ETS Launches New Addition To TOEFL® Family of Assessments

ETS announced the introduction of a brand-new English-language proficiency assessment, the TOEFL®Essentials™ test. The TOEFL Essentials test becomes the second high-stakes English-language proficiency test within the TOEFL® Family of Assessments — joining alongside the TOEFL iBT® test-launched more than 15 years ago. In addition, TOEFL Essentials is the first English-language test that offers the ideal combination of the convenient, affordable access students want and the quality institutions trust.  

The TOEFL Essentials test is a versatile four-skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) English-language test designed for university admissions and other high-stakes decisions. It measures a combination of academic and general English skills — those that are needed for the classroom setting and beyond (e.g., internships and interviews). In addition, the test provides institutions with expanded insights through writing and speaking samples from the test, additional measures of foundational skills and a unique Personal Video Statement — a short, unscored, video recording that provides an opportunity for applicants to showcase their unique personalities.

Key facts to highlight about the test include:

• Content: 50% academic, 50% general English
• Format: multistage adaptive format with short, fast-paced tasks that adjust based on skill level
• Length: about 1-1/2 hours long
• Location: at home with best-in-class human proctored security provided by ProctorU®, similar to the established TOEFL iBT® Home Edition model 
• Features: instant Reading and Listening scores upon test completion, MyBest ® scores and free, unlimited score reports
• Price: 100 USD (approx. INR 7,300)
• Scoring: Speaking and Writing sections scored by human raters to ensure accuracy and fairness 

The TOEFL Essentials test and TOEFL iBT test are similar in that they are high-quality, valid and reliable four-skills English-language tests for high-stakes decisions. They have distinct differences, however, in approach to skills measurement, design and test-taking experience —and as such, can both be used as standalone measures of English-language proficiency by institutions within their portfolio of accepted tests.

In the next few weeks, ETS will be publishing the TOEFL Essentials research design framework, details pertaining to the score scale, score comparison tables and score requirement recommendations so that institutions can make informed decisions about acceptance and set score requirements based on their individualized needs. In a recent survey of nearly 250 institutions around the world, 95% indicated they would be likely to accept the TOEFL Essentials test, and 90% consider the test to be beneficial in attracting new applicants to their program. 

To date, several universities have already indicated their acceptance.

Registration will open to test takers on Thursday, June 17 for administrations beginning on Saturday, Aug. 21