Educational Testing Service (ETS®) is a nonprofit organization committed to the development and administration of testing programs, and the creation of advisory and instructional services. In addition to developing tests, it supplies related services; for example, it scores the tests; records, stores, and reports test results; performs validity and other statistical studies; and undertakes program research.
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®) is designed to evaluate the English proficiency of people whose native language is not English. TOEFL scores are required for admissions purposes by more than 2,400 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and eighty other countries. Because the TOEFL test is independent of any curriculum or teaching method, the proficiency level of any test taker can be compared with that of any other student or group of students regardless of academic background or English training.
Since 1964, TOEFL test has been taken more than 11 million times in over 180 countries. In 1998 TOEFL began its switch to computer. Over the years, many institutions had asked ETS for additional proficiency information, including an estimate of candidates’ productive skills and ability to perform more cognitively challenging tasks. In redesigning the test for computer, the TOEFL program has taken an important first step in that direction. The test consists of four sections: Listening, Structure, Reading, and Writing. Two sections, Listening and Structure, are computer-adaptive, which means questions are tailored to examinees’ proficiency levels. Therefore, students will receive fewer questions that are too easy or too difficult in those sections and candidates’ ability can be estimated more accurately. While the Structure section features the same types of questions used in the paper-based TOEFL test, the Listening and Reading sections feature some new, innovative types of questions in addition to traditional multiple-choice questions.
The Writing section, which assesses the ability to compose a written response to an assigned essay topic, is now a required part of the test.
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