Reading: This section assesses the candidate’s ability to comprehend academic passages on various topics. It typically includes 3 to 5 passages, each around 700 words long, with questions testing skills such as identifying main ideas, understanding vocabulary, and recognizing textual organization. Prior knowledge of the subjects is usually not necessary.

Listening: Candidates listen to six passages, including conversations and lectures, each lasting 3 to 5 minutes. They must demonstrate comprehension by answering questions related to main ideas, details, and the overall organization of information. Note-taking is permitted, as each passage is heard only once.

Speaking: Divided into six tasks, this section evaluates the candidate’s ability to express ideas orally. Two tasks are independent, where candidates speak on familiar topics, while four are integrated, requiring responses based on provided reading and listening materials. Candidates have the opportunity to make notes before recording their responses, which are later assessed by examiners.

Writing: Comprising two tasks, one integrated and one independent, this section evaluates the candidate’s writing skills in an academic context. In the integrated task, candidates summarize information from a reading and a lecture, while in the independent task, they express their opinion on a given topic and provide reasons to support it.

Candidates are allotted a total of 50 minutes for the Writing section and 20 minutes for the Speaking section. Additionally, a mandatory 10-minute break is provided after the completion of the first two sections, allowing candidates to rest and recharge before continuing with the test.

Understanding TOEFL Scoring

TOEFL scores range from 0 to 120, with each section scored from 0 to 30. Speaking questions are graded from 0 to 4 initially, while writing questions are graded from 0 to 5, and then converted to scores out of 30. These scores from all sections are added to calculate the total score.

Key Facts About TOEFL

Note: Many colleges consider the TOEFL test as the sole criterion for admission and set minimum score requirements accordingly. These requirements differ among universities. For example, Bowling Green State University requires a minimum score of 61, while the University of Oxford requires 110. It’s crucial to be aware of the specific requirements of the college you are applying to.