TOEFL
If you are an international student looking to study in a university in an English speaking country, you may need to take a TOEFL test. TOEFL is an acronym of the Test of English as a Foreign Language, which is the official name for the test. It assesses your ability to both speak and understand English by analysing your English ability in terms of reading, speaking, listening and writing. These are all skills which will be needed to carry out your academic studies and the test is used by institutions to ensure students are able to proceed and succeed on their chosen course in a country where the curriculum is taught in English.
The TOEFL test is usually conducted in the form of an online test, but if the test centre does not have an internet connection then a paper-based test can be offered.
TOEFL test scores are accepted by more than 10,000 colleges, agencies and institutions across the world.
The test is conveniently offered via 2 testing options :
Internet test (TOEFL iBT):
The test has 4 sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. During the test, you’ll perform tasks that combine these 4 English communication skills, such as:
- 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
Each skill has 4 or 5 proficiency levels, so where your score falls within that range tells you your proficiency for that skill.
| Skill | Level |
| Reading | Advanced (24–30) High-Intermediate (18–23) Low-Intermediate (4–17) Below Low-Intermediate (0–3) |
| Listening | Advanced (22–30) High-Intermediate (17–21) Low-Intermediate (9–16) Below Low-Intermediate (0–8) |
| Speaking | Advanced (25–30) High-Intermediate (20–24) Low-Intermediate (16–19) Basic (10–15) Below Basic (0–9) |
| Writing | Advanced (24–30) High-Intermediate (17–23) Low-Intermediate (13–16) Basic (7–12) Below Basic (0–6) |
Total Time:
3 hours
Paper-based test (TOEFL PBT)
A listening section of between 30-40 minutes consisting of 3 parts.
A structure and written expression section lasting 25 minutes which includes 15 exercises of sentence completion and 25 examples for error identification.
A reading section which lasts 50 minutes and includes answering 50 questions about passages.
A writing section which lasts 30 minutes, which involves one written essay containing around 250-300 words.
The main difference between the two formats is the spoken section of the test which is replaced by structure and written expressions section in the paper-based test.
Exam Fee: INR 14,197.44(US$190)
How Do You Get Your Scores?
Through Your ETS Account
You’ll receive an email when your scores are available, and you can access your account online.
Your scores are valid for 2 years, so you may want to download and print a PDF copy of your test taker score report from your account.
Score conversions: IELTS VS TOEFL
