TOEFL Exam: An Introduction to English Proficiency Testing for International Students
Most of the time, when students apply for different scholarships, they ask for a TOEFL English language test certificate. Also, there may be different questions related to the TOEFL test with students, such as: what is the TOEFL test? What parts does it have? How can we participate in this exam and get a good result? Today we have gathered for you a brief information about the TOEFL Exam: An Introduction to English Proficiency Testing for International Students.
If you are not a native English speaker and want to study at an internationally recognized university, you are required to take the TOEFL test.
The TOEFL test was first administered in 1964 by the Modern Language Association financed by grants from the Ford Foundation and Danforth Foundation. In 1965, The College Board and https://www.ets.org/ jointly assumed responsibility for continuing the TOEFL testing program.
This test assesses your knowledge of the English language in reading, speaking, writing and listening. These four sections are very important for those universities where the language of instruction is English and to give you admission.
Who should take the TOEFL test?
Around the world, 35 million people have taken the TOEFL test to assess their English language skills. This test is often given by those students who want to study abroad or are candidates for any foreign scholarship. When applying for any scholarship, check whether TOEFL test is required or not. If necessary, get information about the minimum score required.
Note that having an IELTS or TOEFL certificate is required from applicants who:
- Do not have a history of studying in English-speaking universities.
- They have not had a history of studying in fields taught in English in a country other than their own.
- Their mother tongue is not English.
- Someone who has not had valid articles with high reference (Citation) in journals with high impact factor.
- Their English language level cannot be identified and verified.
Why take the TOEFL test?
More than 11,000 universities and educational institutions in more than 130 countries consider your TOEFL test scores for admission. Each educational institution sets a minimum number of required TOEFL scores, which are usually between 61 and 100.
When you take the TOEFL test, your test is valid for two years. If you have taken the TOEFL test two years ago and then apply for a scholarship now, you must take a new TOEFL test and get the required score for the scholarship.
General Tips and Recommendations
- On the TOEFL test day, keep your composure and participate with the highest confidence.
- Don’t think if you don’t get an excellent or good or average score, the world is over! The way to get to university and scholarship is not just through TOEFL!
- Have positive energy and remind yourself that this day is like any other day when you participated in tests and got the desired score.
- Don’t talk to other participants. You do not need their experience on the test day.
- You will receive two kinds of identity verification at the exam center to confirm your TOEFL enrollment. One of them is Agreement Confidentially which requires you not to discuss the details of this test with anyone. You must read and sign both forms.
- Your passport must match the identity information you provided while registering on the https://www.ets.org/ website.
- Thinking of sending someone to the meeting instead of you; forget. Do not risk! And by doing this, do not create legal and criminal problems for yourself and the sent person.
- It is forbidden to bring all devices such as mobile phones, laptops, books and notebooks to the exam venue.
- Sometimes, it has been seen that wearing hats, jewelry, accessories and these things are not allowed in the exam.
- An official at the test venue will take a photo of you and your photo will be displayed on the computer screen placed at your test location. This photo will also appear in your portfolio.
- The online TOEFL test center will provide you with as much paper, pencil, and eraser as you need.
- Try your headphones and microphone to make sure of their quality.
- Check that the keyboard is working properly; Because you must use it well in the written part during the exam.
- If your image does not appear on the screen before the start of the test, inform the person in charge of the session.
- This test lasts less than 4 hours. Prepare yourself for a 4-hour test. Therefore, the diet on the night of the test should be such that you have enough energy for this 4-step test.
Format and content of the test
The TOEFL online format consists of the following sections:
1 – Reading:
Your ability to read and understand an academic or scientific text is assessed in this section of the TOEFL test. It includes three or four reading passages, each approximately 700 words long, with 10 questions per passage. You have 54 to 72 minutes to answer all the questions in the section.
The passages of this section are taken from university-level textbooks that would be used in introductions to a topic. Don’t make the mistake that the passages may not be relevant to your profession. All the explanation related to the questions are available in the article and if you are fully prepared then you will not face any problem in finding the answer.
2 – Listening
The TOEFL Listening section is designed to measure your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English. It includes listening for:
- Basic comprehension;
- Understanding the speaker’s attitude and degree of certainty;
- Connecting information;
There are two parts, one is a lecture by a university professor and the other is a conversation between two people (students and teachers) in the university campus.
3 to 4 lectures, some with classroom discussion, each 3 to 5 minutes; 6 questions per lecture
There will be 3 to 4 lectures, some with classroom discussion, each 3 to 5 minutes; 6 questions per lecture in this section, each of which will be 3 to 5 minutes long and each one will have 6 questions. It will also have 2 to conversations, each 3 minutes; 5 questions per conversation. You can take short notes with you while listening to conversations and lectures. You have 41 to 57 minutes to complete the section.
3 – Speaking
This Section of the TOEFL test assesses the effectiveness and fluency of your speaking in an academic environment. The four questions or tasks resemble real-life situations you might encounter both in and outside of a classroom. There are two types of questions in this section. One of them is that you are given a topic and you independently share your opinion and experience related to that topic. The second type is the integrated task where you will listen to an idiom or read a paragraph and then you will open the conversation of both sides or listen to their differences.
You’ll get 15–30 seconds of preparation time before each response, and your response will be 45 or 60 seconds long. You will speak into the microphone. The speech is first recorded and then evaluated and rated by experts in the relevant field and you will You have 17 minutes to complete the Speaking section.
4 – Writing
There are two writing tasks.
Integrated writing task (20 minutes) – read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
Independent writing task (30 minutes) – write an essay based on personal experience or opinion in response to a writing topic.
You have 20 minutes for the first type and 30 minutes for the second type. You screen your writing using a special keyboard, which is sent to the TOEFL office, where it is evaluated and graded by the relevant authority.
Things to remember on the day of the exam
You don’t need to carry a watch with you at all. A digital timer like the GRE test will be displayed on your screen, which allows you to manage time. You must learn time management in the TOEFL preparation project.
- Before starting, each section is taught through your headphones and its main points are recounted. You will have these headphones during the exam.
- You should prepare yourself for a busy test day. Unlike IELTS test, where everything is held in silence, the TOEFL test is not like that. Other participants may have reached the speaking part at the same time and you can hear them speaking as well.
- If you need advice or face a problem during the online TOEFL exam, raise your hand so that one of the officials, called TCA, will come to your counter (exam location) and solve your problem. For example, if you run out of note paper or your pen doesn’t write! You can immediately discuss the issue with the exam officials. But don’t forget that the authorities do not answer any questions about the TOEFL test.
- Note that if you need to use the bathroom during the exam, time will not stop for you.
- You can’t have a mobile phone while resting or going to the bathroom.
- You can leave the exam place only when you get approval of the exam officials.
Finally, it should be noted that in order to pass the four sections of the online TOEFL test, you must have both prior preparation and participation in the simulated tests of the main test. The examiners expect extensive replies from you; therefore, in order to earn a higher score in the speaking and writing portions, boost your imagination and expand the subject rather than settling for short and ordinary answers. Demonstrate your abilities to the examiners. They are unconcerned with the genuineness of your words. They must assess your competence and skill in using the English language, and the more effort you put into displaying this talent, the higher your score.
Please note that the https://www.ets.org/ website is the only official source of knowledge about the TOEFL test registration conditions and procedures. So, bookmark this article so that you can always use its tips in the future and during the preparation process for the exam.
