The ‘Test of English as a Foreign Language’, or (TOEFL) was designed to assess a person’s understanding and use of English in an academic setting. The tests can be taken in ‘paper-based tests’ (pBT) or ‘internet-based tests’ (iBT). For those of you wondering how a TOEFL score is calculated, this article provides a brief overview of the key components used to evaluate scores.

What do you need?

Both the Internet-based tests and the paper-based tests are carried out in controlled environments at authorized test centers. To register for a test, contact your nearest test center, which can be found with a simple internet search. With over 4,500 test centers worldwide, we hope you’ll find a center near you. Follow the link at the bottom of the article.

Level 1

Reading: 25% of the total score.

Duration: 60-100 minutes

Test included: Reading 3-5 passages and answering 12-14 questions.

This assessment includes reading 3-5 passages of approximately 700 words and answering questions associated with the text. All passages are academic in nature.

After reading the text, examinees answer a series of questions to check their understanding. The questions are related to: main context, ideas, inferences, key information, vocabulary and essential information. The content of the subject does not require prior knowledge, as it is required for all subsequent tests.

Stage 2

Listening: 25% of the total grade

Duration 60-90 minutes

Test included: Listen to 6-9 passages and answer 5-6 questions.

This section includes listening to 6 passages, 3-5 minutes long, and answering questions related to the passage. The passages are academic in nature and typically comprise student conversations or lectures and discussions.

Each audio recording is heard only once and examinees can take notes as they listen. Each conversation has 5-6 associated questions to answer that are intended to measure the ability to understand: main ideas, key details, intentions and purpose, and attitude of the speaker.

Stage 3

Speech: 25% of the total score

Duration: 20 minutes

Test included: 6 tasks and 6 questions

This section comprises 6 tasks of which 2 are independent and 4 integrated.

For the independent tasks, test takers answer questions on familiar topics.

Examinees are tested on their ability to spontaneously answer questions and convey their ideas clearly and coherently. The audio recordings are of academic-type situations.

In embedded tasks, test takers are required to use skills and answer questions from the reading and listening material, and are given some time to prepare before speaking.

Stage 4

Writing: 25% of the total score

Duration: 55 minutes

Test included: 2 tasks and 2 questions

This section measures the examinee’s ability to write in an academic setting. The test consists of 2 tasks, 1 integrated and 1 independent.

In the embedded task, candidates read a passage and listen to an audio recording of the same topic. They are then asked to write a summary of the key points of the passage and relate them to the audio recording.

In the independent task, candidates are required to write an essay, expressing their opinion on a topic rather than simply responding to a choice.

Stage 5

The scores from the four individually assessed tests are collated to form a final score. There are no pass or fail scores, but schools and employers may require certain scores to meet entry-level requirements.

For a paper test, scores range from 200 to 677, with a score above 600 being very good.

For Internet-based tests, scores range from 0 to 120, and scores above 97 are considered very good.

To your nearest test center.