Test of English as a Foreign Language PREPARING STUDENTS for the ComputerBased Test Preparing Students for the Computer-Based Test TOEFL Tips: Preparing Students for the Computer-Based Test has been created for ESL/EFL instructors and educational advisors so they can help students prepare for the computer-based TOEFL® test It has been prepared by Educational Testing Service (ETS), which develops and scores the TOEFL test TOEFL Tips can help students their best on the test However, it is not meant to replace the TOEFL Information Bulletin for Computer-Based Testing, which contains information students need to make appointments for and become familiar with the test If you wish to download this booklet, visit the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org To join the TOEFL mailing list (Internet or postal), enter the requested information at www.toefl.org/edindx.html NOTE – This publication was prepared by TOEFL staff for educational purposes It is available free of charge for reprinting to nonprofit educational and research organizations under the following provisions: ● ● ● ● Reproduction must be in printed paper format The publication is not for Web or software use It must be reprinted in its entirety Distribution must be free of charge and for educational purposes “Reprinted by permission of the TOEFL program, Educational Testing Service” must be printed on the front cover of the reprinted version Permission requests to reprint free of charge should be made online (www.toefl.org/copyrigh.html) or sent to: Proprietary Rights Office Educational Testing Service Rosedale Road Princeton, NJ 08541-0001 ® Educational Testing Service is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Copyright © 1999 by Educational Testing Service All rights reserved EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, ETS, the ETS logo, POWERPREP, TOEFL, the TOEFL logo, TSE, and TWE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service The modernized ETS logo is a trademark of Educational Testing Service SYLVAN is a registered trademark of Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc Table of Contents Introduction Benefits of TOEFL on computer Section A: Steps in Preparing for the Computer-Based TOEFL Test Step 1: Obtain TOEFL materials in order to begin test preparation 7 Step 2: Learn about the changes in the test format, how the test is structured, and what each test section measures User-friendly tutorials Timing of test sections Test format Listening section Structure section Reading section Writing section 8 10 10 12 12 13 Step 3: Learn how computer-based testing works and is scored Computer-adaptive testing How the computer-adaptive sections are scored Computerized nonadaptive testing 14 14 15 15 Step 4: Use test-taking strategies that will allow them to their best General test-taking strategies Special strategies for each section For the Listening section For the Structure section For the Reading section For the Writing section 15 15 17 17 18 18 19 Section B: Questions Frequently Asked by Students 21 Section C: More About the Essay 25 26 27 28 Essay ratings Sample writing topics Sample essays (continued) Table of Contents (continued) Section D: About the Test Scores 31 31 31 31 32 33 Concordance Tables Using the concordance tables 35 35 TOEFL Bulletins and Study Materials 38 How to Contact the TOEFL Program 39 Score scales New score requirements Score calculation Calculation of the Structure/Writing score At the end of the exam Introduction Educational Testing Service (ETS®) is a nonprofit organization committed to the development and administration of testing programs, and the creation of advisory and instructional services In addition to developing tests, it supplies related services; for example, it scores the tests; records, stores, and reports test results; performs validity and other statistical studies; and undertakes program research The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®) is designed to evaluate the English proficiency of people whose native language is not English TOEFL scores are required for admissions purposes by more than 2,400 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and eighty other countries Because the TOEFL test is independent of any curriculum or teaching method, the proficiency level of any test taker can be compared with that of any other student or group of students regardless of academic background or English training Since 1964, TOEFL test has been taken more than 11 million times in over 180 countries In 1998 TOEFL began its switch to computer Over the years, many institutions had asked ETS for additional proficiency information, including an estimate of candidates’ productive skills and ability to perform more cognitively challenging tasks In redesigning the test for computer, the TOEFL program has taken an important first step in that direction The test consists of four sections: Listening, Structure, Reading, and Writing Two sections, Listening and Structure, are computer-adaptive, which means questions are tailored to examinees’ proficiency levels Therefore, students will receive fewer questions that are too easy or too difficult in those sections and candidates’ ability can be estimated more accurately While the Structure section features the same types of questions used in the paper-based TOEFL test, the Listening and Reading sections feature some new, innovative types of questions in addition to traditional multiple-choice questions The Writing section, which assesses the ability to compose a written response to an assigned essay topic, is now a required part of the test In July 1998 students in these areas started taking the computer-based test (CBT): Africa Australia Europe Latin America Middle East North America Some of Asia: Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia Mongolia Nepal Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka As a result of its first year of experience, the TOEFL program has made adjustments to its original CBT testing plans by reintroducing paper-based testing on a temporary basis in several of the areas listed above This helps provide access to the test in areas where it has been difficult to coordinate mobile computer-based testing These “supplemental” paper-based administrations take place several times during the testing year; the number of administrations at a given center is dependent on historical test-taker patterns and volumes The Test of Written English (TWE®) is offered at each supplemental administration The TOEFL Information Bulletin for Computer-Based Testing contains information on permanent and supplemental testing centers Because supplemental paper-based testing has been reintroduced to replace mobile computer testing, a Supplemental Bulletin is available for the affected areas Both Bulletins can be downloaded from the TOEFL Web site or can be obtained from local educational advisors and other Bulletin distribution offices In October 2000 the computer-based test will be introduced in the areas listed below Bangladesh Cambodia Hong Kong India/Bhutan Japan Korea Laos Macau Pakistan Taiwan Thailand Vietnam The computer test will be introduced in the People’s Republic of China in 2002-03 Benefits of TOEFL on computer By introducing the computer-based TOEFL test, ETS’s main goal is to provide a more complete picture of a candidate’s proficiency in English: ● Assessment that is better tailored to each test taker’s ability level — a test that is appropriately challenging, with fewer questions that are too easy or too difficult ● An essay with every test administration ● Context-setting visuals and topic orientation during the Listening section ● Individual headphones and volume control ● Listening and reading sections that require candidates to demonstrate their comprehension by performing specific tasks Additional benefits include: ● Year-round testing in many locations ● Scheduling of appointments by phone ● Testing in comfortable, computer-equipped testing stations ● Enhanced test security ● Smaller proctor/examinee ratios ● Immediate viewing of unofficial scores on screen (except for essays) ● Opportunity to choose score recipients after seeing unofficial scores ● Faster reporting of official scores if examinees type the essay — scores sent from ETS about two weeks after testing Section A: Steps in Preparing for the Computer-Based TOEFL Test No single school, textbook, or teaching method is best to help prepare someone for the TOEFL test because it is not based on a special course of study The test is designed to measure proficiency in English, which can only be achieved after a relatively long period of study and practice Instructors and advisors can help students prepare for and their best on the computer-based TOEFL test by helping them understand what the new exam is like The process can be broken down into four steps Steps in preparing for the computer-based TOEFL test Students should obtain TOEFL materials in order to begin test preparation learn about the changes in the test format, how the test is structured, and what each test section measures learn how computer-based testing works and is scored use test-taking strategies that will allow them to their best Step 1: Obtain TOEFL materials in order to begin test preparation Students should obtain the TOEFL Information Bulletin for Computer-Based Testing The Bulletin explains test scheduling procedures and provides information about fees, test center locations, and identification requirements It also describes the computer tutorials that precede every test session and includes sample test questions The TOEFL Sampler CD-ROM is also an important part of preparing for the test It contains the animated tutorials that precede the test and show test takers how to use a mouse, and the testing icons, and how to scroll Interactive test tutorials provide instructions for answering questions in the four sections of the test The Sampler also includes 67 practice questions that cover each section of the test These questions familiarize examinees with the test directions, formats, and question types POWERPREP ® Software: Preparation for the Computer-Based TOEFL Test will be available some time in the year 2000 This product will simulate the TOEFL computer testing experience It will provide the actual tutorials delivered in the testing center, as well as two timed tests automatically created — based on the user’s ability level — from a pool of more than 1,200 questions At the end of each test, students will be able to view their scores POWERPREP will operate under the same software used in actual test centers This package also will contain three essay topics for writing practice and samples of actual essays written by TOEFL test takers Most of the questions on the computer-based TOEFL test are similar to those found in the paper-based test Therefore, students can also practice with official TOEFL test preparation material designed for the paper-based test: the TOEFL Test Preparation Kit and TOEFL Practice Tests, volumes and These products contain official retired forms of the TOEFL test, with “real” TOEFL test questions See page 38 for information about how to order the TOEFL Bulletin, TOEFL Sampler, POWERPREP software (in the year 2000), and other official TOEFL test preparation materials Step 2: Learn about the changes in the test format, how the test is structured, and what each test section measures The test format consists of tutorials and four required sections: Listening, Structure, Reading, and Writing User-friendly tutorials To help examinees feel comfortable with test taking on the computer, each test is preceded by computerized tutorials The first three tutorials show examinees basic computer skills: how to use a mouse to point and click, how to scroll, and how to use the testing icons A tutorial at the beginning of each test section demonstrates how to answer the questions in that section The Listening, Structure, and Reading tutorials are required For those who decide to type the essay in the Writing section, there is also a word processing tutorial The tutorials first present the skills needed to use the computer to answer questions by using simple language and graphics, then demonstrate those skills with animation Before they can go on, examinees must successfully complete exercises to show they have mastered each skill Candidates can spend as much time as they need on these tutorials to feel comfortable with the test At any time during the test, examinees can click on the Help icon to review directions and information from the tutorials However, the test clock does NOT stop while students access this function The TOEFL program conducted an international research study on computer familiarity and found that once examinees had completed these tutorials there was no meaningful relationship between level of computer familiarity and performance on computer-based test questions (The TOEFL Web site provides more information about the computer familiarity study.) Clicking How to Click You must press a mouse button once, then release it Press Enter to see an example Timing of test sections Chart A shows the number of questions and the time limit for each section Scores for all test takers are based on the same number of questions However, the number of questions in each section may vary because additional, pretest questions may be randomly inserted for research purposes The responses to these pretest items not count toward the test scores, but are used to estimate statistical properties for future operational use This explains why the number of questions is expressed as a range The time limit for each section varies according to the number of questions Chart A: Computer-Based TOEFL Test Format Test Portion # Questions Time Limit Tutorials Tutorials Untimed Listening 30 to 50 40 to 60 minutes Structure 20 to 25 15 to 20 minutes BREAK minutes Reading 44 to 55 70 to 90 minutes Writing topic 30 minutes The total time spent in the test center is approximately four hours, depending on how quickly examinees work through the tutorials and the test and whether pretest questions are included The time limits are generous for most examinees and were determined after extensive research Directions given at the beginning of each test section specify the time allowed in that section The time remaining in the section is displayed on a clock in the upper left corner of the screen; the number of questions remaining is displayed in the upper right corner The title bar display changes as examinees proceed through the section For example, the title bar may show question of 20 and 00:14 minutes, which means the test taker is on the ninth question of 20 and 14 minutes remain for that section (See the sample title bar screen below.) Examinees should check the number of questions and time limit before they begin the test They should also check their progress as they move along and pace themselves to finish all questions in the section before the time runs out The clock can be displayed or hidden at any time, except during the last five minutes, when the time remaining is displayed automatically The TOEFL Screens 00:14 TOEFL of 20 This is question out of a total of 20 questions in this section This shows there are 14 minutes left Title Bar The title bar shows the • time remaining • test or section title • question number Time ? Help Answer Confirm Next See More Essay ratings An essay at this level ● effectively addresses the writing task ● is well organized and well developed ● uses clearly appropriate details to support a thesis or illustrate ideas ● displays consistent facility in the use of language ● demonstrates syntactic variety and appropriate word choice, though it may have occasional errors An essay at this level ● may address some parts of the task more effectively than others ● is generally well organized and developed ● uses details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea ● displays facility in the use of the language ● demonstrates some syntactic variety and range of vocabulary, though it will probably have occasional errors An essay at this level ● addresses the writing topic adequately but may slight parts of the task ● is adequately organized and developed ● uses some details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea ● displays adequate but possibly inconsistent facility with syntax and usage ● may contain some errors that occasionally obscure meaning An essay at this level may reveal one or more of the following weaknesses: ● inadequate organization or development ● inappropriate or insufficient details to support or illustrate generalizations ● a noticeably inappropriate choice of words or word forms ● an accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or usage An essay at this level is seriously flawed by one or more of the following weaknesses: ● serious disorganization or underdevelopment ● little or no detail, or irrelevant specifics ● serious and frequent errors in sentence structure or usage ● serious problems with focus An essay at this level ● may be incoherent ● may be undeveloped ● may contain severe and persistent writing errors An essay will be rated if it ● contains no response ● merely copies the topic ● is off topic, is written in a foreign language, or consists only of keystroke characters 26 Sample writing topics Modern life is causing many traditions and beliefs to become less important Choose one tradition or belief and explain why you think it should be continued and maintained Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day Other people believe that students should spend the whole day on academic studies Which opinion you agree with? Give reasons to support your answer It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? Neighbors are people who live near us In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer You need to travel from your home to a place 40 miles (64 kilometers) away Compare the different kinds of transportation you could use Tell which method of travel you would choose Give specific reasons for your choice Your community has enough money to hire one new employee Which one of the following (three choices will be presented in the actual test) should your community hire? a community health worker a counselor an emergency medical technician a firefighter a judge a landscaper a police officer a recreation center director a teacher Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this Use specific reasons and examples in your answer Read and think about the following statement: Only people who earn a lot of money are successful Do you agree or disagree with this definition of success? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion What is the most important animal in your country? Why is this animal important? Use reasons and specific details to explain your answer Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Private companies should spend more money to clean up pollution in the environment Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay For a full list of the writing topics see the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/cbprpmat.html or the TOEFL Information Bulletin 27 Sample essays The following essays include samples from scores to Examples that earned a score of zero (0) are not included All the samples are reproduced with original syntax, spelling, and punctuation Sample topic: Supporters of technology say that it solves problems and makes life better Opponents argue that technology creates new problems that may threaten or damage the quality of life Using one or two examples, discuss these two positions Which view of technology you support? Why? Essay rating of Now a days, in the life the technology it solves problems But damage the quality of the life is very important Because the many people to the quality of life is very high than the yesterday socizat They are use or buys goods is more good then yesterday So the many people to need the high quality are too many Essay rating of The main point is tecnology, and what does tecnology, and what does tecnology in our life, before anything we should suggest to some tecnolgy’s working way in daily life Tecnology would be very useful but, in some condition for example as a nature distribting which it would be very dangrouse, but it could be very important in other way for better live and make the life’s things to easier Supporthing tecnolgy is very important — and it would make the useful way of using tecnology, because it needs the supporters and investing to find more and more progress in the tecnolgy But sometimes tecnology makes some problem that I mantion in the begining of essay and it would very dangrous in some ways For example factories trash makes some problems and makes the water dirty and it’s damage wouldn’t be not quality easy At the end I would like to say that: supporthing of tecnolgy will be helpful and make life easier, but tecnolgy must be very careful to not be a danger and risky Essay rating of In my own points of view I support technology can solve problems and makes life better Such as deveploment of computer Computer helps human solves thousand of problems espeaclly science A lot of calculation was so complex It is impossible count them from normal method It should use a very fast computer in order to compute it Super conductor, one of the hot technology topic A lot of sciencists study this kind of stuff It is a very important stuff If we can use it in normal way That is wnderful We can easily solve the big problem, “energy” Because super conductor has a special mental It can pass through the energy without lossing It is a Hi-technology’s symbol But technology also created a lot of problem Such as industary unless thing Human feel dizzy from then A lot of vehicles running on the road Creating much CO2 Affect the earth’s nature condition Recently The weather was so bad Because of the CO2 CO2 blocks the sun light So the weather was inconsiderable Finally, I support technology Because it is more benefit 28 Essay rating of I agree with the opponents of technology say that technology creates new problems that may threaten or damage the quality of life The most serious problem is the pollution Toxic wastes are being dumped into rivers, lakes and even out atmosphere Fish and other marine live cannot survive in polluted rivers and oceans Also, toxic gases are being produced by cars, factories and planes This is the main source which causes the acid rain Acid rain has done a great damage to the forest that the quanlity of trees are reducing day by day The ozone layer — a protective layer that surrounding us in the atmosphere is carring away by wasted chemicals That means we are lossing our protective layer and letting ultroviolet to pass through And for us, we are breathing in a lot of polluted air which may make us ill or sometimes may cause death Technology may solve a lot of problems but the point is the result of technology gives us disavantages more than avantages So I a on the side of the opponents Essay rating of Technology by definetion refers to the improvement of the technical know how and advancement of machinery to improve the working systems in the human society In a away this looks a very good idea in that mans’ work would be made much faster and less laborious Machines which are the main implements of technology have a major advantage to mans’ ways of life Take for example an aeroplane, which being a product of advance in tecnology has made all corners of the earth look like they are only centimetres apart It has made the means of communication which prior to its development was very difficult much easier and less risky Travelling to many parts of the world which are very many miles apart now only takes a few hours or days where as this used to take days or even months On the other hand technology has created a number of new harzards to the health of societies The machines make life easy but also expose people to new problems In the example considered above transportation has become easier by planes but these planes also expose people to accidents which have become so numerous and clam many lives daily As we all know that a majority of these machines use fuel and that to use the fuel it has to burn there are new products which we introduced into our enviroment These new products include gases from automobiles which pollute the air we breathe These gases expose us to lung diseases, cancers and number of new ailments which have not yet been fully explored In conclusion I think that although advances in technology may seem favorable there are alot of harzards which it introduces into our ways of life Essay rating of These are several viewpoints on the implications of technological change and advancement and such schools of thought which considerably vary have their respective validity Technological change has its advantages and disadvantages For one, it is true that it partly solves problems and makes life better At the same time, technological changes may likely create new problems thereby threatening or damaging quality of life In the developing economies, for instance, technological advantages has both its merits and demerits The introduction and seeming acceptability and usefulness of computers have somehow helped increase the efficiency of several firms It is not only in the industrial sector that technological change proven to be very effective In the agricultural sector, for example, the introduction of new technologies in increasing production has been very effective in expanding agricultural produce These are just a few examples to illustrate the advantages of technological advancement On the other hand, countries should be more careful on their choice of technology since it must be noted that while certain types of technology are adaptable to developed economies the same type of technology may not fit the environment of developing countries due to differing economic, social, cultural, and political factors For example, infrastructure improvements such as a construction of irrigation dam in the mountains of the Philippines where several natives reside may likely be resisted by the population due to cultural factors 29 They may prefer not to have such improvements in view of traditional values Another example is the pollution impact of some technological improvements particularly in the industrial sectors The choice and adaptability of new technology should therefore be carefully studied The short, medium, and long term impact of such technology is very important particulary for developing economies The benefits should always be greater than the costs I am inclined to support both positions because both views have their own validity However, I am more convinced that technological advancement is heilly beneficial to countries so long as they are aware of the disadvantages of such technology 30 Section D: About the Test Scores The TOEFL scoring process is fairly complex Although it is very helpful for those who work with students to understand the process, examinees not need to understand it in order well on the test Score scales New score scales have been developed for the computer-based TOEFL test In addition, the paper-based score scales have been changed slightly so that they not overlap with the computer-based scores A quick look at a score will indicate immediately which type of test the candidate has taken Computer-Based Test Score Scale Sections Paper-Based Test Score Scale Sections Listening to 30 Listening Comprehension 31 to 68 Structure/Writing to 30 Structure/Written Expression 31 to 68 Reading to 30 Reading Comprehension 31 to 67 Total Score to 300 Total Score 310 to 677 The total scale score for each examinee is determined by adding the scale scores for the all the sections and multiplying that figure by ten thirds (10/3) Sample calculation: Listening + Structure/Writing + Reading = Total 21 + 22 + 21 = 64 64 x 10 ÷ = 213 The Structure adaptive score and the essay rating each contribute approximately 50 percent to the Structure/Writing composite score New score requirements Examinees taking the computer-based TOEFL test to fulfill an admissions requirement should consult their target institutions to determine their particular score requirements If students wish to know what scores on the computer-based test are comparable to those on the paper-based test, they should consult the TOEFL concordance tables (in the Bulletin, on the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/concords1.html, and on pages 35-37 of this booklet) Score calculation A TOEFL score is not just the number of correct answers On the TOEFL the same number of correct responses on different tests will not necessarily result in the same score because the difficulty levels of the questions vary slightly In other words, if one examinee receives a slightly easier test and another examinee receives a slightly harder test, the same number of correct responses would result in different scores Historically, examinees taking the paper-based TOEFL exam on different test dates have received different test forms Scores calculated from different test forms are made comparable by means of a statistical process known as score equating, which adjusts the scores for slight differences in overall difficulty 31 Calculating reported scores for computer-based tests is similar, in that the number of questions answered correctly is adjusted according to the difficulty level of the questions on every test Furthermore, on an adaptive test, questions are chosen sequentially to match an examinee’s ability level Thus examinees with different abilities will take tests that have different levels of difficulty As with paper-based tests, the design of the test ensures that different types of questions and a variety of subject matter are presented proportionally the same for each examinee As with paper-based scores, statistical adjustments are made to the scores so that they can be compared Item response theory provides the mathematical basis for this adjustment The statistics used in the process are derived from pretesting Scale scores on a computer-based test are derived from ability estimates ● The computer estimates ability based on the difficulty of the question answered This estimate is updated after each question is answered ● At the end of the test, an examinee’s ability estimate on each section is converted to a scale score that enables one to compare the scale scores on different computer-based tests Calculation of the Structure/Writing score The composite Structure/Writing score is not a combination of the number correct on Structure and a rating on the essay As stated in the section on adaptive testing, the score on the adaptive Structure section is calculated as a function of the difficulty of the questions given and the examinee’s performance on those questions The essay rating is weighted to account for approximately 50 percent of the composite score Because these separate scores (adaptive Structure and essay) are both noninteger values (decimal), their sum (the composite) is actually on a continuous scale, which is then converted to a scale score (also a decimal value) and then rounded As a result of this summing, scaling, and rounding, the same integer Structure-only score and an unweighted essay rating can result in slightly different final composite scores For this reason, it is not possible to provide a table illustrating the exact conversion of Structure and Writing scores to composite scores The maximum scale score on Structure is 13 This is the official score examinees would receive if they had a perfect score on Structure and a zero (0) on the essay An essay rating of would add approximately points to an examinee’s composite Structure/Writing scale score and approximately 10 points to the total scale score Each successive 0.5 increase in the essay rating adds approximately to points to the composite Structure/Writing scale score and approximately to points to the total scale score Thus, examinees’ scores on the essay greatly affect not only their Structure/Writing scores but also total scores Scores are most dramatically affected if examinees not write an essay at all or if they write an essay that is off topic The following example further illustrates how this procedure works The examinee below viewed these unofficial scores onscreen: Sample of unofficial on-screen scores: Listening Structure/Writing Reading TOTAL 22 to 25 22 167 to 230 In this sample, the possible Structure/Writing score of is based on the examinees’ performance on Structure and an essay rating of This would result in a total score of 167 The score of 25 is based on the performance on Structure and an essay rating of This would result in a total score of 230 The total score represents the sum of the three section scores multiplied by 10/3 32 Given this examinee’s performance on Structure, his or her official scores would be as follows for each possible essay rating Note that because of the rounding described above, two examinees with the same unofficial Structure score and essay rating might receive different official scores once Structure and essay scores are combined Essay rating Structure/Writing scale score Total scale score* 0.0 167 1.0 177 1.5 11 183 2.0 13 190 2.5 14 193 3.0 16 200 3.5 18 207 4.0 19 210 4.5 21 217 5.0 22 220 5.5 24 227 6.0 25 230 *Total scores end with 0, 3, or only because of the averaging of the three section scores For a more technical explanation of this procedure, please contact the TOEFL statisticians at toefl@ets.org At the end of the exam After examinees finish the TOEFL exam at the test center and view their unofficial scores, they have the option of canceling their scores if they wish.2 Those who feel they did poorly on the test might prefer this option However, students should understand that once scores are canceled they cannot be reinstated and official score reports will not be sent Candidates will also have to wait until the next calendar month to take the test again Because the essay will not have been scored yet, examinees will see only ranges for the Structure/Writing and total scores Examinees who not cancel their scores must decide whether to order score reports for institutions ● Examinees who are not satisfied with their scores can choose not to send them to institutions ● Examinees who are satisfied with their scores can select up to four score recipients from an on-screen pull-down list Candidates must be careful to select institutions — and often specific colleges within those institutions — and identify them correctly Therefore, it is important that test takers know how to spell the names of their target institutions as well as the states where the institutions are located There is no additional fee for selecting four score recipients In the example on page 32, the examinee’s total score will be somewhere between 167 and 230 depending on the essay rating Suppose this examinee knows his or her target institution requires a minimum score of 167 He or she may wish to order official score reports immediately Suppose the required score is 210 and the student feels he or she did not well on the essay In this case, the student may wish to wait to order institutional score reports until receiving in the mail the score report including the essay score, or the student may wish to receive scores by phone If this examinee received an essay rating of 1, the official total scale score would be 177, which is below the institutional minimum of 210 On the other hand, if the student feels he or she performed well on the essay, he or she might feel confident to order official score reports For example, if this examinee received an essay rating of 5, the official total scale score would be 220, which is above the 210 score requirement Before July 2000, test takers have the option of canceling their scores before they view them After July 2000, test takers can cancel their scores after viewing them 33 Concordance Tables Using the Concordance Tables The computer-based TOEFL test does not measure English language proficiency in the same manner as the paper-based test There is a separate score scale for each test: to 300 for the computer-based test and 310 to 677 for the paper-based test Students should contact their target institutions and find out what the score requirements are for the computer-based TOEFL test To determine which scores on the computer-based test (total and section scores) are comparable to those on the paper-based test, find the paper-based scores in the concordance tables and then look across the table to identify the comparable scores on the computer-based test To download the concordance tables, visit the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/concords1.html 35 ® Concordance Table Total Score Score Comparison 36 Paper-based Total Computer-based Total Paper-based Total Computer-based Total Paper-based Total Computer-based Total 677 673 670 667 663 660 657 653 650 650 647 643 640 637 633 630 627 623 620 617 613 610 607 603 600 600 597 593 590 587 583 580 577 573 570 567 563 560 557 553 550 550 547 543 540 537 533 530 527 300 297 293 290 287 287 283 280 280 277 273 273 270 267 267 263 263 260 260 257 253 253 250 250 247 243 243 240 237 237 233 230 230 227 223 220 220 217 213 210 207 207 203 200 197 197 523 520 517 513 510 507 503 500 500 497 493 490 487 483 480 477 473 470 467 463 460 457 453 450 447 443 440 437 433 430 427 423 420 417 413 410 407 403 400 397 393 390 387 383 380 377 373 193 190 187 183 180 180 177 173 170 167 163 163 160 157 153 150 150 147 143 140 137 133 133 133 130 127 123 123 120 117 113 113 110 107 103 103 100 097 097 093 090 090 087 083 083 080 077 370 367 363 360 357 353 350 347 343 340 337 333 330 327 323 320 317 313 310 77 73 73 70 70 67 63 63 60 60 57 57 53 50 50 47 47 43 40 ● Range Comparison ● Paper-based Total Computer-based Total 660–677 640–657 620–637 600–617 580–597 560–577 540–557 520–537 500–517 480–497 460–477 440–457 420–437 400–417 380–397 360–377 340–357 320–337 310–317 287–300 273–283 260–270 250–260 237–247 220–233 207–220 190–203 173–187 157–170 140–153 123–137 110–123 97–107 83–93 70–80 60–70 47–57 40–47 37 30 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 25 24 23 22 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 09 08 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 ● 6 5 4 3 27–30 24–27 20–23 15–19 10–14 06–09 04–06 02–03 64–68 59–63 54–58 49–53 44–48 39–43 34–38 31–33 Score-to-Score Score-to-Score 68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 30 29 28 28 27 27 26 26 25 25 24 23 23 22 21 20 20 19 18 17 17 16 15 14 14 13 12 11 64–68 59–63 54–58 49–53 44–48 39–43 34–38 31–33 Paper-based Structure and Written Expression ● 11 10 09 09 08 08 07 07 06 06 27–30 25–27 21–24 17–20 14–17 10–13 07–09 06–07 ● Computer-based Structure/Writing Range-to-Range 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 Paper-based Computer-based Paper-based Computer-based Structure and Structure/Writing Structure and Structure/Writing Written Expression Written Expression ● Computer-based Listening Paper-based Listening Comprehension Range-to-Range 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 Computer-based Listening Score-to-Score Paper-based Listening Comprehension Structure/Writing* 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 Paper-based Reading Comprehension 30 29 28 28 27 26 26 25 25 24 23 22 21 21 20 19 18 17 16 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 11 10 ● 9 8 7 6 64–67 59–63 54–58 49–53 44–48 39–43 34–38 31–33 Paper-based Reading Comprehension 28–30 25–27 21–24 16–20 13–16 09–12 07–09 05–06 Computer-based Reading Range-to-Range 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 Computer-based Reading Score-to-Score Paper-based Reading Comprehension Reading Computer-based Reading Score-to-Score Concordance Table Section Scaled Scores * Structure/Writing in the computer-based test includes multiple-choice items and an essay The Structure and Written Expression section in the paper-based test consists of multiple-choice items only Therefore, these section scores are derived differently Computer-based Listening Score-to-Score Paper-based Listening Comprehension Listening ® TOEFL Bulletins and Study Materials Bulletins Bulletins are available from Educational Testing Service Go to the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/infobull.html ● Order online ● Download Or call 1-609-771-7100 Information Bulletins are also usually available from ● TOEFL overseas representatives ● local colleges and universities ● United States educational commissions and foundations ● United States Information Service (USIS) offices ● binational centers ● private educational organizations ● overseas locations listed on the Web site TOEFL Study Materials It’s easy to order TOEFL study materials ● Order online at www.toefl.org/cbprpmat.html or www.ets.org/store.html Delivery takes three to four weeks domestically; allow more time for overseas delivery ● Call 1-800-446-3319 (from the U.S.) or 1-609-771-7243 (from outside the U.S.) ● Mail the order form found in the Bulletin ● Order from the overseas locations listed in the Bulletin and on the Web site 38 How to Contact the TOEFL Program TOEFL Web site For the following information, please visit the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org or obtain or download a copy of the TOEFL Information Bulletin at www.toefl.org/infobull.html: ● ● ● ● ● Study materials and writing topics Test registration/scheduling Test center list Accommodations for test takers with disabilities Concordance tables Other TOEFL addresses Before the Test General inquiries TOEFL Services Educational Testing Service P.O Box 6151 Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA 1-609-771-7100, Monday-Friday, a.m.-9:45 p.m., New York Time Fax: 1-609-771-7500 Scheduling a testing appointment: In the U.S., Canada, America Samoa, Guam, U.S Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico: 1-800-GO-TOEFL (1-800-468-6335) Elsewhere: call the appropriate Regional Registration Center listed in the Bulletin or on the Web site Candidates must obtain and read the TOEFL Information Bulletin before calling TOEFL study materials In the U.S., Canada, America Samoa, Guam, U.S Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico: 1-800-446-3319 Elsewhere: 1-609-771-7243 For more information, see page 38 After the Test Scores by phone (scores available approximately 14 days after the test date) In the U.S., Canada, America Samoa, Guam, U.S Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico: 1-888-TOEFL-44 Elsewhere: 1-609-771-7267 Also, see the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/cbscrsvc.html#phonetoefl for more information on this service 39 Test of English as a Foreign Language The International Standard for 35 Years 57328-16522 • U119M200 • Printed in U.S.A I.N 281030 [...]... (available in the year 2000) will help candidates practice for the computer- based test Most of the questions on the computer- based TOEFL test are similar to those in the paper -based test Therefore, examinees can also use exercises from paper -based TOEFL test preparation materials to prepare for the computer- based test See page 38 for information about how to obtain official TOEFL preparation materials 1 The. .. affected if the essay is not written, see Section D How do scores on the computer- based TOEFL test compare to scores on the paper -based test? Content and format changes in the computer- based TOEFL test required the creation of a new score scale Students who wish to know what scores on the computer- based test are comparable to those on the paperbased test should consult the TOEFL concordance tables (in the. .. cancel their scores after viewing them 33 Concordance Tables Using the Concordance Tables The computer- based TOEFL test does not measure English language proficiency in the same manner as the paper -based test There is a separate score scale for each test: 0 to 300 for the computer- based test and 310 to 677 for the paper -based test Students should contact their target institutions and find out what the. .. requirements are for the computer- based TOEFL test To determine which scores on the computer- based test (total and section scores) are comparable to those on the paper -based test, find the paper -based scores in the concordance tables and then look across the table to identify the comparable scores on the computer- based test To download the concordance tables, visit the TOEFL Web site at www .toefl. org/concords1.html... only for the Writing section and use headphones during the Listening section On the day of the test, examinees should: ● Use the computer tutorials to their advantage They can spend as much time as they need to make themselves familiar and comfortable with the computer before they start the timed sections of the test They should start the test when they feel ready Examinees can always click on the Help... answer questions but not while they listen to the stimuli The listening stimuli and questions are presented only once, as in the paper -based test However, the computer- based test is different from the paper -based test 10 in the following ways: examinees see the visual as they listen, and they both see and hear the question before the answer choices appear Also, the computer- based Listening section is self-paced... do their best Students are strongly urged to review the following information as they prepare for the test General test- taking strategies Long before the day of the test, examinees should: ● Learn about the test It’s always best to know as much as possible about what to expect before arriving at the test center Test takers can use the free Bulletin or the TOEFL Web site to get started These are valuable... Examinees taking the computer- based TOEFL test to fulfill an admissions requirement should consult their target institutions to determine their particular score requirements If students wish to know what scores on the computer- based test are comparable to those on the paper -based test, they should consult the TOEFL concordance tables (in the Bulletin, on the TOEFL Web site at www .toefl. org/concords1.html,... Confirm Next 17 ● Try to answer the questions as quickly as they can so that the stimulus remains fresh in their minds On the paper -based TOEFL test, examinees have 12 seconds to respond to each question, but on the computer- based test they set their own pace Therefore, examinees may wish to leave the test clock turned on during this section to help them budget their time TOEFL - Listening Time Volume... 7 only because of the averaging of the three section scores For a more technical explanation of this procedure, please contact the TOEFL statisticians at toefl@ ets.org At the end of the exam After examinees finish the TOEFL exam at the test center and view their unofficial scores, they have the option of canceling their scores if they wish.2 Those who feel they did poorly on the test might prefer this .. .Preparing Students for the Computer-Based Test TOEFL Tips: Preparing Students for the Computer-Based Test has been created for ESL/EFL instructors and educational advisors so they can help students. .. prepare for the computer-based TOEFL test It has been prepared by Educational Testing Service (ETS), which develops and scores the TOEFL test TOEFL Tips can help students their best on the test. .. designed for the paper-based test: the TOEFL Test Preparation Kit and TOEFL Practice Tests, volumes and These products contain official retired forms of the TOEFL test, with “real” TOEFL test questions