THE NEW TOEFL-TOEFL® iBT Test FAQ

Each month ESL Pro Systems presents informative articles and tips to help our readers improve their English. This month we are presenting answers to a number of frequently asked questions about the new TOEFL® iBT Test.

Why is the TOEFL® test changing?
The new test will be an improved measure of what colleges and universities in Canada and the USA need to know: a prospective student's ability to use English in an academic setting. The new Speaking section evaluates a person's ability to use spoken English, and the new integrated Writing and Speaking tasks measure the ability to combine information from more than one source and communicate about it.

How different is the new TOEFL® Test ?
The TOEFL® iBT Test has a new Speaking section, and there is no longer a Structure section. Grammar is tested indirectly through questions and tasks in each section. Lectures and conversations in the Listening section are longer, and note taking is now allowed. The Reading section has new question types that ask examinees to categorize information and fill in a chart or complete a summary. Typing is now required for the Writing section. There is an integrated task in addition to the present independent task, and the scoring used for rating responses is different from the current test. The new TOEFL® test will be delivered via the Internet. Internet-based testing (iBT) allows the capture of speech and score responses in a standardized and fair manner. It will also make it possible to greatly expand test center access.

When will the new TOEFL® test start?
It will be administered for the first time on September 24, 2005.

Will the new test be available everywhere in September?
No. ETS® will introduce the new TOEFL® test to countries worldwide in phases rather than all at once.

What is meant by "phases"?
The new test will be available first in the United States on September 24, 2005. It will be offered in the following countries on October 22, 2005: Canada, Germany, Italy, and France. The test will be available in the rest of the world in 2006.

When do the CBT and PBT stop?
The computer-based and paper-based versions of the TOEFL® test will be available until the new Internet-based test begins in each country. In the USA, CBT registration closes on August 31, 2005, and the final date for computer-based testing is September 15th. In Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, the final paper-based test administration will be on October 15, 2005, and the final computer-based test administration will be on October 8. The CBT and PBT will continue in the rest of the world until the iBT is introduced next year.

Will the score system change?
Yes, the score scale will change to the following:

Listening


0 - 30

Reading


0 - 30

Speaking


0 - 30

Writing


0 - 30

Total score: 0 to 120.
The total score is the sum of the four individual skill scores.

Is the new iBT more difficult than the current CBT?
The TOEFL® iBT Test Reading and Listening sections are not so different from those on the current TOEFL® Test . The integrated tasks in the TOEFL® iBT Test Speaking and Writing sections might be more challlenging for some examinees because they are new. These integrated tasks will help learners build the confidence they need in order to communicate in the academic environments they plan to enter.

How can I prepare for the iBT? ESL Pro Systems offers a number of preparatory study guides and tests that can help you get the best score possible on the new TOEFL® iBT Test.