TOEFL or Test of English as a Foreign Language is a standardized test which is conducted in order to check the efficiency of a candidate in English language and ultimately helping him submit a proof of the same. Various universities and colleges use these scores to grant admissions to students whose first language is not English.

Let’s have a bit understanding of what TOEFL exactly is. Made to test four basic skills of an individual, the test contains four modules, Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking, all conducted on computer. The test starts with reading, follows listening and conducting speaking and writing after a break of 10 minutes. In the reading section, candidate is expected to read 3 or 4 passages from texts related to academics and answer 36-56 questions based upon that. The time allotted for reading is 60-80 minutes. Listening test, which lasts long for 60-90 minutes, includes answering questions based upon listening of discussions, lectures and conversations. The number of questions remains 34-51. The next module is speaking. Comprising of 6 tasks, this section lasts for 20 minutes and the candidate answers two questions about a topic familiar to him and four questions based upon reading and listening of few tasks. The last section, i.e. writing consists of 2 tasks which are required to be completed in a time period of 50 minutes. The questions include reading and listening of tasks and supporting  a particular opinion while answering.

Anybody can sit for TOEFL but it is generally taken by the students wishing to attend a university or college for higher studies. The type of English used in TOEFL is purely academic and contains high-level vocabulary instead of everyday English. This level of English matches the one used in universities and colleges as part of course structure and basic mode of communication. Hence, it is important to present your fluency in form of a certificate to the admission boards which assess your application. There are other tests as well but TOEFL is the one accepted by most of the universities abroad especially in the United States of America. The increase in number of universities accepting TOEFL score has also increased its preference among candidates aiming for higher education in abroad.

TOEFL score is accepted in more than 6,000 institutions in countries like the Unites States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand which have top 100 universities of the world, all of which consider TOEFL as a proof of fluency in English. There is a minimum score specified by different universities or colleges for admission.

You should write TOEFL if you are better adapted at using computer. This computer adaptive test checks your basic abilities of English like any other exam but has a different pattern and is generally taken on computer. In addition to this, the complete test is conducted in one day unlike other tests and hence considered as a time saver. There are more than 4,000 test centers for the test and hence a good number of candidates can appear for it. The best thing about the test is the unbiased score given. There is no one on one interview and tests are scored anonymously.

If you are also looking for appearing in an English test to prove your efficiency, you can also consider TOEFL and New Cambridge College acts as a helping hand in your TOEFL preparation.