Introduction

1 Information on the TOEFL iBT

A The Format of the TOEFL iBT

B What Is New about the TOEFL iBT?

• The TOEFL iBT is delivered through the Internet in secure test centers around the world at the same

time.

• It tests all four language skills and is taken in the order of Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.
• The test is about 2 hours long, and all of the four test sections will be completed in one day.
• Note taking is allowed throughout the entire test, including the Reading section. At the end of the test, all notes are collected and destroyed at the test center.
• In the Listening section, one lecture may be spoken with a British or Australian accent.
• There are integrated tasks requiring test takers to combine more than one language skill in the Speaking and Writing sections.
• In the Speaking section, test takers wear headphones and speak into a microphone when they respond. The responses are recorded and transmitted to ETSs Online Scoring Network.
• In the Writing section, test takers must type their responses. Handwriting is not possible.
• Test scores will be reported online. Test takers can see their scores online 4-8 business days after the test and can also receive a copy of their score report by mail.

2 Information on the Listening Section

The Listening section of the TOEFL iBT measures test takers ability to understand spoken English in English-speaking colleges and universities. This section has 2 conversations that are 12-25 exchanges (about 3 minutes) long and 3 lectures that are 500-800 words (3-5 minutes) long. Each conversation is followed by 5 questions and each lecture by 6 questions. Therefore, test takers have to answer 28 questions in total. The time allotted to the Listening section is 36 minutes, including the time spent listening to the conversations and lectures and answering the questions.

A Types of Listening Conversations and Lectures

• Conversations

Between a student and a professor or a teaching assistant during office hours

Between a student with a person related to school services such as a librarian, a housing director, or a bookstore employee

• Lectures

Monologue lectures delivered by a professor unilaterally

Interactive lectures with one or two students asking questions or making comments

1. One lecture may be spoken with a British or Australian accent.

B Types of Listening Questions

• Basic Comprehension Questions

Listening for Main Ideas Question: This type of question asks you to identify the overall topic or main idea of a lecture or conversation.

Listening for Main Purpose Question: This type of question asks you why the speakers are having a conversation or why a lecture is given.

Listening for Major Details Question: This type of question asks you to understand specific details or facts from a conversation or lecture.

• Pragmatic Understanding Questions

Understanding the Function of What Is Said Question: This type of question asks you why a speaker mentions some point in the conversation or lecture. It may involve replaying part of the listening passage.

Understanding the Speakers Attitude Question: This type of question asks you what a speakers feelings, opinions, or degree of certainty is about some issue, idea, or person. It may involve replaying part of the listening passage.

• Connecting Information Questions

Understanding Organization Question: This type of question asks you how the listening passage is organized or how two portions of the listening passage are related to each other.

Connecting Content Question: This type of question asks you to classify or sequence information in a different way from the way it was presented in the listening passage.

Making Inferences Question: This type of question asks you to draw a conclusion based on information given in the listening passage.

C Question Formats

• There are four question formats in the Listening section: traditional multiple-choice questions with four answer choices and one correct answer, multiple-choice questions with more than one answer, questions that ask test takers to make the order of events or steps in a process, and questions that ask test takers to match objects or text to categories in a chart.