A Revised TOEFL iBT - What’s Up with That - Shorter Test and Enhanced Speaking Scoring

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by asda1da

Explains the evolution of the TOEFL iBT test and the motivation for revising it, covering changes prompted by reducing test stress, improving registration, expanding test opportunities, leveraging technology for scoring, and giving score users more information. Details the Shorter Test introduced August 1, 2019, including reduced testing time, fewer Reading/Listening questions and Speaking tasks, while keeping the same overall format and score scale. Describes Enhanced Speaking Scoring using AI SpeechRater plus human rater evaluations and additional ratings.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages35

Reading Time1 h 28 min

AccessFree to download

A Little History

TOEFL Program History

When Change is Good

What needs prompted these changes?

Changes to the TOEFL iBT Test Format and Scoring

Shorter Test

Shorter Test – Specific Changes

Does the Shorter Test Provide the Same Level of Quality?

Enhanced Speaking Scoring

A Revised TOEFL iBT® ? What’s Up with That? Marian N. Crandall Languages Canada February 24, 2020 A Little History TOEFL ® Program History • Paper-based test (PBT) administered starting in 1963 • Computer-based test (CBT) introduced in 1998 ▪ Discontinued when the TOEFL iBT® test was introduced • Internet-delivered test (TOEFL iBT) rolled out gradually around the world starting in 2005 • The revised TOEFL ® Paper-delivered Test (rPdT) replaced the TOEFL ® PBT test in Fall 2017 NEW! • The TOEFL iBT Better Test Experience launched August 1, 2019 When Change is Good ETS makes changes to its tests only after • Listening to test takers and score users about their needs • Doing research to ensure that the proposed changes won’t affect the reliability, validity or fairness of the test What needs prompted these changes? • Making the test less stressful for test takers • Improving the test registration site and process • Providing more opportunities to take the test • Using the benefits of technology to improve scoring • Providing additional information to score users Changes to the TOEFL iBT Test Format and Scoring ® Shorter Test Starting August 1, 2019 • Testing time reduced by 30 minutes, to three hours • Same overall test format and question types • Fewer questions in the Reading and Listening sections • Fewer tasks in the Speaking section • No change to the score scale “It’s the same test, measuring the same skills, in the same ways, with fewer questions.” Srikant Gopal Executive Director, TOEFL ® Program Shorter Test – Specific Changes | | All Tests Before
August 1, 2019 | All Tests After
August 1, 2019 | | --- | --- | --- | | Reading
(fewer questions per passage) | 3-4 reading passages 12-14 questions each
60-80 minutes | 3-4 reading passages
10 questions each
54-72 minutes | | Listening
(fewer lectures) | 4-6 lectures
6 questions each 2-3 conversations
5 questions each
60-90 minutes | 3-4 lectures
6 questions each 2-3 conversations
5 questions each
41-57 minutes | | Break | 10 minutes | 10 minutes | | Speaking
(fewer tasks) | 6 tasks
2 independent
4 integrated
20 minutes | 4 tasks
1 independent
3 integrated
17 minutes | | Writing
(no change) | 2 tasks
1 integrated
1 independent
50 minutes | 2 tasks
1 integrated
1 independent
50 minutes | Test changes in red. No change to score scales. Does the Shorter Test Provide the Same Level of Quality? Yes: Scores are still reliable. • ETS researchers analyzed data from multiple 2018 TOEFL iBT® test administrations to compare the reliability of the longer and shorter versions • The data showed that test reliability is maintained with the shortened test • The shorter test maximizes measurement efficiency without sacrificing quality Enhanced Speaking Scoring Adding AI technology to provide the best in measurement • ETS’s SpeechRaterSM service uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assess and provide feedback on pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary and grammar • The combination of AI and human raters’ evaluation of content, meaning and language use provides unmatched accuracy and reliability • As of August 1, 2019, all TOEFL iBT® Speaking responses are rated by both a human rater and the SpeechRater service ▪ Speaking section score now based on more ratings (8) than before (6) ▪ 4 human ratings + 4 SpeechRater ratings • No other major English proficiency test combines the benefits of AI and human scoring for speaking and writing Enhanced Speaking Scoring SpeechRater Human rater The Speaking score for each task is the sum of two ratings: one from a human rater and one from SpeechRater℠; the score from the human rater has more weight.

FAQs

When were the major TOEFL iBT updates introduced in the document?

The document states the internet-delivered TOEFL iBT rolled out gradually from around 2005. It also specifies the revised TOEFL Paper-delivered Test replaced the PBT in Fall 2017 and that the TOEFL iBT Better Test Experience launched on August 1, 2019, alongside the Shorter Test changes.

What key changes happened in the TOEFL iBT Shorter Test starting August 1, 2019?

Testing time was reduced by 30 minutes to three hours. Reading and Listening had fewer questions or lectures, the Speaking section had fewer tasks, and the Writing section showed no change.

How does Enhanced Speaking Scoring work according to the document?

SpeechRaterSM uses AI to assess pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, and grammar. As of August 1, 2019, every Speaking response is rated by both a human rater and SpeechRater, and the Speaking score sums two ratings with greater weight from the human rater.

Oct 2, 2026

Uploaded by asda1da