TOEFL PROGRAM
The TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The TOEFL is currently administered in more
than 180 countries, making it the most accessible test in the world. Almost one million students
register to take the TOEFL every year. More than 7,300 institutions and agencies in more than 130
countries accept TOEFL scores to evaluate the English proficiency of people whose native language is
not English. The admissions committees of colleges and universities in the United States, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and many other countries require that foreign applicants
submit TOEFL scores along with transcripts and recommendations in order to be considered for
admission. In addition, many government, licensing, and certification agencies and exchange and
scholarship programs worldwide use TOEFL scores to assess the English language skills of people for
whom English is not their native language. Finally, many multinational corporations and even those
Moldovan companies that work with foreign partners would like to see the TOEFL scores of their job
applicants in order to measure the ability of the latter to use and understand English.
The TOEFL Program was launched in 1962 when the National Council on the Testing of English as a
Foreign Language was formed. Its members were representatives of more than 30 private organizations
and government agencies concerned with the English proficiency of nonnative speakers of English who
wished to study at colleges and universities in the United States. The council supported the
development of the TOEFL for use starting in 1963-1964. Financed by grants from the Ford and Danforth
Foundations, the TOEFL Program was first administered by the Modern Language Association. In 1965, the
College Board and Educational Testing Service (ETS) assumed joint responsibility for the program.
Because many who take the TOEFL are potential graduate students, a cooperative arrangement for the
operation of the program was entered into by ETS, the College Board, and the Graduate Record
Examinations Board in 1973. Under this arrangement, ETS is responsible for administering the TOEFL
program with guidance from the TOEFL Board.
The test originally contained five sections. As a result of extensive research, a three-section test
measuring listening comprehension, structure and written expression, and reading comprehension was
developed and introduced in 1976. In July 1995, the test item format was modified somewhat within the
same three-section structure.
Throughout the 1990s, various constituencies called for a new TOEFL that would (1) be more reflective
of communicative competence models; (2) include more constructed-response tasks and direct measures of
writing and speaking; (3) include tasks that integrate the language modalities tested; and (4) provide
more information than the paper-based TOEFL (TOEFL PBT) about the ability of international students to
use English in an academic environment. Accordingly, the TOEFL Board initiated a broad effort under
which language testing will evolve in the twenty-first century. The introduction of the computer-based
TOEFL (TOEFL CBT) in July 1998 was the first incremental step in this broad test-improvement
effort.
The next step was the introduction of an Internet-based version of the TOEFL (TOEFL iBT) in September
2005. The test was first administered in the United States on September 24, 2005. In October 2005, it
began in Canada, France, Germany, and Italy. Since then, the TOEFL iBT has been gradually rolled out
worldwide. The test assesses all four language skills (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) that
are important for effective communication. The TOEFL iBT emphasizes integrated skills and provides
better information to institutions about students' ability to communicate in an academic setting and
their readiness for academic coursework. As the TOEFL iBT was introduced in an area, the TOEFL CBT was
discontinued after a period of overlap in order to ensure a smooth transition to the TOEFL iBT. The
final administration of the TOEFL CBT was held in September 2006. The TOEFL PBT will continue to be
offered on a limited basis to support the TOEFL iBT testing network.
The last TOEFL PBT was administered in Chişinău on May 13, 2006. The computer-based TOEFL
was never administered in our country. The administration of TOEFL iBT in Moldova started on September
23, 2006. The Internet-based TOEFL is administered at several ETS-certified test centers in
Chişinău at least once a month. To get a schedule of times and test centers, visit the Test
Takers section of the TOEFL website or ask your TOEFL instructor.