TOEFL Test Score: How the test is scored
Submitted by: Kimi
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Second Language) exam is a rather difficult exam that spans more than four hours of test taking. It is designed to prove proficiency in English as it pertains to an academic environment such as a university.This article will provide you every possibile information about TOEFL scoring to help you understand how your test is scored. The main purpose of the exam is to allow students to prove that they can survive and excel in a university that is conducted entirely in English. Because of this, the test is broken down into four different categories: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Although all areas of the test are grueling, the speaking section is notorious for ruining a student’s overall grade for the exam. However, all four sections are challenging for even the most elite ESL student. In fact, even native English speakers have struggled on the exam when they take it (they take the exam to get a better understanding of what ESL students are facing). The main reason why these native English speakers receive poor grades is because they don’t understand the format of the exam. The TOEFL exam requires you to not only show that you can speak, read, write and listen in English, but that you can apply what you have learned to a real university setting while also proving that you can survive in that environment. The test is set in a very defined format and your answers must reflect that (please refer to other “Preparing for TOEFL” articles).
Here it is important to identify how the TOEFL exam is actually graded. What is important and what can be ignored? The grading scheme for this exam varies depending on the Task being performed. Here is a general scoring system: The total exam is worth 120 points. Each section – speaking, reading, listening, and writing – are all worth 30 points each. But this isn’t enough information on its own. Let’s look at the Speaking and Writing Tasks sections separately. The Reading and Listening Tasks do not need to be summarized since they are simply multiple-choice and other objective based answers.
Grading for the Speaking Tasks
As I mentioned in previous articles, the Speaking Task is broken into six different Tasks – two Independent Tasks and four Integrated Tasks. The Speaking Task is graded by three to six different judges, each certified teachers who are qualified to determine your test results. Each of the six tasks are given a grade between 0 and 4 based on the Rubrics rating (see the article on Rubrics for more details). The scores from the six sections are then added together for a total grade of between 0 and 30.
The judges are looking for the following in your responses: 1) Delivery: Did you speak clearly and with good sentence structure, pace, pronunciation and natural speaking tones? 2) Language Use: did you effectively use grammar and a large vocabulary to convey your ideas? The judges will be looking for your ability to not only use basic sentences, but also complex sentences as well. 3) Topic Development: How fully did you answer the question? Did you identify all of the major points needed to answer the question in its entirety? A proper answer will have utilized all of the time required while effectively answering the question to the fullest. Errors are bound to happen; this is unavoidable and your response is not expected to be perfect.
A score of 4 is still possible even if you make a few mistakes.
Grading for the Writing Tasks
Your responses to the Writing Tasks are sent to the ETS’s Online Scoring Network as well as to two to four judges, again who are certified to accurately grade your responses. There are two Writing Tasks that you need to do – one Integrated and one Independent. Each of these is graded on a scale of 0 to 4 on the Rubrics charts (see article on Rubrics for more information). These two grades are then converted to reflect a score of 0 to 30.
In regards to the Independent Writing Task, you are graded on your overall quality of the essay. This is measured in terms of development, organization, and accurate and precise usage of grammar and vocabulary. The second Writing Task, the Integrated Writing Task, you are graded based on the quality of your writing similar to that of the Independent Writing Task, but also the completeness and accuracy of your writing.
Once again, the judges are lenient because they are aware that what you have written is essentially a rough first draft. They do not expect you to write a research based paper; your answer is based on another text, so therefore you can still receive a high grade even with obvious grammatical errors.
Your score report
After you have taken the painful TOEFL exam, you must wait 15 business days (about three weeks) before receiving your final grade. When your exam has been graded, you can look it up online: you will see your total score as well as your score for each of the four components. This will illustrate the areas in which you need to improve on and what you are good at. This is further supported by the fact that the judges will provide written feedback on how you can improve specific areas of your English proficiency. You can read your scores online, as can potential universities and other academic institutions. If you want a printed version, this is also available.
Grade Requirements
Each institution that uses TOEFL as its benchmark will have a different target score in which to be accepted. Before taking the exam, it is best to do some research to determine what you should aim for in order to go to your dream school. It would incredibly disappointing if you took the exam hoping to get into Stanford University only to realize that they require a final score 10 points higher than what you got. Look into the schools you wish to attend, take some practice TOEFL exams to see the range of your proficiency, and then determine – realistically – what school is suitable for your level of English.
Latest Articles about: TOEFL
1: Preparing for TOEFL – Building your English speaking skills2: Preparing for TOEFL – Explaining the Integrated Writing Rubrics
3: Preparing for TOEFL – Explaining the Independent Writing Rubrics
4: Preparing for TOEFL – Explaining the Speaking Rubrics
5: TOEFL Test Score: How the test is scored
Word Count: 1071 Date: Sat, 9 Apr 2011 Time: 1:49 AM
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