Zozanga ESL - TOEFL - What is TOEFL?

ENGLISH EXAMS

TOEFL - What is TOEFL?

TOEFL

TOEFL ( Test of English as a Foreign Language ), evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting. It sometimes is an admission requirement for non-native English speakers at many English-speaking colleges and universities. The most widely available academic English-proficiency test in the world, with over 4,500 test centers in more than 165 countries. Recognized by more than 8,000 individual institutions worldwide.

What Is the TOEFL iBT Test?

The TOEFL iBT test measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. And it evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks

There are two formats for the TOEFL test. The format you take depends on the location of your test center. Most test takers take the TOEFL iBT test . Test centers that do not have Internet access offer the Paper-based Test (PBT).

What Is the TOEFL PBT Test?

The TOEFL PBT Test is a paper-based test that measures your ability to use and understand English in a classroom setting at the college or university level. It accurately measures how well you can listen, read and write English while performing academic tasks.

TOEFL iBT ® Test Scores

Skill Score Range Level*

Reading	0–30	Low (0–14) Intermediate (15–21) High (22–30)
Listening	0–30	Low (0–14) Intermediate (15–21) High (22–30)
Speaking	0–4 points converted to 0–30 score scale	Weak (0–9) Limited (10–17) Fair (18–25) Good (26–30)
Writing	0–5 points converted to 0–30 score scale	Limited (1–16) Fair (17–23) Good (24–30)
Total Score	0–120

*Data taken from test taker score reports.

TOEFL ® PBT Scores

Skill Score Range

Listening	31–68
Structure/Written Expression	31–68
Reading	31–67
Total Score	310–677

Want advice on improving your English-language skills?
Choose your performance level below.

Reading

Skill Performance Level

	(0–14)	(15–21)	(22–30)
Reading	Low	Intermediate	High

Listening

Skill Performance Level

	(0–14)	(15–21)	(22–30)
Listening	Low	Intermediate	High

Speaking

Skill Performance Level

	(0–9)	(10–17)	(18–25)	(26–30)
Speaking about Familiar Topics	Weak	Limited	Fair	Good
Speaking about Campus Situations	Weak	Limited	Fair	Good
Speaking about Academic Course Content	Weak	Limited	Fair	Good

Writing

Skill Performance Level

	(1–16)	(17–23)	(24–30)
Writing based on Reading and Listening	Limited	Fair	Good
Writing based on Knowledge and Experience	Limited	Fair	Good

Comparison Charts

Based on the research reports that link TOEFL iBT scores to IELTS and CEFR scores, ETS developed these comparison charts to help you make informed admissions decisions.

TOEFL Score IELTS Band

TOEFL Score	IELTS Band
0–31	0–4
32–34	4.5
35–45	5
46–59*	5.5
60–78*	6
79–93*	6.5
94–101*	7
102–109*	7.5
110–114	8
115–117	8.5
118–120	9

CEFR TOEFL Score

CEFR	TOEFL Score
	0–56
B1	57–86
B2	87–109
C1	110–120

* Indicates score comparison ranges with the highest degree of confidence.

TOEFL Sample Test
TOEFL Tips