About the TOEFL

Almost all international students whose native language is not English need to provide a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score as proof of English proficiency for university study. In fact, a TOEFL score is required for at least 2,400 colleges and universities in North America. Most international students take the TOEFL in addition to another admissions test such as the GMAT, SAT, or GRE. Your TOEFL score is valid for two years

Scores on the TOEFL
You will then receive two types of scores for the CBT, section scores and cumulative. A scaled score between 2 and 30 will be given for the Listening Comprehension, Structure, and Reading Comprehension sections. Theses scores, combined with the writing section create a cumulative 40-300 scale. Most students score between 120 and 240.

What score do I need--Schools will vary in their treatment of TOEFL scores. Some schools will require a minimum scores, such as above a 160. Other schools will allow students who score below the monoamine requirement to attend as long as they take a few semesters of English.

Seeing Your Scores --Right after you finish the computer-based TOEFL, you'll have the option of either viewing your scores on the computer screen where you've taken the test or canceling your test scores. Once you view your scores, they become "official" and you cannot cancel them. If you cancel your scores, you'll have to wait until the next calendar month to retake the TOEFL. You get your essay scores and final scores on a printed score report that will be mailed to you about two weeks after the test.

Estimated Scores --The score you see once the test is over is not your official score. The essay has to be manually graded, so the score at the end of the test cannot be official. Instead, you will get a score "range" for your cumulative score.

What is a the CAT (computer-adaptive test)
The TOEFL is now only available as a computer-adaptive test. This is how it works: instead of having a pre-determined mixture of easy, medium, and hard questions, the computer will select questions for you based on how well you are doing. The first question will be of medium difficulty; if you get it right, the second question will be selected from a large group of questions that are a little harder; if you get the first question wrong, the second will be a little easier. The result is that the test automatically adjusts to your skill level.

Harder Questions Count More-- A result of the CAT format is that the harder problems count more than easier ones. If one student does twenty easy questions, half of which he gets right and half of which he gets wrong, and then another student does twenty very difficult questions, half of which he gets right and half of which he gets wrong, the second student will get a higher score.
The student who answered ten out of twenty very difficult questions incorrectly would still get a very high score on the GMAT CAT because the harder questions are more heavily weighted. Simpler questions might be easier to answer, but they count much less. Your goal should be to get as many harder questions right because that will get you your highest possible score.

The CAT Advantages---
There are several advantages in taking the computer-based TOEFL test:
Official score reports mailed approximately 14 days after testing
Test available at more than 400 test centers around the world
Convenient scheduling
Comfortable testing environment
Fewer test questions than on the paper-based test
Test customized to your skill level
Immediate viewing of scores on screen

The Disadvantages---
The computer-based test only shows you one question at a time, so you are not able to skip around and answer easy questions first. Once you click on the "Confirm Answer" button, you are not able to go back and change an answer as you can on the paper-based test.