TOEFL Exam Details: TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an English proficiency test conducted to evaluate candidate’s proficiency towards English language, It is administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) which is a US based non-profit organization and it conducts the exam in more than 9, 000 colleges, universities and organizations across 130 countries including Australia, Canada, The United States and The UK.
About TOEFL Exam
Test of English as a Foreign Language is a English proficiency exam which is commonly known as TOEFL is conducted by Education Testing Service (ETS) across 130 countries and more than 9000 colleges, universities and organizations for more than 50 times a year at 4500 test centres in 165 countries worldwide.
The TOEFL test is conducted to evaluate candidate’s proficiency in English Language. The test comprises of two basic formats viz. TOEFL – IBT (Internet Based Test) and TOEFL – PBT (Paper Based Test). Most of the countries would like to conduct Internet Based Test and the test is usually held on Saturdays & Sundays. A candidate may retake the test as many times required but should be taken within 12hrs of the previous exam taken. Now let’s look for the details regarding TOEFL exam.
TOEFL Exam Details
| Exam Name | Test of English as a Foreign Language |
| Commonly Known as | TOEFL |
| Conducting Authority | Educational Testing Service (ETS) |
| Exam Level | International Level Exam |
| Total Test Centers | 4500 across the world |
| Official Website | www.toeflgoanywhere.org |
Now let’s look for some other details regarding TOEFL exam which include TOEFL types, eligibility, syllabus, exam pattern and many more.
TOEFL Types
TOEFL Exam is categorized into two viz. TOEFL – iBT & TOEFL – PBT. Let’s look for the details of those two exams.
TOEFL – iBT
TOEFL – IBT is an Internet Based Test and it is conducted in countries like United States, Germany, Italy, France & Canada. It comprises of four sections viz. Reading, Writing, Listening and Writing. Reading & Listening sections consists of passages each containing 3 – 5 passages and 6 – 9 passages with approximately 15 questions and 10 questions respectively.
TOEFL – PBT
TOEFL – PBT is a Paper Based Test and is conducted only in limited areas and the scores are valid for two years after the test date. This test comprises of sections like Listening, Structure & Written Expression, Reading Comprehension and Writing which conversations and tasks. The duration to complete this test is 2 hours 30 minutes.
TOEFL Eligibility
TOEFL Test is an English proficiency test and can be taken by any candidate who is willing to improve the proficiency towards English i.e. speaking, reading, writing and listening. There is no standard eligibility criteria and the candidates can take the test anytime and can fulfill his ambition in gaining proficiency in English.
TOEFL Registration
Candidates who are willing to take TOEFL Test should register themselves. There are four ways to get registered for TOEFL exam i.e. online, email, by phone and in person at the TOEFL Test registration center. The candidates can choose their test dates, test locations according to their availability. Candidates can register for TOEFL – IBIT Test online on the TOEFL official website and the online registration closes 7 days before the test date.
Cancellation / Change of Registration
Candidates can either cancel or change their registration date according to their availability few days before the examination. The candidates who have mailed their registration form cannot be changed or cancelled. The candidates can apply for a partial refund if they don’t wish to take the test or doesn’t want to change their test date and the refund may be credited to candidate’s account only.
TOEFL Fees
The fee for TOEFL Test varies from country to country. For US, it is $190, Australia – $300, India – Rs.11, 500/-, China – RMB 1500, South Korea – $185. Candidates need to pay extra fee for rescheduling, late registration and score review per section.
TOEFL Syllabus
TOEFL Exam comprised of two types viz. TOEFL – IBT and TOEFL – PBT and the syllabus of the two tests are mentioned below:
TOEFL – iBT Syllabus
This exam is an Internet Based Test and is comprised of four modules/sections like reading, writing, listening and speaking and the syllabus for each modules/sections is furnished below:
Reading:
This module comprises of 3 or 4 passages with 36 – 56 questions and the candidate should answer all the questions. It takes 60 – 80 minutes duration to complete this module.
Listening:
Under this module, the candidate should listen to the lectures or class-room discussions or conversations and then answer the questions. The module comprises of 34 – 51 questions and it takes 60 – 90 minutes to complete this module.
Speaking:
This section comprises of 6 tasks on expressing opinions on familiar topics, speaking based on reading &listening tasks and the duration to complete this task is 20 minutes.
Writing:
This module comprises of two tasks which consists of writing responses to the essays based on reading & listening tasks and support an opinion in writing. The time taken to complete this section is 50 minutes.
TOEFL – PBT Syllabus
TOEFL – PBT is a Paper Based Test and it comprises of four sections/ modules like reading, listening, structure & written expression and writing section and the syllabus for each module can be mentioned below:
Reading:
Under this module, a passage should be read and its important details, key facts, purpose of the passage and implications should be identified from the passage. It should be done from the view of point of author of the text. The module comprises of five passages with 50 questions and duration of this module is 55 minutes.
Listening:
This test assesses the listening skills of the candidate. Under this section, the candidate should be able to understand the passage and its subject matter irrespective of its barriers like accent and vocabulary etc. There are three parts in listening test viz. short dialogues, long conversation and mini-lectures and the module comprises of 45 – 75 questions and should be completed in 30 – 40 minutes.
Structure & Written Expression:
It consists of two tasks. In the first task, the students are required to complete the sentence with correct grammar with right choice and the another tasks comprises of identifying grammatical errors in English which is also called as error recognition. This section comprises of 40 questions and time taken to complete this section is 25 minutes.
Writing:
This section in TOEFL evaluates the writing skills of a student in an academic atmosphere. Under this section, the candidates should represent their understanding of the passage in the form of an essay containing relevant details, central idea and conclusion of the passage. The time taken to complete this section is 30 minutes.
TOEFL Exam Pattern
The exam pattern for TOEFL – iBT exam is as follows:
| Sections | Questions | Duration (in minutes) |
| Reading | 36 – 56 | 60 – 80 |
| Listening | 34 – 51 | 60 – 90 |
| Speaking | 6 tasks | 20 |
| Writing | 2 tasks | 50 |
The exam pattern for TOEFL – PBT exam is as follows:
| Sections | Questions | Duration (in minutes) |
| Reading | 50 | 55 |
| Listening | 45 – 75 | 30 – 40 |
| Structure and Written Expression | 40 | 25 |
| Writing | – | 30 |
TOEFL Preparation Resources
The candidates who are willing to prepare for TOEFL exam have many sources mainly preparation through online and offline. Offline preparation means downloading or purchasing TOEFL preparation books/materials, practicing model papers and then preparing for exams whereas online preparation include listening and practicing model papers through online. The candidates who aspire to prepare for TOEFL test can download the preparation material through various websites and then practice them. Prescribed books for the preparation of TOEFL test are as follows:
- The Official Guide to TOEFL Test
- Cambridge Preparation for TOEFL Test
- Lingua Essays for TOEFL Test
- Kaplan TOEFL iBT Premier etc.
TOEFL Preparation Tips
The preparation tips for TOEFL exam are mentioned hereunder:
- Candidates who are willing to prepare for TOEFL Test should get registered first. The candidate during registration should provide the correct information as it is in the ID proofs otherwise, application is not accepted.
- The candidate after registration should practice for the TOEFL test which includes tests like reading, writing, listening & speaking in both iBT & PBT.
- The candidate can prepare for these tests by downloading or purchasing preparation books which consists of revised test papers and practice mock tests.
- Candidate should attend the exam center at the right time. If not, the candidate is not permitted to attend the exam.
- Before attending to the exam, the candidate should carry the admit card and ID proof of original. Not only that if the candidate’s details does not match with candidate’s ID proof, the candidate may be disqualified.
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