Students appearing for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) will not have to wait for taking a retest, with Educational Testing Services (ETS), the conducting agency of the exam, announcing that the lock-in period has been done away with.
The ETS, known for conducting the global TOEFL and GRE tests, had in May announced certain changes to TOEFL to "bring the test in sync with changing demands of educational institutions". "Students can take the test in consecutive weeks as well as available dates permit which is a significant improvement from the previous 12-day retest waiting period. We felt the earlier students can test or retest, the earlier institutions can receive students' accompanying score report allowing them to make informed admissions decisions based on a wider eligible applicant pool of qualified students in a timely manner," said Srikant Gopal, Executive Director of TOEFL Programme.
The option of taking the test in afternoon sessions which was earlier available in a few countries will now be available worldwide. From last month, the duration of the test has been shortened by 30 minutes and the number of questions in three sections — reading, listening and speaking — reduced.
The earlier duration of the test was three-and-half hours. The ETS had in May also announced the introduction of a feature called 'MyBest scores' which combines the candidates' best scores for each section from all valid TOEFL scores from the previous two years. The option allows candidates to show their best overall test performance to institutions making important admissions decisions.
"All TOEFL iBT score reports sent after August 1, regardless of the test administration date, will automatically include 'MyBest scores' along with the traditional scores from the test taker's selected test date," Gopal said.
The TOEFL, a global test for English language, is welcomed by more than 10,000 institutions in over 150 countries and is universally accepted in popular destinations like the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and by over 98 per cent of universities in the UK.
"The latest improvements to the test revolve around the student testing experience and creating efficiencies that enable them to save time so that they can act quickly. We understand that students need and appreciate flexibility and the changes will increase conveniences for them as they navigate deadlines and busy schedules in preparing for their academic futures," Gopal said.