The TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based) test, developed by ETS Global, assesses the academic skills in English of a person whose mother tongue is not English. The TOEFL test is recommended for students wishing to continue their studies at a university offering courses in the English, and in particular in the United States, Canada, Germany or France.
A benchmark test in academia
The TOEFL is one of the most recognized standardized English tests in the world. More than 8,500 universities and international schools accept it, because of its thoroughness, to ensure the language level of their students. Today, more than 35 million people have certified their language level via the online version of the exam (TOEFL iBT) or via the paper version of the test (TOEFL ITP).
Language skills assessment
The TOEFL test assesses the following 4 skills:
- Reading in English
- Listening in English
- Speaking in English
- Writing in English
Consequently, it is divided into 4 main and complementary sections, which take place within a session of 4h30 maximum.
The “Reading” component lasts 60 minutes and tests written comprehension. The candidate must read texts on academic subjects that one might find in Anglo-Saxon universities, and answer a few questions in the form of multiple-choice questions.
The “Listening” component also lasts 60 minutes, and tests listening comprehension. During this part, you listen to several audio discussions and you have to answer questions in the form of multiple-choice questions.
The “Speaking” component lasts 20 minutes and focuses on your speaking skills. Returning to the topics previously discussed, you will have to speak in English, through a microphone which will record your level of oral English.
The “Writing” component lasts 50 minutes and tests your ability to write in English. Depending on the exercises, you will be asked to write a text in English of between 150-225 words as well as an argumentative essay in English of around 300 words.
The TOEFL is scored on a scale of 120 points. To obtain a good TOEFL score, it is estimated that it is necessary to obtain a result greater than or equal to 22/30 for each test, or approximately 88/120.
