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What is the ToEFL test? Read about information on ToEFL for a better insight.

ToEFL Test

Taking up the 'Test of English as a Foreign Language' or the ToEFL test can open up a world of opportunity for your career prospects. A widest possible selection of schools accept your ToEFL scores and this includes the top 100 colleges and universities in the UK, U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc. This exam is considered an admission requirement for non-native English speakers because it evaluates their ability to use and understand English in a chosen academic setting. It doesn't really make sense for you to study a course or a subject in an English speaking country without understanding the language! It is for this reason that most universities ask for a ToEFL score. It is a standardised and a uniform measure to test the candidate's knowledge of the language. The following section helps you to learn more about how the ToEFL test.

ToEFL Exam
  • ToEFL was originally developed at the Centre for Applied Linguistics under the direction of the applied linguistics professor, Dr. Charles A. Ferguson at Stanford University. It is now a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS). The exam was first administered in 1964 and it has since been taken up by more than 23 million students worldwide.
  • The three different formats of a ToEFL test are: Computer Based Test (CBT), Internet Based Test (iBT) and Paper Based Test (PBT). Interestingly, the iBT has progressively replaced both the CBT and PBT. Although the paper-based testing is still used in selective areas, the CBT format was discontinued in 2006 and these scores are no longer considered valid.
  • The 4 hour iBT test consists of four sections, namely reading, listening, speaking and writing. In areas where the iBT test is not available, a PBT is given. The paper method of testing has a time limit of 3 hours and consists of 4 sections, listening, structure and written expression, reading comprehension and writing.
Look through this section for further information on the ToEFL scoring format and a few preparation tips as well.

ToEFL Preparation
Every institute or college fixes a cut-off ToEFL score for admission into their programs. Before you begin preparing for ToEFL, find out about the minimum requirement to gain admission into the university of your choice. The most common format which most applicants prefer is iBT. For this, improving your typing skills

ToEFL Score
If you are keen on pursuing higher studies abroad then you must have an idea about the ToEFL score requirements for different schools. This can be done either by reading brochures of the respective institutes or through official websites. The ToEFL score is a result of understanding levels of the English language.