I very much enjoyed this interview with Josh MacPherson and Kara McWilliams about the upcoming changes to the TOEFL iBT Test. In addition to getting more details about stuff I already know, I learned a few new things. They are:
- The new official prep app will be released “toward the summer.” Its AI scoring will include details about things like fluency, pronunciation and other features. That’s more robust than I expected. Great news.
- My Best Scores will be retained. I sort of knew this already, but I’ve actually been asked about it quite a few times. I honestly didn’t realize so many people valued My Best Scores.
- The Official Guide will be updated. That’s great. Print books still represent some of the best value when it comes to paid test prep. And since they are widely available in public libraries they make the whole preparation process more equitable. But a tip for ETS: don’t use a scratch-off code for downloadable content. Let me know if you need more details.
- In time, score reports may provide more comprehensive information for test-takers about their performance. That’s something I’ve mentioned here before.
- Item types will be analyzed and may be revised down the road. My interpretation of this is that the test form isn’t going to be set in stone like it was from 2005 to 2019 and from 2019 to 2023.
Anyway. Do watch the interview. You’ll probably find even more new stuff that I didn’t mention here.