TOEFL

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia TOEFL TOEFL The Test of English as a Foreign Language (or TOEFL, pronounced "toe-full") evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting. It is an admission requirement for nonnative English speakers at many Englishspeaking colleges and universities. Additionally, institutions such as government agencies, licensing bodies, businesses, or scholarship programs may require this test. A TOEFL score is valid for two years and then will no longer be officially reported since a candidate’s language proficiency could have significantly changed since the date of the test. Colleges and universities usually consider only the most recent TOEFL score. The 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. Policies governing the TOEFL program are formulated with advice from a 16-member board. Board members are affiliated with undergraduate and graduate schools, 2-year institutions and public or private agencies with an interest in international education. Other members are specialists in the field of English as a foreign or second language. The TOEFL Committee of Examiners is composed of 12 specialists in linguistics, language testing, teaching or research. Its main responsibility is to advise on TOEFL test content. The committee helps ensure the test is a valid measure of English language proficiency reflecting current trends and methodologies. Italy in 2005 and the rest of the world in 2006, with test centers added regularly. Although the demand for test seats was very high, and candidates had to wait for months, it is now possible to take the test within one to four weeks in most countries.[1] The four-hour test consists of four sections, each measuring mainly one of the basic language skills (although some tasks may require multiple skills) focusing on language used in an academic, higher-education environment. Note-taking is allowed during the iBT. The test cannot be taken more than once a week. 1. This module determines proficiency in understanding intellectual reading issues. The Reading module contains questions about 3 to 5 long passages. The passages are chosen from the academic topics, which are found in undergraduate university textbooks. 2. This module determines proficiency in understanding spoken English as it is used in colleges and universities. The listening module consists of 6 comprehensive passages. Two passages will be conversations between students, and the other four will be academic lectures or discussions. Students have to understand the conversations and answer the corresponding questions. 3. This module determines proficiency with speaking in English. The speaking module consists of 6 tasks: two independent tasks and four integrated tasks. In the independent tasks, students have to answer opinion questions concerning academic life. In two of the integrated tasks, students have to read a passage, listen to a passage, and speak about how the ideas in the two passages are related. In the other two integrated tasks, students have to listen to long passages, review them and speak about the information in the passages. Formats and contents Internet-Based Test Since its introduction in late 2005, the Internet-Based test (iBT) has progressively replaced both the computer-based (CBT) and paper-based (PBT) tests. The iBT has been introduced in phases, with the United States, Canada, France, Germany, and 1 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Task READING LISTENING SPEAKING WRITING iBT 3 passages and 39 questions 6 passages and 34 questions 6 tasks and 6 questions 2 tasks and 2 questions Approx. time 60 minutes 50 minutes 20 minutes 55 minutes TOEFL 4. This module determines proficiency with writing in English that is pertinent for colleges and universities assignments. The writing module consists of two tasks: one independent task where students have to read an academic passage, listen to an academic passage and write their reviews about the two passages, and another integrated task where students have to write an essay. At least one of the sections of the test will include extra, uncounted material. Educational Testing Service includes extra material to try out material for future tests. If the test taker is given a longer section, he must work hard on all of the materials because he does not know which material counts and which material is extra. For example, if there are four reading passages instead of three, three of the passages will count and one of the passages will not be counted. It is possible that the uncounted passage could be any of the four passages. It consists of three parts. The first one contains 30 questions about short conversations. The second part has 8 questions about longer conversations. The last part asks 12 questions about lectures or talks. 2. (25 minutes) This part has 15 exercises of completing sentences correctly and 25 exercises of identifying errors. 3. (55 minutes) It has 50 questions about reading passages. 4. (30 minutes) One essay with 250-300 words in average. Test Scores Internet-Based Test • The iBT version of the TOEFL test is scored on a scale of 0 to 120 points. • Each of the four sections (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) receives a scaled score from 0 to 30. The scaled scores from the four sections are added together to determine the overall score. • Speaking is initially given a score of 0 to 4, and writing is initially given a score of 0 to 5. These scores are converted to scaled scores of 0 to 30. Paper-Based Test In areas where the iBT and CBT are not available, a paper-based test (PBT) is given. Because test takers cannot register at the testing center on the test date, they must register in advance using the registration form provided in the Supplemental Paper TOEFL Bulletin. They should register in advance of the given deadlines to ensure a place because the test centers have limited seating and may fill up early. Tests are administered only several times each year. The PBT tests essentially the same skills as the CBT, albeit with some differences, noticeably the number of questions (which is higher in the PBT) and the score scales. The test lasts 4 hours more or less. Students can take the test as many times as they wish. However, colleges and universities usually consider only the most recent score. 1. (30–40 minutes) Computer-Based Test • Three subscores are obtained, each of which is given on a 0–30 scale: Listening, Structure/Writing (combined), and Reading. These subscores are averaged to obtain the final score, which is on a 0–300 scale. • The score for Writing is a component of the score for the Structure Section. Even though the college or university where the test taker applied did not require a score for Writing, the test taker had to write the essay to complete the test. 2 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia • The Writing test is scored on a scale from 0 to 6. A score of 6 showed strong writing abilities, 5 average writing abilities, and 4 minimal writing abilities. A score of 3, 2 or 1 showed a lack of writing technique. The essay was read by two testing evaluators. Each one gave the essay a score. The two scores are averaged to produce the final Writing scores. If the evaluators were more than 1 point different in their assessment, a third evaluator scored the essay. TOEFL • From the bulletin, it is possible to determine when and where the iBT version of the TOEFL test will be given. • Procedures for completing the registration form and submitting it are listed in the TOEFL Information Bulletin. These procedures must be followed exactly. References [1] TOEFL iBT Locations and Dates [2] Required TOEFL Scores for College Admissions, Test-Guide.com, Retrieved on March 09. Paper-Based Test • The final PBT score ranges between 310 and 677 and is based on three subscores: Listening (31–68), Structure (31–68), and Reading (31–67). Unlike the CBT, the score of the Writing section (referred to as the Test of Written English, TWE) is not part of the final score; instead, it is reported separately on a scale of 0–6. • The score test takers receive on the Listening, Structure and Reading parts of the TOEFL test is not the percentage of correct answers. The score is converted to take into account the fact that some tests are more difficult than others. The converted scores correct these differences. Therefore, the converted score is a more accurate reflection of the ability than the correct answer score is. Most colleges use TOEFL scores as only one factor in their admission process. A sampling of required TOEFL admissions scores shows that a total score of 74.2 for undergraduate admissions and 82.6 for graduate admissions may be required. It is recommended that students check with their prospective institutions directly to understand TOEFL admissions requirements.[2] ETS has released tables to convert between iBT, CBT and PBT scores. See also • English as a Foreign or Second Language (EFSL) • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) • International Student Admission Test (ISAT) • List of admissions tests • National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) • Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) • Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) External links • Official TOEFL web site • English Assessment System Test (EAST) Official VISAS Career Guidance Web Site • ETS Official TOEFL Site • Official ETS Europe TOEFL website • TOEFL related sites at the Open Directory Project • Comparison charts to convert scores between the three TOEFL variants (from ETS) • Comparison of TOEFL and other English Language examinations Registration • The first step in the registration process is to obtain a copy of the TOEFL Information Bulletin. This bulletin can be obtained by downloading it or ordering it from the TOEFL website. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TOEFL" Categories: English language tests 3 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia TOEFL This page was last modified on 17 May 2009, at 23:53 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers 4