• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is designed to assess and measure the proficiency of an international student's English-speaking ability in a country where English is the predominant language used for instructional purposes.
• TOEFL scores are required for admission purposes by more than 2,400 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. In addition, many other English-speaking countries use TOEFL results as well.
• The TOEFL is also used by government agencies, scholarship programs, and certification agencies, in order to determine English-speaking ability.
• High-school age students aspiring for university admission are not the only people who can take the TOEFL. The test is open to all people, regardless of age, gender, race, or nationality.
• There are two different formats in which people may take the TOEFL: the computer-based test and the paper-based test.
• The test can be taken in many countries outside of North America, as there are testing centers located in Asia, Europe, and South America.

About the written test

• The paper-based TOEFL is always offered on either a Friday or a Saturday, although not all centers are open on all available dates. Interested applicants should contact their individual site to confirm the exact date of the test.
• Students may register for their desired test location and date by using the registration form found inside the TOEFL Information Bulletin. The Bulletin can be obtained at many educational sources including the testing centers, or it can be ordered on-line.
• Before taking the test, the student must attach a photograph of themselves with the bulletin's photo request form that they will receive.
• The test is scored based on how many correct answers are given, so it is therefore in the student's best interest to guess on a question if the answer is unknown.
• The test is divided into three sections: Listening Comprehension, Structure and Written Comprehension, and Reading Comprehension. Total number of questions may vary among testing sites, but there are never less than 140 questions on a test. The total testing time is less than three hours.
• All questions on the TOEFL are multiple choice, with four possible answers for each problem.

About the computer-based test

• The computer-based version of the TOEFL offers several benefits to the written version. The computer version features less questions than does the written version, and it gives more feedback to the applicant as the test proceeds.
• The computer version's format is also more flexible in its scheduling, and is more convenient to the student's individual schedule, as the student does not need to take the test at the same time as other students.
• The computer version consists of four sections: listening, structure, reading, and writing.
• Students who are not familiar with using a computer should spend an adequate amount of time on the on-line tutorial for each section, before taking the actual test. More information about the tutorials are available on the TOEFL web site (www.toefl.org).

Like any test, there are several rules and regulations that students must follow during the exam. Students are not allowed to use any form of aids during the test, which includes dictionaries, calculators, highlighter pens, etc. Students are also not allowed to bring cellular phones, pagers, watch alarms, or any other form of electronic equipment inside of the testing area.