Information AboutToefl |
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The TOEFL is administered worldwide by Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test was first administered 1964 and has since been taken by nearly 20 million students. FORMATS AND CONTENTS Computer-based The computer-based test (CBT), divided into four sections, measures language proficiency in listening, structure (grammar), reading and writing. #Listening Comprehension
#Structure
#Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary
#Essay Writing
The Listening and Structure sections are Computer-adaptive , meaning that the difficulty level of each question depends on the correctness of previous responses. Three subscores are obtained, each of which is given on a 0-30 scale: Listening, Structure/Writing (combined), and Reading. These subscores are averaged to obtain the final score, which is in a 0-300 scale. The Writing score is also reported separately, on a 0-6 scale. Paper-based In areas where the CBT is not available, a paper-based test (PBT) is given. The PBT tests essentially the same skills as the CBT, albeit with some differences. For instance, the PBT has more questions than the CBT. The score scales are also different. The final PBT score ranges between 310 and 677, and is based on three subscores: Listening (31-68), Structure (31-68) and Reading (31-67). Unlike the CBT, the score of the Writing section (referred to as the Test of Written English, TWE) is not part of the final score; instead, it is reported separately on a scale from 0 to 6. ETS has released tables to convert between CBT and PBT scores . Internet-based The CBT and PBT are being replaced by an Internet-based test (iBT). It is being introduced in phases, with the United States , Canada , France , Germany , and Italy in 2005 and the rest of the world in 2006 . A Speaking section has been added, thus removing the necessity for a separate speaking assessment. CRITICISM TOEFL, like many standardized tests, has come under increasing scrutiny as a measure of the ability to use English effectively. There is an increasing number of major English speaking Universities that now only accept alternate tests or their own test as a measure of whether a student will be capable of using English in an academic milieu. Some of its weaknesses are:
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