Students preparing for an English language proficiency exam generally need to choose between the TOEFL and IELTS exams.
Everything you need to know about the TOEFL can be found here.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language® (TOEFL) is a standardized exam designed to measure the English language skills of non-native speakers wishing to enroll at universities where the language of instruction and communication is English.
The exam is accepted by many academic and professional institutions where the language of instruction and communication is English. The TOEFL is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the IELTS.
Prestigious in the US, UK, and worldwide
Fully digital via the iBT format
Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing
Exam results are valid for 2 years
TOEFL iBT is an internet-based test of academic English proficiency. The current exam measures four skills: Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. The old long TOEFL iBT structure is no longer current; the updated test is shorter, more academic in task design, and more closely aligned with CEFR-style score reporting.
| Section | Focus | Current Note |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Understanding and interpreting academic texts | Reading is reported as a separate section score. |
| Listening | Understanding lectures, academic discussion, and campus contexts | Listening is reported as a separate section score. |
| Writing | Producing written responses in academic contexts | Writing tasks measure academic expression with reading/listening input. |
| Speaking | Responding orally in academic and campus-based contexts | Speaking responses are scored through the ETS evaluation process. |
TOEFL iBT scores are valid for 2 years from the test date. Students should always check each target institution's current TOEFL requirement on the official admissions page.
As of January 21, 2026, TOEFL iBT score reports use a new 1-6 scale, in 0.5-point increments, for Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking, and the overall score. During the transition period, reports may also include comparable information from the previous 0-120 scale.
There is no universal TOEFL passing score. Each university, department, and scholarship program sets its own requirement. HND therefore tracks TOEFL targets by section according to each student's university list.
