Embassy of the United States

TOEFL Information

TOEFL iBT 2006

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is used by more than 5,000 colleges and universities in 90 countries to measure English language ability. The new TOEFL IBT (Internet-Based Test) will be given in more than 180 countries throughout the world.

The TOEFL has changed from measuring separate skills to assessing the ability to communicate effectively in an academic setting. Based on the most current research on language learning, the test now measures how language is really used. There are also questions that combine more than one skill, such as reading, then listening, and then speaking or writing.

Scoring:        Listening                    0-30

                    Reading                      0-30   

                    Speaking                    0-30

                    Writing                       0-30

                    Total Score                    0-120

Scores are reported online and include a score for each section as well as a total score.

Learning a language is a skill and is acquired by practice, just like playing football or playing the piano. While good teachers---like good coaches---are important, the only way to learn to speak English is by PRACTICING. Also as in athletics or music, some people naturally have more talent at language-learning than others. While ability helps, nothing will substitute for practice. 

TOEFL Success Training Strategies

1. Attend class and participate. I know this sounds obvious, but your coaches cannot train you if you are not there. ALL of you needs to be in class---your brain AND your body.

2. Read extensively in English. In class we generally read intensively, that is, we carefully read short passages and try to understand the entire text. Extensive reading, on the other hand, means reading a lot of text without understanding all of the vocabulary or meaning; you are reading for the main idea. Choose material that is interesting to you and that you will enjoy reading, such as novels, magazines, and internet sites. News magazines and texts in your area of study are also good choices.

3. Listen extensively to music, movies, books on tape, and other media in English. Movies and television programs often give valuable cultural information as well as practice listening to actual speech.

4. Speak English. Take every opportunity to speak English, especially during class.

5. Make mistakes. İf you spoke English perfectly, you would not be studying here. The more you speak, the more mistakes you will make and the more you will learn. So don’t be afraid to make mistakes!

6. Ask questions and ask for help if you need it. Your teachers want to help you to be successful, but they cannot read your mind. You must talk to them if you need help.

7. Use the internet for practice whenever possible. There are dozens of good websites, and most of them are free. The company that writes, gives, and scores the TOEFL, ETS, the Educational Testing Service, has a website with services to help learners prepare at ets.org/toefl.

Specifications

TOEFL iBT 2006

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is used by more than 5,000 colleges and universities in 90 countries to measure English language ability. The new TOEFL IBT (Internet-Based Test) will be given in more than 180 countries throughout the world.

The TOEFL has changed from measuring separate skills to assessing the ability to communicate effectively in an academic setting. Based on the most current research on language learning, the test now measures how language is really used. There are also questions that combine more than one skill, such as reading, then listening, and then speaking or writing.

Each test includes 3-5 reading passages approximately 700 words long, with 12-14 questions per passage. They are excerpts from college-level textbooks used in introductory classes to a field of study, and are adapted as little as possible so that they measure authentic reading skills. Common types of passage organization include classification, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, and problem/solution. Definitions are available for some of the difficult or technical words or phrases in the text. This section takes between 60-90 minutes.

Basic Information and Inferencing questions (11-13 questions per passage):

1. Factual information (3-6 per passage)

  Information directly stated in the text.

1. Negative factual information (0-2 per passage)

  Identify info. that is NOT true or NOT included in the text.

1. Inference (0-2 per passage)

  Identify info. that is implied but not stated.

1. Rhetorical (0-2 per passage)

 Why did the author include this information?

1. Vocabulary (3-5 per passage)

  Meaning of the word as used in the passage.

1. Reference (0-2 per passage)

   Relationship between words in the passage, such as subject and pronoun.

1. Sentence Simplification (0-1 per passage)

        Choose a sentence that has the same meaning as one in the passage.

1. Insert Text (0-1 per passage)

   A new sentence must be put into the appropriate place in the passage.

Reading to Learn (1 per passage)

1. Prose Summary

        Choose three out of six sentences that express the main idea.

1. Fill in a Table

         Add information to a partially-completed classification table.

There are two writing tasks.

Integrated: A 3-minute reading (230-300 words) is followed by a 2-minute lecture based on the reading; note-taking is allowed. Students have 20 minutes to write a short summary of what the speaker said about the reading passage.

Independent: Students have 30 minutes to give their opinion about a general topic of interest to students, supported by specific reasons and examples.

In this section the audio is paired with pictures; students can take notes. Speech is more natural, and British or Australian accents are included. One new multiple-choice question measures understanding of speaker’s attitude, degree of certainty, or purpose, so students must listen for voice tone and other cues. This section takes between 60-90 minutes.

Academic lectures: 4-6 lectures that are 3-5 minutes long in the area of the Arts, Life Science, Physical Science, or Social Science. Some are mostly speaking by the professor, with an occasional student question or comment. In others, the professor asks questions to generate discussion and student participation.

Conversations: 2-3 conversations, about 3 minutes long. Various scenarios are portrayed, such as a meeting with a professor or a conversation with a university employee, such as a librarian, bookstore clerk, or departmental secretary.

There are 3 different types of questions:

Multiple choice: Most questions have one correct answer, however, in some the student must choose two out of four answers.

Ordering: Students must put steps in a process or events in the correct order.

Matching: Students add information to a table.

Using a headset with a microphone, students perform 2 tasks in each of 3 different areas. They can take notes on the reading and listening material.

Independent: Students answer short questions by giving their opinion about general topics. They have 15 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to speak.

Read, Listen, and Speak: students answer questions about information they have read and listened to; they have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.

Listen and Speak: Students answer questions about a discussion and a short lecture they listen to; they have 30 seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to speak.