Ets (Educational Testing Services) manages the test system. More than 11,000 colleges, universities, and institutions in over 150 countries worldwide accept the scores. The test assesses a candidate’s proficiency in four skills of the English language: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening.

Students who wish to take the TOEFL exam must book their slots through the ETS TOEFL website, selecting available test centers and dates in their area that are most convenient for them. The test takes three hours to complete and costs around $190. Test scores are typically available to students ten calendar days after the test date.

The TOEFL test prepares students for University study, Immigration, and more. There are three different ways to take the exam.

• TOEFL iBT:

TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test) is the most common and popular way to take the exam. The test is taken on a computer and the applicants are given 3 hours to complete all four sections. The scores are available online within 4 – 8 calendar days.

• TOEFL iBT home based:

Additionally, for individuals unable to take the exam at a physical test center due to health concerns, test center closures, or other reasons, they can opt to take this version of TOEFL iBT from home. Furthermore, the exam format and content remain consistent with the standard TOEFL iBT; however, a human proctor monitors the test takers remotely using live video and audio monitoring

• TOEFL PBT:

The locations where internet-based exams are not available administer the paper-based version of the TOEFL exam. TOEFL PBT consists of three sections: Listening, Structure and Written Expression, and Reading. The paper-based test does not include the Speaking section. They send the test scores by mail within 4 to 6 weeks after the test date.

Listening:

The Listening section of the exam measures the test taker’s ability to understand spoken English. The test takers listen to lectures, conversations, and classroom discussions, and answer them accurately. There are 3 academic lectures with 6 questions each and two campus conversations with 5 questions each which take 55-60 minutes.

Speaking:

The speaking section of the exam measures a test taker’s ability to speak and communicate effectively in English. The candidate is asked to respond to six different speaking tasks which include giving an opinion, summarizing information, and responding to a hypothetical situation. The Speaking section takes 20 minutes to complete.

Reading:

The reading section of the exam measures the test taker’s ability to understand academic texts written in English. The reading section consists of 30 – 40 questions and takes 50-60 minutes. Firstly, the test takers are presented with three reading passages. Then, they are asked to answer multiple-choice questions based on the information presented in the passages.

Writing:

The writing section of the exam measures the test taker’s ability to write English with academic proficiency. The candidates are required to write two different essays which take 50 minutes.