TOEFL iBT® Workshop
SESSION 2/ AUGUST 2015
About the TOEFL iBT® Test
The TOEFL iBT® test, administered via the Internet, is an important
part of your journey to study in an English-speaking country.
The TOEFL iBT test measures your ability to use and understand
English at the university level.
It evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking
and writing skills to perform academic tasks.
TOEFL iBT Reading Overview
Section
Reading
Content
Time
3─5 700-word
passages
20 minutes per
passage
11─13 questions with
a total score of 14
60─100 total minutes
Score
/30
2. Reading Passages
Reading passages are from first-year college and
university textbooks.
academic content
information dense
• 12th grade reading level
• Readings contain low-frequency vocabulary.
• 36–73 very difficult words per reading
3. Reading Screen
4. Answers in Reading Passages
• The order of the questions follows the order of the
information in the passage.
• The answer for question one is before the answer for
question two.
5. Reading Toolbar Buttons
NEXT
see the next question
BACK
see the previous question
REVIEW
see a list of answered and unanswered questions
VIEW TEXT
view the entire passage
6. Review Screen
Click on REVIEW button in the Reading section to see the
review screen.
Review screen has a list of answered and unanswered
questions
 GO TO QUESTION: see the question
highlighted in the list
 RETURN: go back to before you
clicked REVIEW button
GO TO
QUESTION
RETURN
7. Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions have four answers.
Vocabulary Questions
identify meaning of words and phrases in context
Reference Questions
identify subject nouns
• All Multiple Choice Questions are worth one point.
8. Multiple Choice Questions
• Paraphrase Questions
 recognize simplified and rephrased sentences with same
meaning as sentences from the passage
• Factual Information Questions
 identify true information
• Inference Questions
 draw a conclusion from stated facts
• Negative Factual Information Questions
 identify a fact that is not true or not mentioned in passage
• Purpose Questions
 identify why author included a highlighted word or phrase
9. Insert Text Questions
• Click on one of four squares to indicate best placement
for new sentence.
worth one point
10. Prose Summary Questions
• Drag and drop answers to one of three summary
positions.
You don’t have to put answers in order.
worth two points
• ____________________
• ____________________
• ____________________
11. Schematic Framework Questions
• Drag and drop answer choices into the correct category.
more answers than slots—some answers do not fit under either
category
worth three or four points
12. Common Distractors
Distractors are incorrect answers.
Several types of distractors:
repeat words from the reading but incorrectly answer the question
are not mentioned in the reading
contradict information in the reading passage
do not answer the question
are incomplete
13. Helpful Tips
Correct answers
are usually restatements from the reading passage.
If you don’t know the answer,
use process of elimination.
select the most logical answer.
If time is running out,
answer the easy questions first.
guess for remaining questions.
• You don’t lose points for guessing.
14. More Helpful Tips
If you finish early,
continue checking your answers.
• Your first choice is usually correct.
Answer all the questions in one passage before you move
on to the next.
focus will change when you read the second passage.
TOEFL iBT Speaking Overview
Section
Speaking
Content
6 speaking tasks
Time
Total time:
20 minutes
2 independent tasks
4 integrated tasks
Prep time:
15─30 seconds
Response time:
45─60 seconds
Score
/30
2. Independent Tasks 1 and 2
• Questions are based on knowledge and experience.
• 15 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to speak.
• Task 1:
Make a choice within a category.
Describe a person, place, object, event, or activity.
Example: Describe the person you admire most and explain why.
• Task 2:
Make a choice between two options.
Example: Do you prefer to study alone or in a group? Explain why.
3. Integrated Tasks 3 and 4
• Read a passage, listen to a passage, and answer a
question on the relationship between them.
• Task 3: Campus task
Read a university notice.
Listen to two students discuss the notice.
Question: Which student has a strong opinion and why?
Task 4: Academic task
Read a short passage on academic topic.
Listen to a lecture.
Question: Show how examples from the lecture relate to a
definition or concept from the reading.
• 45 seconds to read, 75 seconds to listen, 30 seconds
to prepare, and 60 seconds to speak
4. Integrated Tasks 5 and 6
• Listen to a passage and answer a question about it.
Task 5: Campus task
Listen to a conversation about a student problem.
Summarize the problem and suggestions made to resolve it.
State which suggestion you prefer and why.
Task 6: Academic task
Listen to the lecture with general information and two main
points.
Summarize general information and how it relates to the
main points.
• One to two minutes to listen, 20 seconds to prepare,
and 60 seconds to speak
5. Speaking
Narrator will tell you to put on headphones and adjust
microphone volume.
Computer guides you through speaking tasks.
 no need to press NEXT or OK
6. Independent Tasks: Preparing
• See and hear the question.
Begin to prepare after the beep. You’ll see the clock count
down.
• Prepare simple outline using key words only.
7. Independent Tasks: Responding
• Narrator:
 “Get ready to answer the question.”
 “Begin speaking after the beep.”
• You will hear the beep, then see the clock begin to
count down.
 Answer the question according to outline.
 Speak clearly.
8. Integrated Tasks
Example: Task 4
 Read and take notes on a short academic passage.
 Listen and take notes on a related lecture.
9. Integrated Tasks: Responding
• Narrator:
 “Get ready to answer the question.”
 “Begin preparing after the beep.”
• Make an outline using your notes.
• When answering,
 speak clearly.
 use familiar grammar and vocabulary.
10. Top Score Features
Delivery
clear, fluid, and well-paced
understandable pronunciation
natural rhythm, stress, and intonation
Language Use
appropriate word choice
correct grammar including basic
and complex structures
• Topic Development
11. Topic Development
• Develop topic fully:
 Answer question completely.
 Make a topic statement and support
it with two main points and added detail.
 Present facts in a logical order and
use transitions to connect ideas.
• Integrated tasks:
 Integrate information from a reading and listening passage.
 Summarize and paraphrase.
Topic
Statement
Main
Point 1
Main
Point 2
Detail
Detail
12. Who Scores Your Response?
Between three and six certified ETS raters score your
response.
Response is scored from zero to four.
Final score is out of 30.
TOEFL iBT Listening Overview
Section
Listening
Content
4─6 lectures
(5 minutes)
6 questions each
2─3 conversations
(3 minutes)
5 questions each
Time
60─90 minutes (in
total)
35 seconds to answer
each question
Score
/30
2. Language Level
More informal language than in Reading section
based on speech samples from North American colleges and
universities
Easier than Reading section
lectures: 8th grade difficulty level
conversations: 4th or 5th grade difficulty level
Lectures
more difficult than conversations because of academic content
3. Types of Listening Passages
Lectures
professor speaks all or most of the time
Classroom discussions
professor and students discuss an academic topic
Conversations
office hours with a student visit to a professor
service encounters with support staff
Taking notes is allowed and encouraged.
4. Lecture Visuals
Screen with course name
Context visual: professor in class
with students
Types of graphic screens
content image: explains content
with photograph or illustration
blackboard image with key
terminology
5. Conversation Visuals
Context visual sets the scene.
Visual appears when narrator introduces the
conversation.
6. Question Sets
Each set
two lectures and one conversation
each set of passages has 17 questions
Time
10 minutes to answer 17 questions
• Lecture questions are more difficult than conversation
questions.
four minutes for questions on each lecture and two minutes for
the conversation questions
• Question order usually follows order of information in
passage.
7. Listening Toolbar
NEXT to see the next question.
OK to confirm the answer.
After clicking OK, you cannot change your answer.
VOLUME to increase or decrease volume.
8. Multiple Choice Questions
Most have four choices and one correct answer
Gist: purpose for a conversation
Inference: draw conclusion from stated facts
Detail: main supporting details
 may have two or three correct answers
 if two correct answers, then four answer choices; if three
correct answers, then five answer choices.
Organization: underlying organization of lecture or
relationships between two parts
9. Connecting Content Questions
Drag and drop answer choices to the correct category.
Place checkmarks in the correct boxes.
10. Replay Questions
Attitude
ask about speaker’s feelings,
opinion, or certainty
Function
ask about meaning behind
speaker’s words
• Include headphone icon
 Listen again to portion of lecture
or conversation.
11. Common Distractors
Common distractors (incorrect answers) in the Listening
section:
 repeat words and phrases from passage, but incorrectly answer
the question
contain similar sounding words
do not answer the question
are not mentioned in the passage
contradict passage
Gist Questions
Incorrect answers may be too broad or too narrow.
12. Helpful Tips
Correct answers are usually restatements of information
from the listening passage.
Guess if you’re unsure of an answer
Eliminate the definitely wrong answers.
Choose the answer that is most consistent with the main idea.
13. More Helpful Tips
• Work quickly.
 You only have 35 seconds to answer each question.
 Maintain a balance between speed and accuracy.
• If time is running out,
 guess the answers to the remaining questions.
• You do not lose points for incorrect answers.
TOEFL iBT Writing Overview
Section
Writing
Content
Time
Integrated:
read, listen, and write
20 minutes
Independent:
knowledge and
experience
30 minutes
Words
150─225
300
Score
/30
2. Integrated Writing Task
Reading Passage
You have three minutes to read and take notes on a 250─300 word
academic passage.
Usually has three main points.
After you read the passage, it will disappear
but will re-appear when you hear
the question and begin to write.
3. Integrated Writing Task
Listening passage
two to three minutes
developed with three main points
You will only hear the lecture
once.
Take complete and accurate
notes.
4. Integrated Writing Task
Writing your essay
20 minutes
• Question:
Summarize main points and show how they support the reading;
OR
Summarize main points and show how they cast doubt on the
reading.
5. Text Tools
Copy: copies highlighted text
• Cut: cuts highlighted text
Paste: pastes copied or cut text
Undo: Undoes last action
Redo: Redoes action you just undid
• Word count: shows number of words written
Enter (twice): starts new paragraph
6. Top Score Features
• The essay is on topic and addresses both parts of the
question.
• The essay:
 summarizes listening and reading content.
 relates reading to listening.
 is written in a logical order (coherent) with sufficient detail
(progression).
 includes transitions to make it cohesive.
 contains a range of vocabulary and
grammar.
7. Independent Writing Task
• Plan, write, and edit in 30 minutes.
• State opinion.
• Give reasons, details, and examples to support opinion.
8. Top Score Features
• The essay is on topic and answers all aspects of the
question.
• The essay
 is coherent: written in a logical order.
 shows evidence of progression: main points are supported
with sufficient detail.
 is unified: every sentence relates to the thesis statement.
 is cohesive: ideas connect with transitions.
 includes range of vocabulary
and grammatical structures.
9. Scoring
Essay is scored from zero to five.
Essays are scored by four ETS raters.
The final writing score is out of 30.
10. Example Independent Writing
Scoring Rubrics
5 • on topic and responds to the task
• logically organized with main
points, details, and examples
• everything relates to the thesis
statement
• proper language used consistently
• range of grammatical constructions
• appropriate vocabulary and idioms
• may contain the occasional error