ABSTRACT

The TOEFL iBT test was introduced in 2005 to better reflect the language demands of real-life academic tasks than did previous versions of the test. The task-based design of the test was intended to support the interpretation of its scores as a trustworthy measure of international students’ ability to use English in an academic environment. Until recently, the TOEFL iBT test was exclusively administered online at secure test centers around the world. In response to the disruption caused by the pandemic in early 2020, the TOEFL iBT Home Edition was launched, which is identical to the version administered in test centers, but taken at home through the examinee’s computer, in a proctored environment. We present key features of content delivery and the security of the test. We then discuss preliminary findings related to the comparability of scores across modes of delivery, and important implications for the design and score interpretation of at-home language proficiency tests.

摘要

与先前版本的考试相比，TOEFL iBT考试于2005年推出，以更好地反映现实生活中学术任务的语言要求。基于任务的测试设计旨在支持对分数的解释，以此作为对国际学生在学术环境中使用英语能力的可信赖衡量。直到最近，TOEFL iBT考试还是在全球安全的考试中心专门在线进行管理。为了应对2020年初大流行造成的破坏，托福iBT家庭版推出了，它与考试中心管理的版本相同，但在受监管的环境中通过考生的计算机在家中携带。我们介绍了内容交付的主要功能和测试的安全性。