e l h a m . b _ 1 9 8 9 @ y a h o o . c o m

TOEFL

What Is the TOEFL Test?

• Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL (/ˈtəʊfl/) is a standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers wishing to enroll in U.S. universities. The test is accepted by many English-speaking academic and professional institutions. TOEFL is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the IELTS.

What Is the Difference Between the TOEFL iBT And TOEFL PBT Tests?

•TOEFL iBT Test:

iBT is the abbreviation for TEOFL Internet Based Test. So, the TOEFL iBT lasts approximately 4,5 hours. It examines your reading, listening, speaking and writing skills.

Speaking

The Speaking section consists of 6 tasks, 2 independent tasks and 4 integrated tasks. In the 2 independent tasks, test takers answer opinion questions on familiar topics. In 2 of the integrated tasks, test takers read a short passage, listen to an academic course lecture or a conversation about campus life and answer a question by combining appropriate information from the text and the talk. In the 2 remaining integrated tasks, test takers listen to an academic course lecture or a conversation about campus life and then respond to a question about what they heard. Test takers may take notes as they read and listen and may use their notes to help prepare their responses. Test takers are given a short preparation time before they have to begin speaking.

Listening

There are six passages, each 3–5 minutes in length, which include two student conversations and four academic lectures or discussions. Each conversation and lecture passage is heard only once. Test-takers may take notes while they listen and they may refer to their notes when they answer the questions. Each conversation is associated with five questions and each lecture with six. The questions are meant to measure the ability to understand main ideas, important details, implications, relationships between ideas, organization of information, speaker purpose and speaker attitude.

Reading

The Reading section consists of 3–5 passages, each approximately 700 words in length and questions about the passages. The passages are on academic topics; they are the kind of material that might be found in an undergraduate university textbook. Passages require understanding of rhetorical functions such as cause-effect, compare-contrast and argumentation. Students answer questions about main ideas, details, inferences, essential information, vocabulary, and overall ideas. New types of questions in the iBT require filling out tables or completing summaries. Prior knowledge of the subject under discussion is not necessary to come to the correct answer.

Writing

The Writing section measures a test taker's ability to write in an academic setting and consists of 2 tasks, 1 integrated task and 1 independent task. In the integrated task, test takers read a passage on an academic topic and then listen to a speaker discuss the same topic. The test taker will then write a summary about the important points in the listening passage and explain how these relate to the key points of the reading passage. In the independent task, test takers must write an essay that states, explains and supports their opinion on an issue, supporting their opinions or choices, rather than simply listing personal preferences or choices.

TOEFL iBT Test Content

SectionTime Limit

Questions Tasks

Reading60–80 minutes

36–56 questions

Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions.

Listening

60–90 minutes

34–51 questions

Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions.

Break10 minutes

— —

Speaking

20 minutes

6 tasksExpress an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks.

Writing50 minutes

2 tasksWrite essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing.

TOEFL iBT Test Scores

Skill Score Range Level

Reading 0–30 High (22–30)Intermediate (15–21)Low (0–14)

Listening 0–30 High (22–30)Intermediate (15–21)Low (0–14)

Speaking 0–30 score scale Good (26–30)Fair (18–25)Limited (10–17)Weak (0–9)

Writing 0–30 score scale Good (24–30)Fair (17–23)Limited (1–16)

Total Score 0–120

TOEFL PBT TEST

• the TOEFL PBT test is administered in a paper-based format. • The TOEFL PBT test measures reading, listening,

grammar and writing skills and is currently offered only in locations where testing via the Internet is not available.

TOEFL PBT Test Content

Test Section Description Time Limit No. ofQuestions

TOEFL PBTListening Comprehension

Measures the ability to understand spoken English

30-40 minutes 50

TOEFL PBTStructure and Written Expression

Measures the ability to recognize language appropriate for standard written English

25 minutes 40

TOEFL PBTReading Comprehension

Measures the ability to understand non-technical reading material

55 minutes 50

TWETest of Written English

Measures the ability to write in English

30 minutes 1 topic

TOEFL PBT Test Scores

Skills Score Range

Listening 31–68

Structure and Written Expression

31–68

Reading 31–67

TWE 0–6

Total 310–677

TOEFL

• There is no passing or failing TOEFL score; individual higher education institutions and agencies set their own score requirements.• The scores are valid for 2 years; then they are no

longer reported.• They are taken about 30-40 times a year in special

centers throughout the world.

The list below shows testing cities and fees in Iran, but availability may change when you register. Fee is shown in us$.

• Amol• Isfahan• Jiroft• Kerman• Orumiyeh• Shiraz• Tabriz• Kerman• Tehran

TOEFL iBT $210

GOOD LUCK Elham.b_1989@yahoo.com