TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is a standardized test that measures a candidate’s English language. The scores are used by many universities around the world for non-native English speakers’ admission process. Since the start of the test, the test pattern has changed and it has gone online instead of taking the test paper-based or in the test center.
The havoc wrecked by the COVID-19 is known to everyone. Examination and education systems are also affected severely apart from work and daily activities. It resulted in the shutdown of TOEFL test centers, and an alternative was needed. That’s where TOEFL IBT at home came into the picture.
As the name suggests, there is no need to go out to the test centers because you can take the test from the comfort of your home. It is not very different from its classical version, as the content, format, and even test experience are similar to what you go through at a test center. The test is also monitored by a human proctor online. The home edition is available everywhere except in one or two places.
It is a safe option in the present environment or cases when you do not have time to go to the test centers. The very first TOEFL Home Edition requirement is a computer with a good internet connection.
Registration for TOEFL Home Edition
Table of Contents
Here is a step-by-step process of how you can register for a TOEFL Home Edition:
Step-1: Account creation
You must create an ETS account if you don’t have one. All you need to do is go to the official website of ETS or register using the free official TOEFL app available at Google Play and App Store. The account creation steps help you in test-scheduling, viewing the score, and updating your profile. At last, you need to submit.
Step-2: Identity requirements
You need to enter your identification information while registering for the test. The requirements depend on your citizenship and the place where you plan to take the test.
Your ID documents must follow the following to fulfill TOEFL Home Edition requirements:
- Should be original documents (no photocopies or documents from electronic devices are unacceptable)
- Should be a government-issued province/state/national identity card recognized by the country of which you are a citizen.
- Should not be expired
- Should contain a recognizable and recent photograph
- Should have your full name, matching the one that you filled in the registration form
- Should contain your signature
Step-3: Choosing the date
Once the account is created, fulfilling ID requirements, the next step is picking the date of the exam. For doing this, click on the register/find test centers on the home page of TOEFL.
On the Dates and Find Test Centers page, select the Home Edition option. Verify your email address, select the time zone you are in, and pick the two-month period in which you want to take the test. After that, you can select a test date and time. To finalize it, click on “Register for this test”.
Special note: The home edition will only be visible in your country is eligible.
Step-4: Payment
After selecting the date and time of the examination, you need to pay for the test. Once the registration process is finished, you will get a confirmation mail from ETS containing the information regarding the test and a launch link for the test. Make sure to keep this email safe until the last day.
You should also know that there is no difference in the cost of TOEFL IBT and Home Editions. It is the same in both cases.
Requirements for TOEFL Home Edition
Before registering for the test, make sure that the testing room meets certain requirements. If the TOEFL Home Edition requirements aren’t met fully on the examination day, you will be unable to take the test and will also not receive a refund or a reschedule. So, read the below details carefully.
Here Is The List of Necessary Types of Equipment
1. Computer
You must use a desktop computer or laptop while taking the test, mobile devices and tablets are not taken into consideration.
- PC – windows 10 or 8 operating system
- MAC – Mac OS X 10.5 or higher (recommended: 10.13 high sierra)
Use a Firefox or Chrome browser.
2. Browser download and equipment check
For using TOEFL Home Edition, you have to download and install ETS Secure Test Browser on the device you will use for taking the test. To install the browser completely, run the file after you download it.
Once the message “Success! You have installed the ETS secure test browser” is displayed, you can close it. The browser can be downloaded directly from the ETS website. You should also keep the following things in mind:
- Run a ProctorU equipment check from the device you will be using before the test. If it is failed, fix the issues before test day.
- Security applications and computer firewalls may interfere with the test software. So, you might want to disable or reconfigure your applications.
3. Speaker
- You can use an internal or external speaker to hear the proctor.
- Headsets and earphones are not allowed for the test.
4. Microphone
You can make use of an internal or external microphone that’s not the part of a headset for communicating with the proctor.
5. Camera
- It can be a separate webcam or a built-in camera.
- It must show a 360-degree view of the testing room to the proctor, including the surface of the table before the test.
Testing Environment
The testing room should complete the following requirements so that it can fill the TOEFL Home Edition requirements:
- You should be alone in the room without any interference during the test. The test couldn’t be taken at a public place like a park, restaurant, or a café.
- Close all the doors of the room.
- Your testing device must be on a tabletop surface.
- The table and chair should be positioned in a way that the room’s door is visible to the proctor.
- The table surface and the area around should be clear of all items including, cameras, notes, cell phone (apart from checking in), and other study material.
- You must sit on a chair and not on the couch, bed, or overstuffed chair.
- No food and drink during the exam.
Clothing Requirements
For clothing and appearance, keep the points mentioned below in mind.
- Keep your face and ears visible at all times. They shouldn’t be covered with hair, a hat, or other things. You can put on religious headwear if your ears remain visible throughout the test.
- You should dress appropriately as you will be monitored and the photo will be sent to the institutions receiving your scores.
- Don’t put on any other accessories or jewelry, including headbands, ornate clips, tie clips, and others.
Can You Take Notes During TOEFL Home Edition?
Taking notes on paper is prohibited for security purposes. But, you can take notes by using:
- Small desktop whiteboard having an erasable marker without any pen or pencil.
- Paper sheet inside the transparent sheet protector, along with an erasable marker.
In the end, you need to show the proctor that you have erased all the notes you took during the examination.
Rescheduling or Canceling TOEFL Home Edition Test
There are times when you feel not fully prepared for the test and want to either reschedule or cancel. Is it possible? Yes, it is.
If you want to cancel or reschedule your at-home test appointment, you have to do it at least four days prior to your test date. For example, if you have to take the test on Saturday, you must cancel or reschedule it on Tuesday or before that.
Before registering for a new date for the test appointment, you have to pay a rescheduling fee. If you are thinking of ways of rescheduling, they are the following:
- Online with your ETS account
- Via phone. You only need to provide the full name you used while making the appointment and your appointment number. You can contact your regional registration center for this purpose.
Keep in mind that rescheduling and canceling the home edition TOEFL is not possible via email or the official app of TOEFL.
What To Do On The Test Day?
If you know what to expect on the test day for the TOEFL home edition, you may remain calm. Knowing as much as you can in advance can help you more than you think. Here are some points that you need to know for giving your best performance.
1. Before the Test Session
Before your test session starts, make sure you follow the points given below so that you can be as calm and relaxed as you can and to avoid any last-minute mishappenings:
- Run one last and final ProctorU Equipment Check and resolve the issues, if any, before the appointment time.
- Close all the applications and browsers not needed during the test. It also helps in improving the bandwidth during the test.
- Gather the material that you need while taking the test. They include a passport or any other ID, note-taking materials, hand-held mirror, or cellphone for checking-in.
- See if the testing room meets the environmental requirements.
2. Checking in
- When the time of appointment comes, click on “start your test” in the confirmation email that you received earlier. You have 12 minutes after the time you scheduled for check-in.
Note: if you fail to check-in by the time, the test will be canceled with no fee refund.
- Select “start session”
- Finish the authentication steps that include showing ID to the proctor. The name on the ID and the ETS account must be the same.
- After reviewing the exam rules, the proctor will request access to your computer screen for the purpose of monitoring.
- You can show the computer screen to the proctor either by a cell phone or a hand-held mirror.
- The proctor then launches the ETS Test Browser and accesses the test by entering ETS ID and password.
- The whole process can take approximately 20 minutes.
3. During the Test
The entire test session will be recorded by ProctorU alongside monitoring by a human proctor. Your photo will be taken and transferred to the institutions as a part of the TOEFL IBT report.
What Comes Next After TOEFL Home Edition?
You should also know about what happens when you complete the test. You can access your scores and results by the following two methods:
- Electronic score reporting
You get your scores in your ETS account, which can take around 6-10 days after the test.
- Paper score reporting
As COVID-19 has put mandatory business restrictions, there may be some delay in your score reports delivery. Usually, paper score reports are sent from ETS after a week or two after the test date.
- Your scores will also be sent to the institutions you selected during the registration process.
- With the help of your ETS account, you can also ask for additional score reports.
Registering For A New TOEFL Test
Everything doesn’t always happen the way you expect it to be. What if your test scores are not what you wanted? There is nothing to worry about as you can register for the test again. You heard it right. Wondering how? Well, here it is mentioned:
- For another home edition appointment, follow the procedure listed above on their website.
- If you want to take the test at a test center, select the appointment on available dates via your ETS account.
- For any of the above options, you can complete a test two times within three days’ time period.
Now that you know almost everything about the big day and the TOEFL Home Edition requirements you need to fulfill, you don’t need to worry about anything. All you need to do is to focus on your preparation so you can pass with flying colors.
To prepare better, you can take the help of one of the many e-learning platforms. They help you perform better in the exam as there are multiple online exercises, practice tests, and better learning tools. You also get to know your weak points and work on them. All in all, these are the TOEFL Home Edition requirements for taking the test with ease.
If you would like to reschedule your TOEFL test check out the following article: https://drlanguage.org/a-thorough-guide-on-toefl-ibt-test-rescheduling/