TOEFL iBT to Introduce Adaptive Reading and Listening Sections Starting January 2026

Improvements to the Home Edition Test Environment
to Begin in June 2025

ETS, a global education and talent solutions organization, announced a series of candidate experience-focused improvements related to the TOEFL iBT® (hereafter TOEFL iBT) on May 29, 2025 (U.S. local time).

Based on ETS's mission of "advancing human progress through measurement science," these improvements are designed to maintain the academic fairness and reliability that have made TOEFL iBT trusted by educational institutions for over 60 years, while also providing candidates with a more equitable and accessible testing experience.

Starting in June 2025, test-takers using the Home Edition will be the first to experience enhanced real-time support and system-related updates. Major improvements to the test structure and scoring system will be implemented beginning in January 2026.

Omar Chihane, Global General Manager for TOEFL at ETS, stated, "We are continuously innovating TOEFL iBT so that everyone, regardless of educational background or learning style, can be assessed fairly without disadvantage. We have reduced the number of specialized topics such as those based on Greek mythology, and updated the content to include more practical academic material that today's global learners can relate to. Whether a candidate is at a test center in Korea or taking the test from their home in Denmark, everyone should have the opportunity to fairly demonstrate their English proficiency."

The TOEFL iBT Home Edition will feature: ▲ real-time support throughout the test process from ETS proctors ▲ the introduction of an AI-based identity verification system (ENTRUST) to simplify check-in procedures and enhance security ▲ test scheduling available every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, which maintains the security and reliability of the test even in a remote environment, allowing candidates to take the test in a more stable setting.

Beginning in January 2026, the TOEFL iBT Reading and Listening sections will adopt a multistage adaptive structure. This test structure adjusts the difficulty of questions in real time based on the candidate's responses, allowing for more precise reflection of individual performance.

Additionally, the test will incorporate content carefully selected to reduce cultural bias and to reflect the English used by candidates when participating in group discussions or project assignments in real academic settings.

Alongside the existing 0-120 scoring system, a 1-6 scale aligned with the international standard CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) will be introduced.

This new scoring system will help candidates more easily relate their scores to existing learning standards or other test benchmarks, and will enable educational institutions to interpret scores more intuitively and consistently.

Other improvements include: ▲ replacing headsets at test centers worldwide with stereo headphones co-developed with audio brand Koss ▲ providing new TOEFL iBT preparation materials (including free resources) starting in July 2025 ▲ enabling candidates to check their scores within a maximum of 72 hours ▲ and gradually simplifying the registration process for both center and Home Edition tests.

Ye Heekyung, Country Manager of ETS Korea, stated, "Since 1964, TOEFL iBT has been a leading English test providing educational opportunities to millions of people worldwide. ETS will continue to make improvements so that Korean test-takers can take the exam in a fairer and more convenient environment, while maintaining the highest standards and trust."

Further details can be found on the official TOEFL website or the TOEFL blog.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.