Istituto Americano - American Language Center

American Language & Education Center
ISTITUTO AMERICANO
Florence, Italy

TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

T O E F L i B T T E S T

Site: www.ets.org

Registration
www.ets.org
Online
The deadline to register online for a test is seven days before the test date. For fastest and most convenient service, register online.
•24 hours a day, 7 days a week
•No phone call expenses or waiting on hold
•Instant e-mail confirmation
•A valid credit card is required (American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, or VISA), or an electronic check (e-check) if you have a bank account in the United States or its territories.

Test Content
The TOEFL® Internet-based test emphasizes integrated skills and measures all four language skills, including speaking. The content on the test is authentic, and the language is consistent with that used in everyday, real academic settings. The test has four sections
•Reading measures the ability to understand academic reading matter.
•Listening measures the ability to understand English as it is used in colleges and universities.
•Speaking measures the ability to speak English.
•Writing measures the ability to write in a way that is appropriate for college and university course work.

What is the new test like?
The test includes four sections and takes about four hours to complete.
Section Time Limit No. of Questions
Reading 60-100 minutes 36-70
Listening 60-90 minutes 34-51
Break 10 minutes -
Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks
Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks

What's different about the new test?
•The TOEFL iBT has a new Speaking section, which includes independent and integrated tasks.
•There is no longer a Structure section. Grammar is tested on questions and tasks in each section.
•Lectures and conversations in the Listening section are longer, but note-taking is allowed. In fact, note-taking is allowed throughout the entire test.
•The speech in the listening material sounds more natural, and one lecture may use a British or Australian accent. Also, there are new questions that measure understanding of a speaker's attitude, degree of certainty, and purpose.
•The Reading section has new questions that ask test takers to categorize information and fill in a chart or complete a summary.
•The Writing section requires typing. There is an integrated task in addition to the current independent task, and the scoring guides (rubrics) used for rating are different from the current test. Will the new test be more difficult than the current test?
•The TOEFL iBT Reading and Listening sections are not dramatically different from those on the current TOEFL test.
•The integrated tasks on the TOEFL iBT Speaking and Writing sections may be considered more challenging because they are new to test takers. However, to succeed academically in Englishspeaking colleges and universities, students need to be able to combine their language skills in the classroom.
•The integrated tasks in the new test will help learners build the confidence needed to communicate in the academic environments they plan to enter

How will the Speaking section be scored?
•Each of the six tasks is rated from 0 to 4, and the average of these scores is converted to a scaled score of 0 to 30.
•Human scorers rate the responses. They evaluate the test-taker's ability in topic development, delivery, and language use.

How will the Writing section be scored?
•The two tasks are rated from 0 to 5, and the average of these scores is converted to a scaled score of 0 to 30.
•Human scorers rate the responses.
•Scorers evaluate the integrated writing task on the overall quality of the writing (development, organization, appropriate and precise use of grammar and vocabulary) and the completeness and accuracy of the content. Scorers rate the independent writing essay on the overall quality of the writing:
- Development
- Organization
- Appropriate and precise use of grammar and vocabulary.

Will the TOEFL score scale change?
Yes. The new score scale is shown here.
Section Score Scale
Listening 0-30
Reading 0-30
Speaking 0-30
Writing 0-30
Total Score 0-120
The total score is the sum of the four skill scores.

What happens to scores from previous tests?
ETS will report previous scores for two years after the original test date.

Will institutions still accept previous scores?
Requirements vary from institution to institution. Test takers should check with their prospective institutions or agencies to determine specific requirements.

Can test takers see a sample of the new test and practice?
Yes, test takers can
•View sample questions.
•Take an online tour with sample test questions from each of the four sections.
•Join the TOEFL Practice Online community for free and get access to Speaking samples, discussion boards, daily study tips, and more. Membership includes a free practice test that provides performance feedback for the Reading, Listening, and Writing sections.
•Purchase other practice materials through TOEFL Practice Online.

Will the Test of Spoken English (TSE®) be available as a stand-alone test after September 2005?
The TSE test will be administered as a stand-alone test until TOEFL iBT is available worldwide.

Score Reports
Scores are posted online 15 business days after the test date (with a few exceptions) and then mailed to you and your designated score recipients. You can view your scores online for free. View the online posting and mailing dates. To view your scores online, you need your user name and password. Unlike the computer-based version of TOEFL®, you will not receive an unofficial score at the end of the testing session. Test results cannot be given any sooner than 15 business days after the test date. Allow 7 to 10 days for delivery of mail within the continental U.S. and additional time for delivery to other areas.