TOEFL is one of the most widely accepted English-language test in the world beside IELTS. TOEFL stands for Test of English as a foreign language. It is a standardized test that measures the English ability of non-native speakers who want to get enrolled in the English speaking Universities. It is under the administration of Educational Testing Service in short ETS. ETS is a non-profit organization which issues official score reports and sent independently to the institutions.
Exam format:
Currently, there is TOEFL internet based test while there is still some selected areas where paper based test is available. Computer-based TOEFL test is no longer valid now.
Internet-based TOEFL test has following exam format:
| Task | Description | Time |
| Reading | 3-5 passages with 12-14 questions each | 60-80 mins |
| Listening | 6-9 passages with 5-6 questions | 60-90 mins |
| Speaking | 6 tasks | 20 mins |
| Writing | 2 tasks | 50 mins |
There will be 10 mins break.
Paper-based TOEFL test has following exam format:
| Task | Description | Time |
| Reading comprehension | 50 questions | 55 mins |
| Listening | 3 parts with 30, 8 and 12 questions | 30-40 mins |
| Structure and written expression | 50 questions | 25 mins |
| Writing | Essay with 250-300 words | 30 mins |
Who takes this test?
Generally, this test is taken by the students who want to study at a higher education institution, for scholarship and certifications and workers applying for VISA.
Where and When?
You can take a test on more than 50 dates in the year and any test centre near your location. You can retake your test as many times as you want but only once in a 12 day period. For detail about your upcoming test date and test centre, please visit the official site of www.ets.org
Test fees:
TOEFL test fee differs according to the location. In Nepal, it cost $ 165.
Registration:
To register for TOEFL exam, there are many options you can go through. They are through online, by phone and by mail.
Preparation:
There are many TOEFL preparation centres in Nepal but not all of them are of good quality. So, before getting enroll to the preparation classes, it is better to research about that institution. It depends upon institutions to institutions about the charge on preparation fee. Besides, there are many materials regarding TOEFL on the internet. Just download it and have practice.
Scores:
TOEFL has following scores pattern.
Reading section: score of 0-30
Listening section: score of 0-30
Speaking section: score of 0-30
Writing section: score of 0-30
Total score: 0-120
Here is the table that compares the scores of IELTS and TOEFL.
| IELTS Score | TOEFL Score | IELTS Description |
| 9 | 118-120 | Expert User |
| 8.5 | 115-117 | Very Good User |
| 8 | 110-114 | |
| 7.5 | 102-109 | Good User |
| 7 | 94-101 | |
| 6.5 | 79-93 | Competent User |
| 6 | 60-78 | |
| 5.5 | 42-59 | Modest User |
| 5 | 35-41 | |
| 4.5 | 32-34 | Limited User |
| 0-4 | 0-31 | Extremely Limited/Intermittent/Non-User |
Who accepts TOEFL?
TOEFL score is accepted by more than 9000 institutions in more than 130 countries.
Result:
TOEFL results are available after 10 days of the test date. You will receive an email that your result has been published.
Validation:
TOEFL score report is valid for 2 years to the date of issue.
For more information, please visit the site www.ets.org