Are you also a student who is planning to study abroad in an English-speaking country? Then you’ve probably come across the term “TOEFL.” But what exactly is this test, and do students need to take it? Well, to answer your question, yes candidates need to appear for the TOEFL exam. Thus, to make it easier for you, this blog will be your one-stop solution to know what is TOEFL exam, is and everything related to the test. So let’s get started with the blog.
Table of Contents
The TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an English proficiency test for students to study in English-speaking countries. It is conducted by the ETS (Educational Testing Service) which measures all four academic English skills- reading, listening, speaking, and writing in an academic set-up. This test is mostly taken by those students who are planning for their study abroad journey. However, the TOEFL exam is accepted by more than 12,000 universities and other institutions in over 160 countries. So it is widely accepted all over the world. Now let’s move forward to our next section, and understand what does TOEFL iBT test means.
As the name says, the TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test) is the online version for the candidates to appear for the TOEFL test. It is the preferred medium for students because of its easy convenience and less resources. There are major test centres that have been authorized across the country to conduct this TOEFL iBT exam. However, the TOEFL iBT represents more than 98% of the TOEFL tests given worldwide. In addition, the TOEFL iBT is also known as the TOEFL iBT home edition. In the next section, you will find out the eligibility criteria for the TOEFL exam.
Note: Candidates must be aware that the TOEFL (Paper Based Test) has now been discontinued.
Through the above sections, students must get an idea that what is TOEFL exam and why is it necessary to take it. But to appear for this test, students must know and understand the eligibility criteria. Thus, this section will let you know about the TOEFL exam eligibility for 2025.
Overall, this is all about the TOEFL exam eligibility requirements as per the given pointers. Our next section will talk about the TOEFL exam fees for 2025.
Note: If the candidate is 15 or younger he is advised to be accompanied by a parent or an authorized adult age 18 or older, who will be required to complete and sign a release form at the test centre.
The TOEFL exam fee varies from one location to another location. However, test-takers looking to go ahead with their TOEFL registration can check out all the relevant details on the website. In addition, the TOEFL exam fee in India is INR 16,900. Candidates who wanted to opt for the TOEFL-paper-based test would also be required to pay the same fee. However, the students must know that the TOEFL-paper-based test is only available in countries/locations with limited internet or computer access. Now in below given table, check out the TOEFL exam fee for the specific countries.
| Country | TOEFL Exam Fee | TOEFL Exam Fee in Indian Rupees |
|---|---|---|
| USA | USD 255 | INR 21,740 |
| Australia | AUD 437 | INR 23,230 |
| India | INR 16,900 | INR 16,900 |
| Germany | EUR 254 | INR 22,526 |
| Republic of Korea | KRW 3,22,192 | INR 18,754 |
| UK | GBP 199 | INR 21,261 |
| Canada | CAD 345 | INR 20,454 |
| Ireland | EUR 230 | INR 20,398 |
| New Zealand | NZD 487 | INR 23,415 |
Overall, this is the TOEFL exam fee in the different countries. In our next section, you will find out about the registration process for the TOEFL exam.
Candidates who are looking to appear for the TOEFL exam must go ahead with the TOEFL registration process at least two to three months before the deadline. Registering for the exam, before the deadline allows the students to have ample time for sending their TOEFL scores to preferred universities. However, the TOEFL registration fee in India is INR 16,900. Now look at the below-given segment and understand the steps to register for the TOEFL exam.
The updated TOEFL exam registration process has been mentioned below. See the given points to successfully book the TOEFL test.
Now let’s understand each step in detail for your preference.
Step 1: Candidates need to create an account or log in to an already existing account on the ETS TOEFL official website.
Step 2: Candidates would be then required to carefully look out their TOEFL test-taker profile. They need to provide the additional information that could come during the time of their admission.
Step 3: Candidates then need to select the TOEFL test date that is convenient for them.
Step 4: After selecting the date, choose the test centre or opt for the newly launched TOEFL home edition of the test.
Step 5: Once the student has opted for the test date and centre he/she will be redirected to the exam payment gateway page. Candidates need to pay the TOEFL registration fee or TOEFL form fee of INR 16,900. Once the payment is done, changes made would suffer a price.
Step 6: After making the payment, candidates will submit their TOEFL application form. Students need to take a printout of the acknowledgment receipt. They would also have access to the same on their dashboard for future reference.
To make TOEFL registration more accessible and inclusive, ETS has provided some other methods too to register for the TOEFL exam. Thus, in this section, you will find out the other ways to list for the TOEFL test.
The TOEFL exam registration process by mail is mentioned below.
You can register for the TOEFL exam by phone too.
Overall, this is all about the TOEFL exam registration process in 2025. In our next section, you will find out about the cancellation and rescheduling fees for the TOEFL test.
Candidates who have booked their TOEFL exam paper and want to cancel or reschedule their TOEFL test would be required to do so four days earlier before the actual test date. However, you cannot mail it to the test centre as it is not acceptable. Students need to call their Regional Registration Centre (India- 91-124-4147700) and tell them to reschedule their exam by giving all their details. Test-takers can also log into their ETS account online and reschedule any upcoming tests. In addition, the TOEFL reschedule fee in India is INR 5,900.
This section will let you know about the registration deadlines for the TOEFL exam and some special requests.
In the table, you can check out the charges for special requests provided by the ETS.
| Special Requests | Charges |
|---|---|
| TOEFL Registration Fee | INR 16,900 |
| TOEFL Late Registration Fee | INR 3,900 |
| TOEFL Rescheduling Fee | INR 5,900 |
| Reinstatement of cancelled TOEFL scores | INR 1,990 |
| Additional TOEFL score reports | INR 1,950 |
| Speaking or Writing section score review | INR 7,900 |
| Payment Return | INR 2,900 |
Overall, this was all about the TOEFL rescheduling and cancellation fee charges. Our next section will let you know about the TOEFL exam dates for 2025.
The TOEFL exam is conducted multiple times a year across the various TOEFL test centres. A candidate should plan to take the TOEFL iBT test at least a month before your first application deadline. This will give you enough time for your TOEFL preparation and to work on your applications. If your deadline for the application is November, then you must take the TOEFL exam by October. Now look at the below given segment to check out the TOEFL exam dates.
The table will let you know about the TOEFL exam dates 2025 so that you can plan accordingly.
| Month/Year | iBT Online Dates | Centre-Based Dates |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 | 3, 4, 8, 11, 18, 22, 24, 25 |
| February 2025 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 | 5, 8, 14, 15, 19, 22, 23 |
| March 2025 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, 31 | 1, 2, 5, 15, 19, 22, 24, 29 |
| April 2025 | 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 | 5, 9, 12, 26 |
| May 2025 | 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28 | 3, 7, 10, 16, 17, 21, 25, 31 |
This was all about the TOEFL exam dates 2025 for the upcoming months from January to May. In the next section, you will find out about the exam pattern of the TOEFL test.
The TOEFL exam pattern 2025 has been divided into four sections, which are, Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing- along with the total score. Each section has a score range of 0-30, for a total score range of 0-120. However, the total duration time of the TOEFL exam is 116 minutes. Now the below given table will let you know the TOEFL exam pattern in depth with the estimated time.
| Section | Estimated Timing | Questions/Tasks |
| Reading | 35 minutes | 20 questions |
| Listening | 36 minutes | 28 questions |
| Speaking | 16 minutes | 4 tasks |
| Writing | 29 minutes | 2 tasks |
The above-given table depicts the TOEFL exam pattern for the students. Further, our next section will let you know the syllabus for the TOEFL test.
The TOEFL exam syllabus 2025 has been created to assess the reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities of the candidate in a university setting. Further, to know in detail about it look at the below given table and understand the TOEFL exam syllabus 2025.
| TOEFL Sections | Section Description | Total Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | It includes two reading passages, each with 700 words long, with 10 per questions. The score is marked on the basis of correct reading comprehension responses. | 2 passages, 20 questions |
| Listening | It includes three lectures, some with classroom discussion, each 3-5 minutes; 6 questions per lecture, and 2 conversations, each 3 minutes; 5 questions per conversation. You can take notes on any audio for your help. | 3 lectures, 2 conversations, 28 questions |
| Speaking | It includes four tasks, task 1 is independent speaking task on which you need to draw your own opinions or ideas. Tasks 2-4 require you to combine the English language skills- listening and speaking, or listening, reading or speaking. The three main factors to analyze are delivery, language use, and topic development. | 4 tasks |
| Writing | It involves two essays that addresses each topic. It should be well organized and structured and have relevant details. | 2 tasks |
Overall, this was the TOEFL exam syllabus 2025 that students need to know. In our next section, you will find about the TOEFL scores or results.
Once you are done with your TOEFL exam, you need to wait for the TOEFL score or result. As soon as the TOEFL score is declared online, you will notified by email about it. Log in to your TOEFL iBT account and click on the scores option. The total score of TOEFL will be available to you approximately six days from the test dates. However, students who opted for the TOEFL home edition will receive their results 6-10 days from the day of the test. Further, your TOEFL scores will be valid for two years. Students can always download and print a PDF copy of their scores from the ETS account. Now look in the next section, how the scores of TOEFL are calculated.
The TOEFL exam score is calculated or graded by both human raters and automated scoring methods. The scores of listening and reading sections are graded by the computer. All of the tasks in these segments are MCQs, so there is no subjectivity. However, the speaking and writing sections are evaluated by humans, who are trained and certified by ETS. The TOEFL score report includes total scores, section-wise scores, score classifications, and comments about student performance for the speaking and writing portions.
In order to make your test a little more experienced and for you to understand better ETS has provided 4 to 5 proficiency levels for each skill. Through this, you will get a rough idea about your performance, strengths, and sections that need practice. Thus, look at the table to understand TOEFL iBT scores better.
| Skill/Score Range | Level |
|---|---|
| ReadingScore Range- 0-30 | Advanced (24–30)High-Intermediate (18–23)Low-Intermediate (4–17)Below Low-Intermediate (0–3) |
| ListeningScore Range- 0-30 | Advanced (22–30)High-Intermediate (17–21)Low-Intermediate (9–16)Below Low-Intermediate (0–8) |
| SpeakingScore Range- 0-30 | Advanced (25–30)High-Intermediate (20–24)Low-Intermediate (16–19)Basic (10–15)Below Basic (0–9) |
| WritingScore Range- 0-30 | Advanced (24–30)High-Intermediate (17–23)Low-Intermediate (13–16)Basic (7–12)Below Basic (0–6) |
Overall, this is how the TOEFL scores are calculated section-wise or proficiency level-wise. In our last section, you will see how to send the TOEFL scores to universities or colleges.
Candidates who appear for the TOEFL exam will have a chance to send their scores to four universities. There is no additional charge for this facility as it is covered under the TOEFL registration fee. However, know in this section, that how to send TOEFL scores to universities abroad. Read the below given steps.
1 Visit the official ETS website and log into your TOEFL iBT account.
2 On your account, find and click on the option labelled “Order Score Reports.” This section allows you to manage where your scores will be sent.
3 Choose the test date for which you want to send scores.
4 Use the search feature to find and select the college or university where you want your scores to be sent. You can add multiple universities.
5 After you are done with selecting the colleges, review your choices carefully. Make sure all the information is correct.
6 If you are sending additional reports beyond the four free ones, provide the payment details to cover the fee.
This was all you need to know about how to send TOEFL scores to universities.
To conclude, we discussed the what is TOEFL exam, its eligibility, fees, steps, dates, pattern, and syllabus. Further, we also had a brief look at the TOEFL cancellation and rescheduling fees, scoring criteria, and how to send the TOEFL scores to the universities. Now if you are a study abroad aspirant and willing to know about the TOEFL exam then join our offline or online TOEFL coaching at affordable prices. Also, get assistance from Gradding.com on your study abroad journey.
The major TOEFL-accepted countries are given below for your preference.
The TOEFL exam is a standardized test that assesses the candidate's English language skills in the four areas that are: Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking. However, the main motive of this test is to prove proficiency in the English language.
Yes, the TOEFL iBT home edition is the same as the TOEFL iBT you would take at a test centre, just taken from the privacy of your home and monitored online by a human proctor.
The United States is considered the best country for TOEFL, as it is widely accepted by universities and colleges across the country as a basic admission requirement for non-native English speakers.
We are available in :
BangaloreAhmedabadJaipurHyderabadKeralaPuneChandigarhMumbaiGurgaonChennaiKolkataTrivandrumNoidaKochiCalicutKottayamKollamThrissurIndoreUdaipurdisclaimer:logos and other registered trademarks of universities used on this platform are held by their respective owners. Gradding does not claim ownership or association on them, and their use is purely for informational and illustrative purposes.
