Test of English as a Foreign Language
Acronym | TOEFL
Type | Internet-based or paper-based standardized test.
Developer / administrator | Educational Testing Service
Knowledge / skills tested | Reading, listening, speaking and writing of the English language.
Purpose | To assess the English language proficiency of non-native English speakers.
Year started | 1964; 55 years ago (1964)
Duration | Internet-based test (iBT): 3 hours 10 minutes to 4 hours 20 minutes (excluding 10-minute break in-between). Paper-based test (PBT): 2 hours 20 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes.
Score / grade range | iBT: 0 to 30 (in 1 point increments) on each of the 4 sections. So total of 0 to 120. PBT: Listening: 31 to 68, Structure: 31 to 69, Reading: 31 to 67. Total of 310 to 677. Writing (separate): 0 to 6. (All in 1 point increments.)
Score / grade validity | 2 years
Offered | iBT: More than 50 times a year.
Restrictions on attempts | iBT: Can be taken only once in any 12-day period.
Countries / regions | 4,500 test centers in 165 countries.
Languages | English
Annual number of test takers | 2.3 million p.a
Prerequisites / eligibility criteria | No official prerequisite. Intended for non-native English speakers.
Fee | iBT: US$ 160 to US$ 260, depending on the country. PBT: US$ 180.
Scores / grades used by | More than 10,000 colleges, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries.
Website | www.ets.org/toefl