Test Benefits
Why should I take the TOEFL test?
No matter where in the world you want to study, the TOEFL test can help you get
there. You will be eligible for admission to virtually any institution in the world,
including the top colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, the
United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. See the University Directory at
www.ets.org/toefl.
The TOEFL test gives you more flexibility on when, where, and how often you
can take the test, and more practice tools and feedback, than any other English-
language test in the world.
Test takers who are well prepared for the TOEFL iBT can feel confident that
they are also well prepared for academic success.
What makes TOEFL iBT better than other English-language tests?
The TOEFL iBT assesses a test taker’s ability to integrate English skills and to
communicate about what he or she reads and hears. These are the skills you will
actually use in an academic classroom.
The test also measures speaking more fairly than other tests. Each Speaking
response is evaluated by three to six raters, which is more objective and reliable
than other tests that use only one interviewer from a local test site.
Who else benefits from the test?
Admissions officials and faculty at colleges and universities, as well as adminis-
trators of certification and licensing agencies, receive better information on an
applicant’s English communication skills.
Registration
How and when do I register for the test?
Online registration is the easiest method. You can also register by mail or by
phone. See
www.ets.org/toefl for details. The Information and Registration Bul-
letin for TOEFL iBT is available at many advising centers, colleges, universities,
and libraries.
Registration is available 3–4 months before the test date. Register early as

How do I get my scores?
Scores are posted online for you to view just days after the test date, then mailed
to you and the institutions you selected.
Included with your registration fees are:
b
1 printed and 1 online score report for you
b
up to 4 official score reports that ETS will send directly to the institutions
or agencies that you select when you register
Can I order additional score reports?
Yes. For a small fee, you can send score reports to as many institutions as you
choose. See
www.ets.org/toefl for details.
How long are scores valid?
ETS will report scores for 2 years after the test date.
Will institutions accept scores from previous tests?
Check with each institution or agency directly.
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Test Delivery
What skills are tested on the TOEFL iBT?
The test is given in English, has 4 sections on reading, listening, speaking, and
writing, and takes about 4½ hours.
Section Time Limit No. of Questions
Reading 60–100 minutes 36–70
Listening 60–90 minutes 34–51
Break 10 minutes
Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks
Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks
Can I take only one section of the test?
No. The entire test must be taken to receive a score.

basic categories based on author purpose: (1) Exposition, (2) Argumentation, and
(3) Historical.
Often passages will present information about the topic from more than one
perspective or point of view. This is something you should note as you read
because usually you will be asked at least one question that allows you to show
that you have understood the general organization of the passage. Common types
of organization you should be able to recognize are
b
classification
b
comparison/contrast
b
cause/effect
b
problem/solution
TOEFL iBT passages are approximately 700 words long, but the passages
used may vary somewhat in length. Some passages may be slightly longer than
700 words, and some may be slightly shorter.
TOEFL iBT Reading
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TOEFL iBT Reading Questions
TOEFL iBT Reading questions cover Basic Information skills, Inferencing skills,
and Reading to Learn skills. There are 10 question types. The following chart
summarizes the categories and types of TOEFL iBT Reading questions.
TOEFL Reading Question Types
Basic Information and Inferencing questions (11 to 13 questions per set)
1. Factual Information questions (3 to 6 questions per set)
2. Negative Factual Information questions (0 to 2 questions per set)
3. Inference questions (0 to 2 questions per set)
4. Rhetorical Purpose questions (0 to 2 questions per set)

According to the paragraph, why did X do Y?
b
The author’s description of X mentions which of the following?
Tips for Factual Information Questions
b
You may need to refer back to the passage in order to know what
exactly is said about the subject of the question. Since the question may
be about a detail, you may not recall the detail from your first reading
of the passage.
b
Eliminate choices that present information that is contradicted in the
passage.
b
Do not select an answer just because it is mentioned in the passage.
Your choice should answer the specific question that was asked.
Example
PASSAGE EXCERPT: “. . . Sculptures must, for example, be stable, which requires an
understanding of the properties of mass, weight distribution, and stress. Paintings must
have rigid stretchers so that the canvas will be taut, and the paint must not deteriorate,
crack, or discolor. These are problems that must be overcome by the artist because they
tend to intrude upon his or her conception of the work. For example, in the early Italian
Renaissance, bronze statues of horses with a raised foreleg usually had a cannonball
under that hoof. This was done because the cannonball was needed to support the
weight of the leg. In other words, the demands of the laws of physics, not the sculptor’s
aesthetic intentions, placed the ball there. That this device was a necessary structural
compromise is clear from the fact that the cannonball quickly disappeared when
sculptors learned how to strengthen the internal structure of a statue with iron braces
(iron being much stronger than bronze) . . . “
According to paragraph 2, sculptors in the Italian Renaissance stopped using cannon-
balls in bronze statues of horses because