A Comprehensive Guide to the TOEFL

Many foreign universities require non-native English speakers to submit the score of English language proficiency tests to check their capabilities in understanding the course delivered in English. There are several English language tests to consider, and TOEFL is one of the most popular among them. TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language test and is conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which seeks to assess the student’s English language skills in order to determine whether the student can understand English-taught programs.

1. TOEFL iBT: It is an online test and has four sections – Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The total test duration is 180 minutes or 3 hours.

2. TOEFL PBT: It is a paper-based test, which is conducted in areas with weak or no internet connectivity; and has four sections – listening comprehension, structure and written expression, reading comprehension, and the Test of Written English. The total test duration is 140-150 minutes.

3. TOEFL Essentials: It is similar to the TOEFL iBT, and the only difference is that the test duration is only 1.5 hours.

TOEFL PBT is no longer offered since April 11, 2021. The students who wish to meet educational goals must take TOEFL iBT, as it checks their proficiency in 100% academic English. TOEFL Essentials test is taken by students who wish to improve their language proficiency and it tests their proficiency in general and academic English

There is no set eligibility criteria to take this test. However, the students with minimum qualification of 10+2 and bachelor’s degree usually appear for this test. The test results are widely accepted by universities in 130 countries, including many English-speaking countries like the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, and several European countries.

The TOEFL exam takes about 3 hours to complete and has four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. 

• Section 1- Reading: Each reading section has three or four written passages with 12-14 questions for each passage. You will get 54 or 72 minutes to answer questions in passages.
• Section 2- Listening: This section includes listening for pragmatic understanding and basic comprehension. The listening section uses campus-based language and features 3-4 lectures, with 6 questions per lecture, and lasting 3-5 minutes, as well as 2-3 conversations involving 2 speakers, with 5 questions per conversation lasting 3 minutes. You will get 40 to 57 minutes to complete this section.
• Section 3– Speaking: In the speaking section, students will get four speaking tasks. The question 1 features an independent speaking task and requires you to draw your ideas, experiences, and opinions. The questions 2-4 involve integrated speaking tasks, which combine your speaking, listening, and reading skills. You will get 17 minutes to complete the section.
• Section 4- Writing: TOEFL writing section has two parts: One integrated task which lasts for 20 minutes (read a short passage and listen to a lecture) and one independent task which lasts for 30 minutes (choose between two options and give their reasons for why they chose the way they did).

The total score for the TOEFL exam (valid for only two years after the exam date) ranges from 0-120, and each section has a score scale of 0-30 marks. The TOEFL results will comprise an overall score and also every section’s score individually.

As of July 2022, the exam fee of TOEFL iBT in India is US$190 or INR 14930 and TOEFL Essentials is US$100 or INR 7858 (1 US$ = 78.58).

At Collegepond we are engaged in constant efforts to help our students get their money’s worth with cost effective solutions and discounts wherever possible. As an Authorized Consultant for TOEFL in India by ETS, Collegepond offers a $10 discount for students who wish to register for the TOEFL. You simply have to enter the Collegepond TOEFL discount code while paying the exam fee to avail the discount.