TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

Educational Testing Service^®(ETS^®) – a US-based non-profit organization conducts TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), one of the most acclaimed English language proficiency test. The TOEFL test can be taken by people whose native language is not English but desiring to pursue higher studies in foreign countries. TOEFL test is recognized by more than 10,000 colleges, universities, organizations, and other TOEFL participating institutes across 130 countries, including Australia, Canada, the UK and the United States. TOEFL 2018 will be conducted online for more than 50 times over the period of 12 months at 4500 test centres in 165 countries worldwide. Since last July 2017 TOEFL test, the TOEFL PBT test has been discontinued and replaced by the revised TOEFL^® Paper-delivered Test. This new format of TOEFL aligns more closely with the TOEFL iBT^®test in terms of scoring and question patterns.

The TOEFL  has two basic formats - TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test), and the revised TOEFL Paper- delivered Test. Most countries conduct the Internet-based test whereas some countries, due to the unavailability of the internet, conduct the revised TOEFL Paper-delivered TOEFL test. Exams are usually held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. A candidate may retake a test as many times required. But the test cannot be taken within 12 hrs of the previous exam taken.

 

Overview

 

Exam Name	Test of English as a Foreign Language
Commonly Known as	TOEFL
Exam Level	International level test
Conducting Body	Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Eligibility Criteria	Not Set by the official body
Number of Sections	Four Sections - Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing (iBT)           Three Sections - Reading, Listening, and Writing(Paper- delivered Test)
Format	TOEFL iBT (Internet Based Test) TOEFL Paper- delivered Test
Score Range	0 to 30 for each section (iBT) 0 to 30 for each section ( TOEFL Paper- delivered Test) 310-677 total score scale (PBT)
TOEFL Test Centres	4500 across the world

 

 

Exam Pattern

The syllabus of TOEFL 2018 (iBT) comprises of four sections, namely, listening, reading, speaking and writing sections which take a total of about four and a half hours to complete. The revised paper-delivered test will consist of three sections; listening, reading, and writing. During the TOEFL Test , candidates are asked to perform tasks that combine more than one skill, such as:

a) Read, listen, integrate, and then speak in response to a question

b) Listen and then speak in response to a question

c) Read, listen and then write in response to a question. Regular practice will help you to get good scores.

 

Section	Time Limit	Number of 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, answer questions.
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.

 

 

TOEFL Registration

Candidates aspiring to appear for TOEFL 2018 have to register themselves. There are four possible ways for the TOEFL application, namely online, by mail, by phone and in person at the TOEFL test registration centre. There are several test centres available for TOEFL application. Before doing that, a candidate has to first decide the location he/she would like to choose for taking the exam. The availability of test dates will depend on the seat availability at the test centre. You can register on the official website of ETS (exam conducting body). Online registration/application will close seven days before the test is conducted.

 

Cancel/ Change your Registration

If a candidate wishes to cancel his/her registration, should do the same four days prior to the scheduled test date. Refunds are paid in U.S. dollars for half of the original test fee paid. The balance is retained by the organization to cover expenses for processing your registration and holding a seat for you at the test centre. Cash refunds are not available.

Refunds will not be possible if registration procedures were flouted or if candidates failed to present the required identification documents at the test centre. If you made the payment by credit/debit card or e-check, the refund will be credited back to the original credit/debit card or bank account. If the payment was made in non-U.S. funds drawn on a bank outside the United States, refunds would be possible only after 12 weeks. No other services would be available for the refunds.

 

Application Fees

The fee structure of the application fee of TOEFL 2018 varies across countries. However, candidates need to pay extra for rescheduling, late registration and score review (per section).

 

Country	Cost
The US	$195
Australia	$300
India	$180
Germany	$245
South Korea	$190

 

Details of the extra payments

Items	Fees
Registration	Country-specific
Late registration	$40 (USD)
Rescheduling	$60 (USD)
Reinstatement of cancelled scores	$20 (USD)
Additional score reports (per institution or agency)	$20 (USD) each
Speaking or Writing Section score review	$80 (USD)
Speaking and Writing Section score review	$160 (USD)

 

Test Dates:

TOEFL test is conducted more than 50 times a year at 4500 test centres in 165 countries worldwide. TOEFL is usually taken on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The TOEFL test date, however, varies according to the country and location of the test centre. While some countries might have specific test dates, in others the TOEFL test date depends on the availability of the test centre. TOEFL 2018 test dates.

 

Scores

Candidates will receive TOEFL test scorecard after taking the test. The TOEFL scorecard comprises four sections and each section has a score range i.e. 0-30 for both the test formats. Thus, the total TOEFL score range is 0-120.

 

Sections	Score Range	Level
Listening Section	0–30	High (22–30)        Intermediate (15–21)        Low (0–14)
Speaking Section	0–30	Good (26–30) Fair (18–25) Limited (10–17) Weak (0–9)
Reading Section	0–30	High (22–30) Intermediate (15–21) Low (0–14)
Writing Section	0–30	Good (24–30) Fair (17–23) Limited (1–16)
Total TOEFL Scores	0–120

 

Validity of TOEFL 2018 Scores

The test score of TOEFL is valid up to two years. The selection procedure depends on the college/university/institute the candidate is applying to. TOEFL test 2018 scores can also be used to satisfy visa requirements in some countries. The candidates can choose up to four institutions of their choice to send their score cards free of cost.

 

Results

The TOEFL test result will be made available on the official website itself after two weeks of the day when the test was taken. The TOEFL 2018 score is valid up to two years and can be retaken as many times as candidates wish to.

 

Sending TOEFL scores to Universities

Candidates may also add recipients to their online account and ETS sends up to four result cards to the designated recipients (Colleges/Universities/Institutes) free of cost. The result card recipients can be deleted or added through the account until 10 pm on the day before your test date. The official scorecard is sent to the recipients after 13 days of taking the TOEFL exam.

TOEFL score card can be sent to respective institutions through the following ways:

• Order Online
• Order by Fax
• Order by Mail

 

Additional Info

The key to obtaining a perfect score in TOEFL is none other, but extensive practice. There are several online practice tests provided by various institutes. The official practice test prepared by ETS renders you the experience of taking the real TOEFL iBT test (http://toeflpractice.ets.org). You will be able to review and answer authentic test questions and obtain scores within 24 hours, with performance feedback on all the four skill sets measured on the test day, namely reading, listening, speaking and writing.

Also, time yourself while solving the practice tests, so that you never run out of time on the exam day. Work on QWERTY keyboard, as you will be working on the same during the test. This will help you familiarise with the keyboard and not hamper your speed.  

Refer to the website: https://www.ets.org/toefl

Download brochure for TOEFL 2018 here