TOEFL iBT: Home Edition or Test Centre?
The TOEFL is an international test for candidates who aspire to study or work abroad. Every candidate from a non-native English-speaking country must demonstrate English proficiency. They must do so by taking up tests such as the TOEFL and securing the required cutoff. The TOEFL happens numerous times every year in over 4500 test centers. The TOEFL iBT is available online and offline, the latter, primarily at places without proper internet access.
TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition
To aid students struggling to achieve their dreams during the COVID’19 global crisis, TOEFL has announced the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition for test-takers residing in areas with closed test centers. This test version enables the test takers to attend the test from their laptops or computers with a stable internet connection at their own homes.
However, 8/10 of the test centers are still actively hosting the test. Students who wish to attend the examination at centers rather than their own homes continue booking for centers and taking tests there.
Countries and Scholarships accepting TOEFL Scores
A Step-by-Step Approach
If it’s time for you to take on the TOEFL and you just don’t know if you should go for the home edition or the traditional test center, here are a few facts to help decide on what’s best for you.
- Find out if the TOEFL iBT test centers in your city are open. You can do this by checking for information on the exam registration webpage.
- At centers, you will be required to wear the appropriate safety equipment for protection. At home, such safety equipment is not necessary.
Ensure that you are comfortable wearing a facial mask during the TOEFL iBT and that it doesn’t hinder your performance. If you think it might affect your performance in any way, then you can choose the TOEFL Home Edition for your convenience.
- The fee, duration, format, and structure of the home edition test are the same as the standard test. Results are also announced in just 6-8 working days of taking the test, as always.
- Taking the test at home requires a standard network connection with the appropriate devices to support the test.
In the absence of such devices, you will have to take the test at a test center.
While taking the test, there is a high possibility of facing issues like a power cut, bandwidth error, glitch, and other difficulties. Such difficulties will not result in any unjust decisions as the ETS has announced the candidate’s rescheduling without any extra charges on any rise in such technical inconvenience.
- The supervisory measures will in no way be compromised during both the tests and will remain the same. The home edition involves special software with artificial intelligence to monitor the candidate throughout the entire test despite the proctor’s observation. The video of the entire test will be sent to various institutes for observation.
Endnotes
Hence, keeping in mind these essential facts, you can now decide where you want to give the test. All the very best to you! Choose what you feel is right for you so that you can give your 100% and reach the goal you’ve set.