TOEFL Full Form

If you are an Indian and planning to study abroad, you will need to prove your proficiency and command of the English language. The universities in English speaking countries generally accept the TOEFL scores if the candidate is not a native English speaker. Currently, the TOEFL exam is being accepted in more than 11,500 universities all over the globe and other institutions in more than 160 countries. The prominent English-speaking countries that accept TOEFL scores are the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and Australia. 

Test Pattern

The TOEFL test can be taken in four patterns:

1. In the traditional way at TOEFL test centres

2. From home

3. The paper edition

It is the only test that takes the measure of proficiency in academic English. This is also the reason why most universities accept the TOEFL scores as the acceptance test for proficiency in English. The exam tests the academic skill of listening, writing, speaking and reading academic English. A good score can improve the chances of being selected in the top-notch colleges and universities across the globe.

In the TOEFL exam, the candidates are expected to perform the reading, writing, speaking and listening tasks which involve:

• Reading, listening and speaking the answer to the question

• Listening and speaking the answer

• Reading, listening and then writing the answer to the question

The exam is for a period of 3 hours, however, it may take 3.5 hours for completing the check-in and finishing the formalities. 

In a concise manner, the test has the following time divisions:

Preparing for the TOEFL Sections

Reading

The reading section of the TOEFL examination contains three-four seven hundred words reading passages with ten questions per passage. The passage is of academic content and can be an excerpt from the university textbooks, from the introductory topics of the courses or disciplines. The candidates should not fret if the topic is not known, the information required for answering the questions will be provided in the passage itself. The passage will also provide a glossary for certain technical terms and words to aid the candidates in answering the questions. The candidates will be given 54-72 minutes for performing this test.

Listening

The listening test is conducted to test the ability to pay attention in the lectures and comprehend the meaning of the oral lessons provided. The listening test is conducted in two types, one is for the lectures and the other is for the conversations. The test requires the candidates to perform general translations/comprehension and analyse the speaker’s attitude. The test contains 3-4 lectures (maximum 5 minutes long) with 6 questions for each lecture, 2-3 conversations with two speakers (3 minutes long) with 5 questions for each conversation. The candidate can take audio notes during the test and will be given 41-57 minutes for finishing the tasks. 

Speaking

The speaking section aims to measure the candidate’s proficiency in speaking English which can be used in academic settings. The task will have situations that one might come across both inside and outside the classroom. This section will have 4 questions where the first question will require the candidate to speak and build up a session surrounding one’s own ideas and topics. Questions 2-4 are often referred to as the integrated speaking tasks because they combine all the skills being tested: speaking, reading, writing and listening. The candidates get 45-60 seconds for formulating the response. The candidate will have 17 minutes to finish the tasks of this section.

Writing

This section measures the ability of the candidate to write academic writings and the ability to present the ideas in a clear, concise and well-organised manner. The section assigns two writing tasks to the candidates wherein one task requires them to read a passage, listen to the lecture and then write the findings in one’s own language and the other requires the candidate to share an essay on personal experience or any topic that one might be interested in. The candidates are given 50 minutes for the writing section.

All the sections are sent to ETS for rating the scores wherein the software combines the human and AI support to efficiently and fairly allocate the score ratings to the candidates.

Taking TOEFL: Step by Step Procedure

If you are taking TOEFL for your application in foreign colleges/universities, you can prepare and give the TOEFL examination in an internet-based test or IBT. Once taken, the score remains valid for two years. There is no hard and fast rule which requires the candidate to take the test from the centre.

The candidate can register online for taking the test, and there is no limit for the maximum times the test can be taken. However, the student can take the exam only once in 12 days. Given the costly nature of the test, the candidate should prepare efficiently and aim to get an acceptable score within the first try itself.

Conclusion

Given the increasing trend to go abroad to complete further education in our country, TOEFL is the test that every prospective candidate needs to take in order to show proficiency in the English language as a non-native English speaker. Abbreviated for Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL measures the English speaking proficiency in an academic setting.