The Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings.
Knowing the format before taking the test helps us get prepared confidently. The test itself is a medium for anyone to confirm that they have the English skills needed for success. The TOEFL test is offered in different formats depending on a test taker’s location:
The PBT (Paper-based Test) tests 4 areas of English competence:
- Listening
- Structure and Written Expression
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing (TWE: Test of Written English or essay writing)
The CBT (Computer-based Test) tests 4 areas of English competence:
- Listening
- Structure and Written Expression
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing (TWE: Test of Written English or essay writing)
The iBT (Internet-based Test) tests all 4 language skills that are important for effective communication:
- Speaking
- Listening
- Reading
- writing.
TOEFL iBT has been introduced in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Puerto Rico, Africa, the Americas, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, Asia and North Africa.
Those living in the areas where internet installation is still limited, they take PBT or CBT.
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The TOEFL Scores
> Paper-based Test
- The final PBT score ranges between 310 and 677 and is based on three subscores: Listening (31–68), Structure (31–68), and Reading (31–67).
- Unlike the CBT, the score of the Writing section (referred to as the Test of Written English, TWE) is not part of the final score; instead, it is reported separately on a scale of 0–6.
- The score test takers receive on the Listening, Structure and Reading parts of the TOEFL test is not the percentage of correct answers. The score is converted to take into account the fact that some tests are more difficult than others. The converted scores correct these differences. Therefore, the converted score is a more accurate reflection of the ability than the correct answer score is.
> Internet-based Test
- The iBT version of the TOEFL test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points.
- Each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) receives a scaled score from 0 to 30. The scaled scores from the four sections are added together to determine the total score.
- Speaking is initially given a score of 0 to 4, and writing is initially given a score of 0 to 5. These scores are converted to scaled scores of 0 to 30.
