(TOEFL)

If your native language is not English and you are planning to study in a North American college or university, you may be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

The TOEFL® program provides English proficiency testing services for international students planning to study in the United States, Canada, or other countries where English is the language of instruction.

The Test

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is used in college and university settings. Scores on the test are required by more than 4,300 two- and four-year colleges and universities, professional schools, and sponsoring institutions.

The test is offered on computer throughout most regions of the world. In areas where access to computer-based testing is limited, a supplemental paper-and-pencil version of the test is administered.

The Paper-Based Test

This format of the TOEFL test is administered by giving each examinee a book with test questions printed in it. For each question, the examinee selects from one of four possible answers and marks or "grids" the answer choice on a paper answer sheet. The paper-based test has three sections: Listening Comprehension, Structure and Written Expression, and Reading Comprehension. The Test of Written English (TWE), a 30-minute writing test, is administered with the paper test. The essay is written on paper.

Answer sheets are mailed to Educational Testing Service (ETS), where they are electronically scanned. Score reports are mailed to examinees and up to four institutions approximately five weeks after the test date.


The Next Generation TOEFL Test

TOEFL iBT

Focus on communication

The new and better TOEFL test

The new TOEFL test is a breakthrough in testing that emphasizes integrated skills, and provides better information about test takers' ability to communicate in an academic setting.

To succeed in an academic environment in which English is the language of instruction, students need to not only understand English, but also to communicate effectively. ETS has developed a new TOEFL test that will help individuals demonstrate the English skills needed for success. This next generation TOEFL test will help institutions make better decisions about prospective students' academic readiness for academic coursework. The new test will also impact the teaching and learning of English worldwide.

Internet-based Testing (iBT)

The new TOEFL test will be delivered via the Internet. Internet-based testing (iBT) allows ETS to capture speech and score responses in a standardized and fair manner. It will also make it possible to greatly expand test center access.

Take a practice iBT TOEFL Test on-line