TOEFL iBT is a test designed and developed by the American College of Educational Testing (TS). This exam is for those who use English as a foreign language to comprehensively assess English proficiency in 4 skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing in an academic environment. In Vietnam, the test is authorized for implementation by IIG Vietnam - National Representative of ETS.
The American College of Educational Testing (TST) has just announced important improvements in the structure of the TOEFL iBT test, which will be officially applied globally from January 21, 2026. These changes aim to improve practical application, optimize the experience of candidates, and better meet the requirements of language use in a modern academic environment.
1. ultistage Adaptive Testing
- Applicable to Reading and Listening:
The difficulty of the questions will change based on the candidates' answers to previous questions.
The number of questions is flexibly adjusted based on each candidate's ability to do the test - bringing a personalized experience.
The test duration ranges from 67 to 85 minutes.
The official exam score is announced after 72 hours.
2. The content and context of the exam are updated
- Closely related to the academic and living environment of students in an international environment:
Read school announcements, write emails, discuss online, hold simulated interviews...
Eliminate overly academic content, increase practical application.
3. New scale: 1 - 6 (parallel to a scale of 0 - 120)
- Assessment on a scale of 1 - 6 (jump-scale score is 0.5), corresponding to 6 levels of the European Community Language Reference frameworks (CEFR).
- Transitional period 2026 - 2028: candidates will still receive the equivalent total conversion score on both the 1 - 6 and 0 - 120 scales.
4. structure of the new TOEFL iBT test
The time and number of questions in the Reading & Listening section are adjusted according to the candidate's test-taking ability.
