The TOEFL® test measures English proficiency where it matters most — in the classroom. The language used in the test closely reflects how English is used in everyday academic settings, and the test contains 100% academic content with integrated tasks.
Designed with the Help of Institutions Like Yours
Test content was created by working with institutions to identify the English-language demands faced by non-native English speakers. Our researchers:
- recorded examples of classroom teaching, study groups and student interactions at various institutions
- collected textbooks and packets from student courses and compiled their findings into a language database called a "corpus"
An Accurate Measurement of a Test Taker's Ability to Succeed
The TOEFL iBT® test is the only English-language test to use integrated tasks combining the 4 academic English skills — reading, listening, speaking, and writing — in the way they are actually used in a classroom.* Test takers are required to:
- read, listen and then speak in response to a question
- listen and then speak in response to a question
- read, listen and then write in response to a question
This ensures your applicants are equipped with the skills needed for success in a higher education classroom. Additionally, students strengthen their skills while preparing for the test, so they arrive on campus better prepared for the academic English demands of a university classroom.
* The TOEFL iBT test measures all 4 skills. The revised TOEFL® Paper-delivered Test measures 3 skills — reading, listening, and writing. It does not include a Speaking section because of the technology required to capture spoken responses, but it is otherwise closely aligned.