TOEFL Full Form:

The full form of ‘TOEFL’ is – ‘Test of English as a Foreign Language’, and it is a test conducted by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). That’s right, the same people that conduct the GRE every year.

The TOEFL exam is conducted in two versions: Internet-based test (iBT) and Paper-based test (PBT). The TOEFL iBT was introduced in 2005 and is considered an upgraded version of TOEFL CBT (Computer Based Test). Even though scoring on each section for both versions (iBT and PBT) is distinct, both versions have the same exam pattern. Of the two, 97% of students prefer to take the TOEFL iBT. Given the pandemic, most students have deemed it safer to take the TOEFL online in the interest of their safety. ETS has provided this option as well. 

Difference between TOEFL PBT and TOEFL IBT:

What is the importance of the TOEFL Exam?

These sorts of questions naturally arise when students are looking to study abroad, and get their certificates and scores of English Proficiency for the purpose of studying abroad. It is vital to establish your proficiency in the English language, so that the university is assured of your ability to keep up with the coursework and your level of interpersonal communication. Knowing the language well (or not knowing it) isn’t necessarily a benchmark of your intelligence or ability. However, it is a necessary step, as the countries we frequently turn to for studying abroad, are primarily English-speaking countries. 

The USA leans a lot towards the TOEFL for the purposes above, and will serve as the aforementioned test of English Proficiency. TOEFL scores are needed by students in order to apply for colleges and universities in the USA and Canada.  

But here’s the kicker:

Who can take the TOEFL Exam?

We know that a lot of universities ask for the TOEFL Score as a part of their admissions process, but where else are these scores used? Here’s a look: 

• Students planning to pursue an academic course in an English-speaking country
• Working professionals applying for a visa to move abroad
• Students applying for scholarships and other certifications 
• Those learning the English-language can also take the TOEFL Exam to measure their progress 
• Certain jobs ask for a TOEFL Score when screening candidates

There are universities and businesses in other English speaking countries, like the U.K or Australia, France, Germany and so on who do accept a TOEFL score for various other purposes.

TOEFL Eligibility:

From the passages above, it is clear now that the TOEFL exam is taken by those who want to study abroad or work abroad. With regards to ‘TOEFL eligibility’, the good news is there is no eligibility criteria so to speak. Anybody could technically write the TOEFL exam.

TOEFL Exam Update: ( TOEFL Sections, Questions, Format, Test Length)

The ETS TOEFL exam received a few updates on August 1, 2019. These updates included changes in the TOEFL exam duration and in the number of questions in each section. Over the following 2 years, almost all TOEFL takers benefitted from these aforementioned changes. So, what were these changes? 

For starters, the TOEFL exam duration was shortened by 30 minutes. The duration of the test became 3 hours long with no changes in question types and format. However, the number of questions in the reading, speaking and listening sections were reduced to lower the time.

Here is a quick comparison between the old version and the updated version of the TOEFL exam.

The ‘Test of English as a Foreign Language’ is one of the prerequisites for applying to a any college or university in the USA or Canada. Essentially, anyone who wants to work or study abroad needs to prove their command over the English language by writing either the TOEFL or IELTS. 

It doesn’t matter all that much whether you’re a student, a working professional or an English language learner. Cracking the TOEFL is fairly straight-forward! : )

 The internet version of the exam (around 97% of TOEFL takers choose the Internet version due to convenience) is around 3 hours long. It tests your Reading, Listening and Speaking abilities, along with your writing skills. You can take the exam around 50 times a year. Universities do not fret about your TOEFL retakes (if any) and only require you to submit your highest TOEFL score for evaluating whether you meet their admission criteria. So that’s definitely some good news, right? 😛 Your scores will be valid for 2 years as well. 

Without further ado, let us briefly jump into what the exam tests. It is better to know and understand what you need to prepare for before worrying about how long preparation will take. 

Here’s a useful table from Galvanise Test Prep that decodes the TOEFL Pattern concisely.

Firstly, let us get one thing out of the way. You have decided to write either of these exams as a requirement for getting into a school or university abroad, or to immigrate and work in a particular country abroad. Having established this, we suggest you narrow down a few probable options in terms of universities. Which is your dream university or country? What do they prefer – IELTS or TOEFL? Identify this first and look into their requirements. In the end, that is what will matter after all. 

On the other hand, if you haven’t narrowed down any possible university options, and are looking to hit them with your best shot in order to try your hand at all possible universities, then the following will be applicable for you! 

Who accepts TOEFL scores? 

Universities in the USA have preferred the TOEFL over IELTS for a long time, and if you are looking to study or immigrate to the USA, TOEFL is the better option. There are some universities that do accept IELTS scores as well, so definitely do your research beforehand. Around 9000 institutions in the world accept TOEFL scores, so do keep that in mind. 

What about IELTS? 

Similar to the TOEFL, even IELTS scores are accepted at around 9000 institutions in the world. The difference is that IELTS are preferred for programmes in the UK and Commonwealth Nations such as Australia. European Universities also prefer IELTS scores. 

So, there we have it. Your choice purely depends on where you wish to study or immigrate. Let us briefly look at the differences between these two counterparts. 

Key Differences:

1. Internet vs Paper Version: The TOEFL is primarily taken via the Internet whereas the IELTS offers both the Paper and Interne Version. If you’re someone who prefers writing physically in comparison to typing, then choose the right version for you. 
2. Multiple choice vs Type in the Answer Questions: The TOELF is heavily MCQ-oriented, whereas the IELTS prefers the candidate to write short answers to the questions provided to them. The IELTS is more concerned with your thinking abilities.
3. The Speaking Section: The TOEFL requires you to answer the provided questions or prompts in a recorded format, where there is no human presence apart from you. The IELTS on the other hand, has an actual human on the other side, listening to your conversation. Now, if you’re someone who prefers interacting with another person and find the conversation more stimulating this way, then the IELTS may just take the cake for you but if you find this intimidating, the TOEFL may resonate with you better. It depends on how you communicate and think. 
4. Reading Section: It is said that the IELTS uses myriad texts from sources such as academic readings, magazines and online publications whereas the TOEFL makes use of academic texts only. The TOEFL may prove to be more challenging in this regard. 

TL;DR : To sum it up, choose the exam that best suits your goals and needs, and that of the country or university you want to study or work in.  

TOEFL to IELTS Score Comparison:

As per ETS, most of the test scores in the range of 46 to 109 on TOEFL iBT and 5.5 to 7.5 on IELTS exam.

Below is the ETS report for detailed score comparison on IELTS and TOEFL.

Unlike the GRE which is conducted by the very same ETS, TOEFL scores are not valid for 5 years. Your TOEFL score is valid for 2 years from the test date. So whenever you’ve taken the exam, your scores are valid for up-to two years from that date.

For example:

If you have taken the TOEFL test on June 20th 2019, your TOEFL score is valid until June 20th 2021. Remember you can only apply to universities within this time.

The reason behind this short TOEFL score validity is for universities to be able to be sure that you have the ability to thrive in an English-speaking country at the time of application.

A TOEFL exam score older than 2 years, no matter how good, is sadly not valid. You will need to re-take the test.

In fact, after two years, you wont be able access your score. So plan in advance and choose an appropriate TOEFL exam date so as to be able to use the TOEFL exam score as desired.

TOEFL Reading Section:

This is the first section you will encounter on the ETS TOEFL. The Reading Section is one of the longest sections of the exam. The TOEFL is around 3 hours long. There are usually around 3-4 passages in the section, with 10 questions per passage. The duration of the reading section can range from anywhere between 54 – 72 minutes. 

The reason this is not a fixed number is sometimes they’re testing new material, and they will throw out one more extra passage at you that will form those extra questions, and you will not be told whether that will form a part of your score or not. So you should just come prepared to attempt that many TOEFL reading passage-questions.

TOEFL Listening Section:

The TOEFL listening section time is anywhere between 41 and 57 minutes. Around an hour essentially. There are usually 3-4 lectures tested, with about 6 questions tested per lecture. Apart from this, you will also be tested through 2-3 conversations, with about 5 questions each. 

TOEFL Speaking Section:

The third section that you will encounter in the TOEFL test is the Speaking section. It is about 17 minutes long and you will be expected to do 4 tasks. At this stage, you will be asked to express an opinion on a familiar topic or speak based on reading and listening tasks given to you.

You will be given a microphone into which you will have to speak. You will not be speaking to a person. You do have to kind of practice and get used to speaking into a microphone if you’re not used to that.

You will not have any interaction as such – you will be given a prompt and you will have to respond to that on your own.

TOEFL Writing Section:

Finally, we have the writing section in TOEFL iBT, which is about fifteen minutes long. You have two tasks. That’s right, just two tasks in the writing section. You will have to write essay responses based on the premise that you are given.

And one of those tasks will involve reading and listening as well. You’ll have to read a passage, listen to a lecture and write a response that has to do with what you read and what you listened to.