TOEFL

Test of English as a Foreign Languag

TOEFL stands for The Test of English as a Foreign Language and is used to test the ability of a person to use and understand the English language. It tests the English writing and speaking skills of a person. There are many colleges and universities that will require the test scores of this exam from all candidates from non English speaking countries in the world. Most institutions will only make use of   candidates’ most recent TOEFL score, provided it was not done more than two years before the date of admission.

This is a worldwide and is done online. It lasts four hours and measures the skills of a person in the academic environment.  it is understandable that home many people will know how to speak English, they will not be able to write it or even use it in an academic setting hence the test. A candidate is allowed only one test in a week. The test consists of a reading part, which consists of several passages on academic topics. Students will answer all the questions provided in the passages and will be required to come up with acceptable answers. The listening parts of the TOEFL exam consist of conversations and lectures and involves listening and answering the questions that are asked. There are several conversations with several questions after each one of them. They are meant to test your skills in comprehension and organization among others.

As for the speaking section, it consists of independent and integrated tasks, all six in numbers. In this part, a candidate is expected to comprehend English and convey his ideas clearly. They will be expected to read passages and answer questions about them. One will be expected to keep in mind aspects such as intonation, punctuation and pronunciation of English words. As for the writing part, candidates will be expected to know how to write in acceptable academic standards. They will be expected to read passages and write essays as well. Most of the subjects being discussed in the TOEFL test are campus life subjects among others.

TOEFL has two formats, the internet based and the paper based test. The internet based exam is done by most people for its convenience and speed. Students who are planning to study in English speaking countries will take this test, if it is required of them by the institutions they have applied to. Candidates who have won scholarships to study in English-speaking countries also have to sit the TOEFL to prove that they can communicate well. TOEFL has also been used by people who apply for work in other countries, to prove that they can communicate well in English. TOEFL has been used by institutions of higher learning, English learners to track their progress in learning English, and immigration departments to determine the issuance of visas.

There are thousands of TOEFL centers in more than 165 countries in the world and it can be taken as many times as one wants, but never twice in a week. This means that there are many chances for one to pass this examination, although each test is different from the others. The cost of the examination depends on the exam center. Usually, it ranges from US $150 to US $225 depending on taxation and the current market rates.  If there are many TOEFL in a country the fees will be less. One has to consult his test location when planning to sit for this examination to know the fees payable. It can take some time for the average candidate to finish the examination, although it is expected that you will finish this exam in three hours.

Last modified: 2011-04-30 09:23:38