TOEFL is an English Language Proficiency test for non-native speakers who wish to enter English-speaking institutes of higher education.
TOEFL stands for “Test of English as a Foreign Language” and is designed by the ETS, a non-profit organization in the United States. it’s one of the two main tests for assessing the level of English language proficiency.
The test is recognized by more than 8 500 colleges and universities in more than 130 countries, inclusive of Canada, Great Britain, Australia, and the USA.
In the past, TOEFL was also offered as a paper-based test and a computer-based test, but today, due to the development and spread of Internet technology, in all TOEFL test centers, this test is held online. They send answers directly to the ETS Institute via the Internet.
The cost of attending the TOEFL exam varies in different countries, ranging from US$160 to US$250.
Structure of the TOEFL Exam
The TOEFL test consists of four sections; each is one of the four primary language skills, namely reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
The reading section texts are all academic books, articles, and textbooks that you may encounter in the first year of undergraduate study at English-speaking universities.
The listening section also includes examples of professors’ lectures in university classrooms and students’ conversations with each other or with professors and university staff in English-speaking universities.
In the speaking section, they may ask you to talk for a limited time about the subjects, issues, and problems students may face on campus.
Finally, in the writing section, you will be asked to write two short academic essays on two topics. The type of these essays is the analysis and conformity of two views or the expression of your personal opinion and commentary of a subject.
Reading
The first part is the reading skill. In this section, you will have three or four texts, each of them has about 700 words, and you will answer 12 to 14 questions for each section.
The answer time is 60 to 80 minutes, during which you can go back to the previous texts and questions and review them if you need.
You are not given any dictionary, and you do not have the right to bring any electronic notes or tools to the test session, But you can use the pen and paper that the test center gives you for taking notes.
Listening
The second part is listening skills. In this section, you will hear two or three conversations, each lasting approximately three minutes, and you will answer 5 questions for each item.
You will also listen to four to six lectures or a three to five-minute speech and answer six questions. In total, you should answer 34 to 51 questions.
In this section, you must answer the questions in the same order as they are given to you, and it is not possible to return to review the answers. You also have about 60 to 90 minutes to complete this section.
Speaking
After a 10-minute break, the speaking section begins. You have to answer six questions using the microphone on your headset. These six questions include four combined questions and two independent questions.
For some questions, you just read the item on the monitor, listen to the narrator reread the question, and after a few seconds, give you time to prepare and think about the answer.
You should provide a short answer; For more complex questions, you need to read a short text, listen to a short conversation or conference, and then prepare and articulate your response.
You have an average of 15 to 30 seconds to prepare and think about each question and 45 to 60 seconds to record your answer. It would help if you started talking as soon as the answer is ready and complete your response before your time is up.
You have no choice but to start, pause, or end your voice operation. The whole oral part lasts about 20 minutes, and the number of questions is always six in this section.
Writing
In this part, you should write two essays in a total duration of 50 minutes: Twenty minutes for the first and thirty minutes for the second essay. Both of these essays naturally have to be typed on a computer keyboard.
To write the first essay, you should read a short text, which has 230 to 300 words on an academic topic, then listen to a short lecture about 2 minutes on the same subject, which actually has a different point of view from the text approach, and then prepare and type your text. Your final text should be at least 150 words long and match the two perspectives well.
In the second essay, they ask you to comment on the subject. Here, you should write your comments in at least 300 words, most straightforwardly and logically, following academic writing principles in 30 minutes. The total time given to you by both essays is 50 minutes.
How do They Score TOEFL Exam?
The overall TOEFL test score is calculated from 120, and each central section has a score of 30. The first two parts, reading and listening, are measured by your correct answers, while the two parts, speaking, and writing, are generally measured by the specific factors that TOEFL test proofreaders have.
The number of questions with a score in the reading skill section is 39, and in the listening skill section is 34; Therefore, in these two sections, 39 and 34, respectively, the correct answer will be equal to a score of 30 in this part.
You can see the rest of the scores in the table that follows. But in both speaking and writing skills, proofreaders give each of your answers a holistic score from 0 to 4 in speaking skills and an overall score from 0 to 5 for writing skills.
In the report given to you, only the final scores of each skill plus their sum are reported, and access to the questions and answers of the test that you have given, and the mistakes that not taken from you in the speaking and writing section.
If you object to your score, you can request a re-examination for a fee, which will not be refunded even if your objection is justified.
About ten days after the test session, the digital version of your resume will be placed in your ETS account, which you can easily download as a PDF file. About two weeks after the test date, the original hard copy will be sent, both to the universities of your choice and yourself.
If the centers receiving the test report are within the United States, wait for 7 to 10 days to receive them; And if they are outside the United States, the waiting time is longer, maybe 4 to 6 weeks. This time also includes the copy that will be sent to you.
Source: www.Abroadin.com
