TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

What is TOEFL?

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardized test to measure the English language ability of non-native speakers wishing to enroll in English-speaking universities.

The test is accepted by many English-speaking academic and professional institutions. TOEFL is one of the two major English-language tests in the world, the other being the IELTS.

TOEFL is a trademark of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), a private non-profit organization, which designs and administers the tests.

ETS issues official score reports which are sent independently to institutions and are valid for two years following the test.

TOEFL iBT Exam Pattern (from 21 January 2026)

The TOEFL iBT has four sections, taken in this order: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. There is no scheduled break. Reading and Listening are adaptive, so the second part of each section gets harder or easier depending on how you did in the first part. Because of this, the number of questions and the time can vary slightly from one test taker to another.

Section	Task types	Items (approx.)	Time (approx.)
Reading	Complete the Words; Read in Daily Life; Read an Academic Passage	50	30 minutes
Listening	Listen and Choose a Response; Listen to a Conversation; Listen to an Announcement; Listen to an Academic Talk	47	29 minutes
Writing	Build a Sentence; Write an Email; Write for an Academic Discussion	12	23 minutes
Speaking	Listen and Repeat; Take an Interview	11	8 minutes

ETS recommends allowing about two hours for the full test, including directions and check-in.

How TOEFL is scored now

You receive four section scores and one overall score, all on a 1 to 6 scale in half-band steps. The overall score is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band. The scale is aligned to the CEFR levels that most students already know. Until about January 2028, your score report also shows a comparable overall score on the old 0 to 120 scale.

Old requirement (0 to 120)	ETS recommended equivalent (1 to 6)
100	5.0
90	4.5
80	4.0
70	3.5

Key facts

• Fee in India: Rs 15,729, inclusive of taxes (ETS India). The same fee applies to the Home Edition.
• Results: in your ETS account about 3 days after the test.
• Validity: two years from the test date.
• MyBest scores combine your best section scores from the last two years. Not every university accepts them, so check first.
• Formats: at a test centre, or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition with a live human proctor.

Why Maven:

• Productive Preparations – Efficient & Strategic
• Comprehensive Study Plan 
• Interactive and Engaging Teachers.
• Power-Packed study Material – Quality content
• Weekly mock tests – Simulated test experience 
• TOEFL test Registration – end to end support