TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign
Language or TOEFL, is a standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English
language speakers wishing to enroll in U.S. universities. The test is accepted
by many English-speakingacademic and professional institutions. TOEFL
is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being
the IELTS.
TOEFL is a trademark of ETS (Educational
Testing Service), a private non-profit organization, which designs
and administers the tests. The scores are valid for two years; then they are no
longer reported.
Formats and content
Internet-based test
Since its introduction in late
2005, the TOEFL Internet-based Test (iBT) format has progressively replaced the
computer-based tests (CBT) and paper-based tests (PBT), although paper-based
testing is still used in select areas. The TOEFL iBT test has been introduced
in phases, with the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy in 2005 and the rest of the world in
2006, with test centers added regularly. The CBT was discontinued in September
2006 and these scores are no longer valid.
Initially,
the demand for test seats was higher than availability, and candidates had to
wait for months. It is now possible to take the test within one to four weeks
in most countries.[8] The four-hour test consists of four
sections, each measuring one of the basic language skills (while some tasks
require integrating multiple skills), and all tasks focus on language used in
an academic, higher-education environment. Note-taking is allowed during the
TOEFL iBT test. The test cannot be taken more than once every 12 days
1.
Reading
The Reading section consists of questions on 4–6 passages, each
approximately 700 words in length. The passages are on academic topics; they
are the kind of material that might be found in an undergraduate university
textbook. Passages require understanding of rhetorical functions such as
cause-effect, compare-contrast and argumentation. Students answer questions
about main ideas, details, inferences, essential information, sentence
insertion, vocabulary, rhetorical purpose and overall ideas. New types of questions
in the TOEFL iBT test require filling out tables or completing summaries. Prior
knowledge of the subject under discussion is not necessary to come to the
correct answer.
2.
Listening
The Listening section consists of questions on six passages,
each 3–5 minutes in length. These passages include two student conversations
and four academic lectures or discussions. The conversations involve a student
and either a professor or a campus service provider. The lectures are a
self-contained portion of an academic lecture, which may involve student
participation and does not assume specialized background knowledge in the
subject area. Each conversation and lecture passage is heard only once.
Test-takers may take notes while they listen and they may refer to their notes
when they answer the questions. Each conversation is associated with five
questions and each lecture with six. The questions are meant to measure the
ability to understand main ideas, important details, implications,
relationships between ideas, organization of information, speaker purpose and
speaker attitude.
3.
Speaking
The Speaking section consists of six tasks: two independent and
four integrated. In the two independent tasks, test-takers answer opinion
questions on familiar topics. They are evaluated on their ability to speak
spontaneously and convey their ideas clearly and coherently. In two of the
integrated tasks, test-takers read a short passage, listen to an academic
course lecture or a conversation about campus life and answer a question by combining
appropriate information from the text and the talk. In the two remaining
integrated tasks, test-takers listen to an academic course lecture or a
conversation about campus life and then respond to a question about what they
heard. In the integrated tasks, test-takers are evaluated on their ability to
appropriately synthesize and effectively convey information from the reading
and listening material. Test-takers may take notes as they read and listen and
may use their notes to help prepare their responses. Test-takers are given a
short preparation time before they have to begin speaking. The responses are
digitally recorded, sent to ETS’s Online Scoring Network (OSN), and evaluated
by three to six raters.
4.
Writing
The Writing section measures a test taker's ability to write in
an academic setting and consists of two tasks: one integrated and one
independent. In the integrated task, test-takers read a passage on an academic
topic and then listen to a speaker discuss it. The test-taker then writes a summary
about the important points in the listening passage and explains how these
relate to the key points of the reading passage. In the independent task, the
test-taker must write an essay that states their opinion or choice, and then
explain it, rather than simply listing personal preferences or choices.
Responses are sent to the ETS OSN and evaluated by at least 3 different raters.
1. The traditional Paper-Based TOEFL test (PBT)
2. The Computer-Based TOEFL test. (CBT)
3. The Internet-Based TOEFL test (iBT)
1. The traditional Paper-Based TOEFL test (PBT)
The examination lasts for approximately three hours. It is divided into three sections: Section 1 - Listening comprehension (40 minutes - 50 items), Section 2 - Structure and written expression (25 minutes - 40 items) and Section 3 - Vocabulary and reading comprehension (45 minutes - 60 items).
TOEFL scores for each section are reported on a scale that can range from 31 to 68. The scores are then scaled to give the total score. TOEFL total scores are reported on a scale that can range from 310 - 677. British Universities usually ask for a score of 550 - 600 for entrance.
A test of written English is now available (TWE) and can be taken at the same time as the main TOEFL. This is recommended. The TWE is a 30 minute essay and tests the examinee's ability to perform academic writing tasks similar to those required of university students. The TWE score is reported separately on a scale of 1 to 6 on the TOEFL score report. A score of 4 is described as demonstrating minimal competence in writing. A score of 4.5 or 5.0 should normally be required. There is also a test of spoken English (TSE).
Students should be asked for at least 580, or 600 (with a TWE score of 5.5) or above for linguistically more demanding courses. 550 may be acceptable for some courses. The TWE should be required if proficiency in writing is important.
NB In certain parts of the world, TOEFL cram courses are available. These courses are successful in improving the student's score by up to 50 points, without necessarily improving their English ability. One solution is to always insist that the student takes TWE.
2. The Computer-Based TOEFL test. (CBT)
At the beginning of July 1998, The Computer-Based TOEFL test was introduced in certain areas of the world. The Computer-Based TOEFL has four sections: Listening, Structure, Reading and Writing.
The Listening section measures the test taker's ability to understand English as it is spoken in North America, including frequently used vocabulary, expressions and grammar. The Structure section measures the ability to recognise language that is appropriate for standard written English. The Reading section uses passages to measure the ability to understand non-technical reading material, but new tasks that require the test taker to become more closely involved with the text have been developed. The Writing section measures the person's ability to generate, organise and support ideas using standard written English in an essay. The essay rating is combined with the Structure section score to create a compiled Structure/Writing scaled score. The essay rating constitutes one-half of the Structure/Writing scaled score.
The computer-based test is reported on a new score scale. This new score scale has been designed to distinguish scores received on the computer-based TOEFL from those received on the paper-based test. For the computer-based test, the examinee receives four scaled scores: Listening (0 to 30), Structure/Writing (0 to 30), Reading (0 to 30), and a total score (000 to 300). The three section scores and a total score are reported on the score report. The essay rating is integrated in the Structure/Writing score; in addition, the score on the essay is reported as an independent rating on the report.
Students should be asked for at least 233, or 250 or above for linguistically more demanding courses. 213 may be acceptable for some courses. The score on the essay is reported as an independent rating on a scale of 1 to 6, where a score of 4 is described as demonstrating minimal competence in writing. A score of 4.5 or 5.0 should normally be required or 5.5 if proficiency in writing is important.
3. The Internet-Based TOEFL test (iBT)
In September 2005, the TOEFL test changed in significant ways. The
Internet-Based TOEFL test measures all four skills of communication:
reading, writing, listening, and for the first time, speaking. It also
uses questions that ask students to combine their skills to show how well they
can use English to communicate. As a result of these changes, TOEFL has
established a new scoring scale for the test. Score reports will contain five
different scores: one total score on a scale of 0-120, and four skill scores,
each on a scale of 0-30.
Scores from the new TOEFL test provide information about
performance in the four skill areas students need for success in an academic
environment.
Listening
|
0-30
|
Reading
|
0-30
|
Speaking
|
0-30
|
Writing
|
0-30
|
Total Score
|
0-120
|
Score reports provide better information than ever about an
individual's readiness to participate and succeed in academic studies in an
English-speaking environment. Score reports will include:
- four skill
scores
- total score
Score users are encouraged to consider the four skill scores, and
not only the total score. The four skill scores give institutions the
flexibility to customize their score requirements to meet the varied English
language demands of different academic disciplines
Students should be asked for at least 100, or 110 or above for linguistically more demanding courses. 90 may be acceptable for some courses.
Correlation between Paper-Based TOEFL scores, Computer-Based TOEFL Scores and Internet Based TOEFL (iBT):
| Paper-based TOEFL |
450 |
477 |
500 |
527 |
550 |
577 |
600 |
| Computer-based TOEFL |
133 |
153 |
173 |
197 |
213 |
233 |
250 |
Internet-based TOEFL (iBT)
|
45
|
53
|
61
|
71
|
80
|
91
|
100
|
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