TEST OF ENGLISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (TOEFL®)
The Test of English as a Foreign Languageä (TOEFL®) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand English as it is spoken, written, and heard in college and university settings. Today, more than 5,000 colleges, universities and licensing agencies in 90 countries accept TOEFL scores.
The TOEFL is offered in three different formats depending on a test taker’s location:
- The internet-based TOEFL (iBT) is the only format available in the United States
- The Computer-based TOEFL (CBT)
- The Paper-based TOEFL (PBT), which is still available in some countries outside the US. However these two versions of CBT and PBT are limited to particular locations. See www.toefl.org for particular location information.
All three formats test academic reading, listening and writing; however, the new iBT includes a fourth section on speaking. See test structure on format at the TOEFL website.
The National Defense University uses the TOEFL as a measure of a candidate’s English academic ability to succeed academically at NDU. The institution has benchmarked a score that determines an appropriate level of English proficiency.
The score for each format of the TOEFL is as follows:
- iBT 83 out of a 120 score
- CBT 220 out of a 300 score
- PBT 560 out of a 677 score.
Candidates for the National Defense University are strongly encouraged to take the TOEFL in their home country before arriving to the university. This facilitates the in-processing procedure and the academic verification process for each NDU International Fellow.
If any NDU candidate has previously taken any version of TOEFL within the past two years, the validity period of the test, the candidate should present a copy of the valid results upon arrival to NDU.
If the international fellow has not taken the TOEFL before arrival to the US, the International Student Management Office (ISMO) will schedule an internet-based TOEFL within the first semester of a Fellow’s arrival.
For more information on the TOEFL, NDU candidates can visit
www.toefl.org . The publisher of the TOEFL, Educational Testing Services (ETS), provides information on various study materials for all three test formats at this website. In addition, the Security Assistance Officer (SAO) can assist in TOEFL questions.
