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Data from questionnaires (n=60) and semistructured interviews (n=10) at a Serang-Banten Polytechnic reveal pragmatic endorsement driven by market demands alongside systemic constraints including content mismatch, limited infrastructure, and socioeconomic inequality, contributing to exam anxiety. Despite difficulties in grammar, vocabulary, and listening to unfamiliar accents, most students recognize benefits and call for context-sensitive 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[adhonnro@gmail.com](adhonnro@gmail.com)  \nPoliteknik Piksi Input Serang  \n\n| Article History\u003Cbr>Received: April 27, 2025 Reviewed: | Abstract\u003Cbr>Indonesian Polytechnics' implementation of the TOEFL as a graduation |\n| --- | --- |\n| July 14, 2025 Accepted: Nov 4, 2025\u003Cbr>Published: Dec 25, 2025 | requirement highlights issues between the demands of global employability and the fairness of vocational education. While previous research has criticized standardized testing in higher education, the present research addresses an |\n| Keywords\u003Cbr>TOEFL Polytechnic Students Graduates | essential gap in investigating its implications in technical education, where English language proficiency is supplementary to the skills that are practiced in vocational education. This qualitative case study explores polytechnic students'perceptions of the role, issues, and benefits of TOEFL test as a graduation requirement. Data were collected using questionnaires (n=60) and semistructured interviews (n=10) at a single Serang-Banten Polytechnic, and thematically analyzed to take into account how institutional policy intersects with students' academic and career trajectories. Findings suggest that 72% of the students pragmatically endorsed TOEFL as a career necessity, driven by market demands. However, systemic limitations, such as content mismatch, inadequate infrastructure, and socioeconomic inequality, reduced performance and increased exam anxiety. In particular, 60% struggled with grammar and vocabulary, while 55% reported hearing unfamiliar accents in listening sections. |\n| Despite challenges, 89% identified the benefits of TOEFL, such as the acquisition of metacognitive skills and job prospects. The study contributes new insights by situating high-stakes testing in vocational studies, countering homogenized discourses of EFL learners. The study calls for context-sensitive language policies that mediate global standards and local contexts. This research hopes to educate policymakers and educators interested in balancing employability objectives with inclusive pedagogies in Indonesia's technical education sector. |  |\n\nINTRODUCTION  \nTest of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL) has been a benchmark for language testing in general, and in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) settings in particular, whose institutions use its scores as central to determining academic preparedness and linguistic competence (Educational Testing Service [ETS], 2021) . Worldwide, TOEFL is not just a university  \nadmission requirement but also a predictor of students' English-medium academic performance (Curle et al., 2020) . In Indonesia, where English proficiency is still one of the most important competencies to be employable in the job market as well as internationally competitive, TOEFL has been made an integral graduation requirement in most higher education institutions, including polytechnics (Anggraini & Sari, 2023; Ginanjar & Rizkyanfi, 2021) . In this case, oneof the Serang-Banten polytechnics requires a TOEFL score of 450 and higher as a requirement for graduation, which aligns with a wider national movement of streamlining vocational education with global language norms (Indrawati & Kuncoro, 2021) . The policy has, however, been controversial regarding its influence and consequence on the academic advancement of students, specifically in technical and applied learning environments (Mahmud, 2014) .  \nPolytechnic education, focused on applied competencies and job readiness, highly values industry-relevant skills. In Indonesia's globalizing economy, English language ability is no longer a luxury but a requirement for polytechnic graduates, who will need to deal with international technical standards, use sophisticated equipment with English-language manuals, and interact in multinational work environments (Setyorini, 2017; Shin, 2016) . TOEFL as an indicator of academic English co","cbCaicNlYGRQqC5q","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaicNlYGRQqC5q","pdf",801950,12,"English","# Introduction\n## TOEFL as a benchmark and graduation requirement\n## Polytechnic education, employability, and English proficiency\n## Government reform agenda and equity concerns\n## Student attitudes toward TOEFL","[{\"question\":\"What role does TOEFL play in Indonesian polytechnic graduation requirements?\",\"answer\":\"TOEFL is used as a measurable graduation requirement to indicate readiness for internationally competitive, English-medium academic and workplace contexts.\"},{\"question\":\"What benefits of TOEFL do students report despite the challenges?\",\"answer\":\"Most students identify benefits such as better metacognitive skills and improved job prospects, even when performance is affected by barriers.\"},{\"question\":\"What limitations reduce students’ TOEFL performance and increase anxiety?\",\"answer\":\"Systemic issues include content mismatch, inadequate infrastructure, and socioeconomic inequality, along with specific difficulties in grammar and vocabulary and unfamiliar accents in listening.\"}]","How Indonesian Polytechnic Students Navigate TOEFL’s Demands | PDF"]