Jul 05, 2023
Unveiling The Enhanced TOEFL iBT: Understanding The Updates
The TOEFL iBT test is one of the popular English language tests in the world. It provides an accurate measurement of your reading, speaking, listening and writing skills in English for college and university admissions. The test is administered in three ways and you have the choice to choose the test type that suits your comfort. The available testing options are the test centre edition, the home edition and paper edition. A new format will be introduced for the test centre and home editions beginning from July 26, 2023. While there are important changes to this test, the fact that it can be completed within 2 hours would beat the rest. This update makes TOEFL iBT the shortest of the other two most popular language proficiency tests. Through this article, we aim to explore the new features of the upcoming editions.
Revised Reading section
In the new TOEFL iBT test, the reading assessment is shortened to only two reading passages with 10 questions in each passage as opposed to three to four passages in the test before July 26. The timing, therefore, is reduced from 54-72 minutes to just 35 minutes.
Deletion of unscored questions
In the versions of the test prior to July 26, there were certain extra questions in the reading and listening sections that did not contribute to the final scores. These questions were used to assess its function in testing conditions. In the new version, there would be no such questions.
Updated independent writing task
There are two writing tasks for the test. In the edition before July 26, the writing section contains an integrated essay question and an independent task. You are given 20 minutes to complete the integrated essay and you will have to use skills like reading and listening along with writing for this essay. This task remains the same for the version after July 26. However, the independent writing task has incorporated certain changes to make it more concise. The earlier version was for 30 minutes and the candidate had to write their opinions based on an issue in 300 words. In the updated test format, a modern task called ‘academic discussion’ replaces the independent task. For such a question, you are given 10 minutes to write your contribution to a question posed by a professor in 100 words. In this manner, the time allotted for the entire writing section is reduced from 50 minutes to 29 minutes approximately.
The forthcoming changes to the test represent a significant leap in assessing English language proficiency. These changes align with the current demands of the academic environment and equip test takers with the confidence to pursue opportunities in such an atmosphere. At Unihawk, we take pride in offering up-to-date TOEFL preparation courses, specially tailored to suit your learning needs. Our experienced instructors are well-versed in the latest updates and make sure that learners receive the most relevant guidance.
by: Lydia Grace, Verbal Trainer
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