All you need to know about the TOEFL IBT exam :

TOEFL iBT Exam is basically an internationally recognized Test Of English as a Foreign Language. TOEFL is a trademark of the Educational Testing Service (ETS) which is a non-profit organization which designs and administers the test.

It is a standardized test to measure English language efficiency and the ability of non-native speakers who give the test. It was started in 1964. Also, you don’t get the TOEFL test results then and there. You receive the scores after 11-12 days after you have given the test and then you can send them to the universities.

There are two types of TOEFL iBT Exams- Internet-based test and Paper-based test. It is a four-hour long test and hence requires several months of study and preparation.

Who should give the test?

TOEFL is to be given by someone seeking admission in some foreign university for further studies or someone who is not from an English speaking exam.

It is mainly the people who are applying for visas abroad.

The test is also given by people who apply for certain kind of scholarships or certificate courses.

This exam is a proof that the candidate is fluent in all the four aspects of the English test and can survive in the foreign land and communicate with the peers.

It is not only beneficial for students seeking admission but also who are planning to take the job abroad. It adds a lot of value to your resume.

Note that TOEFL is not always required abroad but always recommended as it adds a lot of it not only to the resume but also you develop certain skills and command over your language after you’ve given the test.

TOEFL iBT in 1 Minute

The pattern of the test:

The most essential part is to figure out the exam pattern, what kind of questions may appear and according you need to study for it in order to get a great score.

The advantage is that the pattern of the test never changes and hence resources to study are readily available.

There are four major sections in the test:

1. Reading section :

This section lasts for 60-90 minutes. This section emphasizes the student’s ability to understand and analyze the given situations and written texts on the topics like science, fiction, arts and other academic discussions as well.

In the reading section, three-five academic passages will be presented, each of 650-700 words long. Each text will be followed by 12-14 questions. They will focus on either one of the following tasks:

• Define a word (for vocabulary)
• Identify an idea or argument (testing understanding)
• Find a false statement (testing comprehension overall)

2. Listening section:

This section also lasts for 60-90 minutes. The section mainly tests the student’s ability to understand things said to him orally and process it in a short period of time.

For instance, lecturer teaching in the classroom, students talking to the professor or students having a discussion of their own. These kinds of texts are given to the student. They are being assessed on their ability to understand the content along with its meaning and also understanding the emotions of the speaker.  This section consists of four to six such lectures.

Every bit of audio can be from three to five minutes long.

There are two different types of audio students will get to hear:

• Recording of lectures

There will approximately four-six recording of lectures

• Recording of conversations

The conversations are more casual so they are less of it in the test. Just two or three.

Note that you will get to listen to them only one. Although some of the questions play back the audio for you but only in some cases.

3. Writing section:

This section is of 50 minutes. It requires you to demonstrate your grammatical skills and vocabulary and write about given topics.

Writing consists of two tasks- Integrated Writing and Independent Writing

Independent Writing task requires you to write your opinion on the given topic.

For the Integrated Writing task, you will require to deliver an essay on the given topic. Note that in this section you get 30 minutes (which is 10 more minutes than independent one) so it has to be really grammatically correct as you get more amount of time to think stuff.

The most important thing about writing section is that you don’t need to give your actual opinion. All that matters is how well you support the argument and explain your choice. It’s again all about your vocabulary, selection of words, the portrayal of a situation and most importantly correct framing of sentences.

4. Speaking section:

This is comparatively a shorter section of 20 minutes long. In this section, the students need to speak into the microphone on the given topics. There are six tasks that need to be completed within 20 minutes. In this section, the student’s thoughts are analyzed along with how well they are able to express it. They focus mainly on types of words used, parts of speech and basic details rather than the content of the student.

The speaking test among all is the most important as well as the most important one. There will be nothing like an interviewer in this section. All you would have is a microphone. Whatever students say is recorded and then the examiner listens to it for assessment. You don’t get much time to think or prepare as you have only 20 minutes in which you have to get done with 6 tasks so you cannot afford to waste any time.

Here two tasks will be of Independent Speaking section. For this, you have to hear a question and then speak your reply to it.

The other four tasks will focus on Integrated Speaking.

TOEFL allows you to take one 10-minute short break in the middle of the test i.e. between Listening and Speaking sections.

TOEFL iBT Scores:

• TOEFL iBT exam is scored on a scale of 0-120 points with each section scaled from 0-30.
• Getting 120 means a perfect score.
• 80-90 is considered as a moderately good score.
• 90-100 is considered as a perfectly good score.
• If you get about 100, it’s said that you can get into any good college of your choice.
• After the test is complete, the scores are added to get a total score.

What to refer for the TOEFL iBT Test?

There is a TOEFL IBT Official Guide by ETS which is considered best for reference. But along with that, there are a couple other websites by which you can enhance your vocabulary and grammar.

Books for Test Preparation are:

Longman Preparation Course for TOEFL

Barron Essential Words

Delta’s Key to TOEFL iBT

Cambridge Preparation of TOEFL

 Teacher2Students for online practice:

Our platform is another excellent solution to practice for the test. With real-time training sessions and mock exams, Teacher2Students helps you prepare for the TOEFL. Also, it has lots of additional modules to boost up your language basic skills and lots of practice sessions and also e-books. Especially you can directly write to expert teachers for any questions and you can get your feedback. Teacher2Students is the best all in one solution for your TOEFL iBT exam.

The above books are considered best and most relevant to the exam. There are others as well but the above ones are enough. TOEFL preparation can be done in as good as one month to three months depending on your command.

How do you register for the Test?

You have to book the test slot well in advance. Once you feel prepared and confident enough, you then register for your test.

All you need to do is visit ETS TOEFL’s official website, make your TOEFL account and keep filling in your personal details. Then select the centre nearest to you and pay for the exam. On the exam day, you need to produce your confirmation letter which you will receive after online registration along with your passport in your center.

Test Cost :

Now that we know how to book the test, let’s find out the cost of the TOEFL iBT exam.

The cost to take the TOEFL is $170. Also, there are possibilities that there may be changes in test exam from country-to-country. But probably it ranges $160-$250.

There can be additional charges that may apply. Like, an additional amount of $35 for late registration and an addition of $60 for rescheduling the test dates.

The validity of the Test :

TOEFL scores are valid for the span of 2 years.

Also, a person is eligible to take the test once in any 12-day period.

There are no limited times a person should take the test.

Acceptance of the TOEFL iBT Exam :

Most of the college and universities accept TOEFL iBT exam as a factor during the student s admissions. Today, every college or a program within a college has set a minimum TOEFL score requirement.

TOEFL iBT exam is accepted in more than 10,000 colleges, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries.

Dos and Don’ts:

• They don’t allow students to carry any cell phones, tablets or any portable devices along with them inside the examination hall. You can’t even use them in your break time.
• You can use the restroom anytime you want apart from the break but time will continue and won’t stop for you.
• You can obviously make notes during the test. The paper and pencil would be provided at the centre. But you need to give away all the rough work back before you leave the examination hall.
• You can carry some kind of snacks or drinks in order to keep hydrated during the break.

So, above is the detailed description of everything you students need to know before giving the TOEFL iBT Exam. All the specifics are taken into consideration and answered all the questions an aspiring student must have in mind!