TOEFL Exam Syllabus
It is worthwhile noting how the TOEFL iBT exam focuses on an individuals ability to Read, Listen, Speak, and Write as it helps build a comprehensively English proficient candidate. The exam itself simulates an English speaking university's academic setting, allowing a student to prove their readiness to utilize English as required at a university level. Every part of the exam is aimed at testing distinct skills in a hands-on way.
TOEFL Reading Section
This section evaluates your ability to understand and analyze academic texts similar to those used in university classrooms.
- Passage Types: Academic texts from university-level materials
- Format: 2 reading passages | 10 questions per passage | 35 minutes
- Skills Tested:
- Identifying main ideas and supporting details
- Understanding vocabulary in context
- Making inferences and recognizing rhetorical purposes
- Sentence insertion and summary completion
- Note: Accuracy in comprehension and vocabulary usage is key to achieving a high score.
TOEFL Listening Section
The Listening section evaluates your ability to comprehend spoken English in academic contexts such as lectures and conversations on campus.
- Audio Sources : University lectures, discussions, and student conversations.
- Format: 3 lectures + 2 conversations | 5–6 questions per lecture | 2–3 questions per conversation | 36 minutes total
- Skills Tested:
- Grasping main ideas and significant details
- Understanding speaker attitudes and implications
- Recognizing purpose, tone, and logical organization
- Note: Accuracy in comprehension and vocabulary usage is key to achieving a high score.
TOEFL Speaking Section
This relates to evaluating your oral communication skills in an academic context. You will express views, answer questions, and complete the assigned readings and listening activities.
- Task Types: 1 Independent Task | 1 Writing for an Academic Discussion.
- Format: Total of 4 Tasks | 16 minutes
- Skills Tested:
- Smoothness and clarity of speech
- Rhetorical structure and sequence of ideas
- Correct grammatical patterns and lexical choices
- Ability to synthesize and interact with reading and listening materials
- Note: Accuracy in comprehension and vocabulary usage is key to achieving a high score.
TOEFL Writing Section
The Writing section measures your ability to write in English in an academic context. You’ll need to construct well-organized essays that demonstrate your writing proficiency
| Task | Description | Word Limit | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | Integrated Task (Read, listen, then write) | 150–225 words | 20 mins |
| Task 2 | Writing for an Academic Discussion | 100+ words | 10 mins |
- Skills Tested:
- Organization and clarity of arguments
- Effective grammar and sentence structure
- Integration of information (for Task 1)
- Development of ideas with examples (for Task 2)