The Toefl and Its Imitators: Analyzing the Toefl and Evaluating Toefl-Prep Texts

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study that analyzed the TOEFL and identified the specific content and question types that appear in the exam as well as their ratio and placement within particular test sections. Applying this analysis, taxonomies derived from the TOEFL were used to evaluate ten leading TOEFL-prep texts. It was found that commercial texts vary considerably in the accuracy with which they represent the exam. The paper also outlines the selective revision the TOEFL underwent in July of 1995, and in closing, offers guidelines to aid in the selection of commercial texts for TOEFL-prep programmes.

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