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TOEFL Exam Pattern

Exam

Kitiyala Jamir

Updated on 29th December, 2023 , 5 min read

What is TOEFL Exam?

The Educational Testing Service (ETS) administers the TOEFL exam, which is designed to assess a non-native English speaker's ability to communicate in English in all of its forms, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The test is divided into four sections—listening, reading, speaking, and writing—and lasts four and a half hours to assess your ability to communicate.The TOEFL exam has a total score range of 0 to 120.After completing the test, you will be given a letter containing your overall and sectional scores.The reading and listening sections contain 58-79 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). The TOEFL writing section includes descriptive tasks. During the speaking portion of the test, candidates must respond to the questions with brief to lengthy responses. The TOEFL exam lasts approximately three hours. The TOEFL assesses a candidate's proficiency in four different languages by:

  • Reading a passage, listening to a recording/lecture, and responding to a specific question by speaking;
  • Listening to a recording/lecture and writing the answer to a specific question;
  • Reading a passage, listening to a recording/lecture, and responding to a specific question in writing.

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TOEFL Exam Pattern

The TOEFL exam pattern has four parts: listening, reading, speaking, and writing.

To effectively prepare for the exam, an aspirant must understand all of the sections as well as the exam structure.

TOEFL Reading:

  • Time: 54 to 72 minutes
  • Scores range from 0 to 30.
  • The total number of questions ranges from 30 to 40.
  • There could be three or four passages.
  • Each passage is followed by a set of questions that must be answered based on the passage.

Types of TOEFL Reading Questions

  • Factual Information and Negative Factual Information: The main ideas, supporting facts, and definitions are the focus of the Factual Information question structure. The only difference between negative factual information questions and positive factual information questions is identifying the single false answer from a list of four. 
  • Inference and Rhetorical: The TOEFL exam pattern and reading syllabus inference questions are aimed at explaining and identifying the ambiguous statement of the passage. 
  • Understanding Vocabulary: Probably the easiest questions to answer on the TOEFL's most recent reading pattern, vocabulary questions ask candidates to identify and explain the meanings of a set of highlighted words in the passage.
  • Sentence Explanation: In the TOEFL reading pattern, these types of questions require candidates to distinguish between two very similar sentences and select the one that is explained in a more simplified manner.
  • These reading questions examine the logical placement of ideas in a specific reading passage. In each reading passage, one insert text question appears.
  • Prose Summary: This type of TOEFL reading question requires candidates to recognize the main ideas and significance of the reading passage. There are 6 answer choices with 3 correct ones.

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TOEFL Exam Dates

TOEFL Listening:

  • Time: 41 to 57 minutes
  • Range of scores: 0 to 30
  • The total number of questions ranges from 28 to 39.
  • You will be expected to listen carefully to audio recordings of academic lectures, classroom discussions, and conversations.
  • Each recording will include questions based on the lectures/discussions that must be answered.

TOEFL Listening Question Types

Few candidates misunderstand the specifics of the TOEFL listening questions. The majority of the listening questions are derived from section passages, so candidates must pay close attention to grasp the tone of the passages. 

  • Gist Content/Purpose: The gist content requests that you provide the main idea of the recording you listened to. The gist purpose, on the other hand, asks you to identify the main purpose of the recording. 
  • Detail Questions: In this type of question, the candidate is asked to provide the factual details gleaned from the recording.
  • Function: This type of question requires the candidate to determine the original meaning of the given context. The distinction between surface and true meaning must be studied here.
  • Attitude: Candidates must identify the attitude or expression of the stated words here.
  • Organization: For this type of question, the candidate must demonstrate how the lecture is structured.  
  • Content Connections: This question type focuses on the connections between the ideas presented in the lecture. This question is typically found in the fill-in-the-blanks format.
  • Since it won't be stated explicitly, the candidate must determine the lecture's underlying meaning.

TOEFL Speaking:

  • Time period: 17 minutes
  • Scores range from 0 to 30.
  • The total number of speaking tasks is four.
  • You will be asked to express your thoughts on a familiar topic.
  • Based on the listening and reading tasks, you will be required to speak.

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There are three sections, each with two questions.

Section 1 

Part 1: Personal Preference

Part 2: Select an option. You will get a few seconds to prepare and then speak.

Section 2 –

Part 1: Campus Conversation - Reading + Listening + Speaking - You will be asked to read a short passage, listen to a conversation between two people about the topic of the passage, and then speak. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) administers the TOEFL in order to assess a non-native English speaker's ability to communicate in English in all forms, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Part 2: Academic Lecture - You will be required to read a short passage about a specific topic, listen to a lecture about that topic, and then speak or summarize what you read and heard.

Section 3 –

Part 1: Listening and Speaking - Conversation on Campus You will be required to listen to a conversation and then speak about the problem that was discussed as well as provide your opinion on the problem that was discussed.

Part 2: Academic Lecture - You will be required to listen to and summarize an academic lecture.

TOEFL Writing:

  • Time: 50 minutes
  • Scores range from 0 to 30.
  • Based on the reading and listening tasks, you will be required to write essay responses.
  • You will be required to write an argument to back up your point of view.
  • Total number of writing tasks: 2.

Task 1- It involves reading a passage on a specific topic, listening to a lecture on the topic, and writing an essay summarising the points in the passage and the lecture.

Task 2 - You will be asked to express your opinions or provide a response, depending on the task.

Following the Reading and Listening sections, you will be required to take a 10-minute break. According to a March 2013 change, the TOEFL iBT Listening and Speaking sections now include accents of Native English speakers other than those from North America. Listen to people with different accents from the United Kingdom, New Zealand, or AustraThe test and scoring patterns have not changed and are consistent around the world. Because the TOEFL does not follow a specific syllabus, test takers must concentrate on developing the skills needed to successfully complete the modules/sections without referring to any specific subject.

TOEFL Writing Questions Types

TOEFL writing patterns are classified into two types:

  • Integrated writing task: similar to the speaking task, this requires candidates to thoroughly read a passage, listen to a brief lecture, and then respond to the listened and read materials.
  • Independent writing task: As with the speaking task, the candidate must present their own ideas, opinions, and experiences in writing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is less expensive, IELTS or TOEFL?

Candidates should be aware that, given the demographics of the country, both exams are very reasonably priced. Both tests are priced similarly to ensure that students can afford them.

Which English exam is the most difficult?

The exams were designed with the student in mind, so they all follow a similar format. There is no one exam that is more difficult than another. The English proficiency exams should appear to be simple to pass with the proper preparation. The university and the student must then decide which exam is appropriate in the given situation.

What is the TOEFL test passing score?

There is no passing score on the TOEFL, but your cut-off will be determined by the requirements of the country and university to which you wish to apply.

Is the TOEFL exam difficult?

While the TOEFL is not considered a difficult exam, it is lengthy. So the difficult part is finishing it in the allotted time.

What is the TOEFL test passing score?

There is no such thing as a passing TOEFL score. Every university has a TOEFL score cut-off, and students must achieve scores equal to or higher than the set grade. Candidates should be aware that higher TOEFL scores will automatically increase their chances of admission to the university as well as their chances of receiving any university scholarships.

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