TOEFL stands for Test Of English As A Foreign Language. It is used to test the English language skills of students from non-native English speaking countries that want to study or work in countries that use English as the language of communication. Almost all the Universities in United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and United Kingdom use TOEFL to test their students. This is used to determine whether the students can enter into their university programs or attain scholarships. TOEFL developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) operates in over 110 countries and has over 6000 institutions and agencies that rely on it as the means of testing students’ English proficiency.

In the TOEFL exam, four-language skills, which are effective for communication, are tested. These are reading, listening, speaking and writing. TOEFL exists in three versions; the internet based (IBT), computer based (CBT) and paper based. These days most of the TOEFL centers use the internet based TOEFL. The test is convenient because you can take it from any of the centers and it only requires a couple of hours to complete.

The test contains passages that you will be required to read and then answer questions that follow. After that, a lecture is given and you are required to answer more questions. Some of the tasks will require you to answer verbally. You will have to write two passages. The tests are designed to reflect on the kinds of assignments that you will be required to carry out at the college level.

A few tasks will require a verbal answer, and you will be asked to write two passages. The lectures, reading passages, and questions are all designed to reflect the types of tasks you would be asked to perform at the college level.

The test gives unbiased measure of one’s English speaking aptitude. The tests are scored incognito and there are no interviews performed as part of the course. The test is plain and simple if you know English well. TOEFL is the best measure of your English speaking ability to enter into a college program in which English is a requirement.

(source: whatistoefl.com)