TOEFL IBT

About the TOFEL IBT

The TOEFL IBT test, delivered via the Internet, is an important part of your journey to study in an English-speaking country. In addition to the test, the ETS TOEFL^® Program provides tools and guides to help you prepare for the test and improve your English-language skills.

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.

Who Takes the TOEFL^® Test?

More than 30 million people from all over the world have taken the TOEFL^® test to demonstrate their English-language proficiency. The average English skill level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced.

• Students planning to study at a higher education institution
• English-language learning program admissions and exit
• Scholarship and certification candidates
• English-language learners who want to track their progress
• Students and workers applying for visas

Where Can I Get Local, In-language Support?

You can contact a local TOEFL IBT Resource Center for general in-language information about the TOEFL test and test preparation. TOEFL IBT Resource Centers are available in specific countries.

Who Accepts TOEFL Test Scores?

More than 9,000 colleges, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries accept TOEFL scores. For more information, including using your scores to satisfy visa requirements in Australia and the U.K., how to find institutions that accept TOEFL scores, and more.

Where and When Can I Take the TOEFL IBT Test?

The TOEFL test has more test dates (over 50 per year) and locations than any other English-language test in the world. You can retake the test as many times as you wish, but you cannot take it more than once in a 12-day period. If you already have a test appointment, you cannot register for another test date that is within 12 days of your existing appointment.

This retake policy will be enforced even if a violation is not immediately identified (for example, inconsistent registration information).

• If the violation is identified after registration but before the test date, your test appointment will be canceled and your test fee will not be refunded.
• If the violation is not identified until after your scores have been reported, your scores will be canceled. You and any score recipients will be notified by a cancellation letter, and your test fee will not be refunded.

What Resources Can Help Me Prepare for the TOEFL IBT Test?

ETS offers a variety of paid and free preparation materials to help you get ready for the TOEFL test.

Scores

TOEFL IBT Test Scores

Your scores are based on your performance on the questions in the test. You must answer at least one question each in the Reading and Listening sections, write at least one essay, and complete at least one Speaking task to receive an official score. For the TOEFL IBT^® test, administered via the Internet, you will receive four scaled section scores and a total score:

• Reading Section (Score of: 0–30)
• Listening Section (Score of: 0–30)
• Speaking Section (Score of: 0–30)
• Writing Section (Score of: 0–30)
• Total Score (0–120)

In addition to your scores, your test taker score report also includes performance feedback that is a reflection of your performance level and a description of the kinds of tasks that test takers within the reported score range can typically do.

There is no passing or failing TOEFL^® score; individual higher education institutions and agencies set their own score requirements. TOEFL scores are valid for two years after the test date and there is no limit to the number of times you can take the test, but you cannot take it more than once in a 12-day period. If you already have a test appointment, you cannot register for another test within 12 days of your existing appointment.

The Way the Test is Scored

ETS uses both human raters and automated scoring methods to offer a complete and accurate picture of a test taker’s ability. While automated scoring models have advantages, they do not measure the effectiveness of the language response and the appropriateness of its content. Human raters are needed to attend to a wider variety of features, such as the quality of ideas and content as well as form.

Additionally, studies have shown that prompts designed for fully automated scoring have been more vulnerable to prompt-specific preparation and memorized responses.

The TOEFL test uses automated scoring to complement human scoring for the two tasks in the Writing section. Combining human judgment for content and meaning, and automated scoring for linguistic features, ensures consistent, quality scores.

How We Ensure Quality

ETS raters are trained extensively, pass a certification test and are calibrated daily. The calibration includes task familiarization, guidance on scoring the task, and practice on a range of responses. Raters are continuously monitored for accuracy by ETS scoring leaders and checked each time they score a new test question.

Rating Is Kept Apart from Test Administration

To ensure the security and integrity of scores, it is critical that scoring not take place at test sites, but rather through a centralized scoring network that implements and ensures consistent scoring standards. The TOEFL test is scored by a network of raters, carefully controlled from a secure central location. ETS uses a highly diverse pool of raters rather than those exclusive to an applicant’s country of origin, and ETS raters score responses anonymously for truly objective scoring. Multiple raters’ judgments contribute to each test taker’s Speaking and Writing scores in order to minimize rater bias.

Who Accepts TOEFL Scores

More than 9,000 institutions in over 130 countries accept TOEFL scores.