TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language® (TOEFL) is a standardized test to measure the English Language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by many English-speaking academic and professional institutions. TOEFL is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the IELTS.
TOEFL is a trademark of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a private non-profit organization, which designs and administers the tests. ETS issues official score reports, sent independently to institutions, for two years following the test.
The TOEFL iBT® test is given in English and administered via the internet. There are 4 sections (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) which take a total of about 4 ½ hours to complete, including check-in.
Combining All 4 Skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing
During the test, you are asked to perform tasks that combine your English communication skills, such as:
Read, listen and then speak in response to a question
Listen and then speak in response to a question
Read, listen and then write in response to a question
TOEFL iBT Test Sections
| Section | Time Limit | Questions | Tasks |
| Reading | 60–80 minutes | 36–56 questions | Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. |
| Listening | 60–90 minutes | 34–51 questions | Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. |
| Break | 10 minutes | — | — |
| Speaking | 20 minutes | 6 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.
READING:
The reading section consists of 3-5 long passages and questions about the passages. Students answer questions about main ideas, details, inferences, sentence re-statements, sentence insertion, vocabulary, function and overall ideas. New types of questions in the iBT require paraphrasing, filling out the tables, or completing summaries. Generally prior knowledge of the subject under discussion is not necessary to come to the correct answer, though a prior knowledge may help.
LISTENING:
It consists of six long passages and questions about the passages. The passages consist of two student conversations and four academic lectures or discussions. The questions ask the students to determine main ideas, details, function, stance, inferences, and overall organization.
SPEAKING:
It consists of six tasks, two independent tasks and four integrated tasks. In the two independent tasks, students must answer opinion questions about some aspect of academic life. In two integrated reading, listening, and speaking tasks, student must listen to passages and then Summarize and offer opinions on the information in the passages. Test takers are expected to convey information, explain ideas, and defend opinions clearly, coherently, and accurately.
WRITING:
The writing section consists of two tasks, one integrated task and one independent task. In the integrated task, students write an essay on what they read and listen. In the independent task, students must writing an essay.