All About the TOEFL iBT Test

The TOEFL iBT Test consists of four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. The entire test is about 4 hours long, and all sections are taken on the same day.

Key Features

• The TOEFL iBT test measures all four language skills that are important for effective communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing, emphasizing the test taker’s ability to use English effectively in academic settings.
• It reflects how language us really used with integrated tasks that combine more than one skill, just as in real academic settings. The integrated questions ask test takers to:
  • read, listen, and then speak in response to a question
  • listen and then speak in response to a question
  • read, listen, and then write in response to a question
• It represents the best practices in language learning and teaching. In the past, English instruction focused on learning about the language (especially grammar), and students could receive high scores on tests without being able to communicate. Now teachers and learners understand the importance of using English to communicate, and activities that integrate language skills are popular in many English language programs.

Format

• The TOEFL iBT test is administered via the Internet at a secure network of testing centers around the world.
• Instructions for answering questions are given with each section. There is no computer tutorial.
• The test is not computer-adaptative. Each test taker receives items that cover the full range of ability.
• Test takers can take notes throughout the entire test. At the end of testing, all notes are collected and destroyed at the test center to ensure test security.
• For the Speaking section, test takers wear noise-cancelling headphones and speak into a microphone. Responses are recorded digitally and sent to ETS to be scored.
• Human raters, trained and certified by ETS, rate the Speaking responses.
• For the Writing section, test takers type their responses. The typed responses are sent to ETS for scoring.
• Human raters, trained and certified by ETS, rate the Writing responses. In addition to human scoring, automated scoring is used for the Writing tasks.
• Scores are reported both online and by mail.

The following chart shows the possible number of questions and the timing for each section. The time limit for each section varies according to the number of questions. Every test contains additional questions in the Reading or Listening section. These extra questions are being tested by ETS and do not count toward the test taker’s score.

Test Format

Section	Time Limit	Questions	Tasks
Reading	60-80 minutes	36-56 questions	Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions.
Listening	60-90 minutes	34-51 questions	Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions.
Break	10 minutes	–	–
Speaking	20 minutes	6 tasks	Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks.
Writing	50 minutes	2 tasks	Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing.

If you need information about TOEFL iBT preparation, please check the following link

 

Works Cited:

• Educational Testing Service. (2012). The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test – Fourth Edition. McGraw-Hill.
• TOEFL iBT® Test Content. (n.d.). Educational Testing Service. Retrieved from https://www.ets.org/toefl/ibt/about/content/