About the TOEFL iBT® Test
The TOEFL iBT® test, administered via the Internet, is an important part of your journey to study in an English-speaking country. In addition to the test, the ETS TOEFL Program provides tools and guides to help you prepare for the test and improve your English-language skills.
What Is the TOEFL iBT Test?
The TOEFL iBT test measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. And it evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks.
Who Takes the TOEFL Test?
More than 30 million people from all over the world have taken the TOEFL test to demonstrate their English-language proficiency. The average English skill level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced.
- Students planning to study at a higher education institution
- English-language learning program admissions and exit
- Scholarship and certification candidates
- English-language learners who want to track their progress
- Students and workers applying for visas
Where Can I Get Local, In-language Support?
You can contact a local TOEFL iBT Resource Center for general in-language information about the TOEFL test and test preparation. TOEFL iBT Resource Centers are available in specific countries.
Who Accepts TOEFL Test Scores?
More than 9,000 colleges, agencies and other institutions in over 130 countries accept TOEFL scores. For more information, including using your scores to satisfy visa requirements in Australia and the United Kingdom, how to find institutions that accept TOEFL scores, and more, see Who Accepts TOEFL Scores.
Where and When Can I Take the TOEFL iBT Test?
The TOEFL test has more test dates (more than 50 per year) and locations than any other English-language test in the world. You can retake the test as many times as you wish, but you cannot take it more than once in a 12-day period. If you already have a test appointment, you cannot register for another test date that is within 12 days of your existing appointment.
Watch a short video (Flash) to see what happens at one of our TOEFL iBT test centers on test day.
What Resources Can Help Me Prepare for the TOEFL iBT Test?
ETS offers a variety of paid and free preparation materials to help you get ready for the TOEFL test. Watch our video, TOEFL® Resources: An Overview for Students (Flash) to learn about the tools from ETS that can help you prepare for the test.
What Does the TOEFL iBT Test Cost?
The cost of the test can range from US$160 to US$250 and varies between countries. For information on registration, fees, test dates and locations, select your test location.
TOEFL iBT® Test Content
The TOEFL iBT® test is given in English and administered via the Internet. There are four sections (listening, reading, speaking and writing) which take a total of about four and a half hours to complete.
Combining All Four Skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing
During the test, you are asked to perform tasks that combine more than one skill, such as:
- Read, listen and then speak in response to a question
- Listen and then speak in response to a question
- Read, listen and then write in response to a question
TOEFL iBT Test Sections
| Section | Time Limit | Questions | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading* | 60–80 minutes | 36–56 questions | Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions. |
| Listening | 60–90 minutes | 34–51 questions | Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. |
| Break | 10 minutes | — | — |
| Speaking | 20 minutes | 6 tasks | Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks. |
| Writing | 50 minutes | 2 tasks | Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing. |
The test you take may include extra questions in the Reading or Listening section that do not count toward your score. These are either questions that enable ETS to make test scores comparable across administrations or new questions that help ETS determine how such questions function under actual testing conditions.
Please read the timing instructions for the Reading Section carefully. The instructions will indicate how many passages you will receive and the amount of time you have to respond to questions for those passages. Be sure to pace yourself so that you have time to answer all the questions.
A standard English language (QWERTY) computer keyboard is used for the test. We recommend that you practice typing on a QWERTY keyboard before taking the test.
Native-speaker English Accents
Beginning in March 2013, the Listening and Speaking sections of the TOEFL iBT test include other native-speaker English accents in addition to accents from North America. You may hear accents from the United Kingdom, New Zealand or Australia.
ETS is adding these accents to better reflect the variety of native English accents you may encounter while studying abroad.
Below are examples similar to what you might hear in the Speaking and Listening sections.
Listening Section
Listen to a talk about the greenhouse effect (MP3). The lecturer is from Great Britain.
Speaking Section
In the Speaking section, only items 1 and 2 of the six tasks may have accented speech. Below are two examples similar to what you might hear. The speakers are from Great Britain. In each instance, the example is 15 seconds long, and you would have 45 seconds to respond.
| Audio File | Transcript |
|---|---|
| Item 1 (MP3) | If friends from another country were going to spend time in your country, what city or place would you suggest they visit? Using details and examples, explain why. |
| Item 2 (MP3) | Some people enjoy taking risks and trying new things. Others are not adventurous; they are cautious and prefer to avoid danger. Which behavior do you think is better? Explain why. |