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TOEFL iBT® Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2024

TOEFL iBT® Exam Pattern and Syllabus 2024

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Not familiar with the TOEFL iBT exam pattern and syllabus 2024? Fret not! The TOEFL iBT® exam, the most popular English proficiency test for academic purposes, remains a crucial gateway for international students aiming for global educational opportunities.

With its comprehensive assessment of your English language skills, TOEFL holds the power to open doors to universities and opportunities worldwide. But only those who have a deep understanding of the TOEFL exam pattern and syllabus, have chances of scoring high in the test.

Highlights of TOEFL Exam 2024

Here’s an overview of the TOEFL iBT® test pattern.

Feature

Details

Official Website

www.etsindia.org/toefl-ibt

Exam Mode

Computer-Based Test (at Test Center or at Home)

Number of Sections

4

Exam Duration

2 hrs

Skills Measured

Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing

Overall Score Range

0 - 120 (Each section ranging from 0-30)

Score Validity

2 years

Also Read: Countries Where TOEFL iBT Exam is Accepted in 2024

TOEFL iBT Exam Pattern 2024

Understanding the TOEFL iBT Exam Pattern for 2024 is crucial for effective preparation. Candidates should familiarise themselves with the TOEFL format and practice regularly to achieve their desired score. The 2024 exam pattern features 4 sections designed to assess different language skills. 

Section-wise Breakdown of TOEFL iBT Exam

The TOEFL iBT test is structured to assess various language skills essential for academic and professional environments. Let's go through a detailed breakdown of the exam, section by section.

1. Reading Section

The TOEFL Reading iBT section is designed to assess a candidate's ability to comprehend, analyse, and interpret academic texts in English. 

Factors

Overview

Objective

The primary objective of the Reading section is to measure the candidate's proficiency in understanding written English material commonly encountered in university-level studies.

Number of Questions

20 questions

Passage Types

Excerpts from academic texts related to various disciplines such as natural sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities

Question Formats

Multiple-choice Questions, Summary Completion, and Identifying Information, etc.

Skills Assessed

  • Comprehension: Understanding the main ideas, supporting details, and implied meanings in the passages.

  • Vocabulary: Recognising the meaning of words and phrases in context.

  • Inference: Making connections between information, identifying the writer's perspective, and understanding the organisation of the text.

  • Critical Thinking: Analysing the text's structure, purpose, and argumentative techniques.

Duration

approximately 35 minutes

Score Range

0 - 30

2. Listening Section

The TOEFL Listening iBT section is vital as it assesses listening skills essential for comprehending lectures, classroom discussions, and conversations.

Factors

Overview

Objective

The primary aim of the Listening section is to gauge the candidate's capability to comprehend audio heard commonly on topics of academic settings, including lectures and conversations.

Number of Audio Clips

5 audio clips (3 lectures and 2 conversations)

Audio Types

It comprises various audio clips, including lectures and conversations.

Question Formats

Multiple-choice Questions, Summarising information, etc.

Skills Assessed

  • Comprehension: Understanding the main ideas, supporting details, and specific information conveyed in the audio clips.
  • Vocabulary and Context: Identifying the meaning of words and phrases based on the context of the audio.
  • Inference: Making connections between pieces of information, and understanding speakers' attitudes, purposes, and implied meanings.

Duration

approximately 36 minutes

Score Range

0 - 30

Don't miss: TOEFL iBT Test Listening Score Calculation: Grading Criteria, Score Interpretation

3. Speaking Section

The Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT consists of various tasks that measure different aspects of verbal communication skills.

Factors

Overview

Objective

The primary objective of this section is to assess the test-taker's ability to communicate effectively in English within academic settings.

Number of Tasks

4 (1 Independent Task and 3 Integrated Tasks)

Types of Tasks

  • Independent Task: It focuses on individual expression and opinion. Test-takers are prompted to share personal viewpoints, experiences, or preferences without relying on external academic content.

  • Integrated Task: It requires test-takers to combine multiple language skills, such as reading, listening, and speaking, to respond to the academic content that is provided.

Question Formats

Listen and Answer; Listen, Read and then Answer; Express an Opinion

Skills Assessed

  • Pronunciation: Clarity, accuracy, and intonation of speech.

  • Fluency: Smooth and coherent speech without undue hesitation.

  • Vocabulary Usage: Range and appropriateness of vocabulary.

  • Grammar and Syntax: Correct grammatical structures and sentence construction.

  • Content and Organisation: Relevance, coherence, and organisation of ideas.

Duration

approximately 16 minutes

Score Range

0 - 30

4. Writing Section

The Writing section of the TOEFL iBT test consists of two tasks: an Integrated Writing task and an Academic Discussion task.

Factors

Overview

Objective

The primary objective of the Writing section is to assess the test-taker's capability to convey ideas clearly, coherently, and with precision in written English, demonstrating skills essential for academic and professional environments.

Number of Tasks

2 (1 Integrated Task and 1 Writing for an Academic Discussion Task)

Types of Tasks

  • Integrated Task: It requires test-takers to combine multiple language skills, such as reading, listening, and speaking, to respond to the academic content that is provided.

  • Writing for an Academic Discussion Task: It requires the test taker to write an opinion in response to the academic discussion provided.

Question Formats

Reading passages and related lectures, Write opinions for Academic Discussion

Skills Assessed

  • Accurate development: The raters are looking for how well you're able to select important information from the lecture, and then clearly present it in relation to the relevant information from the reading.

  • Organisation: This basically means the reader can read your essay from beginning to end without becoming confused.

  • Language use: Raters look for things like sentence structure, word choice, and vocabulary. It's also important that your use of grammar is strong and consistent, though it doesn't have to be perfect to get a top score.

Duration

approximately 29 minutes

Score Range

0 - 30

TOEFL iBT Exam Syllabus 2024

As you prepare to start your TOEFL journey in 2024, understanding the TOEFL exam syllabus is essential for navigating through its sections successfully. While no major format changes are announced for 2024, let's dive into the core areas covered in each section.

Section

Syllabus Covered

Reading

  • Academic texts from various disciplines, including Social Sciences, Biology, Psychology, History, etc.

  • Academic text types include passages from textbooks, articles, essays, research studies, and lecture transcripts.

Listening

  • Conversations and lectures in academic settings, covering topics from the same disciplines as the reading section.

  • The audio types include conversations between students and professors, classroom discussions, academic lectures, guest speakers, etc.

Speaking

Independent task

  • Expressing opinions on familiar topics

Integrated tasks

  • Summarising information from reading and listening passages

  • Explaining connections between ideas

Writing

Independent task

  • Writing an essay that summarises information from a reading passage and provides a relevant opinion.

Writing for an Academic Discussion Task

  • Writing an opinion on an Academic Discussion.

Also Read:

TOEFL iBT to IELTS Conversion
TOEFL Exam Fees in India
Countries that Accept TOEFL in 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good score for TOEFL iBT?

There's no single "good" score for everyone, as it depends on your university requirements. Generally, universities consider scores of 90+ competitive for undergraduate programs and 100+ for graduate programs. However, always check specific requirements for your target universities.

Is TOEFL harder than IELTS?

TOEFL and IELTS are both recognized English proficiency tests, but their difficulty depends on individual strengths and learning styles. Some find TOEFL reading and listening sections challenging, while others find IELTS writing and speaking tasks more demanding. Ultimately, the "harder" test depends on your preparation for the tests.

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