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
The TOEFL exam is administered in English and online. It is an exam consisting of 4 sections (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) that takes approximately 4.5 hours to complete, including registration procedures. During the exam, you are asked to perform a series of tasks that integrate your English communication skills.
| Section | Time Allowed | Questions | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 60–80 min. | 36–56 questions | Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. |
| Listening | 60–90 min. | 34–51 questions | Listen to lectures, classroom discussions, and conversations, then answer questions. |
| Break | 10 min. | – | A mandatory rest period. |
| Speaking | 20 min. | 6 tasks | Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks. |
| Writing | 50 min. | 2 tasks | Write an essay in response to reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing. |
Your scores are calculated based on your performance on the questions asked in the exam. To receive a valid score, you must answer at least one question in the reading and listening sections, write at least one essay, and complete at least one speaking task. On the internet-based TOEFL exam, you receive a total score along with four scaled section scores:
In addition to your exam results, your exam participant score report also includes performance feedback reflecting your level of performance, as well as a summary of the reported score range of exam participants. There are no passing or failing TOEFL scores; each individual higher education institution determines its own score requirements. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years from the date of the exam.
