Here are a few random details about TOEFL Essentials that have trickled out via the regular webinars hosted by ETS. Yes, I watch every single one of them:
- The reading, listening and writing sections of the test will be adaptive. The speaking section will not.
- At launch, the e-rater and SpeechRater automated scoring technology will NOT be used. Only human graders will be used. Automated scoring will be introduced later.
- Scoring rubrics will be published in June.
- The default voice (that gives instructions) will have a mild British English accent.
- Right now the “foundational skills” will consist of vocabulary knowledge and sentence construction. Additional skills will be added later.
- The score recipients will have access to two writing and two speaking samples. Plus the unscored video interview from the end of the test.
- At launch, the test will be available one day per week. It will be expanded up to three days per week, depending on demand.
- The TOEFL ITP will continued to be administered.
- Some of the documentation that was to be delivered in May has been delayed to June.