TOEFL iBT undergoes major overhaul; introduces adaptive testing, results within 72 hours

TOEFL: The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has announced multiple changes in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT test for students in India and abroad. Test takers using the TOEFL iBT will see immediate improvements in the home testing experience from May 30 and major refinement in test adaptivity, score delivery within 72 hours or less, and reduced turnaround time, effective from January 2026 onwards.

The changes focus on more personalised, seamless experiences, improved test security, reduced cancellations, and faster score delivery. Additionally, there are updates in niche topics such as Greek mythology with relevant academic content reflecting today’s global students, regardless of their backgrounds.

The global general manager of TOEFL at ETS Omar Chihane said: “I learned English outside of a formal classroom, so I understand the challenges of nontraditional learning. We’re transforming TOEFL to be more fair, flexible, and relevant, so no student is held back by how or where they learned.”

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TOEFL iBT home edition improvements

The key elements of the TOEFL iBT home edition enhancements include:

More supportive at-home testing experience starting May 30

The TOEFL home edition will include ETS in-house proctors for consistent support, AI-assisted identity verification to confirm the test taker’s identity, and simplified registration and test-day workflow, reducing administrative hurdles.

Personalised testing experience starting January 2026

ETS will implement a multistage adaptive design for the reading and listening sections of TOEFL iBT. It’ll reflect how students use English in real academic settings, such as group discussions and project work, and the use of content that is relevant, accessible, and carefully reviewed to reduce cultural bias.

Easier to understand scoring that aligns with global standards

TOEFL iBT will introduce an intuitive score scale of 1–6. The additional score will align with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), a widely recognised English proficiency framework, to make score interpretation simpler.

“Score reports will display both the 1–6 banded scale and the traditional 0–120 scale. Institutions will receive training and resources to ensure a smooth integration. The test takers can better connect TOEFL scores to prior learning and familiar benchmarks, such as the CEFR,” the official TOEFL iBT statement said.

TOEFL iBT other enhancements

TOELF iBT will upgrade audio equipment in all test centers worldwide in collaboration with the renowned audio brand Koss. New preparation materials and free items will be designed to support an iBT experience starting in July. A new redesigned process to find and book a test, whether at a center or at home.

TOEFL scores are accepted by 100% of universities in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia and cover over 13,000 institutions worldwide. TOEFL iBT is fair with modern assessment experience, strong security, and the CEFR-aligned scores give colleges the confidence they need in admission decisions and students the reliable way to showcase their English proficiency.

To know more about the TOEFL iBT and students can visit the official website at ets.org/toefl/.