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TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

TOEFL

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What is TOEFL

The TOEFL test is an internationally accepted standard of English that measures the academic English proficiency of a non-native speaker of English.

The TOEFL test is required by more than 7,000 colleges, universities and licensing agencies in 110 countries throughout the world.

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TOFEL OriginThe TOEFL test is a registered trademark of

Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is administered worldwide.

The test was first administered in 1964 and has since been taken by more than 23 million students.

The test was originally developed at the Center for Applied Linguistics led by the linguist, Dr. Charles A. Ferguson.

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Purpose of TOEFL

TOEFL measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written and heard in college and university settings.

As opposed to the TOEIC test (TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION) that measures the use of English in a business context, the TOEFL test has an academic focus. 

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Who uses the TOEFL test?Students who want to study further: For non-native

speakers who hold degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English speaking countries

Academic institutions: To determine academic readiness and make admissions decisions for international applicants

Individuals who are applying for professional licensure or certification

Many government, licensing and certification agencies, as well as exchange and scholarship programmes also use TOEFL scores as a decision-making tool.

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Benefits of the TOEFL test

Widely available and easily accessibleRegarded as the international standard and

industry leader The test is administered under secure conditions

and is highly reliable; hence, scores can be used confidently to make high-stakes decisions

The TOEFL test has different versions that are used in different countries. But all versions are equally valid and reliable  and are developed and administered based on the stringent ETS Standards for Quality and Fairness.

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TOEFL Format

The TOEFL test is available in two ways:

♦ International Testing Program TOEFL CBT (computer-based or iBT) TOEFL P&P (paper based) ♦ Institutional Testing Program Pre TOEFL (paper based) TOEFL ITP (paper based)

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Paper Based TOEFL

The PBT TOEFL test comprises three sections plus a 30-minute writing test (the Test of Written English):

Listening Comprehension measures the ability to understand English

Structure and Language measures the ability to recognize language that is appropriate for standard written English

Reading Comprehension measures the ability to understand non-technical reading matter in English

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Overview of Paper-Based TOEFL

Time TOEFL Section

35 minutes 50 multiple choice questions

Listening Comprehension

25 Minutes 40 multiple choice questions

Structure and Written Expression

55 Minutes 50 multiple choice questions

Reading Comprehension

30 Minutes 1 essay question

Test of Written English (TWE)

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Purposes of ITP TOEFL assigning individuals to English courses at the

appropriate level of difficulty determining proficiency in English at the beginning

and end of courses of study in English determining if nonnative speakers of English have a

sufficient command of the language to participate in a study abroad program

providing students an opportunity to become acquainted with the multiple-choice test format

completing a graduation requirement assessing proficiency of faculty and other professional-

level staff

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iBT TOEFLTiming Number of

QuestionsTest Section

60-100 minutes 3-5 passages, 12-14 questions each

Reading

60-90 minutes 4-6 lectures, 6 questions each

Listening

20 minutes 6 tasks: 2 independent and 4 integrated

Speaking

20 minutes30 minutes

1 integrated task1 independent task

Writing

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TOEFL Score

The raw score for each section is converted by statistical means to a number on what is called the TOEFL test scale.

The total paper-based TOEFL test score is reported on a scale that ranges from 310 to 677.

The total iBT TOEFL test score is reported on a scale that ranges from 0 - 120.

What constitutes an acceptable TOEFL score depends entirely on the requirements of each institution.

There is no specific passing or failing score.

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The score rangesThe paper based TOEFL score ranges are listed below:

Score Range Test Section31 - 68 Listening Comprehension31 - 68 Structure/Written Expression31 - 67 Reading Comprehension310 - 677 Total Score

The iBT TOEFL score ranges are listed below:Score Range Test Section

0 - 30 Listening 0 - 30 Reading0 - 30 Speaking0 - 30 Writing0 - 120 Total Score

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Regulations of Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for TOEFL IPT and Training Courses

- A license from ETS should be obtained to carry out the TOEFL test - English centers in Iraqi Universities should provide a training courses entitled “How to prepare for TOEFL exam”. to prepare students and scholars for TOEFL exam.- The training course comprises of ten week intensive English language lectures (three days per week and three hours per day).- The cost of the course is ID 275,000

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Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research Scores

PhD MSc or Diploma

Subject

520 500 English Language Departments Group

480 430 Medical Group450 410 Engineering Group430 390 Pure Sciences Group430 390 Agriculture and

VetrinarySciences Group

410 370 Management and legal Sciences Group

390 350 Humanities Sciences Group

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TOEFL Preparation Programme

We offer in English Learning Unit (ELU) a 90 –hour programme which focus on the development of test-taking skills and strategies through:

Listening practice.Reading and Vocabulary practice.Speaking practiceStructure practiceWriting practice

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Other English CoursesWe also offer at our ELU other English courses depending on English Proficiency Levels:- Advanced: Able to clearly communicate any idea in English. Able to understand conversations and lectures with minimal difficulty for university-level study on completion of advance level.- Intermediate: Able to understand most questions and statements at normal speaking speed. Able to sustain a conversation with a native speaker about topics familiar to the student.- Elementary: Able to understand and respond to simple questions and directions from a native speaker. Able to participate in brief conversations on everyday topics.

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ETS (Educational Testing Service)

A nonprofit ETS, founded in 1947, develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including:

the TOEFL® and TOEIC® tests, the GRE® General and Subject Tests and The Praxis Series™ assessments —

in more than 180 countries, and at over 9,000 locations worldwide.

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What is the GRE?

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) consists of two separate tests: - the General Test and - the Subject Test in psychology. - The General Test is composed of three parts--verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing. The verbal and the quantitative tests each yield a separate score between 200-800. - Scores on the analytical writing test are reported in ½-point increments along a scale of 0 to 6. - The Subject Test, required by only some programs, measures knowledge of psychological concepts that are essential to graduate study; it also yields a score of from 200-800.- It is essential that you do well--at least 550 on each test.

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Additional ETS services

Educational Testing Service offers: consulting services, technical assistance, custom assessments, in-depth research, and other solutions

for school districts, institutions, businesses and government agencies throughout the world.

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ETS License

TOEFL® — Test of English as a Foreign Language™The TOEFL test measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to communicate in English in the college or university classroom. Test scores are used in the admissions process at more than 7,000 academic institutions throughout the world.

TOEFL® ITP — Institutional Testing ProgramThe TOEFL ITP measures English-language proficiency at the intermediate-to-advanced levels and is used for academic placement, progress evaluation, exit testing and other situations that do not require a secured testing environment.

GRE® — Graduate Record Examinations®The GRE tests measure skills that assist graduate schools, business schools and departments with admissions activities, guidance and placement, program evaluation and selection of fellowship recipients.