TOFEL
Test of English as a Foreign Language
Test of English as a Foreign Language is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enrol in English-speaking universities. The test is accepted by more than 11,000 universities and other institutions in over 190 countries and territories.
TOEFL test includes several sections:
Reading: Read and answer questions about passages from academic texts.
Listening: Listen to conversations and lectures and answer questions based on what you hear.
Speaking: Express your opinions and ideas on various topics.
Writing: Write essays in response to specific prompts.
The TOEFL exam is scored on a scale of 0-120, with each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) scored on a scale of 0-30.
Test sections overview
Use the table below to view the breakdown of each TOEFL iBT test section.
| Section | Estimated Timing | Questions/Tasks | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 35 minutes | 20 questions | Read passages and respond to questions. |
| Listening | 36 minutes | 28 questions | Answer questions about brief lectures or classroom discussions. |
| Speaking | 16 minutes | 4 tasks | Talk about a familiar topic and discuss material you read and heard. |
| Writing | 29 minutes | 2 tasks | Read a passage, listen to a recording, type your response. State and support an opinion in an online classroom discussion. |
TOEFL IBT Reading Section
The TOEFL IBT Reading section assess how well you can read and understand materials used in an academic environment.
It includes two reading passages, each approximately 700 words long, with 10 questions per passage. It should take about 35 minutes to complete the Reading section.
Reading passages are excerpts from university-level textbooks that would be used in introductions to a topic. The passages cover a variety of subjects. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the topic of a passage. All the information you need to answer the questions will be included in the passage. There is a glossary feature available to define words not commonly used, if you need it.
TOEFL IBT Listening Section
The TOEFL IBT Listening section is designed to measure your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English. It includes listening for:
- basic comprehension
- understanding the speaker’s attitude and degree of certainty
- connecting information
Listening questions
You’ll hear lectures and conversations in this section. Both use campus-based language.
- 3 lectures, some with classroom discussion, each 3–5 minutes; 6 questions per lecture
- 2 conversations, each 3 minutes; 5 questions per conversation
You can take notes on any audio item throughout the test to help you answer questions.
Test time: It should take about 36 minutes to complete the Listening section.
TOEFL IBT Speaking Section
The TOEFL IBT Speaking section measures your ability to speak English effectively in academic settings. The four questions/tasks resemble real-life situations you might encounter both in and outside of a classroom.
Test time: It should take about 16 minutes to complete the Speaking section.
Scoring: Speaking tasks are scored based on the Speaking Scoring Guides (Rubrics) (PDF) by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters. Raw scores are converted to a scaled section score of 0–30.
TOEFL IBT Test Writing Section
The TOEFL IBT test writing section measures your ability to write in English in an academic setting, and to present your ideas in a clear, well-organized way.
There are two writing tasks.
- Integrated writing task(20 minutes) — read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
- Writing for an Academic Discussion task(10 minutes) — state and support an opinion in an online classroom discussion.
You’ll type your responses on a computer keyboard.
Test time: It should take about 29 minutes to complete the Writing section.
Scoring: Writing tasks are scored based on the Writing Scoring Guides (Rubrics) (PDF) by a combination of AI scoring and certified human raters. Raw scores are converted to a scaled section score of 0–30.
Check TOEFL requirements of various universities abroad
