What is TOEFL ?
TOEFL is a widely popular standardized test of English that measures the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted in more than 150 countries and in over 10,000 universities across the world. Students wanting to study undergraduate or postgraduate programs must enroll in the test.
The TOEFL exam is developed and released by the governing body- ETS. TOEFL scores are declared online six days after the commencement of the test. The test scores list the total score and scores of each section. While registering for the TOEFL test, candidates can choose up to four institutions to send their report to and ETS will send the official score reports to them. The TOEFL test can be taken as a paper-based test is also known as (PBT) or online through the internet-based format (iBT)
How does the TOEFL test work?
The TOEFL test is divided into 4 sections
- Reading Test – The reading section test is designed to assess how well a candidate can read and interpret the content. This section includes 3 to 4 reading passages that are approximately 700 words long with 10 questions each. The passages cover a wide range of subjects and are mostly excerpts of textbooks. The main point of the section is to test the candidate’s ability to read the information given to them and answer accordingly – no prior knowledge on the subject is required.
- Listening Test – This section is designed to evaluate a candidate’s ability to listen for basic
- Speaking Test –
- Writing Test
TOEFL Test takers must be able to read the content, listen and speak in response to a question. Read the section, listen and write the response to the questions. Listen and respond to the question.
How is the TOEFL scored?
Each section is scored on a scale of 0-30 and then added together, meaning the total score will be between 0-120.
Duration of the test
The TOEFL is three hours and 30 minutes long, including short breaks.
What is the difference between TOEFL and IELTS?
| TOEFL | IELTS | |
|---|---|---|
| Speaking | IELTS speaking test involves having a conversation with a certified IELTS examiner who records the test taker’s conversation. **After the occurrence of the Novel-coronavirus pandemic IELTS has introduced an option of taking the test via a computer- in this version of the test, test takers need to go to book a date for the speaking test at the test center and on the date of the test interact with a certified IELTS examiner via an audio call rather than face to face. |
Test takers will speak into a microphone and the computer records the audio which is later evaluated by a TOEFL examiner |
| Writing | TOEFL requires candidates’ tasks, firstly an essay between 300-350 words. The second task expects students to create a response of 150-225 words. | The IELTS Writing section has two sections Writing Tasks 1 and 2. Writing Task one requires a candidate to explain or summarise the information presented in the diagram, map, graph, table, or chart in 150-225 words. Writing task 2 entails the test taker to write a 200-250 word response to a question that presents an argument or a point of view and the response must be developed accordingly. |
| Listening | The TOEFL Listening section is 40-60 minutes long and requires a candidate to answer a series of multiple-choice questions after listening to excerpts from university lectures and conversations that take place on university campus/facilities. | In the section, students must answer whilst they are listening to recordings and answer different types of questions and exercises. |
| Reading | The Reading section is made up of three to five sections that will have a series of multiple-choice questions. Each section of the reading test needs to be completed within 20 minutes. | The IELTS reading test has three sections each 20 minutes long, each passage contains different topics that are academic in nature. Unlike TOEFL, IELTS has a wide range of question types such as fill in the right choice, select the right choice, and multiple-choice type of questions. IELTS also tests a candidate’s ability to understand the idea presented in the text, language, and style. |
| Timing | The TOEFL test is 3 hours and 30 minutes long. | The IELTS test is 2 hours and 45 minutes long |
| Score Range | 0-120 | 0-9 |
TOEFL Test format
The table below summarizes the TOEFL test format.
| Section | Time Limit | Number of Questions | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 54–72 minutes | 30–40 questions | Reading 3 or 4 passages from the academic texts and answering questions based on them. |
| Listening | 41-57 minutes | 28-38 questions | Answer questions after listening to excerpts of lectures, conversations, and classroom discussions. |
| Speaking | 17 minutes | 4 tasks | Test-takers are expected to express their opinion on a topic familiar to them and speak based on reading and listening tasks. |
| Writing | 50 minutes | 2 tasks | Test takers need to write an essay supporting their reason for the question given to them. |
Free TOEFL Diagnostic Test
View the free TOEFL test here from ETS to understand the format of the exam. You can also drop into the institute to take a free TOEFL diagnostic test. You can review the results with TOEFL professional tutors to understand how and what you need to do to improve your score.
1. We start with a TOEFL diagnostic test to realize the candidate’s strengths and note points of improvement
2. Focus on teaching key concepts and fundamentals that SAT test requires rather than just targeting tips and tricks.
3. One-on-one tutoring for every section of the test.
4. Practice 5-10 full-length TOEFL tests in test simulated environment.
5. Improve on efficiency and then tackle at improving the speed of answering questions
6. We will provide students with a wide array of resources to practice concepts, so no material needs to be brought by them.
Students who have already taken the TOEFL test but not got a great score can prepare better by taking our TOEFL Repeater Course where we seek to improve your skills within a period of two months.