Test and Score Data Summary for

TOEFL iBT Tests and

TOEFL PBT Tests

January 2012 December 2012 Test Data

Test and Score Data

This edition of the TOEFL Test and Score Data Summary
contains data on the performance of examinees who
took the TOEFL iBT test or the TOEFL PBT test between
January and December 2012.

www.ets.org/toefl
 Table of Contents

History of the TOEFL Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The TOEFL iBT Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
TOEFL iBT Test Data for 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 1. Observed Minimum and Maximum Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations By Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Table 3. Total and Section Score Means All Examinees by Native Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Table 4. Total and Section Score Means Nonnative English-Speaking Examinees
by Geographic Region and Native Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

The TOEFL Paper-based Test (TOEFL PBT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Paper-based Test Data for 2012 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 5. Observed Minimum and Maximum Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 6. Means and Standard Deviations By Gender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 7. Total and Section Score Means All Examinees by Native Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Table 8. Total and Section Score Means All Examinees by Geographic
Region and Native Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

For additional information about the TOEFL test, visit www.ets.org/toefl.

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2
 History of the TOEFL Program
The TOEFL test is designed to measure the English-
language proficiency of people whose native language
is not English. TOEFL scores are accepted by more than
8,500 colleges, universities, and licensing agencies in
more than 130 countries. The test is also used by
governments, and scholarship and exchange programs
worldwide. A list of institutions and agencies that accept
TOEFL scores is available on the TOEFL website at
www.ets.org/toefl.
The TOEFL Program A national council on the
testing of English as a foreign language was formed in
1962; its members were representatives of more than
30 private organizations and government agencies
concerned with the English-language proficiency of
nonnative speakers of English who wished to study at
colleges and universities in the United States. The
council supported the development of the TOEFL test
for use starting in 1963-64. Financed by grants from
the Ford and Danforth Foundations, the TOEFL
program was first administered by the Modern Language
Association. In 1965, the College Board and Educational
Testing Service (ETS) assumed joint responsibility listening, speaking, and writing) that are important for
for the program. Because many who take the TOEFL
test are potential graduate students, a cooperative
arrangement for the operation of the program was
entered into by ET S , the College Board, and the
Graduate Record Examinations Board in 1973. Under
this arrangement, ETS is responsible for administering
the TOEFL program with guidance from the TOEFL
Board.
The TOEFL Board is comprised of 16 members. Some
are affiliated with such institutions and agencies as
undergraduate and graduate schools, community
colleges, nonprofit educational exchange organizations,
and other public and private agencies with an interest
in international education. Other members are
specialists in the field of English as a foreign or second
language.
3
Development of the Test The test originally contained
five sections. As a result of extensive research, a three-
section test was developed and introduced in 1976. In
July 1995, the test item format was modified somewhat
within the same three-section structure. In recent years,
various constituencies called for a new TOEFL test that
would (1) be more reflective of communicative
competence models; (2) include more constructed-
response tasks and direct measures of writing and
speaking; (3) include tasks that integrate the language
modalities tested; and (4) provide more information
than the paper-based TOEFL test (TOEFL PBT) about
the ability of international students to use English in
an academic environment. Accordingly, the TOEFL
Board initiated a broad effort under which language
testing will evolve in the twenty-first century. The
introduction of the computer-based TOEFL test (TOEFL
CBT) in 1998 was the first incremental step in this broad
test-improvement effort.
The next step was the introduction of the TOEFL iBT
test, delivered via the Internet, in September 2005. The
TOEFL iBT test assesses all four language skills (reading,
effective communication. The test emphasizes integrated
skills and provides better information about test takers
ability to communicate in an academic setting and their
readiness for academic coursework. The test was first
launched in the United States and was gradually rolled
out worldwide during 2005 and 2006.
As the TOEFL iBT test was introduced in an area,
TOEFL CBT testing was discontinued after a period of
overlap to ensure a smooth transition. The final
administration of the TOEFL CBT test was held in
September 2006. TOEFL PBT testing is being phased
out and is currently offered only in locations where
testing via the Internet is not available. This TOEFL Test
and Score Data Summary contains information about
TOEFL iBT and TOEFL PBT test takers.
 The TOEFL iBT Test

The TOEFL iBT test more than 4,500 TOEFL iBT test centers in over 165
was introduced in the countries, and the number continues to grow. Speaking
United States in and writing tasks receive multiple ratings to provide
September 2005 and unbiased, objective evaluations of the responses.
was gradually
introduced worldwide Test Preparation Everyone registered to take the
during 20 0 5 an d TOEFL test receives test preparation materials free of
2006. The test was charge. Those who register to take the TOEFL iBT test
developed in response receive a link to a TOEFL iBT Sampler. The Sampler
to a request by includes questions from all four sections of the test. The
institutions to provide a test that would measure Reading and Listening sections are interactive and
nonnative speakers ability to communicate in English sample responses are provided for the Writing and
in an academic setting. Speaking questions.
Other test preparation products, including sample
The TOEFL iBT test: test questions, are available for free and for purchase.
Measures the ability to communicate by combining, For more information, visit the TOEFL website at
or integrating, all four language skills Reading, www.ets.org/toefl.
Listening, Speaking, and Writing
Is 100% academically-focused, measuring the kind of
English used in academic settings
Provides fair and objective scoring
Provides valid and reliable information to support
score users in making effective decisions regarding a
test takers English-language proficiency

Test takers have up to four hours to complete the test,

and all four sections are taken on the same day. The Visit the TOEFL website at www.ets.org/toefl
Reading section measures the ability to understand for the most up-to-date information.
academic reading material, and the Listening section
measures the ability to understand spoken English as it
is used in colleges and universities. The Speaking section
consists of six tasks that measure the ability to speak in
English in an academic setting. The Writing section
consists of two tasks that measure the ability to write in
a way that is appropriate for college and university
coursework. Some questions in the Speaking and Writing
sections require test takers to combine, or integrate,
information from more than one source. For example,
test takers are asked to read a passage, listen to a short
lecture about a topic, and then speak or write in response.
These integrated tasks are designed to simulate the
academic experience.
Internet delivery enables ETS to deliver the test at
official test centers in more locations. There are currently

4
 TOEFL iBT Test Data for 2012

The data presented in the tables below are based on examinees who took the TOEFL iBT test between
January 2012 and December 2012.
Table 1 gives actual ranges of observed scores for the period from January 2012 and December 2012.

Table 1. Observed Minimum and Maximum

TOEFL iBT Section and Total Scores

Section Min. Max.

1. Reading 0 30
2. Listening 0 30
3. Speaking 0 30
4. Writing 0 30
Total 0 120

Table 2 presents means and standard deviations of section and total scores by gender
for examinees tested between January and December 2012.

Table 2. Means and Standard Deviations for TOEFL iBT Section and Total Scores, by Gender*

Group Reading Listening Speaking Writing Total

Males 20.0 19.4 19.7 20.5 80
Males 7.0 7.0 4.7 5.3 21

Females 19.8 19.6 20.6 20.9 81

Females 6.7 6.7 4.6 5.0 20

*Based on examinees who responded to a question about gender group membership.

5
 Tables 3 and 4 may be useful in comparing the performance on the TOEFL iBT test of a particular student with
that of other students from the same native country and with that of students who speak the same language. ETS,
creator of the TOEFL test, does not endorse the practice of ranking countries on the basis of TOEFL scores,
as this is a misuse of data. The TOEFL test provides accurate scores at the individual level; it is not appropriate
for comparing countries. The differences in the number of students taking the test in each country, how early
English is introduced into the curriculum, how many hours per week are devoted to learning English, and the
fact that those taking the test are not representative of all English speakers in each country or any defined popu-
lation make ranking by test score meaningless.

Table 3. TOEFL iBT Total and Section Score Means1 All Examinees Classified by Native Language2

Listening

Speaking

Listening

Speaking
Reading

Reading
Writing

Writing
Total

Total
Native Language Native Language
Afrikaans 18 18 20 20 77 Kurukh * * * * *
Akan 17 17 20 19 74 Lao 16 17 20 20 73
Albanian 17 19 21 20 78 Latvian 19 22 23 22 86
Amharic 17 18 20 18 74 Lingala 14 16 19 17 66
Arabic 15 17 20 17 69 Lithuanian 20 23 23 22 88
Armenian 17 19 21 20 77 Luba-Lulua * * * * *
Assamese 24 25 25 25 99 Luo 19 20 23 23 84
Aymara * * * * * Luxembourgish 23 24 24 24 95
Azerbaijani 18 18 20 20 77 Macedonian 20 22 23 22 87
Bambara 14 14 18 16 62 Madurese * * * * *
Bashkir * * * * * Malagasy 18 19 20 20 77
Basque 24 23 22 23 92 Malay 21 22 22 24 89
Belarusian 21 22 22 21 87 Malayalam 23 24 24 24 96
Bemba 18 19 24 21 82 Maltese * * * * *
Bengali 22 22 23 23 91 Mandingo 13 14 19 16 62
Berber 16 18 20 18 72 Marathi 23 23 24 24 94
Bikol 21 22 23 22 87 Marshallese * * * * *
Bosnian 18 21 22 20 81 Mende * * * * *
Bulgarian 21 23 22 23 89 Minangkabau * * * * *
Burmese 18 19 21 21 79 Mongolian 16 17 18 18 68
Catalan 24 24 22 23 92 Mossi * * * * *
Cebuano 20 21 24 22 87 Nauru * * * * *
Chichewa ( Nyanja ) 17 17 19 19 71 Nepali 19 20 21 21 81
Chinese 20 18 19 20 77 Norwegian 21 24 25 23 93
Chuvash * * * * * Oriya 23 23 24 24 94
Croatian 21 23 23 22 90 Oromo 16 17 19 18 71
Czech 22 24 23 22 92 Palauan * * * * *
Danish 22 26 26 24 98 Pohnpeian * * * * *
Dutch 24 26 26 25 101 Polish 21 23 23 22 89
Dyula * * * * * Portuguese 21 22 21 21 84
Efik 18 18 20 19 76 Punjabi 21 22 24 23 89
Estonian 23 25 24 24 96 Pushto 18 19 22 21 81
Ewe 17 17 20 19 73 Romanian 22 23 23 22 90
Farsi 20 20 21 20 81 Russian 20 21 22 21 84
Fijian * * * * * Samoan * * * * *
Finnish 23 25 24 23 95 Serbian 20 22 22 21 86
French 21 22 22 22 86 Shona 20 21 23 23 87
Fulah 12 14 19 16 61 Sindhi 22 23 24 24 94
Ga 18 19 21 20 77 Sinhalese 20 21 22 21 84
Galician 25 25 23 24 97 Slovak 21 23 23 22 90
Ganda 16 17 22 20 75 Slovenian 23 25 24 23 94
Georgian 18 20 22 21 81 Somali 15 17 21 17 70
German 23 25 25 24 97 Spanish 20 21 22 21 84
Greek 22 23 22 23 91 Sundanese * * * * *
Guarani * * * * * Swahili 17 18 22 21 78
Gujarati 20 21 23 22 86 Swedish 21 24 25 23 93
Hausa 15 16 20 18 69 Tagalog 21 22 24 23 89
Hebrew 23 26 25 22 95 Tajik 13 16 21 18 67
Hiligaynon 22 23 24 24 93 Tamil 23 24 24 25 96
Hindi 23 24 24 24 95 Tatar 21 21 22 21 85
Hungarian 22 23 23 23 92 Telugu 19 20 22 22 83
Icelandic 22 26 24 23 95 Thai 18 19 19 20 76
Igbo 19 19 21 21 79 Tibetan 19 20 22 21 82
Iloko 20 20 22 21 83 Tigrinya 18 19 21 19 78
Indonesian 19 20 20 21 79 Tonga * * * * *
Inupiaq * * * * * Turkish 18 18 19 20 75
Italian 24 23 22 22 90 Turkmen 17 19 22 20 79
Japanese 18 17 17 18 70 Twi 18 19 21 20 78
Javanese 16 15 15 17 63 Uighur 17 17 19 18 71
Kannada 22 23 24 24 94 Ukrainian 19 21 22 21 84
Kanuri * * * * * Urdu 21 22 24 23 90
Kashmiri 23 24 25 24 96 Uzbek 17 18 20 19 74
Kazakh 17 19 21 19 76 Vietnamese 19 18 19 21 77
Khmer 15 15 19 19 68 Wolof 15 16 20 18 69
Kikuyu 19 20 22 22 83 Xhosa * * * * *
Kinyarwanda 15 17 21 19 72 Yapese * * * * *
Konkani 25 25 25 26 101 Yoruba 19 19 21 20 78
Korean 21 21 20 22 84 Zulu 19 22 25 23 89
Kosraean 19 19 19 20 77
Kurdish 14 15 19 17 64

1
Because of the unreliability of statistics based on small samples, means are not reported for subgroups of less than 30. Due to rounding, section score means may not add up to the
total score mean.
2
Because of changes in region and/or country boundaries, certain languages may have been added or deleted since the previous table was published.

6
 Table 4. TOEFL iBT Total and Section Score Means1 All Examinees Classified by Geographic Region and Native Country2

Listening

Speaking

Listening

Speaking
Reading

Reading
Writing

Writing
Geographic Region Geographic Region

Total

Total
and Native Country and Native Country
AFRICA Paraguay 21 22 22 21 86
Peru 21 22 22 22 86
Angola 14 16 20 17 66 Puerto Rico 20 22 22 21 86
Benin 16 15 17 18 66 Saint Pierre and Miquelon * * * * *
Botswana 19 21 24 24 88 St. Vincent and the Grenadines * * * * *
Burkina Faso 15 15 18 17 66 St. Kitts and Nevis * * * * *
Burundi 16 18 20 19 73 Suriname 16 19 21 19 76
Cameroon 16 16 20 19 71 Trinidad and Tobago * * * * *
Cape Verde * * * * * Turks and Caicos Islands * * * * *
Central African Republic * * * * * Uruguay 24 25 23 23 95
Chad 17 17 19 18 71 Venezuela 19 21 22 20 82
Comoros * * * * * Virgin Islands (U.S.) * * * * *
Congo 14 14 18 17 64
Congo, The Democratic Republic of 15 17 20 19 71 ASIA
Cote D'Ivoire 15 15 18 17 66
Djibouti * * * * * Afghanistan 14 17 22 19 72
Equatorial Guinea * * * * * Azerbaijan 18 19 21 20 78
Eritrea 18 19 21 19 78 Bangladesh 20 20 22 22 84
Ethiopia 17 19 21 19 75 Bhutan 17 18 23 21 79
Gabon 14 16 19 17 66 Brunei Darussalam * * * * *
Gambia 13 15 19 17 63 Cocos (Keeling) Islands * * * * *
Ghana 18 19 21 20 78 Christmas Island * * * * *
Guinea 12 14 18 15 59 Cambodia 15 15 19 19 68
Guinea-Bissau * * * * * China, Peoples Republic of 20 18 19 20 77
Kenya 19 20 22 22 83 Hong Kong 19 20 21 22 82
Lesotho 16 20 22 22 80 India 22 22 24 24 91
Liberia 15 17 21 18 71 Indonesia 19 20 20 21 79
Mayotte * * * * * Japan 18 17 17 18 70
Madagascar 19 20 20 21 80 Kazakhstan 18 19 21 20 79
Malawi * * * * * Korea, Democratic People's
Mali 14 15 18 17 63 Republic of 19 19 20 21 80
Mauritania 15 16 20 18 69 Korea, Republic of 21 21 20 22 84
Mauritius 22 22 24 24 91 Kyrgyzstan 18 19 21 20 78
Mozambique 15 17 21 19 72 Lao People's Democratic Republic 16 16 19 19 71
Namibia * * * * * Macao 17 18 19 20 74
Niger 16 17 20 18 71 Malaysia 22 22 22 24 89
Nigeria 18 18 21 20 78 Maldives * * * * *
Reunion 21 21 21 21 85 Mongolia 15 17 18 18 68
Rwanda 16 17 21 20 74 Myanmar 18 19 21 21 79
Sao Tome and Principe * * * * * Nepal 19 20 21 21 81
Senegal 15 17 19 18 69 Pakistan 21 22 24 23 90
Seychelles * * * * * Philippines 21 22 24 23 89
Sierra Leone 15 16 21 18 70 Singapore 24 25 24 25 98
Somalia 14 17 20 16 67 Sri Lanka 20 21 22 21 85
South Africa 21 24 26 24 95 Taiwan (Republic of China) 20 19 20 20 78
Swaziland 19 21 25 24 89 Tajikistan 14 17 21 18 70
Tanzania, United Republic of 15 17 22 20 73 Thailand 18 19 19 20 76
Togo 14 14 18 16 62 Timor-Leste * * * * *
Tunisia 18 20 21 20 79 Turkmenistan 18 20 22 20 81
Uganda 17 18 22 21 79 Uzbekistan 18 19 21 20 78
Zambia 18 20 24 21 83 Vietnam 19 18 19 21 77
Zimbabwe 21 22 24 23 90
EUROPE
AMERICA
Aland Islands * * * * *
Anguilla * * * * * Albania 18 19 21 20 78
Antigua and Barbuda * * * * * Andorra * * * * *
Argentina 23 24 23 23 93 Armenia 17 19 21 20 77
Aruba 17 20 23 19 80 Austria 23 26 26 25 99
Bahamas * * * * * Belarus 20 22 22 21 86
Barbados * * * * * Belgium 24 25 24 24 98
Belize * * * * * Bosnia and Herzegovina 19 21 22 21 83
Bolivia 19 21 22 21 82 Bulgaria 21 23 22 23 89
Brazil 21 22 21 21 84 Croatia 22 24 24 22 91
Canada 22 24 25 23 94 Cyprus 19 21 21 22 83
Cayman Islands * * * * * Czech Republic 22 24 23 23 92
Chile 21 22 21 21 85 Denmark 23 26 26 24 98
Colombia 20 20 21 20 81 Estonia 23 25 24 24 95
Costa Rica 23 24 24 22 93 Faroe Islands * * * * *
Cuba 19 20 21 20 79 Finland 23 25 24 23 96
Dominica * * * * * France 22 22 22 22 88
Dominican Republic 19 21 22 20 82 Georgia 18 20 22 20 80
Ecuador 16 16 19 18 68 Germany 23 25 25 24 96
El Salvador 19 21 23 21 84 Gibraltar * * * * *
French Guiana * * * * * Greece 23 23 22 24 92
Grenada * * * * * Greenland * * * * *
Guadeloupe 17 19 19 19 75 Hungary 22 23 23 23 92
Guatemala 20 21 22 21 84 Iceland 22 25 24 23 95
Guyana * * * * * Ireland * * * * *
Haiti 13 15 19 17 64 Italy 24 23 22 22 90
Honduras 20 22 23 22 86 Kosovo, Republic of 17 18 22 20 77
Jamaica 19 21 24 22 86 Latvia 19 22 23 21 85
Martinique 17 19 20 19 75 Liechtenstein * * * * *
Mexico 21 22 22 21 86 Lithuania 20 23 23 22 88
Netherlands Antilles 18 22 23 21 84 Luxembourg 22 23 24 23 93
Nicaragua 20 22 23 21 85 Macedonia, Former Yugoslav
Panama 19 21 22 21 83 Republic of 20 22 22 22 85

(continued)

7
 Table 4 (continued)

Listening

Speaking

Listening

Speaking
Reading

Reading
Writing

Writing
Geographic Region Geographic Region

Total

Total
and Native Country and Native Country
EUROPE (contd)
Malta * * * * * Lebanon 20 22 23 22 87
Moldova, Republic of 20 21 22 21 84 Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 16 19 21 18 74
Monaco 22 22 24 23 90 Morocco 18 19 21 20 79
Montenegro 17 20 21 20 79 Oman 13 15 19 16 62
Northern Ireland * * * * * Palestine Territories 16 18 21 19 73
Netherlands 24 26 26 24 100 Qatar 16 19 21 18 74
Norway 21 24 25 23 93 Saudi Arabia 12 15 18 15 60
Poland 21 23 23 22 89 Sudan 16 19 21 19 75
Portugal 23 25 24 23 95 Syrian Arab Republic 17 19 21 19 77
Romania 22 23 23 23 91 United Arab Emirates 16 18 20 18 71
Russian Federation 20 21 22 21 84 West Bank * * * * *
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO * * * * * Yemen 14 16 20 17 67
Scotland * * * * *
San Marino * * * * * PACIFIC REGION
Serbia 20 23 23 21 87
American Samoa * * * * *
Slovakia 21 23 23 23 90
Australia 21 22 23 23 90
Slovenia 22 25 24 23 94
Fiji * * * * *
Spain 23 23 22 22 89
French Polynesia 20 22 21 22 84
Sweden 21 24 25 23 93
Guam * * * * *
Switzerland 24 25 24 24 97
British Indian Ocean Territory * * * * *
Turkey 18 18 19 20 75
Kiribati * * * * *
Ukraine 19 21 22 21 84
Marshall Islands * * * * *
United Kingdom 22 24 25 23 94
Micronesia, Federated States of * * * * *
Wales * * * * *
Nauru * * * * *
MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA New Caledonia * * * * *
New Zealand 20 22 23 23 88
Algeria 15 17 19 17 69 Northern Mariana Islands * * * * *
Bahrain 16 19 23 20 78 Pitcairn * * * * *
Egypt 19 20 22 21 82 Palau * * * * *
Gaza Strip * * * * * Papua New Guinea * * * * *
Iran, Islamic Republic of 20 20 21 20 80 Samoa * * * * *
Iraq 15 17 20 18 70 Solomon Islands * * * * *
Israel 22 25 25 22 94 Tonga * * * * *
Jordan 17 19 21 19 76 Vanuatu * * * * *
Kuwait 14 17 20 17 70
1
Because of the unreliability of statistics based on small samples, means are not reported for subgroups of less than 30. Due to rounding, section score means may not add up to the
total score mean.
2
Because of changes in region and/or country boundaries, certain countries may have been added or deleted since the previous table was published.

8
 The TOEFL Paper-based Test (TOEFL PBT)

The paper-based version of Total test time is approximately two and one-half hours;
the TOEFL test (TOEFL however, approximately three and one-half hours are
PBT) is being phased out and needed for a test administration to admit examinees to
is currently offered only in the testing room, to allow them to enter identifying
locations where testing via information on their answer sheets, and to distribute
the Internet is not available. and collect the test materials.
Scores remain valid for two Language specialists prepare the material for the
years after the test date. Each TOEFL test. The TOEFL Committee of Examiners
form of the TOEFL PBT test establishes overall guidelines for test content and
consists of three separately specifications. All item specifications, questions, and
timed sections; the questions final test forms are reviewed for cultural and racial bias
in each section are multiple- and content appropriateness according to established
choice, with four possible answer choices per question. ETS procedures.
All responses are gridded on answer sheets that are
scored by computer. There is also a 30-minute essay, the Test Preparation Everyone who
TWE test, given at each administration. registers to take TOEFL PBT
receives TOEFL Practice Tests,
Section 1 of the test, Listening Comprehension, Volume 1, which includes two
measures the ability to understand English as it is complete PBT tests. In addition,
spoken in an academic setting. The oral features of sample questions are downloadable
the language are stressed, and the problems tested from the TOEFL website. There is
include vocabulary and idiomatic expressions as well no fee for these practice materials.
as special grammatical constructions frequently used Other TOEFL test preparation
in spoken English. The stimulus material and oral products are available for purchase. For more
questions are recorded in standard North American information about these products and ordering
English; the answer choices are printed in the information, please visit the TOEFL website at
test books. www.ets.org/toefl.
Section 2, Structure and Written Expression,
measures recognition of selected structural and
grammatical points in standard written English. The
language tested is formal, rather than conversational.
The topics of the sentences are of a general academic
nature so that individuals in specific fields of study
or from specific national or linguistic groups have
no particular advantage.
Section 3, Reading Comprehension, measures the
ability to read and understand short passages that are
similar in topic and style to those that students are
likely to encounter in colleges and universities. Test
takers read a variety of short passages on academic
subjects and answer several questions about each
passage. The questions test information that is stated
in or implied by the passage, as well as knowledge of
some of the specific words as they are used in the
passage.

9
 TOEFL Paper-based Test Data for 2012

In 2012 TOEFL PBT was administered four times at preestablished testing centers. The data presented below are
based on examinees who took the paper-based TOEFL test between January and December 2012.
Table 5 gives actual ranges of observed scores for the period from January 2012 through December 2012.

Table 5. Observed Minimum and Maximum Paper-based

TOEFL Section and Total Scores

Section Min. Max.

1. Listening Comprehension 31 68
2. Structure and Written Expression 31 68
3. Reading Comprehension 31 67
Total 310 677

Table 6 presents means and standard deviations of section and total scores by gender for
examinees tested between January and December 2012.

Table 6. Means and Standard Deviations for Paper-Based TOEFL Section and Total Scores by Gender*

Section 2
Section 1 Structure and Section 3
Listening Written Reading Total Scale
Group Comprehension Expression Comprehension Score
Male 52.1 52.7 52.4 524
Male 7.0 7.8 7.1 65

Female 52.9 52.5 51.9 524

Female 7.0 7.8 7.0 66

*Based on examinees who responded to a question about gender group membership.

10
 Tables 7 and 8 may be useful in comparing the performance on the TOEFL PBT test of a particular student with
that of other students from the same native country and with that of students who speak the same language. ETS,
creator of the TOEFL test, does not endorse the practice of ranking countries on the basis of TOEFL scores,
as this is a misuse of data. The TOEFL test provides accurate scores at the individual level; it is not appropriate
for comparing countries. The differences in the number of students taking the test in each country, how early
English is introduced into the curriculum, how many hours per week are devoted to learning English, and the
fact that those taking the test are not representative of all English speakers in each country or any defined popu-
lation make ranking by test score meaningless.
Table 7. Paper-Based TOEFL Total and Section Score Means1 All Examinees Classified by Native Language

Written Expression

Written Expression
Total Score Mean

Total Score Mean

Comprehension

Comprehension

Comprehension

Comprehension
Structure and

Structure and
Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3
Listening

Listening
Reading

Reading
Language Language
Afrikaans * * * * Lao * * * *
Akan * * * * Latvian * * * *
Albanian * * * * Lingala 47 52 49 494
Amharic 56 54 53 543 Lithuanian * * * *
Arabic 53 51 50 513 Luba-Lul * * * *
Armenian * * * * Luo * * * *
Assamese * * * * Luxembourgish * * * *
Azerbaijani 52 54 54 534 Macedonian * * * *
Bambara * * * * Madurese * * * *
Bashkir * * * * Malagasy 50 52 52 515
Basque * * * * Malay * * * *
Belarusian * * * * Malayalam * * * *
Bemba * * * * Maltese * * * *
Bengali * * * * Mandingo * * * *
Berber * * * * Marathi * * * *
Bikol * * * * Marshallese 54 52 48 513
Bosnian * * * * Mende * * * *
Bulgarian * * * * Minangka * * * *
Burmese 52 55 53 532 Mongolian * * * *
Catalan * * * * Mossi 48 54 51 508
Cebuano * * * * Nauru * * * *
Chichewa 55 60 55 570 Nepali * * * *
Chinese 53 52 53 529 Norwegian 62 60 60 609
Chuvash * * * * Nyanja * * * *
Croatian * * * * Oriya * * * *
Czech * * * * Oromo * * * *
Danish 62 60 58 602 Palauan 55 54 51 530
Dutch 58 57 55 567 Pohnpeian * * * *
Dyula * * * * Polish * * * *
Efik * * * * Portuguese 53 52 54 532
Estonian * * * * Punjabi * * * *
Ewe 45 50 48 477 Pushto 53 53 52 526
Farsi 51 52 52 519 Romanian * * * *
Fijian * * * * Russian 53 52 52 525
Finnish * * * * Samoan * * * *
French 51 51 52 511 Santali * * * *
Fulah * * * * Serbian * * * *
Ga * * * * Shona 57 62 57 584
Galician * * * * Sindhi * * * *
Ganda * * * * Sinhalese * * * *
Georgian * * * * Slovak * * * *
German 58 56 54 558 Slovenian * * * *
Greek * * * * Somali * * * *
Guarani * * * * Spanish 55 55 56 555
Gujarati * * * * Sundanese * * * *
Gwichin * * * * Swahili 53 56 53 541
Hausa * * * * Swedish 62 60 59 607
Hebrew * * * * Tagalog * * * *
Hiligaynon * * * * Tajik 47 48 47 472
Hindi * * * * Tamil * * * *
Hungarian * * * * Tatar * * * *
Icelandic * * * * Telugu * * * *
Igbo 51 55 51 523 Thai 48 48 50 486
Iloko * * * * Tibetan * * * *
Indonesian * * * * Tigrinya 54 57 55 555
Inupiaq * * * * Tonga * * * *
Italian * * * * Turkish 51 53 53 522
Japanese 54 54 53 536 Turkmen 52 51 50 510
Javanese * * * * Twi * * * *
Kannada * * * * Ukrainian * * * *
Kanuri * * * * Urdu * * * *
Kashmiri * * * * Uzbek * * * *
Kazakh 51 51 52 515 Vietnamese 53 54 53 535
Khmer * * * * Wolof 52 52 51 517
Kikuyu * * * * Xhosa * * * *
Kinyarwanda 51 55 52 528 Yapese * * * *
Konkani * * * * Yiddish * * * *
Korean 52 53 54 533 Yoruba * * * *
Kosraean 49 45 44 461 Yupik * * * *
Kurdish 49 48 48 487 Zulu * * * *
Kurukh * * * *
1
Because of the unreliability of statistics based on small samples, means are not reported for some language subgroups.

11
 Table 8. Paper-based TOEFL Total and Section Score Means1
All Examinees Classified by Geographic Region and Native Country2

Written Expression
Written Expression

Total Score Mean

Total Score Mean

Comprehension

Comprehension
Comprehension

Comprehension

Structure and
Structure and

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3
Listening
Section 1

Section 2

Section 3
Listening

Reading
Reading
Geographic Region Geographic Region
and Native Country and Native Country
AFRICA St. Maarten (Dutch Part) * * * *
St. Vincent and the Grenadines * * * *
Angola 51 52 50 511 Suriname 58 58 55 567
Benin * * * * Trinidad and Tobago * * * *
Burkina Faso 45 48 47 465 Uruguay * * * *
Burundi 47 51 48 484 Venezuela 56 54 54 546
Cameroon 49 54 51 514
Cape Verde * * * * ASIA
Central African Republic * * * *
Chad 48 54 50 505 Afghanistan 52 52 50 513
Comoros * * * * Azerbaijan * * * *
Congo 46 49 47 473 Bangladesh * * * *
Cote d Ivoire * * * * Bhutan * * * *
Djibouti * * * * Cambodia * * * *
Equatorial Guinea * * * * China, Peoples Republic of 53 52 53 527
Eritrea 54 58 56 557 Hong Kong * * * *
Ethiopia 55 54 53 542 India 58 56 56 568
Gabon * * * * Indonesia * * * *
Ghana * * * * Japan 54 54 53 537
Guinea * * * * Kazakhstan 51 51 51 514
Kenya * * * * Korea, Republic of * * * *
Liberia 47 50 46 479 Kyrgyzstan 52 51 51 515
Madagascar 50 53 52 517 Macao * * * *
Malawi 54 60 55 563 Malaysia * * * *
Mali * * * * Maldives * * * *
Mauritania * * * * Mongolia * * * *
Mauritius * * * * Myanmar 52 55 53 533
Morocco * * * * Nepal * * * *
Mozambique * * * * Pakistan * * * *
Namibia 56 59 54 562 Philippines * * * *
Niger 50 55 52 526 Sri Lanka * * * *
Nigeria 51 55 52 526 Tajikistan 47 49 47 476
Reunion * * * * Thailand 48 48 50 485
Rwanda 51 55 52 528 Turkmenistan 53 51 50 514
Senegal 51 52 51 514 Uzbekistan * * * *
Sierra Leone 50 55 49 518 Vietnam 54 54 53 535
Somalia * * * *
South Africa * * * * EUROPE
Swaziland * * * * Armenia * * * *
Tanzania, United Republic of 55 58 55 556 Austria * * * *
Togo 45 50 48 479 Belarus * * * *
Tunisia * * * * Belgium * * * *
Uganda * * * * Bosnia and Herzegovina * * * *
Zambia * * * * Bulgaria * * * *
Zimbabwe 57 62 57 585 Cyprus * * * *
Denmark 62 60 58 597
AMERICA Estonia * * * *
Faroe Islands * * * *
Antigua and Barbuda * * * * Finland * * * *
Argentina * * * * France 53 51 54 526
Aruba 58 56 54 561 Georgia * * * *
Barbados * * * * Germany 58 55 54 556
Belize * * * * Hungary * * * *
Bolivia 54 54 54 540 Iceland * * * *
Brazil 54 52 55 536 Israel * * * *
Canada * * * * Italy * * * *
Chile * * * * Kosovo, Republic of * * * *
Colombia * * * * Lithuania * * * *
Costa Rica * * * * Luxembourg * * * *
Cuba * * * * Montenegro * * * *
Dominica * * * * Netherlands * * * *
Dominican Republic 58 58 56 573 Norway 62 60 60 608
Ecuador * * * * Poland * * * *
Guadeloupe * * * * Portugal * * * *
Guatemala * * * * Romania * * * *
Guyana * * * * Russian Federation 56 54 54 546
Haiti * * * * Serbia * * * *
Honduras * * * * Slovakia * * * *
Martinique * * * * Slovenia * * * *
Mexico 55 55 57 558 Spain 55 57 58 565
Netherlands Antilles * * * * Sweden 62 60 59 605
Nicaragua * * * * Switzerland * * * *
Panama * * * * Turkey 51 53 53 523
Paraguay * * * * Ukraine * * * *
Peru * * * * United Kingdom * * * *
Puerto Rico * * * *

(continued)

12
 Table 8 (continued)

Written Expression

Written Expression
Total Score Mean

Total Score Mean

Comprehension

Comprehension

Comprehension

Comprehension
Structure and

Structure and
Section 1

Section 2

Section 3
Listening

Section 1

Section 2

Section 3
Listening
Reading

Reading
Geographic Region Geographic Region
and Native Country and Native Country
MIDDLE EAST/NORTH AFRICA PACIFIC REGION
Algeria 51 53 53 523 American Samoa * * * *
Bahrain * * * * Fiji * * * *
Egypt * * * * French Polynesia * * * *
Gaza Strip * * * * Guam * * * *
Iran, Islamic Republic of 51 52 52 520 Kiribati * * * *
Iraq 50 49 49 496 Marshall Islands 55 52 48 514
Jordan 59 58 56 581 Micronesia, Federated States of 52 49 47 495
Kuwait * * * * New Caledonia * * * *
Lebanon * * * * Palau 55 53 50 527
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya 50 47 49 488 Papua New Guinea * * * *
Oman * * * * Samoa * * * *
Palestinian Territories 52 51 50 511 Tonga * * * *
Qatar * * * *
Saudi Arabia 53 49 49 501
Sudan 52 51 51 514
United Arab Emirates * * * *
Yemen 52 53 51 520

1
Because of the unreliability of statistics based on small samples, means are not reported for some native country subgroups.
2
Because of changes in region and/or country boundaries, certain countries may have been added or deleted since the previous table was published.

13
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