Dicas by William Canazart

Test of English as a Foreign Language

PREPARING STUDENTS for the

ComputerBased Test

Preparing Students for the

Computer-Based Test TOEFL Tips: Preparing Students for the Computer-Based Test has been created for ESL/EFL instructors and educational advisors so they can help students prepare for the computer-based TOEFL速 test. It has been prepared by Educational Testing Service (ETS), which develops and scores the TOEFL test. TOEFL Tips can help students do their best on the test. However, it is not meant to replace the TOEFL Information Bulletin for Computer-Based Testing, which contains information students need to make appointments for and become familiar with the test. If you wish to download this booklet, visit the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org. To join the TOEFL mailing list (Internet or postal), enter the requested information at www.toefl.org/edindx.html.

NOTE – This publication was prepared by TOEFL staff for educational purposes. It is available free of charge for reprinting to nonprofit educational and research organizations under the following provisions: ● ● ● ●

Reproduction must be in printed paper format. The publication is not for Web or software use. It must be reprinted in its entirety. Distribution must be free of charge and for educational purposes. “Reprinted by permission of the TOEFL program, Educational Testing Service” must be printed on the front cover of the reprinted version.

Permission requests to reprint free of charge should be made online (www.toefl.org/copyrigh.html) or sent to: Proprietary Rights Office Educational Testing Service Rosedale Road Princeton, NJ 08541-0001

Educational Testing Service is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Copyright © 1999 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, ETS, the ETS logo, POWERPREP, TOEFL, the TOEFL logo, TSE, and TWE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service. The modernized ETS logo is a trademark of Educational Testing Service. SYLVAN is a registered trademark of Sylvan Learning Systems, Inc.

Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Benefits of TOEFL on computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Section A: Steps in Preparing for the Computer-Based TOEFL Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 6

Step 1: Obtain TOEFL materials in order to begin test preparation . . . . . .

7 7

Step 2: Learn about the changes in the test format, how the test is structured, and what each test section measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . User-friendly tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Timing of test sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Test format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Listening section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Structure section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reading section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Writing section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

8 8 9 10 10 12 12 13

Step 3: Learn how computer-based testing works and is scored . . . . . . . . . . Computer-adaptive testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How the computer-adaptive sections are scored . . . . . . . . . . . . Computerized nonadaptive testing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14 14 15 15

Step 4: Use test-taking strategies that will allow them to do their best . . . . General test-taking strategies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Special strategies for each section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For the Listening section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For the Structure section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For the Reading section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . For the Writing section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

15 15 17 17 18 18 19

Section B: Questions Frequently Asked by Students . . . . . .

Section C: More About the Essay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

25 26 27 28

Essay ratings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sample writing topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sample essays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(continued)

Table of Contents (continued)

Section D: About the Test Scores

31 31 31 31 32 33

Concordance Tables

............................................ Using the concordance tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

35 35

TOEFL Bulletins and Study Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

How to Contact the TOEFL Program

............................. Score scales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New score requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Score calculation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Calculation of the Structure/Writing score . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At the end of the exam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.......................

Introduction Educational Testing Service (ETS®) is a nonprofit organization committed to the development and administration of testing programs, and the creation of advisory and instructional services. In addition to developing tests, it supplies related services; for example, it scores the tests; records, stores, and reports test results; performs validity and other statistical studies; and undertakes program research. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL®) is designed to evaluate the English proficiency of people whose native language is not English. TOEFL scores are required for admissions purposes by more than 2,400 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, and eighty other countries. Because the TOEFL test is independent of any curriculum or teaching method, the proficiency level of any test taker can be compared with that of any other student or group of students regardless of academic background or English training. Since 1964, TOEFL test has been taken more than 11 million times in over 180 countries. In 1998 TOEFL began its switch to computer. Over the years, many institutions had asked ETS for additional proficiency information, including an estimate of candidates’ productive skills and ability to perform more cognitively challenging tasks. In redesigning the test for computer, the TOEFL program has taken an important first step in that direction. The test consists of four sections: Listening, Structure, Reading, and Writing. Two sections, Listening and Structure, are computer-adaptive, which means questions are tailored to examinees’ proficiency levels. Therefore, students will receive fewer questions that are too easy or too difficult in those sections and candidates’ ability can be estimated more accurately. While the Structure section features the same types of questions used in the paper-based TOEFL test, the Listening and Reading sections feature some new, innovative types of questions in addition to traditional multiple-choice questions. The Writing section, which assesses the ability to compose a written response to an assigned essay topic, is now a required part of the test. In July 1998 students in these areas started taking the computer-based test (CBT): Africa Australia Europe Latin America Middle East

North America Some of Asia: Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia

Mongolia Nepal Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka

As a result of its first year of experience, the TOEFL program has made adjustments to its original CBT testing plans by reintroducing paper-based testing on a temporary basis in several of the areas listed above. This helps provide access to the test in areas where it has been difficult to coordinate mobile computer-based testing. These “supplemental” paper-based administrations take place several times during the testing year; the number of administrations at a given center is dependent on historical test-taker patterns and volumes. The Test of Written English (TWE®) is offered at each supplemental administration. The TOEFL Information Bulletin for Computer-Based Testing contains information on permanent and supplemental testing centers. Because supplemental paper-based testing has been reintroduced to replace mobile computer testing, a Supplemental Bulletin is available for the affected areas. Both Bulletins can be downloaded from the TOEFL Web site or can be obtained from local educational advisors and other Bulletin distribution offices. In October 2000 the computer-based test will be introduced in the areas listed below. Bangladesh Cambodia Hong Kong India/Bhutan

Japan Korea Laos Macau

Pakistan Taiwan Thailand Vietnam

The computer test will be introduced in the People’s Republic of China in 2002-03. 5

Benefits of TOEFL on computer By introducing the computer-based TOEFL test, ETS’s main goal is to provide a more complete picture of a candidate’s proficiency in English: ● Assessment that is better tailored to each test taker’s ability level — a test that is appropriately challenging, with fewer questions that are too easy or too difficult ● An essay with every test administration ● Context-setting visuals and topic orientation during the Listening section ● Individual headphones and volume control ● Listening and reading sections that require candidates to demonstrate their comprehension by performing specific tasks Additional benefits include: ● Year-round testing in many locations ● Scheduling of appointments by phone ● Testing in comfortable, computer-equipped testing stations ● Enhanced test security ● Smaller proctor/examinee ratios ● Immediate viewing of unofficial scores on screen (except for essays) ● Opportunity to choose score recipients after seeing unofficial scores ● Faster reporting of official scores if examinees type the essay — scores sent from ETS about two weeks after testing

Section A: Steps in Preparing for the Computer-Based TOEFL Test No single school, textbook, or teaching method is best to help prepare someone for the TOEFL test because it is not based on a special course of study. The test is designed to measure proficiency in English, which can only be achieved after a relatively long period of study and practice. Instructors and advisors can help students prepare for and do their best on the computer-based TOEFL test by helping them understand what the new exam is like. The process can be broken down into four steps.

Steps in preparing for the computer-based TOEFL test Students should 1. obtain TOEFL materials in order to begin test preparation 2. learn about the changes in the test format, how the test is structured, and what each test section measures 3. learn how computer-based testing works and is scored 4. use test-taking strategies that will allow them to do their best

Step 1: Obtain TOEFL materials in order to begin test preparation. Students should obtain the TOEFL Information Bulletin for Computer-Based Testing. The Bulletin explains test scheduling procedures and provides information about fees, test center locations, and identification requirements. It also describes the computer tutorials that precede every test session and includes sample test questions. The TOEFL Sampler CD-ROM is also an important part of preparing for the test. It contains the animated tutorials that precede the test and show test takers how to use a mouse, and the testing icons, and how to scroll. Interactive test tutorials provide instructions for answering questions in the four sections of the test. The Sampler also includes 67 practice questions that cover each section of the test. These questions familiarize examinees with the test directions, formats, and question types. POWERPREP ® Software: Preparation for the Computer-Based TOEFL Test will be available some time in the year 2000. This product will simulate the TOEFL computer testing experience. It will provide the actual tutorials delivered in the testing center, as well as two timed tests automatically created — based on the user’s ability level — from a pool of more than 1,200 questions. At the end of each test, students will be able to view their scores. POWERPREP will operate under the same software used in actual test centers. This package also will contain three essay topics for writing practice and samples of actual essays written by TOEFL test takers.

Most of the questions on the computer-based TOEFL test are similar to those found in the paper-based test. Therefore, students can also practice with official TOEFL test preparation material designed for the paper-based test: the TOEFL Test Preparation Kit and TOEFL Practice Tests, volumes 1 and 2. These products contain official retired forms of the TOEFL test, with â&#x20AC;&#x153;realâ&#x20AC;? TOEFL test questions. See page 38 for information about how to order the TOEFL Bulletin, TOEFL Sampler, POWERPREP software (in the year 2000), and other official TOEFL test preparation materials.

Step 2: Learn about the changes in the test format, how the test is structured, and what each test section measures. The test format consists of tutorials and four required sections: Listening, Structure, Reading, and Writing.

User-friendly tutorials To help examinees feel comfortable with test taking on the computer, each test is preceded by computerized tutorials. The first three tutorials show examinees basic computer skills: how to use a mouse to point and click, how to scroll, and how to use the testing icons. A tutorial at the beginning of each test section demonstrates how to answer the questions in that section. The Listening, Structure, and Reading tutorials are required. For those who decide to type the essay in the Writing section, there is also a word processing tutorial. The tutorials first present the skills needed to use the computer to answer questions by using simple language and graphics, then demonstrate those skills with animation. Before they can go on, examinees must successfully complete exercises to show they have mastered each skill. Candidates can spend as much time as they need on these tutorials to feel comfortable with the test. At any time during the test, examinees can click on the Help icon to review directions and information from the tutorials. However, the test clock does NOT stop while students access this function. The TOEFL program conducted an international research study on computer familiarity and found that once examinees had completed these tutorials there was no meaningful relationship between level of computer familiarity and performance on computer-based test questions. (The TOEFL Web site provides more information about the computer familiarity study.)

Clicking

How to Click You must press a mouse button once, then release it.

Press Enter to see an example.

Timing of test sections Chart A shows the number of questions and the time limit for each section. Scores for all test takers are based on the same number of questions. However, the number of questions in each section may vary because additional, pretest questions may be randomly inserted for research purposes. The responses to these pretest items do not count toward the test scores, but are used to estimate statistical properties for future operational use. This explains why the number of questions is expressed as a range. The time limit for each section varies according to the number of questions. Chart A: Computer-Based TOEFL Test Format Test Portion

# Questions

Time Limit

Tutorials

7 Tutorials

Untimed

Listening

30 to 50

40 to 60 minutes

Structure

20 to 25

15 to 20 minutes

BREAK

5 minutes

Reading

44 to 55

70 to 90 minutes

Writing

1 topic

30 minutes

The total time spent in the test center is approximately four hours, depending on how quickly examinees work through the tutorials and the test and whether pretest questions are included. The time limits are generous for most examinees and were determined after extensive research. Directions given at the beginning of each test section specify the time allowed in that section. The time remaining in the section is displayed on a clock in the upper left corner of the screen; the number of questions remaining is displayed in the upper right corner. The title bar display changes as examinees proceed through the section. For example, the title bar may show question 9 of 20 and 00:14 minutes, which means the test taker is on the ninth question of 20 and 14 minutes remain for that section. (See the sample title bar screen below.) Examinees should check the number of questions and time limit before they begin the test. They should also check their progress as they move along and pace themselves to finish all questions in the section before the time runs out. The clock can be displayed or hidden at any time, except during the last five minutes, when the time remaining is displayed automatically. The TOEFL Screens 00:14

TOEFL

9 of 20

This is question 9 out of a total of 20 questions in this section. This shows there are 14 minutes left.

Title Bar

The title bar shows the • time remaining • test or section title • question number

Time

Help

Answer Confirm

Test format The computer-based TOEFL test features many of the question types used on the paper-based test and adds new question types that can be offered only on computer. Listening section

The Listening section measures the candidate’s ability to understand English as it is spoken in North America. This section includes various stimuli — such as dialogues, short conversations, academic discussions, and excerpts from lectures (also called minilectures) — and poses questions that test comprehension of main ideas, order of a process, supporting ideas, and important details, as well as the ability to make inferences and categorize topics and objects. All stimuli are about academic topics and situations. After each stimulus is played, examinees both see and hear each question before they see the answer choices. This encourages examinees to listen for main ideas. Five types of questions are found in the Listening section: ● ● ● ● ●

traditional multiple-choice questions with four answer choices questions that require examinees to select a visual or part of a visual questions with more than one answer (e.g., two answers out of four choices) questions that require examinees to order events or steps in a process questions that require examinees to match objects or text to categories File

Listening - Practice Questions & Review

14 of 27

The professor briefly explains a process. Summarize the process by putting the events in order. Click on a sentence. Then click on the space where it belongs. Use each sentence only once. Fossilization takes place. An insect is trapped.

Time

Resin is produced by a tree. Resin becomes hard.

Resin is produced by a tree.

An insect is trapped.

Resin becomes hard.

Fossilization takes place.

Volume

Help

Answer Confirm

Visuals accompany the listening stimuli to provide context and illustrate the topic. These visuals are a new feature of the computer-based test that allow for varied and interactive stimuli that more closely approximate actual listening experiences, such as classroom lectures and campus conversations. The new question types require test takers to demonstrate their English proficiency by interacting with the information presented to them. Examinees must use integrated language skills to manipulate graphics, categorize information, and order elements in a process, tasks that are similar to those required of students in the classroom. The actual time needed to complete the Listening section is 40 to 60 minutes, but only 15 to 25 minutes of that time is for answering questions. The rest is for listening to the stimuli. The clock runs while examinees answer questions but not while they listen to the stimuli. The listening stimuli and questions are presented only once, as in the paper-based test. However, the computer-based test is different from the paper-based test

in the following ways: examinees see the visual as they listen, and they both see and hear the question before the answer choices appear. Also, the computer-based Listening section is self-paced. That is, examinees can choose to go on to the next question when they are ready. This is different from the paper-based test, in which the pace of the Listening section is determined by the pace of the prerecorded tape. Copyright ä&#x2030;ˇ 1998, ETS

Listening - Practice Questions & Review

File

Volume

Time

Help

Answer Confirm

The Listening section consists of two parts: A and B. In Part A, examinees hear dialogues between two people. In the dialogues, each speaker takes one to two turns. Each dialogue is followed by one multiplechoice question with four answer choices. In Part B, examinees hear short conversations in which both of the speakers take more than one turn. Each conversation lasts up to one minute and is followed by two to three multiple-choice questions with four answer choices. Examinees should click on the best answer on the basis of what is stated or implied by the speakers. In Part B, examinees also hear academic discussions among two or more speakers, and minilectures about a variety of topics. Test takers do not need special background knowledge to answer the questions correctly; all the information needed to answer the questions is contained in the listening material presented. The discussions are up to two minutes in length; the minilectures are up to two and one-half minutes long. Both are followed by several questions. For most questions, examinees will click on the best of four possible answers, but some of the new types of questions listed on page 10 are included as well. Chart B: Listening Section Format Part

Type of Stimulus

Number of Stimuli

Number of Questions

Dialogues

11-17

1 each

Short Conversations (up to 1 minute)

2-3

2-3 each

Minilectures (up to 2.5 minutes) and Academic Discussions (up to 2 minutes)

4-6

3-6 each

Structure section

The Structure section measures the candidate’s ability to recognize language that is appropriate for standard written English. The language tested is formal, rather than conversational. The same two question types used on the paper-based TOEFL test also appear on the computer-based test: ● questions in which examinees must complete a sentence using one of four choices provided ● questions in which they must identify one of four underlined words or phrases that is incorrect Both question types are mixed randomly throughout the section rather than separated into two subsections as in the paper-based test. Reading section

The Reading section measures the candidate’s ability to understand short passages similar in topic and style to academic texts used in North American colleges and universities. This section tests comprehension of main ideas, factual information, inferences, and vocabulary (direct meaning, synonym, and antonym). It also assesses the ability to understand the rhetorical organization of a passage. Examinees read four to five passages of 250 to 350 words on academic subjects and answer 11 questions about each passage. As in the Listening section, test takers do not need any special background knowledge to answer the questions in the Reading section correctly; all the information needed to answer the questions is contained in the passages. Examinees must read through or scroll to the end of each passage before receiving questions on that passage. The 70 to 90 minutes allotted for this section include the time spent reading the passages and answering the questions. Chart C: Reading Section Format Length of Passage 250-350 words

Number of Passages 4-5

Number of Questions 11 per passage

There are several question types in this section, most of them multiple-choice. New question types include ● questions that require examinees to click on a word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph to answer ● questions that ask examinees to “insert a sentence” where it fits best The new question types require examinees to demonstrate their comprehension of a passage by performing the following tasks: ● highlighting information in a passage to demonstrate their comprehension of main ideas and supporting details ● identifying paraphrases and inferences to demonstrate their ability to analyze meaning ● inserting an extra sentence into the appropriate part of a passage to demonstrate a more cognitively complex aspect of comprehension: the ability to understand the organization of a passage, including elements of coherence and cohesion. For example, examinees may be required to understand how transitional words or pronouns are used to establish cohesion. Or examinees may be required to identify the coherent, logical progression of ideas. ● identifying words or phrases with similar meanings, demonstrating an ability to comprehend discrete language segments and use context clues

Reading Comprehension - Practice Question & Review

File

6 of 20 Questions 1 to 6

More Available But this was clearly not just a matter of the physical advantages of early humans of erect posture and having the hands free to carry something else. Fetching branches for a fire implies that the individuals concerned thought about what they were doing, and knew why they were doing it. Keeping a fire going implies foresight and care. Wood had to be gathered, and perhaps even stored during wet periods. Such activities did not come naturally to early humans; they required learning and discipline. Especially when humans began to collect fuel over larger distances, they devoted part of their energy to maintaining something outside themselves, something beyond their own immediate needs. This is not to say they were acting “unselfishly.” Tending the fire was a form of “deferred gratification” or putting off the satisfaction of immediate need in planning for future needs, like that which was later to become an essential ingredient in agriculture and livestock-raising.

The following sentence can be added to paragraph 2.

On the contrary, in caring for the fire they were also caring for themselves. Where should it best fit in the paragraph? Click on the square ( ) to add the sentence to the paragraph. Paragraph 2 is marked with an arrow ( ).

Help

Time

Writing section

The Writing section measures the candidate’s ability to write an essay in English on a single assigned topic, including the ability to generate, organize, and develop ideas; to support those ideas with examples or evidence; and to compose a response in standard written English. This section directly measures the test taker’s ability to produce language and complements the information obtained from the Structure section. The essay is required on the computer-based test, not optional, as the Test of Written English is with the paper-based test. The essay topic is chosen by the computer from a pool of topics published in the Bulletin and on the TOEFL Web site. Examinees must compose the essay in the 30-minute time limit and can either handwrite the essay or type it on the computer. (The word-processing program used is Notepad-based and does not include tab, spell-check, or grammar-check functions.) Examinees are given scratch paper on which they can organize their thoughts. However, only essays written on the official answer sheet or typed into the computer are scored. (See Section C for the rating scale used to grade the essay.) Copyright 䉷 1998, ETS

Writing Practice Topics TOEFL - Writing

File

Read the question below and type your response in the box. Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should make learning enjoyable and fun for their students. Use reasons and specific examples to support your opinion. Cut

Paste

Undo

Time

Help

Answer Confirm

Step 3: Learn how computer-based testing works and is scored. Computer-adaptive testing The computer-adaptive sections of the TOEFL test, Listening and Structure, are tailored to the individual test taker. Each examinee receives a set of questions that meets the test design and is generally appropriate for his or her proficiency level. Test design determines the total number of questions and the variety of question types, as well as the subject matter presented (i.e., variety of topics for listening stimuli and reading passages). The computer-adaptive sections start with questions of moderate difficulty. As test takers answer each question, the computer scores the question and uses that information, as well as the responses to previous questions, to determine which question is presented next. As long as candidates respond correctly, the computer typically selects a next question of greater or equal difficulty. In contrast, if they answer a question incorrectly, the computer typically selects a question of lesser or equal difficulty. The computer is programmed to choose questions that meet the test design as it continuously adjusts to find questions of appropriate difficulty for test takers of all performance levels. This means that different test takers will be given different, but comparable, questions. However, examinees should not feel alarmed if they receive slightly easier questions than expected; it may mean that the computer is meeting the test design. All examinees must answer a predetermined number of questions from each of the specified content categories, and some of these categories naturally involve less difficult material. Thus, even individuals who receive high scores are typically required to answer some relatively easy questions. However, with computer-adaptive testing, candidates receive fewer questions that are either too easy or too difficult for them. The computer is constantly probing to confirm just how high each examinee can perform; this means that the test is appropriately challenging to each test taker. More technically speaking, in a computer-adaptive test, the computer is programmed to estimate an examineeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability and choose items that will provide the most information to refine the ability estimate. At the beginning of the test or section, the assumed ability is at the middle of the score range. The first question is at a moderate level of difficulty, meaning that there is a high probability that examinees from middle to high ability will answer it correctly and a lower probability that examinees at a low level of ability will answer it correctly. Naturally, at the beginning of a section, almost any question will add significantly to the information about the examinee. Later in the section, more distinction between ability levels is possible. For instance, in a 20-item section, suppose that after 10 items an examinee has answered four out of five above-average difficulty questions correctly. The computer will assume the examineeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability level to be in the range of medium to high; no useful information can be gained by administering easy questions to this candidate. Conversely, if, after 10 questions an examinee answered four out of five questions of average difficulty incorrectly, the computer assumes that the person is in the medium to low ability level and chooses easier questions to find the candidateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level of ability more accurately. In the computer-adaptive sections, only one question is presented at a time. Because the computer scores each question before selecting the next one, examinees must answer each question when it is presented. This means test takers cannot skip questions, and once they have confirmed an answer, they cannot return to that question. However, examinees are able to change their answer to a question as often they like until they have made their final choice, confirmed their answer, and moved on to the next question. Occasionally examinees may give an incorrect answer due to careless error or may answer correctly with a lucky guess. However, the adaptive nature of the test generally will lead them back to questions of appropriate difficulty. After they answer a question incorrectly, examinees still have the opportunity to receive more difficult questions if they answer subsequent questions correctly. The computer tracks the pattern of examinee responses and obtains substantial evidence before confirming an estimate of ability.

How the computer-adaptive sections are scored The scores on the computer-adaptive Listening and Structure sections depend on the number of questions examinees answer in the time allotted, the difficulty of the questions given, and the candidates’ performance on those questions. (Pretest questions may be randomly inserted, but they do not count toward a score.1) More credit is given for correctly answering a difficult question than for correctly answering an easy question. If two test takers have the same number of correct responses, generally the person who answers more of the difficult questions correctly will receive the higher score. Similarly, for two test takers who correctly answer questions of equivalent difficulty on average, the person who proceeds slowly through the test and leaves several questions unanswered at the end will receive a lower score than the one who answered every question. The scoring of a computer-adaptive section is cumulative. If the last question in a section is relatively easy and is answered incorrectly, it does not mean the examinee will receive a low score. Because adaptive tests are tailored to the ability level of the examinee, it is expected that all examinees ultimately will answer some questions incorrectly. The scoring process takes this into account and, consequently, it is possible to earn a very high score even if several questions are answered incorrectly.

Computerized nonadaptive testing The Reading section is not computer-adaptive. This section contains passages accompanied by several questions covering the full range of difficulty. Because the selection of these passages and questions is not based on cumulative performance, examinees are allowed to skip items or go back to previous questions. As with the adaptive sections, the Reading section scores are based on the number of questions examinees answer in the time allotted, as well as the difficulty level of and examinees’ performance on the questions given. The fundamental difference between the Reading section and the adaptive Listening and Structure sections is in how the questions are selected. In the Reading section, questions are selected to fit the test design; they are not tailored to examinee ability level.

Step 4: Use test-taking strategies that will allow them to do their best. Students are strongly urged to review the following information as they prepare for the test.

General test-taking strategies Long before the day of the test, examinees should: ● Learn about the test. It’s always best to know as much as possible about what to expect before arriving at the test center. Test takers can use the free Bulletin or the TOEFL Web site to get started. These are valuable resources for learning about the types of questions, test directions, and procedures to expect on test day. They describe the number of questions in each section, the time allotted for each section, and the total test time. ● Use TOEFL test preparation materials for more practice. At minimum students should do some sample questions from each section of the test to become familiar with them. The TOEFL Sampler and POWERPREP software (available in the year 2000) will help candidates practice for the computer-based test. Most of the questions on the computer-based TOEFL test are similar to those in the paper-based test. Therefore, examinees can also use exercises from paper-based TOEFL test preparation materials to prepare for the computer-based test. See page 38 for information about how to obtain official TOEFL preparation materials.

The administration of pretest questions ensures that each question provides reliable information about an examinee’s ability, a critical part of the test-building process for future TOEFL tests.

● When practicing for the test, students should try to simulate actual test-taking conditions. Whenever possible, they should try practice questions under timed conditions so that they get used to the pace of the test. In other words, if there are 20 questions in a section and test takers have a total of 40 minutes to complete the section, they should give themselves an average of two minutes to complete each sample question. When practicing, they should keep in mind that if they spend too much time on one question, they will have less time to spend on the rest. Also, when practicing for the test candidates should use scratch paper only for the Writing section and use headphones during the Listening section. On the day of the test, examinees should: ● Use the computer tutorials to their advantage. They can spend as much time as they need to make themselves familiar and comfortable with the computer before they start the timed sections of the test. They should start the test when they feel ready. Examinees can always click on the Help icon to review the directions or a summary of the tutorials, but they should be aware that the test clock will NOT stop when the “Help” function is being used. Therefore, examinees should use it only when absolutely necessary. ● Follow the directions carefully before beginning each section. Examinees should become familiar with the directions before arriving at the test center. Throughout the test examinees should follow the directions for each question type. For example, if a question requires two answers, test takers cannot move to the next question until they have selected exactly two answers. All directions should be followed carefully to avoid wasting time “fixing” errors. ● Understand that no skipping is allowed. In the computer-adaptive sections (Listening and Structure) examinees are required to answer every question in the order it is presented. They cannot skip a question and go back. The computer selects the next question from a large pool of available questions based upon the examinee’s previous answers. ● Not panic if they do not know an answer. — Concentrate on the current question. Test takers should avoid trying to identify which questions are “easy” or “difficult” and should try not to worry about incorrect answers. They should concentrate on doing the best they can on the current question. This is a habit that can be learned through practice. Examinees should remember they can respond incorrectly to several questions and still receive a high score. — Test takers should avoid spending too much time on any one question. If, after examinees have given it a reasonable amount of thought and they still don’t know the answer to a question, they should eliminate as many answer choices as possible and then select the best choice. They should keep going and aim to complete the each section rather than getting stuck on a tough question and losing time. ● Pace themselves so they have enough time to answer every question. At the beginning of each section, directions will indicate the number of questions and the time allowed. Examinees should try to budget enough time for each question so they will be able to complete the section without having to rush at the end. They should keep in mind the average amount of time they may want to spend per question. Once examinees start the test, an onscreen clock will continuously count down the remaining time. Candidates can hide this display if they want, but it is a good idea to check the clock periodically to monitor progress. The clock will automatically alert them when five minutes remain in the allotted time for a section. ● If examinees are running out of time at the end of a section, they should make every effort to complete it. Data indicate that most candidates get higher scores if they finish the test. In fact, based on an analysis of test takers, a majority of them will score higher if they finish the test than if they do not attempt to answer all the questions. However, there is a chance that random guessing at the end of a section can seriously lower scores. The best strategy is to pace oneself so there is enough time to consider each test question so guessing is not necessary.

● Understand how the test is scored and that it’s more than just correct answers. It is important to keep in mind that computer-adaptive tests are scored differently than most paper-based tests. Scores on a computer-adaptive test depend on a combination of factors, such as — the number of questions answered within the allotted time — performance on the questions answered throughout the test — the level of difficulty of those questions in relation to overall performance

Special strategies for each section For the Listening section

Before the day of the test, examinees should: ● Practice listening to radio, TV, and movies in order to become accustomed to North American English. On the day of the test, examinees should: ● Remember that they do not need any special background knowledge to answer the questions. All the information needed to answer the questions is contained in the listening material presented. ● Listen for the main idea in the academic discussions and minilectures. The narrator’s introductory statement and the first screen establish the topic and setting. ● Use the visuals that accompany the listening stimuli. All stimuli are accompanied by visuals that help test takers understand the context for each stimulus and the role of the speakers. In the academic discussions, which include three or more speakers, the visuals can help test takers identify the various speakers. Examinees should look at the visuals, but then concentrate on what is being said. The minilectures sometimes have visuals that relate to the topics covered and contain important content information. Therefore, examinees should look at these visuals while they listen carefully to the speaker. (See examples of visuals below and on page 18.) ● Read the questions as well as listen to them. Questions appear on the screen in addition to being spoken. ● Try to predict the answer to each question. After listening to and reading a question, examinees can try to guess the answer before looking at the options. Then they can scan the options to locate the one that corresponds closest with their prediction.

File

Time

Listening - Practice Questions & Review

Volume

Help

Answer Confirm

● Try to answer the questions as quickly as they can so that the stimulus remains fresh in their minds. On the paper-based TOEFL test, examinees have 12 seconds to respond to each question, but on the computer-based test they set their own pace. Therefore, examinees may wish to leave the test clock turned on during this section to help them budget their time. TOEFL - Listening

Time

Volume

Help

Answer Confirm

Listening activities for the classroom ✔ Teachers could have their students listen to short excerpts (up to two and one-half minutes in length) from academic material. Then students could 1. listen for the main idea(s) and important details without taking notes 2. listen to the excerpt again and, in groups, do the following: (a) predict possible questions (b) answer the questions (c) review a transcript of the material and identify the correct answers. ✔ Listening to nonacademic materials such as radio, TV, and movies can help students become accustomed to North American English. Teachers could have students 1. listen to selected material 2. summarize the main idea(s) and important details either orally or in writing.

For the Structure section

Examinees should: ● Use paper-based test preparation materials for practice in addition to computer-based preparation materials. The computer-based test contains the same types of Structure questions featured in the paperbased TOEFL test. For the Reading section

Before the day of the test, examinees should: ● Become accustomed to scrolling techniques and reading on screen by — using computer-assisted language learning software — reading on the Internet — reading electronic documents at the library — reading passages in the TOEFL Sampler 18

On the day of the test, examinees should: ● Remember that they do not need any special background knowledge to answer the questions. All the information needed to answer the questions is contained in the reading passage. ● Read each passage carefully before answering the accompanying questions. The passage always remains on the left half of the computer screen, so examinees can always refer to it. ● Avoid skipping questions. In this section examinees can return to questions and change their answers. They can also skip a question and return to it later. However, skipping around can waste time. An examinee who skips the third question in a 50-item section must scroll back through 47 questions to reach it. The most effective way to use the allotted time is to answer all the questions about one reading passage before moving on to the next passage. The number of questions answered is incorporated into the calculation of scores. ● Use the context of the passage as much as possible to answer vocabulary-related questions.

Reading activities for the classroom ✔ Teachers could introduce common ways of organizing text (e.g., main idea followed by supporting detail, procedures followed by result) as well as cohesive devices (e.g., the primary reason, the three types of, next, on the other hand). Then they could have their students read short excerpts from academic passages (250-350 words in length or less depending on their level of proficiency), and read on computer if possible. The students could 1. read for the main ideas and important details without taking notes 2. read the excerpt again and in groups do the following (a) predict possible questions (b) answer the questions (c) review the passage and identify the correct answers. ✔ Teachers could also extract sentences from each passage and ask students to work in groups and identify where to insert the text, and also explain why (e.g., identify cohesive devices or explain the organizational flow of the passage). ✔ Teachers could also ask their students to underline vocabulary words and their synonyms in the passage if they can be found.

For the Writing section

Before the day of the test, examinees should: ● Become familiar with the topics listed in the Bulletin and at www.toefl.org/cbprpmat.html#topics, and practice writing several 30-minute draft essays using the topics. ● Decide whether to handwrite or type the essay. — If examinees prefer to type, they can use the Sampler or POWERPREP software (the latter will be available in the year 2000) to become familiar with the word processing program used in the test. Keep in mind there are no tab, spell-check, or grammar-check functions in this program. — If examinees decide to handwrite, they should practice handwriting some essays. Examinees should duplicate testing conditions by using both sides of a sheet of lined paper. Handwriting should be neat and legible. Examinees should not use large handwriting, skip lines, or leave wide margins to make their essays look longer. ● Understand the criteria used to evaluate the essays. Test takers should become familiar with the rating scale (see page 26 or the TOEFL Bulletin). Essays are evaluated on the basis of how the ideas are presented and developed as well as on the use of language. Examples of essays at each score level are found on pages 28-30. 19

—Examinees should make every effort to stay on the topic. An essay that is off topic will receive a score of “0,” which will have a serious effect on the Structure/Writing and total scores. —Examinees should organize the essay for a logical flow of ideas. If an essay is well organized, a reader will be able to follow the train of thought from beginning to end without becoming confused. —Examinees should develop their essays by using details, examples, and reasons to support or illustrate their points. —Examinees should attempt to use language effectively. Essays will be judged on the variety, effectiveness, and appropriateness of sentence structure and vocabulary. The readers will also notice grammatical and other errors and judge whether those errors obscure meaning. —Examinees should keep in mind that raters expect to read first-draft essays, not highly polished final products. On the day of the test, examinees should: ● Keep in mind that there is no choice of topic. Candidates should realize that if they click on “Next” and then “Answer Confirm” they will not see another topic, and they will have lost the opportunity to complete the essay. The writing tutorial explains this procedure. ● Take some time to think about the topic before starting to write. Test takers are presented with one essay topic from the pool of available topics. It is probably a good strategy for examinees to brainstorm quickly and then organize the essay by drafting a brief outline on scratch paper. ● Respond in the mode (handwritten or typed) they have indicated on the computer screen. This will ensure that their essays are correctly matched with the test records. Handwritten essays must be written on the essay answer sheet distributed at the test center. NOTE: Examinees should be aware that if they choose to type their essays they will receive their official score reports faster — within two weeks, rather than five weeks for handwritten essays. ● Keep track of time and allow time at the end of this section to read over their essays and make any necessary changes.

Writing activities for the classroom ✔ In addition to working with their students to improve English vocabulary, grammatical variety, language accuracy, and language use in discourse context, teachers can introduce the different aspects of writing that are reflected in the rating scale for the TOEFL essay. For example, they can work with students on developing and elaborating on ideas related to a topic, and considering the reader’s perception of the organization and coherence of the essay. ✔ Then students can 1. use TOEFL essay topics to practice writing both in-class 30-minute draft essays and out-of-class essays including revisions 2. get together in groups to compare the ideas and elaborations they have generated on the same topic and discuss how effective these are 3. practice typing and handwriting essays to see which mode is best for them to express their ideas fully and accurately in 30 minutes.

Section B: Questions Frequently Asked by Students How can I get a copy of the TOEFL Bulletin? The Bulletin can be ordered online or downloaded from the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/infobull.html. It can also be ordered by calling 1-609-771-7100. In addition, Bulletins are available from overseas representatives, most educational advising centers, and many local colleges and universities. How do I know if supplemental paper-based TOEFL is offered in my area? The TOEFL Web site lists all the areas where supplemental paper-based TOEFL has been reintroduced on a temporary basis to replace mobile computer-based testing. Supplemental Bulletins are available from educational advisors and Bulletin distribution offices only in those areas where supplemental testing is available. How far in advance should I call to make a testing appointment? Making a testing appointment is much like calling to make a doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointment. Appointments are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, consider your admission deadlines and call at least four weeks early to increase the likelihood of getting your preferred test date at the most convenient center. Select some alternative test dates before calling. The busiest testing months are October, November, December, April, and May, so it may be easier to schedule an appointment during the other months of the year. Where are the test centers located? A list of test center locations can be found in the Bulletin and on the TOEFL Web site. This list is updated regularly as new test sites are added. What computer skills do I need to take the test on computer? You can take the test even if you have no previous computer experience. You are required to complete a series of computer tutorials before the actual timed test begins. These untimed tutorials teach the very simple computer skills you will need to take the test (e.g., how to use a mouse to point, click, scroll, and how to answer the questions in each section). How can I order official TOEFL test preparation materials? You can order by calling 1-800-446-3319 (from the U.S.) or 1-609-771-7243 (from outside the U.S.). Materials can also be ordered from www.ets.org/store.html, or by using the order form in the Bulletin. What are the computer requirements needed to run the TOEFL Sampler? The TOEFL Sampler is formatted for Windows or Macintosh on the same CD-ROM. Windows: Personal computer with a 486 processor or higher; Windows 3.1 or higher; 8MB of RAM or higher; CD-ROM drive; VGA, 256 color with 640 x 480 resolution; sound card; mouse; and keyboard with a Latin alphabet (for the English writing exercises). Macintosh: Macintosh System 7.0; 68040 processor or higher; 8 MB of RAM or higher; CD-ROM drive; VGA color with 640 x 480 resolution; sound card; mouse; and keyboard with a Latin alphabet (for the English writing exercises).

Is computer-adaptive testing fair? Yes. The computer is constantly probing to verify your ability level. Occasionally you may give an incorrect answer due to a careless error or answer correctly due to a lucky guess. However, in the computer-adaptive sections even if you answer an easy question incorrectly, you still have the opportunity to receive more difficult questions if you answer subsequent questions correctly. Is the essay required? Yes, all examinees are required to write an essay. The essay score is factored into the Structure/Writing score, which also affects the total score. The essay rating and the Structure adaptive score each account for approximately 50 percent of the reported Structure/Writing score. For more information about the essay, see Section C. For information about score calculation and how scores are affected if the essay is not written, see Section D. How do scores on the computer-based TOEFL test compare to scores on the paper-based test? Content and format changes in the computer-based TOEFL test required the creation of a new score scale. Students who wish to know what scores on the computer-based test are comparable to those on the paperbased test should consult the TOEFL concordance tables (in the Bulletin, on the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/concords1.html, and on pages 35-37 of this booklet). How can test takers be compared if computer-adaptive sections are tailored to each individual? As with the paper-based test, each version of the computer-based test meets the preestablished test design, including the types of questions asked and the subject matter presented. Content is comparable across all versions, and the scoring procedures take the difficulty of the questions into account. Therefore, individuals who take different versions of the computer test can be compared in the same way as those who take different versions of the paper-based test. What steps are taken to ensure that test questions are fair? Each TOEFL question is examined carefully to ensure that it is fair to all examinees and revised, if necessary, until is it free of problematic language. It is then pretested to make sure that it performs well and discriminates across ability levels. Examineesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; responses are routinely analyzed to ensure that the test continues to meet the highest standards of comparability and reliability. Do early questions in an adaptive section count more than later questions? The questions in an adaptive section do not count more simply because of their position in the test. However, the more difficult questions do count more toward the score. Because two sections are adaptive, your responses to early questions do influence the selection of later questions. For example, the first question in an adaptive section is of average difficulty; if you answer it correctly, the computer will generally deliver a more difficult question next. As you move through the section answering more and more questions, the influence of any one question diminishes somewhat, because all your questions and all your responses to that point determine the difficulty of the next question, and subsequently, the test score. In the adaptive sections, your best strategy is to budget your time, consider each question carefully, and work at a steady pace. If you spend too much time on the early questions, you may be forced to rush through the last questions in the section. What are conditions like at the test center? The test is given in individual testing stations, similar to partitioned study areas you might find in a library. Each testing station is equipped with a computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, good lighting, and a comfortable chair. You are given volume-adjustable headphones for Listening. Scratch paper is provided for Writing. The testing area is monitored by test center administrators and by video systems.

How often can I take the test? You may take the test only once per calendar month, even if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken the test and canceled your scores. For example, if you test in August, you must wait until September to test again. If you test more than once in a calendar month, your new scores will not be reported and your second test fee will not be refunded. What kind of identification should I take to the test center? You must present proper photobearing identification, which in most cases is a passport. (See the Bulletin for more information.) In addition, a digital photo will be taken of you at the test center. This photo is stored with your test results and is transmitted with each official score report. You will also sign in and sign out when entering or leaving the testing room, and your photo and signature will be checked every time. What if I need help during the test? You can click on the Help icon at any time during the test to review test directions or information from the tutorials, although the test clock will NOT stop if you do so. If there is a problem with the computer equipment during the test, you should raise your hand, and a test center administrator will assist you. How are test takers with disabilities accommodated? The TOEFL program is committed to serving test takers with currently documented visual, physical, hearing, or learning disabilities, or temporary illness-related disabilities, by providing services and reasonable accommodations considered appropriate given the purpose of the test. Accommodations that can be provided include an amanuensis, extra time on the test, extra breaks, a separate room, wheelchair access, a reader or signer (for sign-in process only), omission of the Listening section, screen magnification, and mouse emulators. Arrangements for nonstandard testing accommodations must be requested in writing. For specific information, see the TOEFL Information Bulletin or www.toefl.org. Nonstandard administrations vary widely, so test scores from such administrations are not comparable to scores on tests administered in the standard manner. How quickly are score reports sent out? If test takers choose to type the essay, score reports are sent from ETS to them and their target institutions approximately two weeks after the test date. If examinees choose to handwrite the essay, score reports will be sent out approximately five weeks after the test date. Occasionally there are delays because of local mailing service or computer transmission problems. How can I order scores by phone? Order scores by phone approximately two weeks (if the essay was typed; five weeks if the essay was handwritten) after the test date by calling 1-888-TOEFL-44 from the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands and 1-609-771-7267 elsewhere. There is a fee to use this phone service, plus a fee for each score report ordered. You can also order additional score reports for institutions for a fee. See www.toefl.org/cbscrsvc.html#phonetoefl for more information about this service. How long does ETS keep scores on file? Test scores are held on file in a database and can be reported, on request, for two years after your test day. Scores more than two years old cannot be reported.

Section C: More About the Essay Rating Scale Used to Score the Essay Each essay is assigned a rating of 0 to 6 by two independent readers. The average of these two ratings is reported on a raw score scale in 0.5 increments (6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, 0.5, 0.0). If there is a discrepancy of more than one point between the first two readers, a third person reads the essay independently and the three ratings are averaged. The final essay rating accounts for approximately 50 percent of the composite Structure/Writing score; it is reported separately on the score report, for informational purposes only. For more details about the calculation of the composite Structure/Writing score and the effect that not writing an essay can have on a score, see Section D.

Essay ratings 6

An essay at this level ● effectively addresses the writing task ● is well organized and well developed ● uses clearly appropriate details to support a thesis or illustrate ideas ● displays consistent facility in the use of language ● demonstrates syntactic variety and appropriate word choice, though it may have occasional errors

An essay at this level ● may address some parts of the task more effectively than others ● is generally well organized and developed ● uses details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea ● displays facility in the use of the language ● demonstrates some syntactic variety and range of vocabulary, though it will probably have occasional errors

An essay at this level ● addresses the writing topic adequately but may slight parts of the task ● is adequately organized and developed ● uses some details to support a thesis or illustrate an idea ● displays adequate but possibly inconsistent facility with syntax and usage ● may contain some errors that occasionally obscure meaning

An essay at this level may reveal one or more of the following weaknesses: ● inadequate organization or development ● inappropriate or insufficient details to support or illustrate generalizations ● a noticeably inappropriate choice of words or word forms ● an accumulation of errors in sentence structure and/or usage

An essay at this level is seriously flawed by one or more of the following weaknesses: ● serious disorganization or underdevelopment ● little or no detail, or irrelevant specifics ● serious and frequent errors in sentence structure or usage ● serious problems with focus

An essay at this level ● may be incoherent ● may be undeveloped ● may contain severe and persistent writing errors

An essay will be rated 0 if it ● contains no response ● merely copies the topic ● is off topic, is written in a foreign language, or consists only of keystroke characters

Sample writing topics Modern life is causing many traditions and beliefs to become less important. Choose one tradition or belief and explain why you think it should be continued and maintained. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole day on academic studies. Which opinion do you agree with? Give reasons to support your answer. It has been said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Not everything that is learned is contained in books.â&#x20AC;? Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why? Neighbors are people who live near us. In your opinion, what are the qualities of a good neighbor? Use specific details and examples in your answer. You need to travel from your home to a place 40 miles (64 kilometers) away. Compare the different kinds of transportation you could use. Tell which method of travel you would choose. Give specific reasons for your choice. Your community has enough money to hire one new employee. Which one of the following (three choices will be presented in the actual test) should your community hire? a community health worker a counselor an emergency medical technician a firefighter a judge a landscaper a police officer a recreation center director a teacher Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay. Some young children spend a great amount of their time practicing sports. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this. Use specific reasons and examples in your answer. Read and think about the following statement: Only people who earn a lot of money are successful. Do you agree or disagree with this definition of success? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. What is the most important animal in your country? Why is this animal important? Use reasons and specific details to explain your answer. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Private companies should spend more money to clean up pollution in the environment. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay. For a full list of the writing topics see the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/cbprpmat.html or the TOEFL Information Bulletin.

Sample essays The following essays include samples from scores 1 to 6. Examples that earned a score of zero (0) are not included. All the samples are reproduced with original syntax, spelling, and punctuation.

Sample topic: Supporters of technology say that it solves problems and makes life better. Opponents argue that technology creates new problems that may threaten or damage the quality of life. Using one or two examples, discuss these two positions. Which view of technology do you support? Why?

Essay rating of 1 Now a days, in the life the technology it solves problems. But damage the quality of the life is very important. Because the many people to the quality of life is very high than the yesterday socizat. They are use or buys goods is more good then yesterday. So the many people to need the high quality are too many. Essay rating of 2 The main point is tecnology, and what does tecnology, and what does tecnology do in our life, before anything we should suggest to some tecnolgy’s working way in daily life. Tecnology would be very useful but, in some condition for example as a nature distribting which it would be very dangrouse, but it could be very important in other way for better live and make the life’s things to do easier. Supporthing tecnolgy is very important — and it would make the useful way of using tecnology, because it needs the supporters and investing to find more and more progress in the tecnolgy. But sometimes tecnology makes some problem that I mantion in the begining of essay and it would very dangrous in some ways. For example factories trash makes some problems and makes the water dirty and it’s damage wouldn’t be not quality easy. At the end I would like to say that: supporthing of tecnolgy will be helpful and make life easier, but tecnolgy must be very careful to not be a danger and risky. Essay rating of 3 In my own points of view I support technology can solve problems and makes life better. Such as deveploment of computer. Computer helps human solves thousand of problems espeaclly science. A lot of calculation was so complex. It is impossible count them from normal method It should use a very fast computer in order to compute it. Super conductor, one of the hot technology topic. A lot of sciencists study this kind of stuff. It is a very important stuff. If we can use it in normal way. That is wnderful. We can easily solve the big problem, “energy”. Because super conductor has a special mental. It can pass through the energy without lossing. It is a Hi-technology’s symbol. But technology also created a lot of problem. Such as industary unless thing. Human feel dizzy from then. A lot of vehicles running on the road. Creating much CO2. Affect the earth’s nature condition Recently. The weather was so bad. Because of the CO2. CO2 blocks the sun light. So the weather was inconsiderable. Finally, I support technology. Because it is more benefit.

Essay rating of 4 I agree with the opponents of technology say that technology creates new problems that may threaten or damage the quality of life. The most serious problem is the pollution. Toxic wastes are being dumped into rivers, lakes and even out atmosphere. Fish and other marine live cannot survive in polluted rivers and oceans. Also, toxic gases are being produced by cars, factories and planes. This is the main source which causes the acid rain. Acid rain has done a great damage to the forest that the quanlity of trees are reducing day by day. The ozone layer â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a protective layer that surrounding us in the atmosphere is carring away by wasted chemicals. That means we are lossing our protective layer and letting ultroviolet to pass through. And for us, we are breathing in a lot of polluted air which may make us ill or sometimes may cause death. Technology may solve a lot of problems but the point is the result of technology gives us disavantages more than avantages. So I a on the side of the opponents. Essay rating of 5 Technology by definetion refers to the improvement of the technical know how and advancement of machinery to improve the working systems in the human society. In a away this looks a very good idea in that mansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work would be made much faster and less laborious. Machines which are the main implements of technology have a major advantage to mansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ways of life. Take for example an aeroplane, which being a product of advance in tecnology has made all corners of the earth look like they are only centimetres apart. It has made the means of communication which prior to its development was very difficult much easier and less risky. Travelling to many parts of the world which are very many miles apart now only takes a few hours or days where as this used to take days or even months. On the other hand technology has created a number of new harzards to the health of societies. The machines make life easy but also expose people to new problems. In the example considered above transportation has become easier by planes but these planes also expose people to accidents which have become so numerous and clam many lives daily. As we all know that a majority of these machines use fuel and that to use the fuel it has to burn there are new products which we introduced into our enviroment. These new products include gases from automobiles which pollute the air we breathe. These gases expose us to lung diseases, cancers and number of new ailments which have not yet been fully explored. In conclusion I think that although advances in technology may seem favorable there are alot of harzards which it introduces into our ways of life. Essay rating of 6 These are several viewpoints on the implications of technological change and advancement and such schools of thought which considerably vary have their respective validity. Technological change has its advantages and disadvantages. For one, it is true that it partly solves problems and makes life better. At the same time, technological changes may likely create new problems thereby threatening or damaging quality of life. In the developing economies, for instance, technological advantages has both its merits and demerits. The introduction and seeming acceptability and usefulness of computers have somehow helped increase the efficiency of several firms. It is not only in the industrial sector that technological change proven to be very effective. In the agricultural sector, for example, the introduction of new technologies in increasing production has been very effective in expanding agricultural produce. These are just a few examples to illustrate the advantages of technological advancement. On the other hand, countries should be more careful on their choice of technology since it must be noted that while certain types of technology are adaptable to developed economies the same type of technology may not fit the environment of developing countries due to differing economic, social, cultural, and political factors. For example, infrastructure improvements such as a construction of irrigation dam in the mountains of the Philippines where several natives reside may likely be resisted by the population due to cultural factors.

They may prefer not to have such improvements in view of traditional values. Another example is the pollution impact of some technological improvements particularly in the industrial sectors. The choice and adaptability of new technology should therefore be carefully studied. The short, medium, and long term impact of such technology is very important particulary for developing economies. The benefits should always be greater than the costs. I am inclined to support both positions because both views have their own validity. However, I am more convinced that technological advancement is heilly beneficial to countries so long as they are aware of the disadvantages of such technology.

Section D: About the Test Scores The TOEFL scoring process is fairly complex. Although it is very helpful for those who work with students to understand the process, examinees do not need to understand it in order do well on the test.

Score scales New score scales have been developed for the computer-based TOEFL test. In addition, the paper-based score scales have been changed slightly so that they do not overlap with the computer-based scores. A quick look at a score will indicate immediately which type of test the candidate has taken. Computer-Based Test Score Scale Sections

Paper-Based Test Score Scale Sections

Listening

0 to 30

Listening Comprehension

31 to 68

Structure/Writing

0 to 30

Structure/Written Expression

31 to 68

Reading

0 to 30

Reading Comprehension

31 to 67

Total Score

0 to 300

Total Score

310 to 677

The total scale score for each examinee is determined by adding the scale scores for the all the sections and multiplying that figure by ten thirds (10/3). Sample calculation: Listening + Structure/Writing + Reading = Total 21 + 22 + 21 = 64 64 x 10 รท 3 = 213 The Structure adaptive score and the essay rating each contribute approximately 50 percent to the Structure/Writing composite score.

New score requirements Examinees taking the computer-based TOEFL test to fulfill an admissions requirement should consult their target institutions to determine their particular score requirements. If students wish to know what scores on the computer-based test are comparable to those on the paper-based test, they should consult the TOEFL concordance tables (in the Bulletin, on the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/concords1.html, and on pages 35-37 of this booklet).

Score calculation A TOEFL score is not just the number of correct answers. On the TOEFL the same number of correct responses on different tests will not necessarily result in the same score because the difficulty levels of the questions vary slightly. In other words, if one examinee receives a slightly easier test and another examinee receives a slightly harder test, the same number of correct responses would result in different scores. Historically, examinees taking the paper-based TOEFL exam on different test dates have received different test forms. Scores calculated from different test forms are made comparable by means of a statistical process known as score equating, which adjusts the scores for slight differences in overall difficulty. 31

Calculating reported scores for computer-based tests is similar, in that the number of questions answered correctly is adjusted according to the difficulty level of the questions on every test. Furthermore, on an adaptive test, questions are chosen sequentially to match an examinee’s ability level. Thus examinees with different abilities will take tests that have different levels of difficulty. As with paper-based tests, the design of the test ensures that different types of questions and a variety of subject matter are presented proportionally the same for each examinee. As with paper-based scores, statistical adjustments are made to the scores so that they can be compared. Item response theory provides the mathematical basis for this adjustment. The statistics used in the process are derived from pretesting. Scale scores on a computer-based test are derived from ability estimates. ● The computer estimates ability based on the difficulty of the question answered. This estimate is updated after each question is answered. ● At the end of the test, an examinee’s ability estimate on each section is converted to a scale score that enables one to compare the scale scores on different computer-based tests.

Calculation of the Structure/Writing score The composite Structure/Writing score is not a combination of the number correct on Structure and a rating on the essay. As stated in the section on adaptive testing, the score on the adaptive Structure section is calculated as a function of the difficulty of the questions given and the examinee’s performance on those questions. The essay rating is weighted to account for approximately 50 percent of the composite score. Because these separate scores (adaptive Structure and essay) are both noninteger values (decimal), their sum (the composite) is actually on a continuous scale, which is then converted to a scale score (also a decimal value) and then rounded. As a result of this summing, scaling, and rounding, the same integer Structure-only score and an unweighted essay rating can result in slightly different final composite scores. For this reason, it is not possible to provide a table illustrating the exact conversion of Structure and Writing scores to composite scores. The maximum scale score on Structure is 13. This is the official score examinees would receive if they had a perfect score on Structure and a zero (0) on the essay. An essay rating of 1 would add approximately 3 points to an examinee’s composite Structure/Writing scale score and approximately 10 points to the total scale score. Each successive 0.5 increase in the essay rating adds approximately 1 to 2 points to the composite Structure/Writing scale score and approximately 3 to 7 points to the total scale score. Thus, examinees’ scores on the essay greatly affect not only their Structure/Writing scores but also total scores. Scores are most dramatically affected if examinees do not write an essay at all or if they write an essay that is off topic. The following example further illustrates how this procedure works. The examinee below viewed these unofficial scores onscreen:

Sample of unofficial on-screen scores: Listening Structure/Writing Reading TOTAL

22 6 to 25 22 167 to 230

In this sample, the possible Structure/Writing score of 6 is based on the examinees’ performance on Structure and an essay rating of 0. This would result in a total score of 167. The score of 25 is based on the performance on Structure and an essay rating of 6. This would result in a total score of 230. The total score represents the sum of the three section scores multiplied by 10/3.

Given this examinee’s performance on Structure, his or her official scores would be as follows for each possible essay rating. Note that because of the rounding described above, two examinees with the same unofficial Structure score and essay rating might receive different official scores once Structure and essay scores are combined. Essay rating Structure/Writing scale score Total scale score* 0.0 6 167 1.0 9 177 1.5 11 183 2.0 13 190 2.5 14 193 3.0 16 200 3.5 18 207 4.0 19 210 4.5 21 217 5.0 22 220 5.5 24 227 6.0 25 230 *Total scores end with 0, 3, or 7 only because of the averaging of the three section scores. For a more technical explanation of this procedure, please contact the TOEFL statisticians at toefl@ets.org.

At the end of the exam After examinees finish the TOEFL exam at the test center and view their unofficial scores, they have the option of canceling their scores if they wish.2 Those who feel they did poorly on the test might prefer this option. However, students should understand that once scores are canceled they cannot be reinstated and official score reports will not be sent. Candidates will also have to wait until the next calendar month to take the test again. Because the essay will not have been scored yet, examinees will see only ranges for the Structure/Writing and total scores. Examinees who do not cancel their scores must decide whether to order score reports for institutions. ● Examinees who are not satisfied with their scores can choose not to send them to institutions. ● Examinees who are satisfied with their scores can select up to four score recipients from an on-screen pull-down list. Candidates must be careful to select institutions — and often specific colleges within those institutions — and identify them correctly. Therefore, it is important that test takers know how to spell the names of their target institutions as well as the states where the institutions are located. There is no additional fee for selecting four score recipients. In the example on page 32, the examinee’s total score will be somewhere between 167 and 230 depending on the essay rating. Suppose this examinee knows his or her target institution requires a minimum score of 167. He or she may wish to order official score reports immediately. Suppose the required score is 210 and the student feels he or she did not do well on the essay. In this case, the student may wish to wait to order institutional score reports until receiving in the mail the score report including the essay score, or the student may wish to receive scores by phone. If this examinee received an essay rating of 1, the official total scale score would be 177, which is below the institutional minimum of 210. On the other hand, if the student feels he or she performed well on the essay, he or she might feel confident to order official score reports. For example, if this examinee received an essay rating of 5, the official total scale score would be 220, which is above the 210 score requirement. 2

Before July 2000, test takers have the option of canceling their scores before they view them. After July 2000, test takers can cancel their scores after viewing them.

Concordance Tables Using the Concordance Tables The computer-based TOEFL test does not measure English language proficiency in the same manner as the paper-based test. There is a separate score scale for each test: 0 to 300 for the computer-based test and 310 to 677 for the paper-based test. Students should contact their target institutions and find out what the score requirements are for the computer-based TOEFL test. To determine which scores on the computer-based test (total and section scores) are comparable to those on the paper-based test, find the paper-based scores in the concordance tables and then look across the table to identify the comparable scores on the computer-based test. To download the concordance tables, visit the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/concords1.html.

Concordance Table Total Score

Score Comparison

Paper-based Total

Computer-based Total

Paper-based Total

Computer-based Total

Paper-based Total

Computer-based Total

677 673 670 667 663 660 657 653 650 650 647 643 640 637 633 630 627 623 620 617 613 610 607 603 600 600 597 593 590 587 583 580 577 573 570 567 563 560 557 553 550 550 547 543 540 537 533 530 527

300 297 293 290 287 287 283 280 280 277 273 273 270 267 267 263 263 260 260 257 253 253 250 250 247 243 243 240 237 237 233 230 230 227 223 220 220 217 213 210 207 207 203 200 197 197

523 520 517 513 510 507 503 500 500 497 493 490 487 483 480 477 473 470 467 463 460 457 453 450 447 443 440 437 433 430 427 423 420 417 413 410 407 403 400 397 393 390 387 383 380 377 373

193 190 187 183 180 180 177 173 170 167 163 163 160 157 153 150 150 147 143 140 137 133 133 133 130 127 123 123 120 117 113 113 110 107 103 103 100 097 097 093 090 090 087 083 083 080 077

370 367 363 360 357 353 350 347 343 340 337 333 330 327 323 320 317 313 310

77 73 73 70 70 67 63 63 60 60 57 57 53 50 50 47 47 43 40

●

Range Comparison

●

Paper-based Total

Computer-based Total

660–677 640–657 620–637 600–617 580–597 560–577 540–557 520–537 500–517 480–497 460–477 440–457 420–437 400–417 380–397 360–377 340–357 320–337 310–317

287–300 273–283 260–270 250–260 237–247 220–233 207–220 190–203 173–187 157–170 140–153 123–137 110–123 97–107 83–93 70–80 60–70 47–57 40–47

30 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 25 24 23 22 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 09 08

68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41

●

7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2

27–30 24–27 20–23 15–19 10–14 06–09 04–06 02–03

64–68 59–63 54–58 49–53 44–48 39–43 34–38 31–33

Score-to-Score Score-to-Score

68 67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 30 29 28 28 27 27 26 26 25 25 24 23 23 22 21 20 20 19 18 17 17 16 15 14 14 13 12 11

64–68 59–63 54–58 49–53 44–48 39–43 34–38 31–33

Paper-based Structure and Written Expression

●

11 10 09 09 08 08 07 07 06 06

27–30 25–27 21–24 17–20 14–17 10–13 07–09 06–07

●

Computer-based Structure/Writing

Range-to-Range

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31

Paper-based Computer-based Paper-based Computer-based Structure and Structure/Writing Structure and Structure/Writing Written Expression Written Expression

●

Computer-based Listening

Paper-based Listening Comprehension

Range-to-Range

40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31

Computer-based Listening

Score-to-Score

Paper-based Listening Comprehension

Structure/Writing*

67 66 65 64 63 62 61 60 59 58 57 56 55 54 53 52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40

Paper-based Reading Comprehension

30 29 28 28 27 26 26 25 25 24 23 22 21 21 20 19 18 17 16 16 15 14 13 13 12 11 11 10

●

9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 5

64–67 59–63 54–58 49–53 44–48 39–43 34–38 31–33

Paper-based Reading Comprehension

28–30 25–27 21–24 16–20 13–16 09–12 07–09 05–06

Computer-based Reading

Range-to-Range

39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31

Computer-based Reading

Score-to-Score Paper-based Reading Comprehension

Reading Computer-based Reading

Score-to-Score

Concordance Table Section Scaled Scores

* Structure/Writing in the computer-based test includes multiple-choice items and an essay. The Structure and Written Expression section in the paper-based test consists of multiple-choice items only. Therefore, these section scores are derived differently.

Computer-based Listening

Score-to-Score

Paper-based Listening Comprehension

Listening

TOEFL Bulletins and Study Materials Bulletins Bulletins are available from Educational Testing Service. Go to the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/infobull.html ● Order online ● Download Or call 1-609-771-7100 Information Bulletins are also usually available from ● TOEFL overseas representatives ● local colleges and universities ● United States educational commissions and foundations ● United States Information Service (USIS) offices ● binational centers ● private educational organizations ● overseas locations listed on the Web site

TOEFL Study Materials It’s easy to order TOEFL study materials. ● Order online at www.toefl.org/cbprpmat.html or www.ets.org/store.html. Delivery takes three to four weeks domestically; allow more time for overseas delivery. ● Call 1-800-446-3319 (from the U.S.) or 1-609-771-7243 (from outside the U.S.). ● Mail the order form found in the Bulletin. ● Order from the overseas locations listed in the Bulletin and on the Web site.

How to Contact the TOEFL Program TOEFL Web site For the following information, please visit the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org or obtain or download a copy of the TOEFL Information Bulletin at www.toefl.org/infobull.html: ● ● ● ● ●

Study materials and writing topics Test registration/scheduling Test center list Accommodations for test takers with disabilities Concordance tables

Other TOEFL addresses Before the Test General inquiries TOEFL Services Educational Testing Service P.O. Box 6151 Princeton, NJ 08541-6151, USA 1-609-771-7100, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-9:45 p.m., New York Time Fax: 1-609-771-7500 Scheduling a testing appointment: In the U.S., Canada, America Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico: 1-800-GO-TOEFL (1-800-468-6335) Elsewhere: call the appropriate Regional Registration Center listed in the Bulletin or on the Web site. Candidates must obtain and read the TOEFL Information Bulletin before calling. TOEFL study materials In the U.S., Canada, America Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico: 1-800-446-3319 Elsewhere: 1-609-771-7243 For more information, see page 38. After the Test Scores by phone (scores available approximately 14 days after the test date) In the U.S., Canada, America Samoa, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico: 1-888-TOEFL-44 Elsewhere: 1-609-771-7267 Also, see the TOEFL Web site at www.toefl.org/cbscrsvc.html#phonetoefl for more information on this service.

Test of English as a Foreign Language

The International Standard for 35 Years

57328-16522 • U119M200 • Printed in U.S.A.

I.N. 281030