The TOEFL® iBT measures how well you read, listen, speak and write in English and use these skills together in the university classroom. For example, you might read a passage or listen to a lecture, and then write or speak about what you learned..

Why Take the TOEFL Test?

  • No matter where in the world you want to study, the TOEFL test can help get you there. You will be eligible for admission to virtually any institution in the world — including the top colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia and New Zealand.
  • 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.
  • You will be able to listen to lectures, view films, attend seminars, read textbooks, perform online research, speak with professors and other students, write academic papers, reports, e-mails and more.

TOEFL® iBT Test Content

The TOEFL® iBT measures skills in reading, listening, speaking and writing, and requires you to combine two or more of these skills to respond to a question. For example, you might read a passage or listen to a lecture in English, and then write or speak your answers in English.

Structure of the TOEFL iBT

Section Description Testing Time Questions Score Scale
Reading 3-5 passages from academic texts; about 700 words long; 12-14 questions per passage. 60-100 minutes 36-70 questions 0-30
Listening 4-6 lectures, some with classroom discussion; each 3-5 minutes long; 6 questions each. 2-3 conversations; each 3 minutes long; 5 questions each. 60-90 minutes 34-51 questions 0-30
Break - 10 minutes - -
Speaking 2 tasks to express an opinion on a familiar topic; 4 tasks to speak based on what is read and listened to. 20 minutes 6 tasks 0-4 points converted to 0-30 score scale
Writing 1 task to write based on what is read and listened to; 1 task to support an opinion on a topic. 50 minutes 2 tasks 0-5 points converted to 0-30 score scale
Total score - - - 0-120

How long does the test last?

The test takes about 4½ hours.

How long are scores valid?

ETS will report scores for 2 years after the test date.