Validity by Design: Measuring English Proficiency Through Authentic Academic Tasks

_{February 12, 2026}

Over the past few years, students’ expectations for their testing experiences have evolved at an accelerated pace. Today’s global learners expect nimble, modern test design, rapid score turnaround, and at-home availability.

At the same time, institutions of learning have maintained their expectation that tests of English proficiency fairly – and reliably – measure a student’s ability to effectively communicate in a modern academic setting.

To balance the needs of both students and institutions, TOEFL’s research team embarked on a yearslong journey to update the design of the exam while retaining its trademark rigor.

In this video, Spiros Papageorgiou, Principal Measurement Scientist, outlines our philosophy of “validity by design” – that is, ensuring that TOEFL scores truly reflect how someone communicates in real-world academic settings.

Spiros discusses TOEFL’s hybrid approach, which includes the measurement of both foundational and communicative English skills that mirror authentic academic language use, allowing for a complete evaluation of a student’s proficiency level.

He also uses the updated Speaking section, including the Listen & Repeat and Take an Interview tasks, as an example of the merits of this hybrid design.

Today’s TOEFL content is drawn from all areas of academic life to offer a comprehensive picture of a student’s ability to communicate in an academic setting.

This careful design, coupled with state-of-the-art security measures in both test center and at-home environments, bolsters TOEFL’s reputation as the gold standard of English proficiency measurement for high-stakes academic admissions.

ETS has been at the forefront of English language learning and assessment for more than six decades, pioneering new ways to measure proficiency and sharing our knowledge with universities and institutions around the world.

We’re excited for you to learn more about our latest evolution.