Test of English as a Foreign Language or TOEFL is your gateway to achieve your dream of studying in a foreign university, immigration, and more. Accepted by more than 11,500 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries, the TOEFL test scores are the toughest to achieve and most widely accepted English test scores in the world. The test evaluates a candidate for four academic English skills — reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
TOEFL Exams are available in 5 different levels of assessments.
● TOEFL Primary®
● TOEFL Junior®
● TOEFL ITP®
● TOEFL® Essentials™
● TOEFL iBT®
Each test is uniquely designed so that the candidate can choose the TOEFL test that is best suitable to their age and requirements.
While TOEFL Primary® evaluates learners with ages 8+, TOEFL Junior® is meant for students with ages 11+, and TOEFL ITP® is for students with ages 16+.
Further, the TOEFL® Essentials™ and TOEFL iBT® tests are considered the most accepted English-language tests for study, work, and immigration. The major differences between the two have been tabulated below.
| Criteria | TOEFL® Essentials™ | TOEFL iBT® |
| What it Measures | Evaluates both the academic and non-academic English proficiency of the test-taker | Conducts an in-detail assessment of communicative language ability in an academic context |
| Suitable for | Students looking for a test that combines quality and convenience and has an engaging format | Aspiring students who want to have an edge while applying to various institutions |
| Language Domain | 50% academic English and 50% general English contexts | 100% academic English context |
| Length | Around 1.5 hours | Around 3 hours |
| Format | Divided into four sections: Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking 5-minute personal video statement (not scored) | Divided into four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing |
| Location | The exam can be taken at home only | The exam can be taken at home (TOEFL iBT Home Edition) and at the test centre also (TOEFL iBT) |
| Cost | $100-$120 | $180-$270 |
| Core Purpose of the Test | A highly efficient English proficiency test that blends academic and general English contexts and is conducted within 1.5 hours | A comprehensive and effective assessment of academic English conducted for 3 hours |
Tips and tricks for TOEFL preparation
- TOEFL iBT® Test Prep Courses – The Official TOEFL iBT® Prep Course offers you 60+ hours of content and more than 200 activities to help you get top-notch practice for the test while also improving your academic English writing and speaking skills. The 6-months course is bundled with comprehensive exercises, tests, and detailed evaluation of your scores to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses.
- TOEFL iBT® Practice Tests -Practice as often as you like with official TOEFL practice tests. These tests offer full tests along with past test questions for the Reading, Listening, and Writing sections. The practice test also includes all audio files and transcripts. With these tests, you can become familiar with the types of questions and content on the actual test and understand how the test sections are structured.
- TOEFL iBT® Guides and Books – Download the official TOEFL iBT® Test Prep Planner from the official website to help you organise your preparation efforts effectively and build the skills you need to succeed. You can also purchase Official TOEFL iBT® Tests, Volumes 1 & 2, and The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT® Test. This will give you access to an authentic test preparation guide from ETS, the maker of the TOEFL® test, and 10 authentic, full-length TOEFL iBT tests.
- TOEFL Go!® Official App -Download the free TOEFL Go! Official app to get tips from the maker of the test, practice the skills you need, prepare with resources available on the app, and check your progress with marks secured.
Check out the section wise TOEFL Preparation Tips at https://studyabroad.shiksha.com/exams/toefl/preparation-tips