TOEFL

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The Test of English as a Foreign Language ( TOEFL ) is a standardized language test that tests the knowledge of the English language of a non-native speaker. The test is recognized by many universities in English-speaking countries, particularly in the USA, as an admission requirement. In its current form (iBT) it is in the sections

  1. Reading Comprehension (understanding of written language)
  2. Listening Comprehension (understanding spoken language)
  3. Speaking
  4. Written Expression (Independent Writing)

structured. Grammar is taken into account in all four test forms. The answers in the first two test parts are given in a multiple-choice system. The validity is limited to two years, as according to scientific studies u. a. of the Educational Testing Service (ETS), the test developer of TOEFL and also TOEIC , the continued use of the English language after the completed test is decisive for language skills in the future. If the tested candidate never speaks English again after the test, or only in exceptional cases, his or her skills would change negatively. For this reason, the ETS cannot guarantee any language proficiency for a longer period than two years and recommends that after two years at the latest, a new language proficiency test to prove the current language proficiency and the current language competence.

The TOEFL is carried out worldwide by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). It has existed since 1964 and has since been completed by more than 22 million people.

Internet-based test (iBT)

At the end of 2005, the TOEFL was introduced as an Internet-based test (iBT) in the USA, Germany, France and Italy. This new test format replaced all previous TOEFL test forms in these countries. However, adapted tests are offered for candidates with disabilities. The other countries followed in 2006/2007. The Internet TOEFL now also records the oral language skills of the participant. The maximum number of points is 120 points, with a maximum of 30 points being awarded per skill.

The entire test, including check-in, instructions, loading times, taking full advantage of non-timed instruction pages and a 10-minute break, takes a maximum of four and a half hours. The cost of the test varies in different countries, in Germany and Austria it costs 245 US dollars , in Switzerland 270 US dollars (as of January 2016). You can register online or by telephone in the USA or the Netherlands. The tests themselves are then carried out in local test centers (currently around 5 larger and 15 smaller ones in Germany). There are between three and five exam dates per country each month (although not necessarily at all test centers). According to ETS, the results can be viewed online after around 10 working days.

task iBT Timeframe
Reading ability 3–5 texts with 30–50 questions 54-72 minutes
Listening comprehension 2–3 conversations, 4–6 lectures, 34–51 questions 60-90 minutes
Language skills (speaking) 6 exercises with 6 questions 20 minutes
Writing skills (writing) 2 tasks with 2 questions 50 minutes

Old test forms

The old test is taken in two variants, which have different scales of points, but are recognized as equivalent: PBT (paper-based test, 310 to 677 points) and CBT (computer-based test, 0 to 300 points). Universities typically require at least 550 to 600 points (PBT scale) for admission to postgraduate courses ( Masters , Ph.D., etc.). The Test of Written English is also carried out together with the TOEFL , but assessed separately. ETS offers a comparison table for IELTS scores.

Computer-based test

task Timeframe Number of questions
Listening Section 40 to 60 minutes 30 to 50 questions
Listening and Structure Section 15 to 20 minutes 20 to 25 questions
Reading Comprehension 70 to 90 minutes 44 to 60 questions
Writing Section 60 minutes 2 questions

(a total of 96 to 137 questions in 3 hours , 5 minutes to 3 hours, 50 minutes)

Criticism of costs and business model

Cost increases

Since 2006, the price of the TOEFL in Germany has increased by 55% from 155 to 240 US dollars. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) states that the costs for development, production, administration and grading have to be paid and that there is no pursuit of profit. The price increase is attributed to increased "administrative expenses". This appears questionable insofar as the author Jan Willmroth was given annual growth rates of an average of 8% more tests for Germany alone for the period from 2000 to 2011 and therefore decreasing marginal costs per test would be expected. Test centers in Germany only receive an expense allowance of 30 to 40 euros with a test fee of 190 euros. Exact figures on the development of business activity in Germany are not known due to the confidentiality of the company.

Profits, high salaries and bonus payments despite non-profit status

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In the USA, ETS has been criticized since 2002 because the organization is recognized as a non-profit organization and is therefore tax exempt, but also because it has become known for high salaries and bonus payments since Kurt Landgraf became CEO in 2001. The bonus payments for executives in his first year were of the same order of magnitude as their annual salaries, while in the academic and foundation areas only five to ten percent are otherwise usual. One-off payments of up to $ 366,000 were made to 15 employees, Landgraf himself received $ 800,000 for his first ten months. A total of around two million US dollars in bonuses in addition to the salary came together in the 2001 financial year, with a profit of 34 million US dollars. In 2010, profits were approximately $ 27 million, Landgraf's salaries were around $ 1.2 million, and executive salaries were over $ 200,000.

Dominant position

Robert Schaefer, the director of the US interest group Fairtest responsible for public education, criticized not only the use of the profits of the non-profit organization for bonus payments instead of a reduction in test fees, but also the monopoly of ETS: “This money comes from its pockets the test takers, their parents and state taxpayers who have a contract with ETS, from people who have no choice but to pay for these tests. ”ETS conducts college admission tests in the US ( SAT , GRE , GMAT ) and with GRE and GMA has a kind of monopoly for certain disciplines. German applicants too often rely on TOEFL to prove their English language skills, as many universities only recognize this or the similarly expensive IELTS test. According to its own information, the company is the largest in the global test industry with 50 million tests per year and 5300 employees. ETS turnover in 2010 was around one billion US dollars.

Questioning of the test at German universities

The University of Hamburg abolished the TOEFL as an entry requirement for the English Studies Bachelor in May 2012. Dean Susanne Rupp justifies this with the high administrative effort, the problematic recourse to external service providers and the disadvantage of socially disadvantaged people through the high test fees. The experiences with the abolition were "consistently positive" and this did not have a noticeable impact on the quality of the student applicants. The abolition of the TOEFL entry requirement for German bachelor graduates also did not have a negative impact on the master’s course in Agricultural and Food Economics at the University of Bonn.

See also

Web links

supporting documents

  1. ↑ The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test, Third Edition 2009, p. 2.
  2. ↑ http://www.ets.org/bin/getprogram.cgi?test=toefl
  3. ↑ https://www.ets.org/s/toefl/pdf/supplementary_comparison_tables.pdf
  4. ↑ Jan Willmroth: The language of money . In: ZEIT Campus , Die ZEIT, December 12, 2012. Accessed February 1, 2012. 
  5. ^ Tamar Lewin: Corporate Culture and Big Pay Come to Nonprofit Testing Service . In: NY Times , NY Times, November 23, 2002. Retrieved February 1, 2012. 
  6. ↑ Jan Willmroth: The language of money . In: ZEIT Campus , Die ZEIT, December 12, 2012. Accessed February 1, 2012. 
  7. ^ Tamar Lewin: Corporate Culture and Big Pay Come to Nonprofit Testing Service . In: NY Times , NY Times, November 23, 2002. Retrieved February 1, 2012. 
  8. ↑ Jan Willmroth: The language of money . In: ZEIT Campus , Die ZEIT, December 12, 2012. Accessed February 1, 2012. 
  9. ↑ IELTS CODE . In: Universität Hamburg , August 6, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2013 Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved February 1, 2013. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.uni-hamburg.de 
  10. ↑ Jan Willmroth: The language of money . In: ZEIT Campus , Die ZEIT, December 12, 2012. Accessed February 1, 2012.