Preparing for an English language proficiency test, students often have to make a choice between TOEFL and IELTS.
Here is everything you need to know about the TOEFL.
Test of English as a Foreign Language® (TOEFL) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by many English-speaking academic and professional institutions. TOEFL is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the IELTS. You can see all the upcoming TOEFL dates on top of this page!
The TOEFL test is given in English and administered via the internet. There are 4 sections (reading, listening, speaking, and writing), which take a total of about 4 ½ hours to complete, including check-in. During the test, you are asked to perform tasks that combine your English communication skills.
|
Section |
Time limit |
Questions |
Tasks |
|
Reading |
60-80 mins |
36-56 questions |
Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. |
|
Listening |
60-90 mins |
34-51 questions |
Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. |
|
Break |
10 mins |
- |
- |
|
Speaking |
20 mins |
6 tasks |
Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks. |
|
Writing |
50 mins |
2 tasks |
Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing. |
Your scores are based on your performance on the questions in the test. You must answer at least one question each in the Reading and listening sections, write at least one essay, and complete at least one speaking task to receive an official score. For the TOEFL test, administered via the internet, you will receive four scaled section scores and a total score:
In addition to your scores, your test taker score report also includes performance feedback that is a reflection of your performance level, and a summary of reported score range for test takers. There is no passing or failing TOEFL score; individual higher education institutions and agencies set their own score requirements. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years after the test date.