Tests · TOEFL
TOEFL coaching, section by section.
The TOEFL is ETS's academic English test — four skills, listening, speaking, reading and writing, measured as they are used in real academic tasks, and accepted for undergraduate and postgraduate admission. It comes in three forms: the internet-based iBT, the iBT Home Edition (same recognition and use as the test-centre sitting), and a paper-delivered test.
Formats & registration
Three ways to sit, four ways to register.
Run by ETS; the iBT is the mainstream form, with results uploaded straight to the candidate's record.
Paper-delivered
Answered in writing within the set time.
Computer-based
Completed on a computer within the set time.
Internet-based iBT — mainstream
Sat on a computer, with results uploaded to the candidate's file in real time.
Online at ETS
Create an ETS account, choose date and centre, pay by credit card — the confirmation arrives by email.
By phone
Regional ETS service centres take details, date and centre by phone, with credit-card payment.
Via CSCSE
China's Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange registers candidates and accepts bank transfer and Alipay.
By post
A completed form with cheque or money order to an ETS service centre — slower to process.
The paper
Four sections, tightly timed.
Question types and timings for each skill — the test rewards efficient, well-drilled candidates.
Listening
- Types
- Multiple choice on academic talks, conversations and lectures
- Timing
- About 20 minutes; conversations 2–3 minutes, talks 4–6 minutes each
- Difficulty
- More academic than everyday listening — vocabulary, detail and synthesis all count
Writing
- Types
- Integrated (reading + listening) and independent tasks
- Timing
- Two tasks; the independent essay has 30 minutes for 150–225 words
- Marked by
- At least two independent raters
Reading
- Types
- Multiple choice, gap-fill, summary and sentence completion; new insert-sentence and drag-to-select items
- Timing
- About 60 minutes; passages of ~700 words with 10 questions each
- Marked by
- Computer
Speaking
- Types
- Read-aloud, question response, integrated and independent tasks
- Timing
- About 15 minutes
- Marked on
- Fluency, coherence, grammar and lexical range, by at least two raters
Four-skill sample tasks from Hanlin's TOEFL materials — the full sets are free through the resource centre.
Difficulty & fit
What the test demands — and who it suits.
The vocabulary and skill thresholds behind a strong score.
Vocabulary
On top of the 4,600-word CET-4 base: about 3,000 core academic words plus 2,000 background words.
The four skills
Listening more academic and detail-heavy; speaking judged on fluency, coherence, grammar and range; reading at 700 words per passage; writing split integrated and independent.
Who it suits
Students applying abroad, especially to North America — the content is academic and campus-based, so lean on that strength.
Scoring & recognition
120 points, recognised in 150 countries.
How the score is built, and where it opens doors.
Scoring
Four sections at 30 each, 120 in total. Reading and listening are computer-marked; speaking and writing by at least two raters. Results within 10 days. Standards are strict on expression, grammar and logic.
United States
100% accepted; 90% of top US universities — Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Duke, Berkeley, Caltech among them — and about 90% of undergraduate and graduate programmes prefer TOEFL over other English tests.
UK & Europe
Accepted by 100% of UK universities including every Russell Group member — Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Imperial — and the preferred English test for French and German universities. Also valid for Australian migration visas.
Hanlin courses
Four skill tracks, one plan.
TOEFL coaching runs by skill, so the plan targets where the points are.
Listening
Academic lecture drills, note-taking systems and detail capture.
Speaking
Timed response templates for the four task types, with fluency and range coaching.
Writing
Integrated-task structure and independent-essay development, marked to the rubric.
Reading
Long-sentence analysis and the ten-question passage routine — Hanlin's reading handbook is free to collect.
Talk to an advisor
Everything Hanlin does for the TOEFL, in one conversation.
Four skills, and an honest read on which one is holding the score down.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
Competition coaching
Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
Scan to add an advisor
Say which competition or course you are asking about. Replies in Chinese or English.
Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
TOEFL, briefly answered.
What families ask when the TOEFL lands on the calendar.
Is the Home Edition accepted like the test-centre sitting?
Yes — the iBT Home Edition is the iBT, with the same recognition and uses as a test-centre sitting.
How long is the test now?
About two hours since July 2023 — listening ~20 minutes, reading ~60, speaking ~15 and two writing tasks including a 30-minute essay.
How is the score built and how long is it valid?
Four sections at 30 each for 120; results within 10 days; valid two years from the test date.
TOEFL or IELTS for my child?
Both are widely accepted; TOEFL is the North American default and about 90% of US programmes prefer it, while IELTS leads UK-first plans. Content style matters too — TOEFL is academic and campus-based.
What vocabulary does a strong score need?
The 4,600-word CET-4 base plus about 3,000 core academic words and 2,000 background words — the reading handbook targets exactly these.
TOEFL enquiries
Build the four skills to the score you need.
Tell us the target score and application timeline, and an advisor will map the skill tracks and sitting dates.