TOEFL Overview

TOEFL Exam

TOEFL or Test of English as a foreign language and as the name suggests is a popular English proficiency exam. All students who wish to pursue their studies in a foreign country may opt for this exam. This exam is accepted in all North American Universities, as a text as to whether the students will be able to write, speak and understand the language as it is done in their home country. The test is conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Nations where English is the de facto official language, the TOEFL exemption is granted automatically.

Though by giving TOEFL, students get exempted, there are some countries that still have to go through some restrictions. India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan do not have to deal with these restrictions. International students who are citizens of some Commonwealth nations do not have to take the TOEFL. So, in short, the test is designed for non-native English speakers who wish to study abroad. It’s conducted more than 50 times a year.

Every test has a gap of at least 12 days. This provision gives students the option to take the test as many times as required. TOEFL was started in 1964 and is now applicable in around 130 countries. Almost ten thousand agencies, institutions, and colleges of these countries accept TOEFL. It’s available in both iBT and PBT format.

TOEFL 2020 Highlights

TOEFL Login

Registration for TOEFL is a straightforward procedure. The entire process is online, so there is not much hassle. 

Follow these steps to register for the TOEFL Exam:

1. Visit the website of ETS for TOEFL
2. Click on Login
3. Select your country, which will redirect you to the type of test you want to take.
4. Choose your Test Type and Select Book Now.
5. Choose the Date, Place, and Module(Academic/ General)
6. Accept the terms and Conditions
7. Make the payment, and you are registered for a TOEFL Exam.

TOEFL Eligibility

This exam is designed for non-native English speakers. Professionals also opt to take it to get a visa. There’s no specific age limit for the test. Students who have completed high school or have done some course similar can appear for the test. Candidates should be having a passport which is valid to present as proof of identity at examination time, though one is advised to check the university requirements they are applying for.

TOEFL Exam Fee

TOEFL Exam Fee

TOEFL Exam fees vary from country to country. Apart from the registration fees, there are extra charges which are to be paid by the candidates applying for the exam. Below are extra charges to be paid under different circumstances:

TOEFL Payment Policies

Candidates need to keep in mind the following while doing the payment for the exam:

• The amount should be paid in full at the time when the service is required
• If paying by cheque or money order, make sure that the numeric value is written correctly, and
• Have necessary signatures

TOEFL Exam Pattern

You should get yourself acquainted with the test format by practicing as much as you can before taking it as that’s the only way you may improve your score. It involves around 5 sections namely - Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and total where the total score would be the sum of the four areas of skill. They test your flexibility in the language. You’ll get to see the result after 10 days of giving the test. iBt test format is as follows:

TOEFL Score

To ensure that they are completely reliable, TOEFL scores are calculated both by human raters and computers. This is because the automated scoring method is not effective in checking upon the quality and influence of the content while having the advantage of being unbiased. Human raters can better proofread ideas and facts. The scorecard states your score range in all the four sections. The total of all the four scores come to between 0 and 120.

Why TOEFL Exam?

Universities abroad take TOEFL as a means of testing your proficiency in the language and see if you can manage in an English academic environment. The test has its own essence:

• Students, to apply abroad, need to give the TOEFL test as the universities test their skills in the language and consider them fit if they have a good TOEFL score.
• TOEFL scores are most broadly accepted in foreign universities. Almost 130 countries accept TOEFL.
• Your preferable university will most probably check on your TOEFL score.
• Scoring high on the test gives you confidence in the language and shows you that you’re not just a passive English user but actually acquire perfection in the language.
• It’s a flexible test and gives you the liberty to take it as and when you want with the 50 test dates in a single year. You can even choose the test location as per your convenience.

Who accepts the TOEFL exam?

Almost all colleges in the USA including Harvard, California, and Boston look up to the TOEFL scores as a means of selection. It is also accepted in Germany, UK, France, Canada, and New Zealand. More than 90% of UK-based universities require their candidates to take the test. It’s accepted by all the universities of Australia and New Zealand. It’s acceptance in Universities of Canada is about 80%.

TOEFL Scholarships

ETS has sponsored around 14 TOEFL Grants and Awards. They have also spent almost US$105,000 as a scholarship for outperforming students in China, India, Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. It is to reward candidates achieving academic excellence, show English proficiency, have extraordinary leadership skills, performing extracurricular activities and perform well in the test. The following are the Grants and Awards given away by the ETS every year:

1. Foreign or second language research, teaching or assessment
2. International higher education

These are the TOEFL grants:

1. English-language Researcher/Practitioner Grant Program
2. Small Allowances for Doctoral Research in Second or Foreign Language Assessment
3. TOEFL Committee of Examiners Research Grant
4. TOEFL Committee of Examiners Grant Recipients
5. TOEFL Young Students Series (by YSS) Research Grants
6. TOEFL Awards (by application)
7. TOEFL Awards (by nomination)
8. TOEFL Award (applications reviewed by TESOL as part of conference proposal process)

TOEFL Test Centers

TOEFL exams are held in various cities in India. The exam takes place at least 50 times per year and usually, a gap of 12 days is maintained between two TOEFL exams. A candidate can choose his/her own desired location. There are 39 cities in India where the TOEFL iBT is conducted. These are Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Dehradun, Delhi, East Godavari District, Gurgaon, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kochi, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Madurai, Mumbai, Mussoorie, Nagpur, Nashik, Nizamabad, Patna, Pondicherry, Pune, Raipur, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Tirupati, Trichy, Vadodara, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Warangal.  

Latest Updates for TOEFL

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, there were few changes in the TOEFL Exam that took place. The administration body of TOEFL i.e., ETS (Education Testing Services)has announced to launch the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition Test. Candidates who are willing to study abroad can apply for the exam for different locations where TOEFL is available for the candidate’s convenience.

IELTS vs. TOEFL

There are the following similarities and differences between IELTS and TOEFL:

Types of TOEFL

TOEFL is conducted in two modes. Firstly, TOEFL iBT i.e., Internet Based Test which is conducted for the people who are seeking higher education in an English speaking environment and, secondly, TOEFL PBT i.e., Paper Based Test. 

The main feature of this test is to measure proficiency in English which includes abilities such as listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

How to register for TOEFL?

TOEFL registration can be done via the mobile application, slot booking, or online. Candidates can select their exam centers as per their convenience.

TOEFL Online Application

Candidates need to create an online profile on the ETS website to register for the exam. Below are the steps to  register online:

1. Visit www.ets.org and create your profile.
2. Fill in the required details.
3. Confirm the details as per your ID proof.
4. Proceed to pay the fees for further registration.