TOEFL Examination Forms


There are serveral different examination forms of TOEFL for different stages of English-language proficiency. Currently, iBT (internet-based test), PBT (paper-based test), HBT (iBT home edition), and CBT (computer-based test) are used for university study, work, or immigration, and the most common type of TOEFL is iBT. (Which has replaced the CBT.) Some other types of TOEFL are TOEFL Junior Test and TOEFL primary test.


iBT - Internet Based Test

The TOEFL iBT is offered weekly at authorized test centers. The computer-delivered TOEFL iBT test is the only test that measures all 4 academic English skills — reading, listening, speaking, and writing — the way they are actually used in a classroom.


HBT - iBT Home Edition

The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is a safe and convenient option for students who prefer to take their test at home rather than at a test center. The test is offered everywhere that TOEFL testing is normally available except in Mainland China and Iran.


TOEFL iBT home edition is identical in content, format, and on-screen experience to a test taken at a test cente, but the test will be taken on your own computer at home and monitored by a human proctor online. Alaso, this test is available 24 hours a day, 4 days a week, with appointments as early as 24 hours after you register.


PBT - Paper Based Test

The TOEFL paper-based Test (PBT) was still available in limited areas until 2017, when it was replaced by the Paper-delivered test. But from April 11th 2021, the revised TOEFL Paper-delivered test will also no longer be offered. The scores from the revised TOEFL Paper-delivered test will remain valid for 2 years after the test date. 


TOEFL Junior Test

Intended for students ages 11+, the TOEFL Junior Test is an objective, reliable measure of your student’s English communication skills that can help you pinpoint strengths and challenges. The test can be used in multiple ways in the classroom for placement and to monitor progress.

TOEFL Primary Test


The TOEFL Primary test is an assessment designed for students ages 8+ and measures the English skills that provide a foundation for future success.


TOEFL Test Content - For iBT and HBT


The test content has 4 sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. 


Reading

The Reading section is designed to assess how well you can read and understand the kind of materials used in an academic environment. It includes 3 or 4 reading passages, which are excerpts from university-level textbooks that would be used in introductions to a discipline or topic, the passages cover a variety of different subjects. Each passage is approximately 700 words long, with 10 questions per passage, and you have 54 to 72 minutes to answer all the questions in the section.


Listening

The Listening section is designed to measure your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English. It includes listening for:

  • Basic comprehension.
  • Pragmatic understanding and connecting and synthesizing information.

There are 2 types of listening items in the Speaking section — lectures and conversations:

  • 3–4 lectures, each 3–5 minutes long, with 6 questions per lecture.
  • 2–3 conversations with 2 speakers, each 3 minutes long, with 5 questions per conversation.


Speaking

The Speaking section is designed to measure your ability to speak English effectively in academic settings. It is composed of 4 tasks that resemble real-life situations you might encounter both in and outside of a classroom.

  • Question 1 is an "independent speaking task", it requires you to draw entirely on your own ideas, opinions, and experiences when you respond.
  • Questions 2–4 are "integrated speaking tasks", they require you to combine your English-language skills — listening and speaking, or listening, reading, and speaking.

You'll get 15–30 seconds of preparation time before each response, and your response will be 45 or 60 seconds long. To respond, you'll speak into the microphone on your headset. Your responses are recorded and sent to ETS, where they will be scored by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters to ensure fairness and quality.


Writing

The Writing section is designed to measure your ability to write in English in an academic setting, and you're expected to be able to present your ideas in a clear, well-organized manner.

There are 2 writing tasks, and you'll have 50 minutes to complete the Writing section:

  • Integrated writing task (20 minutes) — read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
  • Independent writing task (30 minutes) — write an essay based on personal experience or opinion in response to a writing topic.

You'll type your responses on a computer keyboard. Responses are sent to ETS, where they are scored by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters to ensure fairness and quality.


TOEFL Test Score - For iBT and HBT


You can view your scores in your ETS account approximately 6 days after your test date by receiving an email and the test scores are valid for 2 years. You will receive 4 scaled section scores and a total score:

  • Each section has a score range of 0–30.
  • These are added together for a total score of 0–120.


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