Approved and desired by institutes all over the world, the TOEFL exam is a great integrity test and great criterion that ensures admissions administrators of your eagerness for the university and beyond. Over 35 million people all over the world have selected the TOEFL exam to exemplify their English language knowledge.

Approved and desired all over the world, the Test of English as a Foreign Language helps to get in at more institutes. The TOEFL iBT exam is the globe’s most popular approved English-language exam for education, job and immigration. It is desired by more colleges and organizations, so you can be optimistic you’ll stand out to officers where it measures. Read on to know more.

Also Read: Is TOEFL Accepted in Canada for MS? Top Universities Accepting TOEFL

TOEFL Exam Pattern and Duration

The Test of English as a Foreign Language is an exam of English language proficiency widely given by students who are non-native English speakers striving to study in a foreign country.

The pattern of the TOEFL test and syllabus is scheduled and built in a means to effectively evaluate the all-around skills of the English language of the aspirants.

It is important for the aspirants to comprehend the pattern and syllabus adequately before they begin their preparation for the test. This will boost them to organize their preparation technique well and accomplish their aspired overall Test of English as a Foreign Language exam score.

This article will assist the aspirants to get aware of the TOEFL test syllabus and pattern and understand the topics encompassed under each category of the TOEFL test.

The given table will help you with the details on the crucial things of the Test of English as a Foreign Language:

Particulars Details
The Official Website https://www.ets.org/toefl/
Mode of Exam Paper Delivered Exam and Internet-Based Exam
Total Sections Four
Duration of the TOEFL Examination Approximately 3 hrs for internet-based exam and 2.5 hrs for paper-delivered exam
Skills Measured/Test Sections Reading Section

Listening Section

Speaking Section

Writing Section

Range of Score Overall 0 to 120
Validity of the TOEFL Score Two Years

The Test of English as a Foreign Language exam structure is built by ETS keeping in deliberation its objective of effectively assessing the aspirants’ fluency and strength over the language of English. It mainly examines their endurance and difficulties in the four main areas of the language of English: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing.

Sections Total Questions Duration of the Exam
Reading Section 30 to 40 questions 54 to 72 mins
Listening Section 28 to 39 questions 41 to 57 mins
Break 10 mins
Speaking Section Four Tasks 17 mins
Writing Section Two Tasks 50 mins

Also Read: IELTS vs TOEFL: What is the Difference? Things You Must Know

TOEFL Exam Pattern

The pattern of the TOEFL test 2021 contains 4 categories, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, besides the entire score. It is constantly guided that aspirants should practise regularly and extra, as the more regularly they practise the test papers of the Test of English as a Foreign Language, the better their score will get.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language test structure is determined by the ETS, the administering body that organizes the TOEFL exam in 2021. All the practice elements are formulated while concentrating on the TOEFL exam pattern 2021.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language exam scores will be announced online 6 days after the commencement of the test. The whole score can be created with the total of all 4 scores of skill categories. Other than that, at the time of the Test of English as a Foreign Language enrollment, aspirants get the choice of opting for up to 4 universities where the score report can be sent by them. After that, once the TOEFL exam outcomes are announced, ETS delivers the official score reports straight to the university the student has chosen.

Currently, the TOEFL test 2021 can be undertaken in 2 ways, the internet-based test (iBT) and the paper-based test (PBT). Still, most of the nations follow the internet-based test and barely a small number of the nations follow the paper-based test. Ahead of preparing for the TOEFL test, candidates should frequently go through the detailed TOEFL Exam Pattern as it will boost them in preparation.

Also Read: Is IELTS Easy or TOEFL? Which is Better and What are the Reasons?

TOEFL Exam Pattern and Syllabus

The TOEFL test pattern 2021 includes: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The TOEFL Reading and listening category comprises MCQs and the MCQs number in these 2 categories is 58 to 79.

The assignments of the TOEFL writing category are descriptive. In the speaking category, the aspirants are required to give short to long type answers to the asked questions. The entire time period of the TOEFL test is about three hours. TOEFL scales the aspirant’s performance by blending the 4 unique language skills:

TOEFL Reading Pattern

Within the TOEFL exam pattern, the reading section arises at first. The major importance of the TOEFL reading is examining how eligible the aspirant is in comprehending English and also giving a precise answer to it. The TOEFL exam pattern of reading is associated with educational study elements;

# 3 to 4 reading paragraphs of over 700 words is given as prompts

# 10 questions will be given from every paragraph

# Time given for the TOEFL iBT reading section is 54 to 72 mins

# Excerpts based on institute-level textbooks

# TOEFL reading paragraphs encompass different subjects

# Scores will be provided in raw scores and after that will be transformed to a scale of 30

TOEFL Reading Types of Questions

# Accurate data and Negative accurate data: accurate data question pattern focuses on the major ideas, benefiting facts, and explanations. Negative accurate data questions are generally identical with the only variation in recognizing the sole false answer from the list of four. Remark the words ‘NOT’ and ‘EXCEPT’ during answering the negative accurate data questions.

# Inference and Rhetorical: The inference questions of the TOEFL test pattern and syllabus of reading are straightforward at explaining and recognizing the vague statement of the paragraph.

Inference questions can be recognized by watching words like ‘INFERRED’, ‘IMPLIES’, and ‘ SUGGESTS’. Rhetorical basis questions are highly identical with the only variation of answering the question ‘WHY’, thereby asserting the motive.

# Recognizing Vocabulary: most likely the best to answer, vocabulary questions within the TOEFL latest pattern of reading need the candidates to seek out and answer the meanings of bound highlighted words within the passage.

# Sentence Explanation: These sorts of questions within the TOEFL pattern of reading need the candidates to spot the distinction in terribly similar sentences and opt for the one explained in a very additional simplified manner.

# Insert Text: this kind of reading questions aim at analyzing the logical placement of ideas in a very specific reading passage. There’s one insert text question altogether in the reading passages.

# Prose Summary: This sort of question within the TOEFL question pattern of reading needs the candidates to acknowledge the most ideas and significance of the reading passage. There are six answer decisions with three correct ones.

 TOEFL Listening Pattern

Since listening is one of the foremost important skills needed to reside abroad, TOEFL listening concentrates on evaluating the aspirant’s ability to grasp not the English country language however additionally the various accents used across the world.

Universities can have lectures, workplaces would force constant communication – TOEFL listening measures each facet whereas taking the check. With correct TOEFL Listening Preparation Tips, willdidates can simply score on top of twenty-five on the size of thirty.

The TOEFL new communicating pattern of listening has 2 classes – Lectures and Conversations:

# 3 – four lectures having three-five minutes period among six queries per lecture

# 2 -3 conversations with two speakers, every having three minus periods among five queries per conversation

More points to be noted concerning the TOEFL new pattern of listening are:

# The total period of time is 60-90 minutes

# While enjoying audio clips, speakers of audio can seem on the screen

# The check taker will realize specific terms written on-screen taken from audio clip

# Test takers can even hear totally different accents of English in audio clips

# The listening score is going to be calculated because the total of raw points later it’ll be scored on a scale of 0-30.

TOEFL Listening Question Sorts

Few candidates get confused with the TOEFL Listening Question Details. Most of the listening queries return from reading section passages and therefore the candidates ought to listen to understand the tone of the passage.

# Gist Content/Purpose: the gist content asks you to supply the elemental plan of the recording listened to. Whereas, the gist purpose asks you to seek out the most aim of the recording. This kind of question is recognized by phrases like – ‘mainly about’, ‘ mainly discussing’, ‘why will the students’, ‘what is that the main purpose’.

# Detail Questions: this sort of question raises the candidate to supply the factual details they derived from the recording. this could be recognized by queries like – ‘according to..’, ‘what is…’

# Function: this sort of question needs the aspirant to spot the initial which means of the context given. The distinction between the surface which means and real which means has to be studied here

# Attitude: Here, the aspirants ought to establish the perspective or expression of the declared words. It is known by phrases like – ‘what is that professor’s  attitude?’, ‘what will the aspirants assume about?’

# Organization: this kind of question needs the candidate to showcase however the lecture is structured. This could embrace queries like – ‘why will the faculty member mention concerns..?’, ‘why will the faculty member discuss…?’

# Connections in Content: This question kind focuses on the connections among the ideas given within the lecture. This question typically seems within the fill-in-the-blanks kind with queries like – ‘what is that doubtless result..”

Inference: The candidate has to establish the underlying meaning of the lecture since it’ll not be expressly declared.

TOEFL Speaking Pattern

While attending a lecture, enquiring a couple of topics, or presenting a PPT, speaking in English becomes the foremost essential ability and therefore the TOEFL speaking check assesses the mandatory skills to ensure fluency.

The vast motive of the TOEFL speaking pattern is to determine the candidate’s convenience in speaking English in academic instances. consultants counsel to urge hold of TOEFL Speaking Topics from current years to grasp the question format.

TOEFL Speaking Queries Sorts

The TOEFL iBT communicating pattern of speaking consists of 2 tasks:

# Question one – independent Task: This task asks the test-takers to gift their own thoughts, opinions, and experiences

# Questions two-four – Integrated Task: this can be a cross-functional task wherever aboard the speaking skills, the listening, writing, and reading skills area unit integrated.

Few additional crucial points to be noted concerning the new TOEFL pattern of speaking:

# The total time assigned for the TOEFL speaking section is twenty minutes

# Test takers get forty-five seconds to talk out opinions around acquainted topics for the primary 2 independent tasks

# A period of sixty seconds for every audio clip and reading paragraph is given to the aspirants who are taking the exam.

# The speaking section in TOEFL is scored out of a scale of 0-4

# Later this speaking section is regenerate out of a scale of 0-30

# Speaking section measures however well the check takers articulate opinions with associate degree ample range of reasons and examples

Usually, a score on top of twenty-two is taken into account a decent score for the speaking section

TOEFL Writing Pattern

To stand out within the university, or work writing a correct answer or report could be a necessity. communicative nations are terribly strict concerning English writing similarly. Therefore, the TOEFL writing pattern places all its concentration on not solely testing through associate degree essays however additionally similar cross-functional tasks like integrated writing.

TOEFL Writing Questions Categories

The two classes of TOEFL writing pattern are:

# Integrated writing task: like the speaking task, this needs the candidates to totally browse a passage, listen to a quick lecture, and eventually offer a response of the listened and skim materials

# Independent writing task: like the speaking task, here the candidate is needed to give their own ideas, opinions, and experiences through writing.

Also Read: TOEFL or IELTS: Which is more Accepted in the USA? What Should You Choose?

TOEFL Syllabus 2021

Here is a precise syllabus of the TOEFL exam for the help of our applicants.

Reading Comprehension

In this category, you will be needed to read three to five paragraphs and answer twelve to fourteen questions in each paragraph. The category is scored based on the amount of right reading comprehension answers.

# Question type: three to four paragraphs, ten questions each

# The number of questions: About forty

# Duration of the Exam: 54 to 72 mins

Listening Section

In this category, you will hear brief conversations as well as extended conversations. After the brief conversation, you will be expected to answer 1 question and multiple options of answers will be provided. You have to select 1 answer. In extended conversations, you have to answer multiple questions related to the conversation.

#Type of Question: a) three to four lectures (3 to 5 mins long, over and above 500to800 words), six questions each, in around 30 questions entirely

  1. b) Two to three conversations (about three mins long, about 12to25 exchanges), five questions each, In around 12 questions entirely

# Number of questions: more than 40

#Duration of the Exam: 41to57 mins

 Speaking Section

For you to get impressive scores in the Speaking Section, your replies must achieve the needs of the examiner with only small errors or setbacks. The examiners are searching for a highly understandable and sustained discussion.

There are 3 major components that include scoring for the category. Speaking Questions encompassed in the syllabus of the TOEFL exam:

# a) One independent task (prep duration: 15 seconds; reply duration: 45 seconds)

# b) Three integrated tasks – Read/Listen/Speak (prep duration: 30 seconds; reply duration: 60 seconds)

# Number of questions: 4

# Duration of the Exam: 17 mins

Writing Section

The essay should accurately communicate a theme. The answer should be nicely organized and nicely developed utilizing applicable justifications and comprehensive assistance. Likewise, it should also exhibit harmony, succession, and coherence. If you want to accomplish an impressive writing score, make sure that you indicate the syntactic variation and applicable word option with slight grammatical mistakes.

Writing Questions contains in the syllabus of the TOEFL exam:

# a) One integrated task – Read/Listen/Write (20 mins) (reading duration: 3 mins; listening

Duration: 2 mins; writing duration: 15 mins)

# b) One independent task (30 mins)

# Number of questions: 2

# Duration of the Exam: 50 mins

Conclusion

The TOEFL exam is recognised worldwide. So if you are preparing for the TOEFL exam do visit IELTS Ninja you will get proper guidance and detailed materials to study and one on one questions asking sessions and many more options just a click away to hurry up and Subscribe to IELTSNinja.

Hopefully, this article helped you with the information that you needed for the TOEFL exam. So which University are you planning to join? Share your thoughts with us. Comment in the below section.

Also Read: How do I know Which is more Suitable for Me IELTS or TOEFL?

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Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

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