TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language.The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL, is a test which measures people’s English language skills to see if they are good enough to take a course at university or graduate school in English-speaking countries.
It is for people whose native language is not English. It measures how well a person uses listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks.
This test is accepted by more than 7,500 colleges, universities, and agencies in more than 130 countries; which means it is the most widely recognized English test in the world.
The format of the TOEFL test has been changed three times.
- The first was the PBT (paper-based TOEFL test). It tests listening, reading and grammar skills with a perfect score being 677. Some centers where computers are not available still offer this format.
- The second format is the CBT (computer-based TOEFL test). People are each provided with a computer to take the test. A writing section was added as well as the three sections. The level of listening and grammar skills are automatically changed depending on a person’s English level.
- The third change is the iBT (Internet-based test) that is being brought in around the world which measures listening, speaking, reading and writing.
TOEFL is a North American exam written and run by ETS, the Educational Testing Service. It is designed primarily to test the ability of candidates to study in an English-speaking university. It has a strong Higher Education focus, though is also used by some professional organisations and companies to test English for work.
The TOEFL exam is now taken by almost 1 million people every year, and is recognized by more than 9.000 colleges, universities, agencies, as well as immigration authorities and professional organisations in over 130 countries.
The TOEFL is almost all internet based. This is called the iBT test. There are a very small number of centres where the test is paper-based (PBT), and this is now being phased out.
TOEFL Scores
When taking the TOEFL test, you will receive a score between 1 and 120. This consists of up to 30 points for each of the 4 papers – reading, writing, listening and speaking.Most universities typically require a score of around 75, though this may be lower or higher depending on the institution and the course being applied for. Top universities like Harvard or MIT normally require a score of 100.
Your TOEFL result is valid for 2 years. However, you can re-take the TOEFL a month later if you did not achieve the score you required.
TOEFL Test Format
There are 4 parts, which focus on particular language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.TOEFL Reading (60-80 minutes)
There are 3 or 4 texts on a range of academic subjects, such as those that may be found in a university degree level textbook. Candidates have to answer a variety of questions, using different question types, such as multiple-choice, gap-fill, matching, and completing a summary.
Candidates are tested on their ability to identify key information, understand meaning and inference, and understand opinion and analysis.
TOEFL Writing (50 minutes)
TOEFL test-takers have to write 2 texts, one of which is an ‘integrated’ task, consisting of a response to a related piece of listening and a reading text. The second is an essay, in which candidates must write and support their opinions on a particular topic.
Tests are sent to TOEFL examiners for marking. Candidates will be scored on a range of criteria, include whether they have understood the reading and listening texts well, answered the question set, used an style appropriate to an academic text, as well as their level of grammar and vocabulary.
TOEFL Listening (60-90 minutes)
There are 6 texts, consisting of a mixture of lectures, student conversations and classroom discussions. They all have an academic context, but a more general than specialist.
TOEFL candidates will need to listen for specific information, understand key ideas, understand the relationships between ideas, as well as the speakers’ attitudes and opinions. There will be a variety of different question types to answer.
TOEFL Speaking (20 minutes)
There are 6 parts to the test, consisting of 2 ‘independent’ and 4 ‘integrated’ tasks.
In the 2 independent tasks, candidates respond to opinion questions on common issues. They are evaluated on their ability to speak naturally and express themselves clearly and coherently.
In the integrated tasks, test-takers read a text and/or listen to an academic lecture or a conversation about university life. They then answer a question on what they heard by using relevant information from the reading and listening work. In these tasks, test-takers are assessed on how they use the information they have received, and then answer the questions effectively.
Source:
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOEFL
https://www.specialistlanguagecourses.com/what-is-toefl/