS dates in India may differ for Academic and General IELTS.

Center and Admit Card

The IELTS Exam is offered across more than 50 locations across India. There is no admit card provided for IELTS examination.

Result

IELTS Exam results are released 10 calendar days after the test for the paper based exam and 5-7 calendar days for the computer based test. The Candidate will receive only ONE original Test Report form (TRF).

Score Reporting

A candidate may request up to 5 additional TRFs to be sent to the receiving institutions (universities, professional bodies, etc) within 1 month of taking the IELTS test. TRFs sent by courier will be sent via DHL and students will be charged accordingly. If the receiving institution accepts electronic submission of scores then that can be arranged through the IDP IELTS office free of charge.

Score Validity

2 Years

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