TOEFL is a test of English for people whose first language is not English. The letters stand for Test of English as a Foreign Language, and everyone says it as a word, 'TOE-full', not letter by letter. It is made by ETS, an American organisation, and its purpose is quite specific: it exists so that universities — mostly in America, but now in many other countries too — can decide whether a student can cope with studying in English. So the test asks you to do university things. You listen to a lecture and answer questions about it. You read a long academic passage. You hear a conversation between a student and a professor and then speak your answer into a microphone. You write an essay that responds to something you read and heard. Because of this, TOEFL feels academic, and it is scored out of 120. Most universities want somewhere between 80 and 100, and the strongest ones ask for more. The usual version is taken on a computer, in a test centre or at home. Two things learners in Taiwan should know. First, TOEFL is the test for studying abroad, while TOEIC is the test for work — they are made by the same organisation but are not interchangeable, and a company asking for TOEIC will not usually accept a TOEFL score. Second, IELTS is TOEFL's main rival and most universities accept either, so if the TOEFL format does not suit you, you have a choice.