TOEFL Exam Pattern & Syllabus 2023 – Section Wise Analysis

The Educational Testing Service, which conducts the TOEFL exam, is responsible for the TOEFL Exam Pattern 2023 & TOEFL Exam Syllabus 2023. Having a basic understanding of the exam pattern and syllabus will help the aspirant know about the test sections, types of questions, time allotted for each team, etcṣ. Per the latest TOEFL Exam Pattern, a candidate can appear for either iBT (Internet-Based Test) or paper-based mode. This blog will help you by giving you the Overview of the TOEFL Exam 2023. Let’s find out!

Overview of TOEFL Exam 2023 – Latest Changes

• From July 2023 onwards, there will now be simple registration steps for the TOEFL Exam. Now Test aspirants can easily register themselves on the website and apply easily.
• The new time duration, according to the TOEFL 2023 exam pattern, is now less than two hours instead of the previous three hours. The streamlined instructions and navigation will also help the candidates.
• The new TOEFL reading section is of shorter duration now.
• All unscored TOEFL questions will no longer be there.
• There will be more transparency in the TOEFL scores from July 26, 2023.
• For the candidates’ convenience in paying the TOEFL exam fee, Introduction of the Local Payment Option.
• Also, the launch of a customer service centre for the candidates will soon be operational all seven days a week for 12 hours a day.

TOEFL Exam Pattern 2023

See below the detailed TOEFL Exam pattern 2023 for the test takers

Sections  Total Number of Questions  Duration

1. Reading – Total 3-4 passages – 10 questions in each passage – 54-72 minutes around
2. Listening – Total 3-4 Lectures and 2-3 Conversations – 10 questions each – 41-57 minutes around
3. Speaking – Total four questions – 17 minutes around
4.  Writing – Total two tasks – 50 minutes around

Comparison between Current TOEFL Exam Pattern & New TOEFL Exam Pattern (w.e.f. July 26)

ETS, the conducting body responsible for the TOEFL exam, has reduced the duration of the exam by just under 2 hours. This new exam pattern will go live on July 26, 2023. This new improvement will offer a seamless experience to TOEFL English language test takers to study abroad. Let’s compare the current TOEFL and TOEFL exam patterns that would become effective from July 26, 2023.

TOEFL Reading Section – Total Duration: 54 – 72 minutes – Total Questions: 30-40 – Entire Duration: 35 minutes -Total Questions: 20

TOEFL Listening Section – Total Duration: 41-57 minutes – Total Questions: 28 – 39 – Entire Duration: 36 minutes – Total Questions 28

TOEFL Speaking Section – Total Duration: 17 minutes – Total Questions: 4 tasks – Entire Duration: 16 minutes – Total Questions: 4 tasks

TOEFL Writing Section – Total Duration: 50 minutes – Total Questions: 2 tasks – Entire Duration: 29 minutes – Total Questions: 2 tasks – Total Duration: 162 – 196 minutes – Entire Duration: 116 minutes

TOEFL Exam Syllabus 2023

Sections –  Total Number of Questions/Duration –  Description

Reading – Total 3–4 passages – 10 questions each – Entire Duration: 54-72 minutes
Candidates have to read multiple passages and answer approx. 30 – 40 questions.

 Listening – Total 3-4 Lectures and 2-3 Conversations – 10 questions in each section Entire Duration: 41-57 minutes
Candidates have to answer questions about brief lectures or classroom discussions.

Speaking – Total four tasks – Total duration: 17 minutes – 
Candidates must discuss a familiar topic and discuss things they have read and listened to.

Writing – Total two tasks – Total Duration: 50 minutes
Candidates have to read a passage, then listen to a recording and type their response.

TOEFL Syllabus: Section – Reading Comprehension

In the Reading section, the candidate has to read 3-5 passages and answer 12-14 questions on each passage. He receives a correct score for each correct reading comprehension response.

Question type: 3–4 passages, ten questions each

Total no. of questions: Total around 40

Total Duration of time: 54-72 minutes

TOEFL Syllabus: Section – Listening

In this section, the candidate must listen to short and long conversations. After the short conversation, the candidate has to answer one question and then choose one answer among the multiple answers. In long conversations, based on the conversation, multiple questions are provided to candidates.

Question type:

a) 3–4 lectures (3-5 minutes long duration, about 500-800 words), Each lecture contains six questions; About a total of 30 questions

b) 2–3 conversations (about 3 minutes long duration, about 12-25 exchanges in total), five questions each; About total 12 questions

 Total number of questions: 40 approx.

 Total DurationDuration of time: 41–57 minutes approx.

TOEFL Syllabus: Speaking Section

If you aim to score high in the Speaking Section, strive to respond correctly with only minor mistakes or lapses. These are the main factors that include scoring for the section.

Speaking Questions Covered in TOEFL Syllabus:

a) 1 Independent task (Total preparation time: 15 sec; Total response time: 45 sec)

b) 3 integrated tasks – Contains all three Read/Listen/Speak (Total preparation time: 30 sec; Total response time: 60 sec)

Total no. of questions: 4

Total Duration of time: 17 minutes

TOEFL Syllabus: Section – Writing

The essay should handle a topic. Write a well-organized and well-developed response giving relevant explanations and detailed support. Furthermore, it should present unity, progression, and coherence in writing. To achieve a high writing score, ensure that you present syntactic variety and the correct choice of words with minor grammatical errors.

Writing Questions Covered in TOEFL Syllabus:

a) 1 integrated task containing all Read/Listen/Write sections (Total 20 minutes) (Reading time: Total 3 min; Listening time: Total 2 min; Writing: Total 15 min)

b) 1 independent task (Total 30 minutes)

  – Total no. of questions: 2

 – Total DurationDuration of time: 50 minutes

TOEFL Exam Fee 2023

The Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test is an English Proficiency exam that evaluates non-native speakers. The test assesses four language skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. The TOEFL Exam Fee 2023 is USD 195 (INR 16021)

How to calculate TOEFL Score?

The TOEFL result 2023 will provide both sectional scores and a total score. Each section contains a score range of 0–30, so the total score range is around 1–120. The TOEFL score includes 4 or 5 proficiency levels. That means if your score comes within a particular level, it will present your proficiency for that skill.

TOEFL Score Level Proficiency

Sections –  Score Range – Level of Proficiency

Listening Section – 0-30

• Advanced Level (22–30)
• High-Intermediate Level (17–21)
• Low-Intermediate Level (9–16)
• Below Low-Intermediate Level (0–8)

Speaking Section 0–30

• Advanced Level (25–30)
• High-Intermediate Level (20–24)
• Low-Intermediate Level (16–19)
• Basic Level (10–15)
• Below Basic Level (0–9)

Reading Section 0–30

• Advanced Level (24–30)
• High-Intermediate Level (18–23)
• Low-Intermediate Level (4–17)
• Below Low-Intermediate Level (0–3)

Writing Section 0–30

• Advanced Level (24–30)
• High-Intermediate Level (17–23)
• Low-Intermediate Level (13–16)
• Basic Level (7–12)
• Below Basic Level (0–6)

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the TOEFL exam pattern and syllabus for the year 2023 reflect the ongoing evolution of the test to meet the changing needs and expectations of test takers and educational institutions. The new TOEFL Exam Pattern 2023 continues to assess the English language proficiency of individuals in four main skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. However, some updates and enhancements have been made to the TOEFL Exam Syllabus 2023 to ensure a more comprehensive evaluation.

FAQs 

1) What does the TOEFL test consist of?

The TOEFL is a standardized exam that assesses non-native English speakers’ English language proficiency. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam consists of four parts: Reading, Listening, Speaking, & Writing. The TOEFL test is administered in internet-based (TOEFL iBT) and paper-based (TOEFL PBT) formats.

2) What is the passing score for the TOEFL exam?

Each institution could set its minimum score requirement for admission or English proficiency purposes. The TOEFL exam score varies between a scale of 0 to 120. Many universities and colleges worldwide consider scores above 80 a minimum admission requirement. However, more top-ranked universities may require higher scores, such as 90 or even 100.

3) For how many years is the TOEFL score applicable?

The TOEFL scores are valid for two years from the test date. If you took the TOEFL on a specific date, the score report will be valid for two years following that date. After the expiration of the two years, the TOEFL scores are no longer considered valid by most institutions and universities.