TOEFL. What it is? Preparing and passing the TOEFL English language test

TOEFL test.

Anyone who has studied English career growth and studying abroad, I was faced with the need to confirm my knowledge of English. Depending on the situation, organization and country, you will need an international TOEFL certificate or, to confirm your knowledge of business English, sometimes it is also required, and for postgraduate and master's studies a certificate.

However, the most popular and frequently requested is the TOEFL certificate. The TOEFL test is considered by many to be more difficult than the IELTS test, but they are approximately the same. In any case, you need to prepare very well before taking such a test. I recommend this for more effective preparation.

Today, it is preferable to take the TOEFL Internet-based Test (its abbreviation iBT), since many universities and organizations give preference to it. The order of completing tasks in the TOEFL iBT test version is as follows:

What tasks are provided for each section can be seen below:

You can score points by completing at least one task from all sections. See the scoring system for the TOEFL test below:

Below are the passing TOEFL scores, what to expect:

The cost of the test and delivery dates vary by country and region. The cost of taking the test around the world ranges from $160 to $250. There are a total of 4,500 testing centers in 165 countries around the world where you can take this test. One of the significant disadvantages of this test is that its results are valid only for two years.

Download TOEFL test examples:

This article will give you a more complete understanding of the test and answer the following questions:

1. Why and for whom is TOEFL needed?

2. How much does it cost to take the TOEFL test, and how long will the result be valid?

3. TOEFL test options, and which one is most preferred by universities?

4. What is the structure of the test?

5. What to expect in the TOEFL exam?

6. How is the test scored?

7. How to prepare for it?

1. TOEFL, or Test of English as a Foreign Language

This is one of the standardized tests for people whose native language is not English. TOEFL is required for admission to universities in the USA and Canada, as well as for admission to English-language study programs in other countries of the world. However, in Lately alternative options for testing English language proficiency have appeared: some universities have also begun to accept IELTS results, and the famous Harvard University has, in principle, removed TOEFL from the list of documents required for submission. And yet, TOEFL continues to be a fairly popular method for testing the level of English among foreigners.

Don't forget that different universities have different admission requirements, and once you have made a list of your desired schools, check which test you need to pass to confirm your language level.

2. Cost of taking the test and how often you can take it

The cost of taking the test is approximately $250. The test can be taken as many times as you like, the main thing is that 2 weeks have passed since the last registration and passing. TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years.

In Russia, you can now take the TOEFL in many cities in authorized centers, information about which can be easily found on the Internet.

3. There are two options for taking the test

A paper version (paper-based test, or PBT), which is gradually becoming a thing of the past, and an online version (internet-based test, or iBT). To successfully pass the iBT, you need specialized training, the ability to use a computer and quickly type on a keyboard.

4. Test structure

TOEFL consists of 4 sections and lasts about 4 hours. Each section tests a student's different language knowledge and skills used in an academic environment.

TOEFL Internet-Based Test has the following order of execution: Reading, Listening, break 10 minutes, Speaking, Writing

Sections

Time

Tasks

60-90 minutes

Listen to the lecture and dialogues and answer questions

Reasoning on a familiar topic; answers to questions based on this material

Write an essay on the material you listened to and read; express your point of view in an essay

5. More about the exam

Reading

The “Reading” section offers 4-6 texts, each of which contains about 700 words. All texts are written scientific style and imply that the student not only has an extensive vocabulary and knowledge of complex syntactic structures, but also an understanding various forms and means of expressing thoughts (contrast, cause and effect, proof, etc.). Students must demonstrate their ability to work with text, isolating and analyzing basic and additional information, interpreting unknown words in context, as well as other skills needed to read and understand scientific literature.

Listening

This section offers two types of assignments: lecture and Speaking(between students, teachers, etc.). The recordings are listened to only once, and after listening to the material the student must answer questions within a given time. On average, this is 5-6 questions for each task.

Break 10 minutes

Speaking

This part consists of six tasks: two independent and four combined. When completing assignments, the student speaks into the microphone. The first two tasks common topics serve as a test of how a student can reason on familiar topics and express his thoughts correctly. To answer the next two questions, the student needs to listen to a lecture or conversation (between students, student and teacher, etc.) and read short text on the same topic. Information in the text may complement or contradict information in a conversation or lecture. Thus, the student will have to analyze it and give a competent and coherent answer. The last part of this section involves listening to an academic text and answering questions about it.

Writing

The student will have to demonstrate his abilities in writing academic texts. The section is divided into 2 parts: in the first you need to read the text and listen to material on the same topic and write a short analysis essay consisting of approximately 150-225 words. In the essay, the student must demonstrate his ability to analyze and synthesize different types information. In the second part, the student writes a short essay (300-350 words) on a given topic, expressing exclusively his point of view. In this case, you need not only to express your opinion, but also to justify your choice or give examples. Both texts must be grammatically, syntactically and logically coherent.

The last part of the statistics test is the most difficult for most examinees, and it is difficult to imagine how you can write 2 full-length texts in a non-native language in just 50 minutes.

An important caveat: from time to time, ETS (which developed TOEFL) introduces trial, so-called “pilot” items into the test to see how effective they are. That is, while taking the test you may be unpleasantly surprised by the presence of an additional task in one of its parts. The nuance is that this Additional Information is not marked in any way in the test, that is, for example, out of four tasks, three will be main, and one may turn out to be a pilot, but you will not know this. Therefore, you need to take all test tasks equally seriously.

6. Points

Each of the four sections is assessed on a 30-point scale, i.e. The maximum possible score for the test is 120 points. Absolutely anyone can pass the test, but passing with the desired score is much more difficult.

If you are going to enroll in a master's or graduate school at prestigious universities and, especially, want to get a scholarship, then you should focus on a score of 100-120. If you just want to get into a good institute, then you need to pass the test with at least an 80. Well, if the results are lower, then the educational institution will be appropriate; Community College may be an option for you.

7. How to prepare yourself

First you need to understand your goal and desired result, i.e. optimal score for admission. When you formulate a goal, it will become clear how much work there is!

It is important to carefully review the test format first. We have only briefly described it. More full information you can get it on the official TOEFL website - https://www.ets.org/toefl. There you will also find many useful resources to help you prepare for the test.

Books that may be useful to you in preparation:

Delta's "Key to the TOEFL Test"

Barron's How to Prepare for the TOEFL Essay"

Kaplan "TOEFL iBT" with CD-ROM

Cambridge "Preparation for the TOEFL Test"

An essential component of preparing for the TOEFL is practice and continuous development of various skills. The speed and literacy of your oral and writing, the ability to perceive information by ear and in writing, analyze texts read or heard, express one’s thoughts clearly and coherently in speech and writing - all these skills need not only to be developed, but also consolidated, and this is impossible without constant practice. If you lack motivation and perseverance, then go to a school where there are teachers who specialize in TOEFL preparation. It will be easier and more enjoyable for you to work in a group of like-minded people.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are international level exams that test knowledge of English as a foreign language. It would seem that choosing one of the two exams is not difficult, because both test knowledge of the English language. But first impressions are deceiving, and they are completely different. The question arises: “What to take: IELTS or TOEFL?” In this article, we looked at the features of TOEFL and IELTS, which will help you understand which exam you need to take.

Why IELTS and TOEFL are needed

If you want to move to an English-speaking country, find there permanent job or get a higher education, then you simply need a certificate from one of these exams. In addition, it will be a good plus when obtaining a visa at a foreign embassy. Most countries in the world recognize IELTS and TOEFL certificates as a document confirming your knowledge of the English language.

How is TOEFL different from IELTS?

We figured out why both of these exams are needed. Now let's see how they differ. There are two main differences that you should consider first when choosing an exam:

1. Language and country

IELTS tests knowledge British version in English. That is, you will need IELTS if you want to move to the UK, Australia or New Zealand. TOEFL tests knowledge of American English. TOEFL must be taken by those who want to move to the United States of America or Canada.

Besides England and America, more than 130 countries accept TOEFL results and more than 145 countries accept IELTS results. If you are going to study abroad, then with a TOEFL or IELTS certificate, the doors of 9,000 educational institutions are open to you. In addition, many American universities accept IELTS results, and many British universities accept TOEFL. Therefore, be sure to check which exam is preferred at your chosen university.

2. Format

The exam is available in two versions: General IELTS - a test of general knowledge of the English language; Academic IELTS is a test of knowledge of academic English. In order to live and work in any English-speaking country, it is enough to have a General IELTS certificate.

TOEFL exists only in the academic version, so in terms of difficulty it is equal to Academic IELTS. A TOEFL certificate is a must for those who want to obtain higher education in the USA or Canada. Academic IELTS is needed for those who want to study or work at a university in the UK or Australia.

IELTS exists only in a “paper” version, while TOEFL can be taken in two formats: Paper-based Test (TOEFL PBT) - a written version of the test and Internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) - a computer version. The structure of the two formats is different. In the article “” you can find out what is their difference.

Which is easier: IELTS or TOEFL

Now we come to the question that interests everyone - “Which exam is easier: IELTS or TOEFL?” It is impossible to answer unequivocally, since there are too many parameters to take into account. We tried to cover this issue from different angles.

The TOEFL and IELTS exams are administered differently. We invite you to use the tables where we compare all the similarities and differences between the formats. This will help you determine which exam is best for you. We will only consider the TOEFL iBT, since it is more popular and the “paper” version is rarely taken. In addition, there are very few TOEFL PBT test centers in Russia.

You may have noticed that TOEFL Reading is less predictable. It is impossible to predict how many texts you will receive and what their number depends on. The texts are taken from scientific articles, lectures, etc. The vocabulary in them is quite complex, but understandable to a person without special education.

The General IELTS module contains texts about Everyday life English. They are taken from popular newspapers and magazines, the vocabulary in them is generally colloquial. The Academic IELTS module, as the name suggests, contains academic texts taken from scientific or semi-scientific publications. The vocabulary in these texts is more complex, but understandable to a non-specialist in a particular field.

And again, it is impossible to say exactly how many tasks you will get; you will only find out about this during the exam. But there is good news: the more texts you receive for reading, the fewer recordings you receive for listening and vice versa. TOEFL Difficulty Listening is that first you listen to an audio recording and only then get questions. This means that you need to remember the content of the text well and have time to take notes. After listening to each audio recording, you are given 10 minutes to answer the questions.

The advantage of IELTS Listetning is that you get questions right away, meaning you can listen and answer at the same time. After listening to all the audio recordings, you are given another 10 minutes to transfer your answers to the final copy.

As you can see, the Writing section is different in the two exams. However, the main difference between TOEFL and IELTS Writing is the test method. In the IELTS exam you write the essay by hand, in the TOEFL exam you type it on the computer.

Again the sections are very different. In TOEFL Speaking, you “talk” to the computer: speak your answers into the microphone, and the computer records them. In IELTS Speaking, you take the exam to a live person - you talk to the examiner.

Other features of TOEFL and IELTS

• TOEFL lasts 4 hours, IELTS - 2 hours 45 minutes. Less does not mean easier. But physically it can be harder to think, listen, read, write for four hours.
• All tasks in TOEFL are multiple choice, that is, you need to choose the correct answer from several proposed ones. In IELTS different types tasks: fill in the blanks, indicate whether the statement is true or false, etc. That is, if the spelling is poor, then this will be visible in IELTS and the grade for this may be reduced.
• The exam also reflects the fact that IELTS tests British English, and TOEFL tests American English. This means that the version of English in the two exams will also be different. Words, expressions, and idioms will be those that are used by native speakers in the respective country.
• A TOEFL or IELTS English language proficiency certificate is valid for two years. After two years, information about the person who passed the exam is deleted from the database. Therefore, if necessary, the exam is taken again. The validity period is not indefinite because your level of knowledge may change over time.

Which is better to take TOEFL or IELTS?

To understand which exam to take, you need to decide on a few things.

1. Find out which exam is preferable in the country where you are going

If you are required to do only IELTS or only TOEFL, then further reading of this list is pointless. If it doesn’t make much difference which exam to take, then we move on down the list.

2. Decide on the format

If you are going to live and work in an English-speaking country, then the General IELTS certificate will be enough for you even in America or Canada. To enter a university, you need academic exams.

3. Use tables

Familiarize yourself with how each exam is done and you can see where you will feel more comfortable. Maybe you don't type very quickly or, conversely, you forgot when last time held a pen in their hands. You may not like talking into a microphone: you would rather talk to a person, not to a piece of technology. Or maybe you will be worried and nervous while talking to a “real” native speaker. All of these factors are highly individual, and you need to decide what suits your personality.

TOEFL and IELTS are your two tickets to the English-speaking world. If you want to get into this world, then a certificate from one of the exams will make your task easier. No matter how well you speak English, at a foreign embassy honestly It’s not enough - you need to confirm your knowledge. This is why TOEFL and IELTS exams are needed, because they assess knowledge of the English language as objectively as possible. Which exam to take and which world to go to - North America, exotic Australia, conservative England - it's up to you.

TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) is a test of knowledge of English as a foreign language, which is intended for non-English-speaking foreigners who intend to enroll in universities abroad and study in English. The test assesses the candidate's ability to use and understand English in academic life. A TOEFL certificate is required for admission to higher education educational establishments USA and Canada, and may also be in demand when submitting documents to licensing authorities, scholarship programs and when applying for jobs in foreign companies.

TOEFL was developed by ETS, an American educational testing service based at Princeton University. It was first introduced in 1964 to determine the level of English among non-English-speaking foreigners wishing to study at foreign universities. Since the creation of this test, more than 20 million people around the world have taken it.

IN this moment There are two versions of the test: a paper version (PBT - paper-based test) and an Internet version (TOEFL online or iBT - internet-based test). Currently, TOEFL in Moscow and most other Russian cities can be taken online.

How the TOEFL (iBT) exam works

TOEFL iBT has the following test order:

• Reading (60 - 80 minutes),
• Listening (60 - 90 minutes),
• 10 minute break,
• oral speech(20 minutes) and
• writing skills (50 minutes).

Reading

Listening

Speaking skills

Writing skills

TOEFL iBT test results

The iBT version of the TOEFL test is scored on a scale from 0 to 120 points, and each of the four sections is scored from 0 to 30. Scores from all four sections are added together to obtain an overall score. To enter most universities, it is enough to get 100 points, which corresponds to language proficiency at the Advanced level. The TOEFL certificate is valid for two years. After this period has expired, your data is deleted from the company database.

Where to prepare and take TOEFL in Moscow and other cities?

EF English First is a platinum center for international exams.

Here you can take TOEFL preparation courses. EF uses real tests previous years, teachers introduce students to the exam methodology. With TOEFL courses at EF, you will systematically prepare to receive prestigious international certificates. If you are looking for where to take this international exam EF English First is one of the most suitable places.

TOEFL is the most recognized English language test in the world. He is trusted by more than 8,000 colleges, universities and international companies in more than 130 countries, including 100 best universities peace!

Historical reference

TOEFL Options and Structure

Why do you need to take TOEFL?

TOEFL Certificate

TOEFL tutor

TOEFL textbooks