[wizkid]

What is the TOEFL test?

The TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL test) measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is spoken and written in college and university settings. Most people who take the TOEFL test are planning to study at colleges and universities where the medium of instruction is English. In addition, many government agencies, scholarship programs, and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL test scores to evaluate English proficiency.
Currently more than 4,400 two- and four-year colleges and universities, professional schools, and sponsoring institutions accept TOEFL test scores.
The TOEFL test measures English language proficiency in reading, listening and writing and is offered on computer in most regions of the world. In areas where access to computer-based testing is limited, a paper-and-pencil version of the test is administered.
In 1998, ETS changed the TOEFL test format from a traditional paper-based test to a computer-based one.
TOEFL computer-based test has four sections:
1. Listening
2. Structure
3. Reading and
4. Writing
The first two sections (listening and structure) are computer-adaptive. This implies that the computer adjusts the level of the questions to the competency level of the test-taker.More specifically, if a person gets a question right, the computer (1) increases his score, and (2) increases the difficulty level of the next question.
The third section, reading comprehension, is computer-linear. This means -
1. The section does not adjust to the level of the test-taker.
2. A set number of questions have to be answered and one can skip a question and come back to it later or review/change answers.
The fourth section involves writing an essay. This can be typed directly on the computer or written on paper.
The maximum time allotted to complete an exam is 3 ½ hours (with time for a break). It takes between three and one-half and four hours to complete everything (taking into account the time required to complete the necessary paper work also).
The CBT in a Nutshell:
Total number of questions : varies
Duration : varies from about 2 ½ to 3 ½ hours
Overall scaled score : 0 to 300
The TOEFL test starts with a set of tutorials. Thereafter, when the actual test is administered the first section is Listening, the second section is Structure, the third is Reading, and the fourth is Writing.

S.No	Sections	No. of Questions	Time allowed
1	Listening	30 to 50	40 to 60 min.
2	Structure	20 to 25	15 to 20 min.
3	Reading	44 to 60	60 to 70 min.
4	Writing	1 topic	30 min.

A brief explanation of all these sections is given below:

Listening Comprehension:
This section measures the examinee's ability to comprehend spoken North-American English. Usually, Part A consists of 30 short-conversations based questions. Part B has 20 long-conversations/talk-based questions.

Structure:

This section measures the examinee's ability to recognize language appropriate for standard written English. It is essentially a test on Grammar and word-usage.

Questions in this section are on:
Sentence Completion (fill in the bank)
Error identification

Reading Comprehension:

It measures the ability to read and understand short passages. This section has 5 or 8 passages each of 250 to 350 words. The questions are

· Content based, or
· Meanings-based (as per the context).

Writing Assignment

The fourth section involves writing an essay. This can be 'keyed' into the computer directly or written on paper. A test-taker is free to choose either method.

Scoring

The scoring on various sections in the TOEFL test is as follows:

Listening: 0 - 30
Structure/ Writing 0 - 30
Reading 0 - 30
Total 0 - 300
Essay (on a separate scale) 0 - 6

Please note that while the essay will be scored on a separate scale of 0-6, it is later integrated with the structure score to give a single score for structure/writing on a scale of 0 - 30 (which then forms a part of the total score of 0 - 300 for the entire test).

In the computer-adaptive listening, structure, and reading sections, your scores are based on your performance on the questions presented. More credit is given for correctly answering a hard question than for correctly answering an easy question. Therefore, your score on these portions of the test will be dependent on how well you do on the questions presented as well as on the number of questions you are able to answer.

When viewed at the test center, the structure/writing score will be shown in a range because your essay will not yet have been read and rated. For the computer-based test, you will receive three section scaled scores: Listening (0 to 30), Structure/Writing (0 to 30), Reading (0 to 30) and a total score (0 to 300). The highest possible test score (300) is ten times the highest possible score for each of the three sectional scores (30).

Essay Rating:

The essay you compose in the Writing section will be independently rated by two qualified readers using a writing scoring guide. Neither reader will know the rating assigned by the other. Your essay will receive the average of the two ratings unless there is a discrepancy of more than one point. In that case, a third reader will independently rate your essay. Your essay will thus receive a final rating of 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, 2.0 1.5, or 1. A score of 0 will be given, if an examinee writes nothing, simply copies the topic, writes in a language other than English, or writes on a topic different from the one assigned. In the TOEFL computer-based test, your essay writing score will be incorporated into the Structure/Writing scaled score, with the rating of the essay constituting one-half of the Structure/Writing scaled score. The rating will appear on your score report under the heading "essay rating". It is provided as a service to help you and your institution better understand your structure/writing score.

Writing Score Guide

ETS gives the following writing Scoring Guide

An essay rated 6

- Effectively addresses the writing task
- Is well organized and well developed
- Uses clearly appropriate details to support a thesis or illustrate ideas
- Displays consistent facility in the use of language
- Demonstrates syntactic variety and appropriate word choice

5 - An essay at this level

- May address some parts of the task more effectively than others
- Is generally well organized and developed
- Uses details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea
- Displays facility in the use of the language
- Demonstrates some syntactic variety and range of vocabulary

4 - An essay at this level

- Addresses the writing topic adequately but may slight parts of the task
- Is adequately organized and developed
- Uses some details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea
- Demonstrates adequate but possibly inconsistent facility with syntax and usage
- May contain some errors that occasionally obscure meaning

3 - An essay at this level may reveal one or more of the following weaknesses

- Inadequate organization or development
- Inappropriate or insufficient details to support or illustrate generalizations
- A noticeably inappropriate choice of words or word forms
- An accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or usage

2 - An essay at this level is seriously flawed by one or more of the following weaknesses

- Serious disorganization or underdevelopment
- Little or on detail, or irrelevant specifics
- Serious and frequent errors in sentence structure or usage
- Serious problems with focus

1 - An essay at this level

- May be incoherent
- May be underdeveloped
- May contain severe and persistent writing errors

0 - An essay at this level

- Contains no response
- Merely copies the topic
- Is off-topic, is written in foreign language, or consists only of keystroke characters.

Viewing Scores at the Centre:

Immediately after the test, you will see your scores for listening and reading. Your structure/writing and total scores will be shown to you as score ranges because your essay will not yet have been read and rated. Your final score will be within the range shown on the screen. For example, you might see the following on the screen:

Listening 22
Structure/Writing 3 - 23
Reading 22
Total 157-223

In this example, your total score would be somewhere between 157 and 223.

After viewing your scores on screen, you may choose up to four institutions or agencies as score recipients, at no extra charge. The computer will prompt you through this selection process. A request for score cancellation will not be accepted after that time.

Canceling your score:
Although you will have the option of canceling your scores after the test, you should consider this option very carefully and think twice before doing so. Your scores will be reported to institutions only if you request them to be reported. If you do cancel your scores, they will not be reported to any institution, and no refund of your test fees will be made.

If you cancel your scores and you decide within 60 days that you would like them reinstated, you may do so by sending a written request to TOEFL test Services, Educational Testing Service, PO Box 6151, Princeton NJ 08641-6151, USA. The fee for reinstatement is $10. Your request should include your name, date of birth, daytime Phone number, appointment number, and payment. Scores will be reinstated in approximately two weeks.

NOTE: You are allowed to take the test only once in a calendar month. This includes test administrations even when you decided to cancel your scores. If you test more than once in a calendar month, your new scores will not be reported and your test fee will not be refunded. Besides this, you are not allowed to take the test more than five times in a year.

The TOEFL test payment entitles you to one examinee score report and up to four official score reports sent from ETS to designated institutions if you choose them at the center or if you complete a Score Report Request Form. Some approved institutions and agencies may not be listed. In that case, ask the test centre administrator for a Score Report Request Form.

A printed score report will be mailed from ETS to you and your designated score recipients approximately 14 days after the test, if you type your essay. If you handwrite your essay, your score will be mailed to you approximately five weeks after you take the test. Under no circumstances can test results be given any earlier. The printed score report will contain the listening and reading section scores that you saw at the test center. It will also contain your final Structure/ Writing section score and your total score, as well as your essay rating. Note that operational difficulties may delay the reporting of scores.

Acceptable Scores:
Each institution that requires the TOEFL test scores decides for itself what scores or ranges of scores are acceptable. These requirements vary from institution to institution, depending on such factors as your field of study, your level of study (graduate or undergraduate), whether you will be a teaching assistant, and whether the institution offers special courses in English as a foreign or second language. There is no specific passing or failing score. If you have questions about how your score have been used or interpreted, contact the institutions or agencies directly.

Though different colleges require different minimum TOEFL test scores, a TOEFL test score of less than 213 is not considered good. Prestigious American colleges require a minimum TOEFL test score of 250. The top business schools also require a score of 250 plus, in addition to a good GMAT score.

[faraz]

what about speaking?It has been included since last two months.The pattern of TOEFL may have changed a bit.