Facts about TOEFL .

Admin Posts : 259 Join date : 2009-01-11

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (or TOEFL,
pronounced "toe-full" or sometimes "toffle") evaluates the potential
success of an individual to use and understand Standard American
English at a college level. It is required for non-native applicants at
many English-speaking colleges and universities. A TOEFL score is valid
for two years and then is deleted from the official database.

The TOEFL test is a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service
(ETS) and is administered worldwide. The test was first administered
1964 and has since been taken by nearly 20 million students.

Internet-based
Since
its introduction in late 2005, the Internet-based test (iBT) has
progressively replaced both the computer-based (CBT) and paper-based
(PBT) tests. The iBT has been introduced in phases, with the United
States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy in 2005 and the rest of the
world in 2006, with test centers added regularly.
The
demand for test seats remains very high even after almost a year after
the introduction of the test: Candidates have to wait for months since
short-term test dates are fully booked. The four-hour test consists of
four sections, each measuring mainly one of the basic language skills
(although some tasks may require multiple skills) and focusing on
language used in an academic, higher-education environment. Note-taking
is allowed in the iBT.

1. Reading

After each academic reading passage (out of 3–5), questions are posed
about content, intent of the author, and ideas inferred from the
passage. New types of questions in the iBT require paraphrasing,
filling out tables, or completing summaries. Generally prior knowledge
of the subject under discussion is not necessary to come to the correct
answer, though a priori knowledge may help.

2. Listening

Questions refer to the content and intent of the phrases, as well as to
the speakers' attitude and meaning, either in short conversations or in
lectures.

3. Speaking

New to the iBT, this section contains questions relating to personal
experiences or preferences, as well as tasks that also involve reading
passages and listening to short conversations and lectures. Test takers
are expected to convey information, explain ideas, and defend opinions
clearly, coherently, and accurately.

4. Writing

One task requires test takers to defend a position relative to a
specified general topic. In the other task, a reading passage and a
lecture are presented, and test takers must answer a question relating
the main points of both the passage and the lecture.
Contacting TOEFL

How do I contact TOEFL?
E-mail: toefl@ets.org
Phone: 1-609-771-7100
Fax: 1-610-290-8972
TTY: 1-609-771-7714

Mailing Address:
TOEFL Services
Educational Testing Services
P.O. Box 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 U.S.