What is the TOEFL exam:

TOEFL and IELTS are two major English language test in the world, here we will be talking about TOEFL. Full form of TOEFL is TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE.

A private non-profit organization ETS (Educational Testing Service) designs and administers the test.

TOEFL is an English language proficiency test which is conducted to test the English understanding and speaking ability of the candidate. It is accepted as a proof of English language proficiency by almost all major universities around the globe across 130 countries. It is the most required test for admission in any US or Canadian universities.

 

Who needs to prepare for the TOEFL exam?

TOEFL is a language proficiency test which has to be undertaken if you wish to relocate to a foreign country of United States of America or Canada for further studies or planning to take up a job there. There are a number of other tests which you may have to clear which completely depends on the type, of course, you have applied for or whether it is a graduate or undergraduate program, but along with those test you have to clear the test for English language either TOEFL or IELTS.

What is the eligibility criteria for TOEFL?

 
There are no such eligibility criteria for giving the TOEFL exam, however, a minimum of 10+2 pass out from any recognized Indian university is required to undertake the test. The only reason to take this test is to check your expertise in the English language so that you do not face any communication barrier while studying or working there. Understanding the lectures is of utmost importance if you are there for Studying purpose.

Paper pattern for the test paper

There are two ways of giving the TOEFL test:

1. TOEFL iBT – Internet-based test and
2. TOEFL – pBT – Paper-based test.

Both these test have the same paper pattern they test you on the four areas of Reading, writing, listening and speaking fluency of the English language.

Each of the four sections has a maximum of 30 marks allotted, which means that the TOEFL exam has a maximum of 120 marks. So a candidate score ranges from 0 – 120.

The total duration of the test will be around 4 to 4 1l2 hours with a break of 10 minutes in between. Mobile phones, tabs, and other such devices are strictly not permitted while taking the exams not even in the 10 minutes break time.  Most of the candidates take the TOEFL iBT test as TOEFL –pBT test is offered only in areas with no internet connection.

The following table may give you a snapshot of the TOEFL iBT paper pattern.

Section	Time or Duration	Number of Questions / Task	Things to be done
Reading	1 hour plus	36 – 56 questions	Answer the questions based on the passage provided.
Listening	1 to 1 1/2 hour	34 – 51 questions	Answering the questions after listening to the lectures, conversations and classroom discussions.
Break	10 minutes	–	–
Speaking	20 minutes	6	Speaking on a topic based on the reading and listening tasks.
Writing	50 minutes	2	Writing an essay based on reading and listening task.

 

TOEFL Results

Your Result will be mailed to you roughly after 10 days of taking the test. You can also login to your TOEFL account from the TOEFL registration website to view your score. Also, a printable copy will be available through email.

The validity of these Scores is two years, which means that you have a time period of two years to apply for any higher studies aboard.

TOEFL exam – Registration, Eligibility, Fees, Dates, and preparations

Registration:

Registration can be done throughout the year.  However, it is advisable to decide beforehand where you are going to give the exam.

There are in all four ways to get your registration done for TOEFL – Online, In-person, by Telephone or by Email. The most common out of them is filling the form Online.

Here are steps to follow for online registration for TOEFL test:

1. Create your profile on the official website of ETS (Educational Testing Service).
2. Fill in all the fields providing details like name, address, email id, etc. be sure to check that all the information provided by you is as it appears on your passport.
3. Pay the application fees.

Online registration closes Seven days before the exam date, so keep that in mind.

Fees:

The fee structure varies from county to country and also varies according to the centers. The fee is roughly around 180 US dollars which convert to approximately 11,000 Indian rupees.

Dates:

This test is conducted at the authorized centers all around the world, it has over 50 dates per year and there is no limit as in how many times you appear for the test, however it has a buffer period of 12 days that is one has to wait for a minimum of 12 days before appearing for the test again.

Your application form, however, has a deadline, so it is better than you give your exam at least a month before the deadline so that you have plenty of time for preparations and just in case if you need to reappear for the test that is after 12 days you still have time with you.

Preparations:

To prepare for the exams you can either join a TOEFL coaching class or can prefer to do self-studying. It completely depends on which way is more comfortable for you. Coaching classes can give you some professional guidance on how to score well, while if monetary constraints are there you can self-study using TOEFL books and resource material available in the market. You can also get free as well as paid study material from the ETS site.

It is important that the candidate understands the format and result and score system of the test properly.

That’s it for now, hope you have got your basic concepts about TOEFL cleared. Start preparing and ALL the best.