TOEFL is one of the most popular English proficiency exams accepted at American and Canadian universities and schools abroad. TOEFL tests the international students’ usage and understanding of English as it is spoken, written and heard in college and university surroundings. The Educational Testing Services (ETS) is the conducting body of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and is responsible for setting the TOEFL questions, conducting the test, and sending each examinee their scorecard. Students wanting to study abroad, can choose from multiple TOEFL Test Datesavailable round-the-year and select from the various test centres located across major cities to appear for their TOEFL Exam.
TOEFL is mostly undertaken by students who are planning to pursue higher education abroad. Appearing for TOEFL would also allow students to be eligible for several scholarships and also help students and candidates looking for employment abroad with their visa application process. Accepted in over 10,000 universities and institutions worldwide, including universities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, the United States, and across Europe and Asia, TOEFL is one of the most preferred English-language tests for students wanting to study abroad.
Students wanting to study abroad and opting for TOEFL comes with many benefits. TOEFL is a more preferred exam among students who want to pursue higher education abroad, as more TOEFL scores are sent to universities in the United States and Canada, compared to others. Similarly, TOEFL is a more preferred English Test among countries as more TOEFL scores are sent to German, French, US and Canadian universities than other English tests. ETS – the conducting body of the TOEFL also guarantees students a fair and unbiased process of score reporting, making the test more authentic in nature.
Candidates should be aware that the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is held in two formats, viz. TOEFL iBT (Internet-based Test) and TOEFL PBT (Paper-based Test). The TOEFL iBT is a more preferred mode of the exam while TOEFL PBT is only available in locations that do not support the use of the Internet and this mode of examination does not have the TOEFL Speaking Test due to lack of resources. Read on to know more about the two formats of the TOEFL Exam.
As the name suggests, the TOEFL Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) is the online version of the TOEFL test for candidates looking to appear for their exam. It is the more preferred medium of TOEFL due to its ease of convenience and uses fewer resources.
The TOEFL Paper Based Test (TOEFL PBT) is the more orthodox method, wherein paper and pen are extensively used for the purpose of the exam. Not a big hit among students, the paper-based model of the TOEFL exam is conducted in areas that do not have access to the Internet. Candidates should be aware that in this format of the TOEFL exam, the TOEFL Speaking Test is not conducted due to the limited availability of resources.
The TOEFL exam pattern 2020 comprises four sections, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing - along with the total score. It is always advised that candidates should practice more and more, as the more they practice TOEFL Sample Papers, the better their scores will be. The TOEFL exam pattern is decided by the ETS, the conducting body that governs the TOEFL exam in 2020. All the preparation material is prepared while focusing on the TOEFL test pattern 2020.
| Section | Questions Duration | Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | Questions: 30–40 questions Duration: 54–72 minutes | Reading 3 or 4 passages from the academic texts and answering questions based on them. |
| Listening | Questions: 28-38 Duration: 41-57 minutes | Listening to lectures, conversations, classroom discussions, and then answering questions based on them. |
| Break: 10 minutes | ||
| Speaking | Questions: 4 tasks Duration: 17 minutes | Candidates need to express their opinion on a topic familiar to them and speak based on reading and listening tasks. |
| Writing | Questions: 2 tasks Duration: 50 minutes | Candidates need to write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks, along with supporting the opinion in writing. |