Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) 

The TOEFL is the most widely accepted proof of academic English proficiency and will be necessary for admission to many top American universities. The TOEFL exam is approximately 4-1/2 hours long, and is divided into four sections that integrate all four of these English language skills:

• Reading: 60- 100 minutes; 3-5 passages, followed by comprehension questions
• Listening: 60-90 minutes, 2-3 conversations
• Speaking: 20 minutes; 6 tasks with 15-30 seconds to prepare and 45-60 seconds to speak
• Writing: 50 minutes, 2 writing tasks

TOEFL Scoring

Your composite (or overall) TOEFL score will range from 0 to 120 and is calculated by adding your TOEFL scores on each of the four sections. The individual sections are graded separately. You will receive four TOEFL scores ranging from 0 to 30: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.

TOEFL scores vary in importance at different schools. Other factors that schools consider include academics, work experience, letters of reference, and scores on other standardized tests (GMAT, SAT, etc.).

Students can elect to take the Internet-based Test (iBT) or the Paper-based Test (PBT); the iBT, which integrates all four language skills measured: listening, reading, speaking, and writing, is preferred.

How has the new TOEFL changed?

• The new TOEFL includes a Speaking Section. This section includes six speaking questions, which require test takers to speak into a microphone. Responses are recorded and scored by human graders.
• There are more writing questions.
• The TOEFL iBT contains an added 20-minute essay along with the current 30-minute essay, totaling two essays. Some questions on the TOEFL iBT focus only on one of the four skills: reading, listening, speaking, or writing, while other questions require test takers to integrate these skills.
• The new test is nearly 4 ½ hours—an increase of about one hour over the current exam.
• The new test has a different scoring system.
• Test takers receive a score on each of the four skill areas (Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing) tested on the TOEFL, as well as an overall score.

TOEFL iBT Scoring Chart