International TOEFL exam. TOEFL practice test online for free

We are often asked the question: What is TOEFL and is it worth taking it?

In this article we will answer these questions, and also tell you about the format and nuances of the exam and what difficulties you may encounter.

When talking about entering a foreign university, the first thing that comes to mind is TOEFL, which is on par with the exam IELTS serves necessary requirement for enrollment in many universities. TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is taken by those who study English as a foreign language. TOEFL All American colleges and universities accept it, as well as educational institutions in Canada, Europe, and Australia. But be careful, not all European universities accept TOEFL, some only accept IELTS, so before you run to take the exam, read the requirements, or better yet, contact the admissions office and find out if they accept this certificate.

There are two test options: TOEFL Paper Based (PBT), TOEFL Internet Based (iBT). The paper-based test (PBT) has largely fallen out of use and is only administered in areas where Internet access is not possible. TOEFL iBT can be taken in almost any country, test centers are located in major cities. As for the exam dates, the exam is taken several times a month. It depends on the center where you are going to take the test. You can check the dates on the official website http://www.ets.org. By choosing a date and city that is convenient for you, you can find a test center that accepts TOEFL on this day. But we’ll talk about registration a little later, and now about the test format.

Exam Format includes four sections that test four basic language skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing. Each section, in turn, contains several questions of a unique format, which you will need to familiarize yourself with in detail if you decide to try your hand at TOEFL. In the exam itself, the parts follow the same order as presented above: first you read, then you listen, then there is a break of 10 minutes, after which you demonstrate your speaking skills and finally, you complete written tasks. The test takes about four and a half hours in total. The test is taken entirely on a computer.

Let's briefly look at the tasks of each part.
Readings usually include three or four academic texts that you need to answer questions about. There are 10 types of Reading questions and we will look at them in the Reading Section articles. Depending on the number of texts, tasks are given from 60 to 80 minutes to complete.

Listening consists of several lectures, conversations, discussions that you have to listen to and answer questions. This part may contain from 34 to 51 questions, and depending on the number of questions, the answer time is between 60 and 90 minutes.

Sometimes the Reading and Listening parts include test tasks, which are not evaluated to compare data or test materials for future tests. When completing such a task, you do not know whether it will be graded or not. But try not to think about it, but simply complete the tasks as well as you know how to do it.

After listening, you have ten minutes to rest, after which you begin the Speaking Section. This part contains six questions, which are classified as Independent and Integrated. The first two questions ask about a familiar situation, a situation from your experience. This is part of Independent. The remaining four are asked to answer a question based on what they read and heard (integrated). Each question requires a special preparation strategy, which we will definitely consider. The speaking portion of the test takes about 20 minutes, as you are given 40 seconds to a minute to answer the questions.

And finally, Writing Section, consisting of two questions. The first question is Integrated, you are asked to write an answer based on information you have heard and read. Second question - Independent. You must write an essay on a given topic. You will have 20 minutes to write the first task, and 30 minutes for the second.

Here short description exam format TOEFL. Of course, if you are going to take it and are seriously planning to prepare, then this information is not enough; you should learn more about the format and strategies for completing the tasks.

How to register for the test?

Registration is online at http://www.ets.org/toefl. You need to register and create your profile on the site. When the profile is created, select Register for a Test in the left menu. You will be asked to enter your personal information, select the exam date, country, city and test center where you are going to take the test. Read all instructions carefully and double-check all data. You will also have the opportunity to order a paper copy of the certificate for yourself and have your certificate sent to the three institutions. In order to order copies to institutions, contact them in advance, specify the address and ETS code, as they will be asked to enter it on the website. If you did not indicate recipients during registration, you can do this after, but not later than one day before the exam. If you do not know where you will send the documents, then you will have the opportunity to order certificates after the exam, but this will already be payable service. From experience, many universities will accept a scan of your certificate, or they can verify the authenticity of your result by contacting ETS directly. Be sure to order a certificate for yourself when registering, indicating your mailing address.

At the end of the registration process, you will need to pay the exam fee by card Visa or Mastercard. There are other payment methods, but you will agree that card is the most convenient. You will be sent a confirmation email and your registration number, which you must print out and bring to the test center on the day of the exam. What happens next during the exam itself will be discussed in a separate article.

How is TOEFL scored?

Evaluation is carried out in points. The maximum number of points is 120. For each part you can score 30 points, after which the number of points scored for each part is summed up and you get your overall result. It should be noted that universities often require not just any TOEFL score, but put forward specific requirements for each part or individual parts. For example, general requirement- TOEFL score no lower than 90, with no less than 25 in Speaking. And you will have all 100, but in Speaking - 24, then alas, you will have to retake it! Therefore, I emphasize once again - if you are taking the TOEFL for a specific program, read the requirements and devote time to those skills for which the highest scores are needed, so as not to be offended.

Which version of English is used on TOEFL?

Until 2013, the Listening Section and Speaking Section used recordings voiced by native speakers from North America, that is, the accent was predominantly American. Since 2013, changes have been made to the content of the test and other English accents have been added: British, New Zealand, Australian. So the lectures and conversations are voiced by different native speakers, but the speech is clear and intelligible throughout. If you have studied British English all your life, then this is not a problem, you can safely go take the test, just stick to one version of the language. This applies to both pronunciation and spelling in Writing.

Features and difficulties of TOEFL.

TOEFL tests the knowledge of the English language that is necessary for the student in the learning process and in Everyday life. The exam assumes that you speak English at a conversational level sufficient to discuss everyday problems. But one of the difficulties is academic vocabulary, terms from various areas science, a large number of abstract concepts and synonyms.

Also, remember that during the exam you only interact with the computer. For many who are used to taking exams in the traditional teacher-student format, this can be stressful.

Planning time to complete tasks also causes difficulty. The timer at the top of the screen inexorably counts down your time. In order to complete tasks within the time given to you, you need to practice a lot.

And lastly, TOEFL tests not only how well you know the English language, but also how you analyze information and highlight the main points; your skills in generalization, argumentation, drawing conclusions, and so on are assessed. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand what they want from you in a given task. Strategies for completing tasks and answering questions will help you with this.

If you have firmly decided to prepare for TOEFL- we will try to help you with this. On the pages of our website Enginform We are starting to publish a series of articles that will be useful to everyone who is preparing for TOEFL, as well as teachers who prepare their students to pass this exam. Good luck to you and stay tuned!

Now traveling abroad, studying and emigrating to different countries are no longer a curiosity. Many people have long been moving freely around the world without feeling any discomfort. That is why various international exams, including TOEFL, are very popular.

TOEFL - what kind of exam is it?

This international exam was the first available exam for Russians and was originally designed for those people who were planning to enter universities in the USA and Canada. In addition, it was created for non-native English speakers and was developed by the Princeton University Examination Committee.

Later, the TOEFL exam significantly expanded the scope of its purpose: its results began to be required for various international internships and for some scientific and professional certification programs. Also, having a certificate for this test is necessary for those who are going to enroll in international MBA programs and for those people who are looking for a job that requires this certificate.

Parts of TOEFL - what are they?

The Listening part tests the examinee's ability to perceive English speech aurally. This part is one of the most difficult, however, it is easier than Speaking, because it involves passive perception of information. It consists of three tests with a total duration of about an hour.

The next part that makes up the TOEFL test is Vocabulary and Reading, where it checks lexicon the subject and his ability to perceive written information. Moreover, some of the answers are quite ambiguous, however, having the experience of reading books and various articles in English, passing this part is not so difficult. This part lasts an hour or a little more and consists of 3-5 texts and 14-16 questions for each text.

Another part is Writing, or writing, where the literacy of written speech, grammatical structures and stylistics is tested. It includes 2 parts of 50 minutes each.

The last part is Speaking, or testing the ability to express your thoughts out loud. This part is the shortest, but for some, the most difficult. After all, a well-known person can add many exciting minutes.

Exam Features

If you ask about this TOEFL - what kind of test it is, what are its features from a person who has only heard a little about it, then it is unlikely that you will hear a clear answer. In fact, this exam has several features that you need to keep in mind.

First of all, the exam assesses American English, not British English. Therefore, trying to enroll in an English university with this certificate will not work. The fact is that American English has a number of differences that make it different from the British version.

Also interesting feature exam is that it is impossible not to pass it. In any case, a certain number of points will be awarded. Another question is whether this number of points will satisfy the future employer and whether this will be enough for admission to a higher education institution.

In addition, the TOEFL exam has an expiration date. After two years, the test results will no longer be considered valid, so you will need to retake the test again. This, of course, is a very big disadvantage, because, for example, various British exams are unlimited, which makes life much easier.

And the last interesting feature of the TOEFL exam is that there are two options for taking it: a written Paper-based test (PBT) and an Interenet-based test (IBT) - a test that must be taken via the Internet.

IBT TOEFL test

Currently, this type of test, taken over the Internet, is considered preferable because it contains an oral part, which is not present in the paper version of the test. In addition, it also contains combined tasks that will give more volumetric characteristics knowledge of the subject. Because of this, this type of exam is more in demand by employers.

The IBT TOEFL test appeared in Russia in 2006, and almost all test centers now offer this particular exam. One of the advantages of this test is that all its parts are taken on one day, which, on the one hand, takes more time, but the testing does not drag on for weeks, as is often the case with other international exams. In addition, in this version of testing, you can make notes and write down something as you listen, for example, audio tasks, which greatly facilitates their further completion.

Registration for testing takes place via the Internet by the person who is going to take the exam. In addition to online registration, you can also register by phone and send a request by mail. It is also possible to find out the results that will appear on the website in 15 days.

TOEFL Preparation

Considering that the TOEFL exam is paid (which is why you don’t want to take it several times), you need to reduce the risk of doing poorly on the test to a minimum. It seems that if you know the language well, then passing this test is not at all difficult. In reality, everything is not so simple. The point is that you need to be prepared for the exam format and its features. If you don’t have this preparation, you can get confused and lose valuable time trying to understand the nuances of the exam.

This is why preparation for the TOEFL is necessary even for those who speak English well. high level. For those who are not very confident in their language, preparation is needed very serious and lengthy. It is advisable to start preparing in advance to have more time to spare. You can enroll in special courses or take online courses. You can also try to prepare yourself using special literature, but only if you have good

There are also many sites on the Internet that explain the features of TOEFL, what kind of testing it is, and where you can take it trial testing via the Internet, which will help you identify your language level and the likelihood of successfully passing the exam.

Conclusion

The TOEFL IBT exam can be taken on dates strictly specified by the delivery center, and it is taken 30-40 times a year. The paper version of the exam is taken much less frequently, but its popularity has also dropped significantly. The cost of the exam is $250, which imposes considerable responsibility for the quality of preparation for the test taker.

The TOEFL test is often the door that leads to a completely new quality of life, but it also requires very serious preparatory work.

What is TOEFL

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an international exam in English language as a foreigner. TOEFL is prepared by Educational Testing Service (ETS), Princeton University, New Jersey, USA.
The main purpose of TOEFL is to assess the level of proficiency of non-native English speakers. Providing TOEFL results is a necessary condition for admission to more than 2,400 colleges and universities in the USA, Canada and some other countries. TOEFL Certificate – required document when enrolling in foreign universities to study an MBA program, when obtaining the right to an internship in English, or when applying for a job that requires knowledge of the English language. Some academic and professional certification programs also require applicants to take the TOEFL. The TOEFL certificate is valid for two years.
The main feature of the TOEFL exam is that it is based on American version English, so to successfully pass TOEFL you need to understand the lexical and grammatical subtleties that distinguish American English from British English.
Currently in Russia there are two versions of the test: Paper-based Test (PBT), that is, a written test on paper, and Internet-based Test (iBT), which is testing via the Internet. Second option in Lately is considered preferable in many universities, as it includes tasks not only for reading, listening and written speech, but also for oral speech and combined tasks.

The exam consists of four parts: Listening Comprehension, Structure and Written Expression, Reading Comprehension And Test of Written English.

Part 1: Listening Comprehension

The ability to perceive English speech (North American pronunciation), highlight the main idea, the most significant details, and draw conclusions is assessed.

The questions are divided into three groups.

A: Mini-dialogues: In this part, you must listen to a dialogue and a question regarding the content of this dialogue, and choose the correct answer from the written options provided.

B: Long dialogue: In this part, you must listen to a dialogue and a series of questions regarding the content of this dialogue, and choose the correct answers from the written options provided.

C: Short monologues: In this part, you must listen to a monologue and a series of questions regarding the content of this monologue, and choose the correct answers from the written options provided.

Part 2: Structure and Written Expression.

The ability to understand written language and the level of grammar are assessed.

Structure:
In this group, you must choose one of the proposed options for filling in the gap in the sentence so that you get a grammatically correct sentence.

Written Expression:
In this group, you must choose the incorrect one among several highlighted parts of the sentence.

Part 3: Reading Comprehension

Assesses ability to understand short passages similar in topic and style to college and university academic texts. This part contains questions about the content of five or six passages read. You read the passages and answer the questions. It also includes questions about the meaning of words in the context of the passage.

Part 4: Test of Written English

You must write an essay on a given topic. In an essay, you need to agree or disagree with some statement and support your answer with strong evidence and examples.

On September 24, 2005, a new test format was launched in the United States - TOEFL iBT (Internet-based Test), which replaced the TOEFL СBT (Computer-based Test). In Russia, a new version was introduced in 2006.
TOEFL iBT involves testing integrated skills. This means that the grammar is checked not through a separate section, but through all the others. In addition, your ability to speak English is tested. Online registration and online results make the test easier.
Changing the test format is aimed at improving the system for assessing the knowledge of those taking the test. New section Speaking helps assess students’ ability to communicate in English, which is important for studying at a business school or college, and new tasks in sections Writing allow assessing the student’s ability to combine information.

The test consists of 4 sections: Speaking, Listening, Reading And Writing.
The test takes four and a half hours to complete and all parts can be taken on the same day, providing additional convenience to test takers.

Peculiarities new version:

  • Grammatical structures are assessed based on students' ability to use them in sections Speaking, Writing and the ability to recognize them when reading complex academic texts in the section Reading.
  • Chapter Writing. The new version of TOEFL requires two essays. One of them is also a new “integrated” task type: read a short text and listen to a lecture on the same topic. The information presented in the lecture either contradicts or complements/clarifies the information obtained from the reading text. You are allowed to take notes while reading and listening. You will have 3 minutes to read a text of approximately 200 to 220 words and 20 minutes to write a short essay of 150 to 225 words.
  • Chapter Reading has not undergone significant changes, except for the fact that several new types of questions have appeared.
  • In chapter Listening First part ( short dialogues) is cancelled; two parts remain: long dialogues representing live colloquial speech, and four lectures, two of which are accompanied by student comments.
  • Unlike the old format, the new TOEFL iBT exam allows and even encourages you to take notes and notes (Note Taking) in each of its sections.
  • The new TOEFL exam format requires more time to complete it, and therefore the introductory part Tutorials (additional exercises before the exam to familiarize yourself with the program and the computer) is cancelled.
  • Chapter Speaking. This new section of the exam includes 6 questions that you will answer into a microphone. You are allowed to make notes!
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is developed by the private company ETS (Educational Testing Service), a leader in the field of language testing.

    Purpose of passing

    The purpose of TOEFL is to document or refute the candidate’s ability to use a language that is not his native language in everyday life, student life, and work. TOEFL confirmation is required when moving to English speaking country with the intention of entering educational institution

    or get a position in a corporation where knowledge of English is required.

    Having a high score on the test, the candidate has the right to apply for training in one of 9,000 educational institutions. This certificate opens the door to internships and employment in more than 130 countries.

    A distinctive feature of TOEFL: it is based on American English.

    Features of exam selection

    In the UK, documents proving communicative competence obtained in the USA are often invalid, and vice versa. Therefore, tests in English on an international scale have appeared; they are recognized by most countries.

    1. When choosing an exam, it is important to rely on the rules of admission to the educational organization or the requirements of the employer.
    2. American: TOEFL.
    3. British: Trinity ESOL, Cambridge ESOL.

    International: IELTS, TOEIC, PTE, TELC.

    Exam options

    1. The test has two types: PBT, Paper-based
    2. – in handwritten form; iBT, Internet-basedTest

    – via the Internet.

    In countries without Internet access (Zimbabwe, Chad, Tonga), only PBT is possible. In most universities, iBT is considered a priority because, thanks to combined tasks, several skills are tested at the same time. In Russia, only the iBT version is available.

    TOEFL Structure and Completion Time

    The exam contains 4 blocks: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. The test must be completed in 4.5 hours. Separate blocks of tasks test the candidate’s specific skills, as well as his ability to summarize information.

    Reading

    • Reading and understanding academic texts.
    • Reading 3-4 texts (up to 700 words each).
    • Number of questions – 36-56:
    • They are aimed at identifying the main idea, details, conclusions of the text, filling out tables, and presenting a summary..

    Completion time – 60-80 minutes (20 minutes per text)

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    Listening

    Understanding alive oral speech.

    • Listening to 6 texts:
    • 2 lectures on academic topics;
    • 2 discussions on everyday topics;
    • 2 lectures on academic topics with student comments.
    • Number of tasks – 34-51:
      • They are aimed at determining the topic of conversation, the attitude of the interlocutors to the problem; They focus on little things: numbers, names, appearance, titles.
    • Travel time – 60-90 minutes.

    Speaking

    The ability to express an opinion on a specific topic.

    • The answers to 6 questions are dictated using a microphone:
    • 2 general – reveal the ability to clearly express thoughts. Preparation time: 15 seconds. You must respond within 45 seconds, after which the recording stops;
    • 4 integrated - test the ability to synthesize data obtained from reading a passage and listening to a recording. Preparation time: 30 seconds. Reading and audio recording each take 45 seconds;
    • You must respond within 60 seconds.
    • Travel time – 20 minutes.

    Writing

    Ability to express judgments in writing.

    • Writing 2 essays.
    • Describe your thoughts (150-225 words), based on the written segment and audio recording. 3 minutes are allotted for reading, 2 minutes for listening. Must be completed in 20 minutes.
    • Reasoned objection or agreement with a statement in essay format (300-350 words). Requires completion in 30 minutes.
    • Travel time – 50 minutes.

    Registration before testing

    Possible registration methods:

    Online


    • Register on the page My Home Page (Register for a test). Specify TOEFL Test.
    • Find a region from the suggested options, where delivery is planned.
    • Select date passing the test.
    • Specify directly the resource department in the selected region.
    • For free You can use the service of sending results to 5 educational institutions.
    • Pay for passage e test you can:
    • Bank cards: MasterCard®, VISA®, JCB®, American Express®, Discover®;
    • In PayPal.
    • Electronic check if you have an account in the USA.
    • Make a printout Registration Confirmation, indicating the identification number, date, time, and place of the exam.
    • Registration starts 3-4 months in advance until the test date, it is available daily, 24 hours a day.
    • Ends in 7 days. Late registration is possible (3 days in advance), with a fee of $40.

    By phone

    • Enter data into the Registration Form.
    • Call the Regional Registration Center (RRC) at +31-320-239-540.
    • Provide information from the completed form.
    • Write down the identification number, date, time, test center address.
    • Pay for the test.
    • Registration ends 7 days before the exam. Late registration is possible (1 day in advance), with a fee of $40.

    By mail

    • Download the Registration Form and enter the data.
    • Send it with payment to the RRC address.
    • The completed form must arrive at ETS no later than four weeks before the test date.
    • Receive a confirmation message (Admission Ticket) indicating the date, time, and address of the event.
    • If it is not available, call RRC at least 3 days before the registration deadline for the selected date.

    Where to take TOEFL in Russia

    In Russia, TOEFL is administered by the certified American Center for Education and Testing. It has branches in 29 major cities.

    Moscow
    Saint Petersburg
    Vladivostok
    Astrakhan
    Izhevsk
    Bashkortostan
    Volgograd
    Irkutsk
    Ekaterinburg
    Kazan
    Samara
    Yoshkar-Ola
    Krasnoyarsk
    Omsk
    Chelyabinsk
    Naberezhnye Chelny
    Saratov
    Petrozavodsk
    Khabarovsk
    Permian
    Nizhny Novgorod
    Novosibirsk
    Krasnodar
    Rostov-on-Don
    Smolensk
    Tver
    Stavropol
    Tyumen
    Ulan-Ude
    The frequency of the exam in each region ranges from once a week to once a month.

    Mock test

    The trial version consists of Reading and Listening sections, since Speaking and Writing cannot be tested by computer.

    How much does it cost to take TOEFL?

    The cost of testing is the same throughout the Russian Federation and is $255.

    Validity

    The TOEFL certificate has a limited validity period of 2 years, after which the results are deleted from the ETS database.
    So the procedure passing TOEFL includes several stages:

    1. registration;
    2. obtaining an identification number;
    3. choosing a date, time and center for delivery;
    4. exam fees;
    5. arriving on the specified day at the American Center branch at least 30 minutes before the start;
    6. taking the test;
    7. getting results.

    One of the most popular international exams at the moment is the TOEFL exam (pronounced “toifle” if you speak about it in Russian and “toufl” if in English). I took the TOEFL in 2014, and I wrote this story based on fresh impressions and observations. So, TOEFL: what is it, why is it needed, how is it different from other exams, where, and, most importantly, how to pass it?

    Who administers the TOEFL?

    ETS company sign in Lawrence Township, USA

    I have already talked briefly about... And why is TOEFL good among them? The exam is conducted by Educational Testing Service, the largest private company, engaged in language testing. In addition to TOEFL, its arsenal includes GRE, SAT, TOEIC exams - you may have seen these names while leafing through university requirements or rummaging through exam preparation books. The TOEFL exam was first conducted in 1964 (that is, in 2014 it turned exactly half a century old) and since then has become one of the main international language exams.

    There are more than 4 thousand centers in the world that cooperate with ETS and have the right to conduct TOEFL, of which 30 are in Russia.

    What is TOEFL for?


    Screenshot from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) website. The minimum TOEFL score is 90, recommended is 100.

    TOEFL results will be required for admission to more than 10 thousand universities around the world, primarily to leading American universities. Try searching Google for “toefl scores for us universities” - and you will get links to which US universities and with which minimum score require TOEFL. For example, for admission to top universities such as Harvard, Yale or MIT, you will need a TOEFL with 100 points (out of 120 possible), for British Oxford - as much as 110 points; For simpler universities, 90 or 80 points will be enough.

    And, of course, no one obliges you to go to university in order to take the TOEFL - you can take the exam simply to assess your chances of future admission or simply check your level of English. It was almost for this reason that I took the TOEFL - to add one more certificate to my collection.

    TOEFL scores

    Since we're talking about points, let's figure out how they work. For each part of the exam – reading, listening, speaking, writing – you can get 30 points. In total they will give 120 points, which is the maximum you can get. By the way, ETS annually publishes statistics on scores, so you can estimate what percentage of test takers scored higher than yours and which lower.

    In the final result, in addition to the final amount, you will also receive 4 results for each part - in case you are wondering which part you failed and which you passed with great success. By the way, the entrance requirements of some universities include not only the overall score, but also the scores scored in individual parts of the exam.

    What are the specifics of TOEFL?

    Since TOEFL is an exam used for admission to university, it tests how prepared a candidate is to study and live in English.

    Most of the texts and exam materials are related to scientific subjects - but don't worry, you don't need any special knowledge to pass the exam. The materials talk about topics that are accessible but unknown to you - simulating the situation that you will encounter at a foreign university. Some of the questions are devoted to university everyday life in order to assess how confident you feel in normal student life - class schedules, rules for using the library, etc.

    Direct knowledge of grammar is far from the most critical point for passing the exam. Putting a verb in the wrong form or using the wrong preposition is not the worst thing that can happen. The criteria for assessing written and oral communication say so: errors are acceptable if they do not interfere with the understanding of what you are saying.

    Much more important when taking the TOEFL is, firstly, the ability to understand the main ideas of a text or conversation, and secondly, the ability to clearly and structuredly formulate your thoughts. All this, of course, is in English.

    Paper-based (PBT), computer-based (CBT) and internet-based (iBT) TOEFL?

    When the TOEFL exam first appeared, there were no personal computers. The exam took place with printouts, circling answers and writing tests in pencil. PBT, paper-based test is just such an option. With the advent of personal computers, it became possible to take the CBT (computer-based test), and since 2005 in the c format (i.e. internet-based test, test on the Internet). Since 2017, the paper version has disappeared even from the most remote corners of the planet and all centers use the iBT format. But if you suddenly find a book on the Internet that mentions PBT or CBT, don’t be alarmed: such versions really existed, but now they have been replaced by one continuous Internet exam.

    How does TOEFL work?

    Have you ever passed a theoretical exam in the traffic police (more precisely, the traffic police)? The TOEFL test room looks almost the same. Several dozen people are sitting in one room. There are small partitions between the candidates, and each one has a computer in front of them. You need to listen and speak through a headset connected to the computer (headphones with a microphone).

    Participants begin taking the exam one at a time, so parts do not start at the same time. It may happen that you are still listening, but your neighbor has already started talking - in order to somehow protect yourself from extraneous sounds, you don’t need to take off your headphones.

    Some features, of course, may differ from center to center, but in general this scheme is approximately the same in all organizations that accept TOEFL.

    At what level of English can you take TOEFL?


    Comparison of CEFR Levels and TOEFL Scores

    There are no official requirements for the candidate's knowledge. That is, theoretically, you can come to the exam knowing only a couple of English words. But in practice this will make little sense - after all, all tasks are based on unadapted educational texts on a wide variety of topics. The minimum level from which it makes sense to try is B1. This pleasure costs $250. This is if you register and pay directly on the ETS website. Go to http://www.ets.org/toefl, find the “Create an account” button and follow the instructions. It's not very difficult - no more difficult than, say, buying a plane ticket on an airline's website. In principle, the exam reception center can help with registration and payment - but for an additional fee (at the center where I took it, the additional fee was about 3 thousand rubles...)

    And before moving on to the exam structure, a few final notes: review unsuccessful attempt You can take an unlimited number of times (paying for the exam each time, of course), but not earlier than 12 days after the previous attempt. The exam results are ready 10 days after passing and officially expire after 2 years.

    That’s probably all you need to know about TOEFL in order to understand whether you need it or not. And if you still need it, then in the next material we will look at exactly what parts the exam consists of.