Next Generation iBT TOEFL® Test: FAQs

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1. Just how different is the Next Generation iBT version of the TOEFL® Test?
2. When and where will the iBT be given?
3. What does it take to prepare for the iBT?
4. How should preparation time for the iBT be divided between the book and the CD-ROM?
5. Can responses be written on paper?
6. Can paper be used during the iBT?
7. How does the Speaking section function on the iBT?
8. How does the Speaking section function on the Longman iBT CD-ROM?
9. How are the Writing and Speaking sections graded?
10. How is the iBT scored?
11. Can iBT scores be compared to paper and CBT scores?

1. Just how different is the Next Generation iBT version of the TOEFL® Test?
The Next Generation iBT is quite different from the paper and CBT versions of the TOEFL® Test. Some things are quite similar, but there are quite a few major differences. First of all, there is no longer a Structure section on the test, and a new Speaking section has been added in its place. Then, there are integrated tasks, tasks that test several language skills together; a test-taker may need to, for example, read a passage and take notes on it, listen to a passage and take notes on it, and then write or speak about the ideas in the two passages. Finally, there are new kinds of passages and questions on the iBT; the passages are longer and more difficult, and the new questions test higher-level skills. Overall, the iBT is quite a change from earlier versions of the TOEFL® Test. See the article "The Next Generation iBT: A Really New TOEFL® Test!" in this website for further information on the test.

2. When and where will the iBT be given?
ETS (Educational Testing Service) has announced that the Next Generation iBT will be introduced at different times in various parts of the world. The iBT is scheduled to start in September 2005 throughout the United States and in October 2005 throughout Canada and in parts of Europe (Germany, Italy, and France). It is scheduled to begin in the rest of the world sometime in 2006. See the ETS website at www.TOEFL.org for information on when the iBT will be introduced in specific areas of the world.

3. What does it take to prepare for the iBT?
Preparation for the Next Generation iBT requires a lot of different components. It requires lots of language skills, some academic skills, test-taking strategies, realistic test practice on the computer, and good basic computer skills.

4. How should preparation time for the iBT be divided between the book and the CD-ROM?
Even though the Next Generation iBT is given on a computer, much of the preparation time for the test should be spent in the classroom using the book rather than in the computer lab using the CD-ROM; it is certainly not necessary to have students at computer terminals for all of their TOEFL® Test prep classtime.

In the classroom, the teacher can use the book to introduce and practice the language and academic skills tested on the iBT, introduce and practice the new question-types, familiarize students with appropriate test-taking strategies, and familiarize students with scoring and evaluation prior to their sessions on the computer.

Then, when students are on computers, they can review the language and academic skills studied in class, work with each of the question-types they already know how to answer, try out the suggested strategies, work with computer clicking sequences and timing, practice writing essays and speaking on the computer, and evaluate their writing and speaking tasks.

5. Can responses be written on paper?
The short answer to this question is "no." Written responses must be typed on the computer. On the CBT, it is possible to choose whether to write responses on paper or on the computer. On the iBT, however, there is no choice. Responses must be written on the computer.

It is important to note that the word processing program that is used on the iBT is very basic; it is most likely much simpler than any word processing program that test-takers are accustomed to using. The iBT word processing program uses only three buttons (Cut, Paste, and Undo), and keyboard commands do not function in the program. It is important to practice inputting written responses into a program that functions like the iBT (such as the Longman CD-ROM) so that the very basic iBT word processing program will be familiar on the day of the test.

6. Can paper be used during the iBT?
The answer to this quesion is "yes." This is a very big difference from the paper and CBT versions of the TOEFL® Test, where no paper was allowed during the test. On the iBT, the test-taker can use paper during the test to take notes, and this is something that is very important to do. It is important to take notes on the key points of the passages in the Listening section and in the integrated tasks in the Speaking and Writing sections.

Even though test-takers may use paper during the test, they may not bring any paper into the test center and may not take any paper out of the test center. Paper will be given to test-takers at the beginning of the test and will be collected from them at the end of the test. (Any notes taken during the test will NOT be seen by graders and will NOT be part of the TOEFL® Test score.)

7. How does the Speaking section function on the iBT?
During the Next Generation iBT, test-takers will wear headphones with microphones that allow the test-takers to hear the listening material and to record their spoken responses; these headphones are also supposed to block out any noise as other test-takers are speaking during the test. In the Speaking section, test-takers will read material on their computer screens and listen to recorded material through their headphones and then speak into their microphones to record their reponses. Their responses will then be e-mailed to graders working at computers throughout the world.

8. How does the Speaking section function on the Longman iBT CD-ROM?
On the Longman iBT CD-ROM the speaking tasks function as closely as possible to the speaking tasks on the actual test. Students can record thir spoken responses on the computer and play them back to evaluate them; students can also save their responses on floppy disks to turn in to the teacher. It is also possible to use cassette recorders to record responses; the cassettes can then be brought to class for peer or group evaluation or turned in to the teacher.

9. How are the Writing and Speaking sections graded?
Writing and Speaking are graded by people rather than by computer. Spoken and written responses on the test are saved electronically and then e-mailed to graders around the world.

Each spoken and written response is evaluated by two different graders. This means that one test-taker's written responses will be evaluated by four different graders (two different graders for each of the two writing tasks) and his or her spoken responses will be evaluated by twelve different graders (two different graders for each of the six speaking tasks).

Spoken and written responses are evaluated based on different criteria. Written responses are given scores ranging from 0 to 5, while spoken responses are given scores ranging from 0 to 4.

10. How is the iBT scored?
The top score on the Next Generation iBT is 120. Each section (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing) is given a scaled score from 0 to 30, and the four section scores are added together to determine the overall score on the iBT.

11. Can iBT scores be compared to paper and CBT scores?
The skills tested on the Next Generation iBT are very different from those tested on the paper or CBT versions of the TOEFL® Test, so comparisons between scores on the different versions of the TOEFL® Test are not really valid. However, ETS has released some information on how the scores on the different versions of the TOEFL® test can be compared.