The TOEFL test is
the most widely respected English-language test in the world, recognized by
more than 9,000 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries,
including Australia, Canada, the U.K. and the United States. Wherever you want
to study, the TOEFL test can help you get there.
The TOEFL Program — A national council on the
testing of English as a foreign language was formed in 1962; its members were
representatives of more than 30 private organizations and government agencies
concerned with the English profi ciency of nonnative speakers of English who
wished to study at colleges and universities in the United States. The council
supported the development of the TOEFL test for use starting in 1963–64.
Financed by grants from the Ford and Danforth Foundations, the TOEFL program
was fi rst administered by the Modern Language Association. In 1965, the
College Board and Educational Testing Service assumed joint responsibility for
the program. Because many who take the TOEFL test are potential graduate
students, a cooperative arrangement for the operation of the program was
entered into by ETS,
The College Board, and the Graduate Record Examinations
Board in 1973. Under this arrangement, ETS is responsible for administering the
TOEFL program with guidance from the TOEFL Board. The TOEFL Board is comprised
of 15 members. Some are affi liated with such institutions and agencies as
undergraduate and graduate schools, community colleges, nonprofi t educational
exchange organizations, and other public and private agencies with an interest
in international education. Other members are specialists in the field of
English as a foreign or second language.
The Computer Based Toefl
The computer-based version of the TOEFL test (TOEFL
cBT) in many areas of the world. This move was the first critical step toward a
long-term goal of enhancing assessments by using electronic technology to test
more complex skills.
A primary goal of the TOEFL program is to provide
more extensive information than it has in the past about candidates’ English
proficiency. In response to institutions’ requests to include a productive
measure of writing, the program added a Writing section (essay) as part of each
TOEFL cBT test administration. This addition was one step toward a more
communicative test. Essay ratings were integrated into section and total
scores, but were also reported separately on offi cial score reports for
informational purposes. New types of questions were added to the Listening and
Reading sections; these new question types moved beyond multiple-choice
questions. Visuals were also added to the Listening section, providing a
signifi cant enhancement to that portion of the test.
The Paper Based Toefl
The paper-based version of the TOEFL test (TOEFL
pBT) continues to be administered on specifi ed dates in some countries,
particularly in areas where accessibility to the Internet-based test (e.g.,
TOEFL iBT) is a concern. Each form of TOEFL pBT consists of three separately
timed sections; the questions in each section are multiplechoice, with four
possible answers or options per question. All responses are gridded on answer
sheets that are scored by computer.
- Section 1 of the test, Listening Comprehension, measures the ability to understand English as it is spoken in North America. The oral features of the language are stressed, and the problems tested include vocabulary and idiomatic expression as well as special grammatical constructions frequently used in spoken English. The stimulus material and oral questions are recorded in standard North American English; the response options are printed in the test books.
- Section 2, Structure and Written Expression, measures recognition of selected structural and grammatical points in standard written English. The language tested is formal, rather than conversational. The topics of the sentences are of a general academic nature so that individuals in specifi c fi elds of study or from specifi c national or linguistic groups have no particular advantage.
- Section 3, Reading Comprehension, measures the ability to read and understand short passages that are similar in topic and style to those that students are likely to encounter in North American colleges and universities. Examinees read a variety of short passages on academic subjects and answer several questions about each passage. The questions test information that is stated in or implied by the passage, as well as knowledge of some of the specifi c words as they are used in the passage.
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