Scoring Policies

Confidentiality of Scores

The TOEFL® program recognizes test takers' right to privacy. Under the ETS privacy and information security policy, it is the program’s responsibility to protect information that is stored in data or research files held by ETS from unauthorized disclosure. Under certain specific conditions, this data may be shared:

  • ETS or its authorized representative(s) may share test takers' score data with institutions or agencies for verification purposes.
  • TOEFL test score data or writing and speaking responses that are not individually identified may be used at any time for informational, research, statistical or training purposes. Information retained in TOEFL records is the same as the information in the score posting and on the official score reports.
  • Official score reports will be sent only to those institutions or agencies chosen by the test taker when he or she registered to test, on a Score Report Request Form submitted at a later date, or otherwise authorized by the test taker.
  • Test takers who provide their TOEFL registration numbers to an entity (for example, government immigration offices) are deemed to have authorized release of their TOEFL score data to that entity. Do not provide your registration number to anyone unless you want to grant them access to your score data.
  • Entities must contract with ETS for access, but once they do that, they can use the information you provided to access your scores. Review specific Terms and Conditions of the TOEFL Online Score Verification Service.

Scores are not to be released by ETS score recipients without the permission of the test taker (subject to the arrangements and laws applicable to the test taker and the recipient).

Inquiries on Test Questions

Language specialists prepare TOEFL test questions. These specialists follow careful, standardized procedures developed to ensure that all test material is of consistent high quality. Each question is reviewed by several members of the ETS staff.

The TOEFL Committee of Examiners, an independent group of professionals in the fields of linguistics, language testing and language teaching that reports to the TOEFL Board, establishes overall guidelines for the test content and specifications.

After test questions have been reviewed and revised as appropriate, they are selectively administered in trial situations and assembled into tests. The tests are then reviewed according to established ETS and TOEFL program procedures to ensure that all possible versions of the test are free of cultural bias. Statistical analyses of individual questions ensure that all items provide appropriate measurement information.

Although ETS employs extensive quality control checks throughout the development of test questions and the preparation of final tests, typographical errors or flaws in questions may occasionally occur. If you suspect a problem and want to question a test item for any reason, notify the test administrator before you leave the test site.

You may also write to:

MS 42N-208, TOEFL Test Question Inquiries
Educational Testing Service
Rosedale Road
Princeton, NJ 08541-­0001, USA

Or send a fax to 1-609-683-2600 immediately after taking the test.

Please include:

  • the test name
  • the test section
  • the test date
  • the name of the center where the test was taken
  • the number of the test item being questioned, if possible

If you have a complaint about the testing facilities or the test administrator, write within three days after the test date. Be sure to give the date of the test, the name of the test center, and the city and country in which you tested. Send it to:

TOEFL iBT Complaints
MS 16-Z, Internet-Based Testing Network Group
Educational Testing Service
Rosedale Road
Princeton, NJ 08541-6163, USA

ETS Score Cancellation Policy

ETS and the TOEFL program strive to report scores that accurately reflect the performance and independent work of every test taker. ETS standards in this regard have two primary goals: giving all test takers an equal opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, and preventing any test taker from gaining an unfair advantage over others. These standards are of the utmost importance to ETS and those who rely on the validity of ETS test scores. Therefore, ETS reserves the right to cancel any test score when, in its sole judgment, there is substantial evidence that the score is invalid. Scores may be canceled as a result of test taker behavior or irregularities that affect testing integrity.

Test Taker Behavior

ETS reserves the right to dismiss you from a testing site, cancel your scores and ban you from taking an ETS test in the future for violations such as, but not limited to, the following:

  • Taking or attempting to take the test for someone else, or having or attempting to have someone take the test for you.
  • Failing to provide acceptable identification.
  • Obtaining improper access to the test, part of the test or information about the test.
  • Using or having a cell phone, PDA, BlackBerry® or other electronic device in your possession at the testing site.
  • Using any unauthorized aids in connection with the test, such as mechanical pencils, pens, pagers, beepers, calculators, watch calculators, analog or digital watches, watch alarms, books, pamphlets, notes, scratch paper, rulers, highlighter pens, stereos or radios with headphones, cell phones, stop watches, dictionaries, translators or any electronic or photographic devices.
  • Attempting to give or receive assistance. Communication in any form during the test administration, discussing or sharing test content or answers during the test administration or during breaks and discussing or sharing test questions or answers after the test is prohibited.
  • Using the break or delaying the start of the Speaking section to prepare your response or receive assistance in responding to the Speaking section questions.
  • Using the scratch paper provided or notes of any kind to prepare your essay during the break.
  • Evidence that your responses are invalid for reasons such as unusual timing patterns, unusual answer patterns and/or inconsistent performance on different parts of the test and/or inconsistent performance with other test administrations.
  • Evidence that a Writing or Speaking response includes material that is substantially similar to material found in other TOEFL test takers’ responses, or quotations or paraphrasing of language or ideas from published or unpublished sources that are used without attribution.
  • Removing, attempting to remove, reproducing or disclosing by any means (for example, hard copy, orally, electronically) to any person or entity any test content, test part, scratch paper or notes relating to the test.
  • Referring to, looking through or working on any test or test section when not authorized to do so, or working after time has been called.
  • Tampering with the computer.
  • Leaving the test room or testing site vicinity without permission during the test session or during breaks.
  • Taking excessive or extended unscheduled breaks during the test session. Test administrators are required to strictly monitor unscheduled breaks and report test takers who take excessive or extended breaks.
  • Failing to follow any of the test administration regulations in the Bulletin, stated orally by the test administrator or specified in any test materials.
  • Creating a disturbance or engaging in disruptive behavior at the test center.
  • Taking a weapon or firearm into the testing site.
  • Taking food, drink (unless you have applied for and have been approved for an accommodation based on a disability or health-related need) or tobacco into the testing room.
  • Taking any other prohibited items into the testing room.

If you are dismissed from the testing site or your scores are canceled for any of the reasons above, your test fees will not be refunded and you will not be able to retest for free. In addition, you may be banned from taking an ETS test in the future.

Test Integrity Irregularities

ETS may cancel your scores for irregularities such as, but not limited to, the following:

  • Problems with the administration of a test (improper timing, improper seating, defective materials, defective equipment) and other disruptions of test administrations (natural disasters, weather conditions and other emergencies). These may affect an individual, a group or multiple groups of test takers.
  • Circumstances at the test center reasonably indicate that the exam was improperly administered due to fraudulent or other improper or illegal activities. In certain circumstances, determined by ETS, all scores for test takers at a particular test center may be canceled even if there is no evidence of individual wrongdoing.

If your test administration is canceled before you test, or your test cannot be scored or your scores are canceled due to a testing irregularity, you can select a different test date and you will not be charged the rescheduling fee.

If you arrive at the test center and find out that the test administration has been canceled by ETS, you can reschedule your test at no charge or receive a full refund of your test fee.

If you take the test and your scores are canceled by ETS, ETS will determine, at its sole discretion, whether or not you are eligible to re-test at no charge or to receive a refund.

If ETS cancels a test administration or cancels scores after you test, and you have incurred travel costs to get to the test center, you may be eligible for reimbursement of reasonable and documented travel expenses for yourself only within 30 days of your original test date. Refunds are in U.S. dollars. When you contact TOEFL® Services, have appropriate receipts available and be prepared to provide the following information:

  • Name
  • Date of birth
  • Mailing address
  • Daytime phone number
  • Email address
  • Original test date
  • TOEFL registration number
  • A description of the problem

Invalidating/Canceling Scores

When there is information that ETS considers sufficient to indicate that a test taker has engaged in any activity that affects score validity, ETS may cancel the test taker’s score and may ban the test taker from future ETS tests.

For test takers outside the United States, ETS may also inform score recipients of the reason(s) for the score cancellation and may also disclose the reason(s) for score cancellation in certain group cases. Note: This policy applies only to test takers outside the United States.

ETS reserves the right to take any action — including, but not limited to, dismissing the test taker from the testing site, cancelling the test taker’s scores and banning the test taker from future testing — for failure to comply with test administration regulations or the test administrator’s instructions. If a test taker is dismissed from the testing site or a test taker’s scores are canceled, that test taker’s scores will not be reported, and the testing fees will not be refunded.

Liability

ETS shall have no liability to any test taker for damages or claims of any kind whatsoever that the test taker may have against ETS for not reporting a score, canceling a score or banning the test taker from future testing.

Please contact ETS as soon as possible to report any conduct you observe at or in connection with a test administration that may be in conflict with the above policies, whether or not the conduct leads to an invalid score. The identity of any person making such a report will be held in confidence.

Phone:
1-609-406-5430
Fax:
1-609-406-0709
Email:
TSReturns@ets.org

 

 

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