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What is TOEFL?

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TOEFL is a test of English language proficiency majorly taken by the students who are non-native English speakers aspiring to study abroad.

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The TOEFL exam pattern and syllabus is planned and designed in a way to effectively assess the overall English language skills of the candidates.

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It is utmost important for the test takers to understand the pattern and syllabus well before they start to prepare for the exam. This will help them plan their preparation strategy well and achieve their desired overall TOEFL test score.

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This article will help the test-takers get familiar with the TOEFL exam syllabus and pattern, and learn about the topics covered under each section of the TOEFL exam.

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TOEFL iBT Test Content, Structure and Administration

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The TOEFL test measures all four academic skills — reading, listening, speaking and writing — the way they’re used in the classroom.

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The language used in the test closely reflects how English is used in everyday academic settings, and the test contains 100% academic content with integrated tasks.
 

Content sections and structure

The TOEFL iBT test is broken up into four sections and takes about 3 hours to complete. 

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Reading

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  • 3–4 passages, each 700 words

    • multiple-focus passages (compare/contrast, cause/effect)

    • 10 questions for each passage

  • Time: 54–72 minutes

  • Score scale: 0–30

 

Listening 

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  • 3–4 lectures, some with classroom discussion, each 3–5 minutes, 6 questions each

  • 2–3 conversations, each 3 minutes, 5 questions each

  • Time: 41–57 minutes

  • Score scale: 0–30

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Speaking

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  • 4 tasks

    • 1 independent task to express an opinion on a familiar topic

    • 3 integrated tasks based on what is read and heard

    • Up to 30 seconds to prepare the response, up to 1 minute to respond

  • Time: 17 minutes

  • Score scale: 0–30

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Writing

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  • 2 tasks:

    • 1 20-minute integrated task based on what is read and heard

    • 1 30-minute independent task to support an opinion on a topic

  • Time: 50 minutes

  • Score scale: 0–30

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Administration and testing options

The TOEFL iBT test is offered three different ways:

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  • TOEFL iBT test: on a computer at an authorized test center

  • TOEFL iBT Home Edition: on a computer at home, monitored by a live human proctor

  • TOEFL iBT Paper Edition: Two test sessions:

    • Reading, Listening, and Writing sections: on paper at a test center

    • Speaking section: on a computer at home

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