TOEFL

TOEFL or "Test Of English as a Foreign Language" is a mandatory entrance exam to get admission in various university and colleges, particularly in USA. In addition to college admissions, many of the government bodies, licensing and certification agencies also use TOEFL scores to evaluate command over English language of people whose native language is not English. Among all international English language exams, TOEFL is the best-known exam.
TOEFL Exam can be given in three different formats

• CBT (Computer Based Testing)
• iBT (Internet Based Testing)
• PBT (Paper Based Testing)

In the Computer Based TOEFL Testing, the computer itself selects questions of some sections, from a pool of questions that are classified by difficulty and content. The computer, based on how well the candidate answers his previous questions, selects the questions. The Internet Based TOEFL Testing will be delivered through Internet. The Paper Based TOEFL Exam is a conventional paper based type, which measures, Listening Comprehension, Structure, Written Expression and Reading comprehension of the candidate.

Primarily, TOEFL-CBT test has four sections, all of which are mandatory. Listening section measures the ability to understand English as it is spoken in North America. This section tests comprehension of main ideas, supporting ideas, important details, and inferences. The candidate will both see and hear the questions before the answer choices appear. Structure section measures the ability to recognize language that is appropriate for standard written English. The language tested is formal, rather than conversational. When topics have a national context, they refer to United States or Canadian history, culture, art, or literature. However, knowledge of these contexts is not required to answer the questions. Reading section measures the ability to understand short passage similar in topic and style to academic texts used in North American colleges and universities. The candidate will have to read a variety of short passages on academic subjects and answer several questions about each passage. Writing section measures the ability to write in English on an assigned topic. The candidate must compose an essay.