What is TOEFL?
TOEFL gets you to several English-speaking destinations across the globe. Preferred by popular study abroad countries such as the United States, Canada and Switzerland, scores from the test are recognised by more than 10,000 universities worldwide.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL measures the non-native speaker’s English language abilities. This is also for aspirants who wish to gain an admission into an English-speaking university. Several academic and professional institutions accept TOEFL.
About the Test
TOEFL can be attempted either online or on paper. An unbiased system is used to grade the test, which is passed through multiple examiners, while keeping the students’ identity anonymous.
Scores
- Generally, defined by individual colleges and universities
- For each section, you can score from 0 to 30
- The entire test score can be anywhere from 0 to 120
- Scores are valid up until 2 years from the date of the test
- There are at least three unlimited retakes
- In a 3-day period, you may not take the test more than once
Test formats
Typically, the test contains 4 sections – Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing
Section
Details
Duration
Reading
Comprises of 30 to 40 questions, where students have to respond to questions after reading passages
Anywhere between 54 to 72 minutes
Listening
Contains 28 to 39 questions – answer questions after listening to classroom discussions or a lecture
Should take 41 to 57 minutes to complete the test
BREAK (10 minutes)
Speaking
There are at least 4 tasks involved where students have to speak about familiar topics, into a microphone
Typically lasts about 17 minutes
Writing
Involves 2 tasks where you have to provide a written response after listening to a passage or reading one
The total duration of this section is about 50 minutes