TOEFL Essentials is an English language proficiency test developed by ETS for students and professionals who need to demonstrate their English skills for study or work purposes. It is a fully online, at-home exam that assesses reading, listening, writing, and speaking abilities using both academic and everyday English tasks.
TOEFL Essentials is designed as a shorter (1.5 hours) and more affordable (INR 17,200) alternative to the TOEFL iBT. It delivers results faster and includes a non-scored personal video statement to help institutions learn more about applicants. However, its acceptance is currently limited (500 programs worldwide), so test takers should check whether their target universities or programs recognize this exam before registering.
Must Read: TOEFL 2026 Updates
- TOEFL Essentials Highlights
- TOEFL Essentials Fees in India 2026
- TOEFL Essentials Registration 2026
- TOEFL Essentials Exam Pattern 2026
- TOEFL Essentials Syllabus 2026
5.1 TOEFL Essentials Listening Syllabus 2026
5.2 TOEFL Essentials Reading Syllabus 2026
5.3 TOEFL Essentials Writing Syllabus 2026
5.4 TOEFL Essentials Speaking Syllabus 2026
5.5 TOEFL Essentials Personal Statement Video
- TOEFL Essentials Score 2026
- TOEFL Essentials Accepting Universities Abroad 2026
- TOEFL Essentials vs TOEFL iBT
- FAQs
TOEFL Essentials Highlights
The table below gives an overview of the TOEFL Essentials exam.
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Conducting Body | Education Testing Service (ETS) |
| Purpose | Assess English language proficiency for study, work, or moving to English-speaking countries. |
| Official Website | www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/essentials.html |
| Fee in India | INR 17,200 |
| Test Format | At-home testing with remote proctoring |
| Test Duration | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Score Range | 1-12 bands |
| Score Availability | 5-6 days after the test |
| Score Validity | 2 years |
TOEFL Essentials Fees in India 2026
The TOEFL Essentials registration fee in India is INR 17,200, which is slightly lower than the TOEFL iBT fee of INR 18,000. The other fees are given in the table below:
| Service | Fee | Approx. Fee in Indian Rupees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late registration | USD $20 | INR 1,830 | If done 2 days before the test. |
| Rescheduling | USD $30 | INR 2,750 | If done 4 days before the test. After this, no rescheduling is allowed. |
| Cancellation |
50% refund (INR 8,600) |
If done 4 days before the test. After this, no refund will be issued. | |
Notes:
- Unlike the traditional TOEFL iBT, ETS allows you to send TOEFL Essentials score report to unlimited universities for free.
- A fee also applies for the reinstatement of cancelled scores. However, ETS does not mention the amount.
TOEFL Essentials Registration 2026
For TOEFL Essentials registration, follow the steps below:
1. Create an ETS TOEFL account and log in.
2. Go to “My Account,” and click on “TOEFL Essentials.”
3. Select your test city. You will be given a list of available test dates.
4. Select your preferred date, center, and time slot.
5. Make the payment and receive the confirmation email.
TOEFL Essentials Exam Pattern 2026
The TOEFL Essentials has the same pattern as that of the iBT, except that the test duration is shorter at 1.5 hours. The TOEFL iBT exam pattern has become adaptive starting from January 21, 2026.
| Section | Number of Questions | Duration | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 30-45 | 21-34 mins | Answer questions about conversations and talks in various settings. |
| Reading | 30-45 | 22-33 mins | Answer questions about short academic and nonacademic texts. |
| Writing | 14-18 questions and 2 tasks | 24-30 mins | Build sentences and write responses for everyday and academic situations. |
| Speaking | 3 tasks with 19 responses | 13 mins | Retell written and spoken input, and speak to a simulated interviewer. |
| Personal Video Statement | 2 | 5 mins | Answer questions about yourself and your opinions (not scored). |
TOEFL Essentials Syllabus 2026
The sections below provide the detailed syllabus of each of the sections of TOEFL Essentials:
TOEFL Essentials Listening Syllabus 2026
The TOEFL Essentials Listening questions measure your ability to understand conversations and talks set in academic, personal, and public contexts. Speakers have accents from North America, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The syllabus includes:
- Listen and Reply: Listen to a question or statement as part of a short exchange between two speakers. Select the most appropriate response.
- Listen to a Conversation: Listen to a short conversation between two speakers and answer 2 questions about the conversation. The topics include dining, entertainment, health, housing, or travel.
- Academic Listening (Announcements): Listen to a short academic-related announcement and answer 2 questions about it.
- Academic Listening (Talks): Listen to a short academic-related talk (100-250 words) and answer 4 questions about it. The talks may be on topics such as history, art, business, or science.
TOEFL Essentials Reading Syllabus 2026
The TOEFL Essentials Reading section measures your ability to understand both academic and nonacademic texts. The syllabus includes:
- Vocabulary: See a word and choose the most similar word from four options.
- General Reading (Daily Life): Read a short, nonacademic text (15-150 words) that you might see in everyday life, such as a poster, menu, social media post, or news article. Answer 2-4 MCQs.
- Academic Reading (Tables): Read a short academic text in a grid format. The table will summarise key pieces of information from academic sources such as textbooks, newspapers, magazines, or websites. Each table has 50 to 85 words and 4 questions. Each question has 3 options: True, False, and Not Stated.
- Academic Reading (Passages): Read a short passage written at the secondary or postsecondary level. The passage can be on a variety of academic topics, such as science, history, art, and business. Each passage is approximately 200 words long and has 6 questions.
TOEFL Essentials Writing Syllabus 2026
The TOEFL Essentials Writing section measures your ability to write, review, and edit texts in English for different communication purposes, such as emails and online discussions. The syllabus includes:
- Build a Sentence: View a sentence with words or phrases in the wrong order and move them to form a grammatically correct sentence.
- Write an Email: Write an email for a specific purpose. For example, making a recommendation, extending an invitation, or proposing a solution to a problem.
- Describe a Photo: Write a social media post about a photo. Describe the photo to your social media friends.
- Write for an Academic Discussion: State and support an opinion on a given topic in an online class discussion forum.
Note: The test will include either the Describe a Photo task or the Write for an Academic Discussion task, but not both.
TOEFL Essentials Speaking Syllabus 2026
The TOEFL Essentials Speaking section measures your ability to speak and communicate effectively in a variety of situations. The syllabus for this section is as follows:
- Read Aloud: Read aloud one part in a dialogue that takes place in daily life or a campus situation. Each of the 6 “turns” in the conversation is around 1-3 sentences.
- Listen and Repeat: Repeat a series of 8 sentences about a scenario in an academic or social setting.
- Virtual Interview: Participate in a simulated conversation with a prerecorded interviewer. Answer 5 questions related to the interview topic, where you describe your experiences and opinions.
TOEFL Essentials Personal Statement Video
In this section, you’ll record an unscored Personal Video Statement in English to share more about yourself and your personality with institutions. You will answer two questions, each with 30 seconds to prepare and 1-2 minutes to respond:
Question 1: “What would you like to tell people about yourself?” (always asked)
Question 2: Choose one of the two randomly selected topics and give your opinion.
You may re-record once if needed (only the second recording is saved), but you cannot review recordings before submission.
TOEFL Essentials Score 2026
TOEFL Essentials is scored on a scale of 1-12 bands, with 0.5-point increments. To receive a TOEFL Essentials score, you must answer at least 1 question in each section. The scores are released in 5-6 days after the test. Here are other information regarding the TOEFL Essentials scores:
- Unofficial scores for the Listening and Reading sections are displayed immediately at the end of the test. You may choose to cancel or report it.
- Cancelled scores can be reinstated for a fee. Request must be submitted within 60 days of the test.
- Scores are valid for 2 years.
- Unlimited score reports can be sent for free. But, only 20 can be sent per transaction.
Can I take TOEFL Essentials more than once?
Yes, you can retake the test as many times as you want, but there must be at least a 3-day gap between two attempts.
TOEFL Essentials Accepting Universities Abroad 2026
TOEFL Essentials is currently accepted for only 500 programs across universities abroad. Last year, Canadian immigration authority, IRCC, has approved the exam for Canadian visas, but it is not active yet. Here is a partial list of universities that accept TOEFL Essentials test.
| Country | University | TOEFL Essentials Score |
|---|---|---|
| USA | University of North Alabama | Not mentioned |
| USA | University of Arizona | 8.5 |
| USA | Arkansas Tech University | 8 |
| UK | London School of Economics and Political Science | Not mentioned |
| UK | University of Edinburgh | Not mentioned |
| UK | University for the Creative Arts | Not mentioned |
| Canada | University of Ottawa | 4.5 |
| Germany | Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich | Not mentioned |
| Germany | University of Bremen | Not mentioned |
| Singapore | National University of Singapore | 10 |
Note: The above list is taken from the official ETS TOEFL Essentials website. For the universities for which the minimum score is not mentioned, you may contact their admissions office to confirm.
Can I use TOEFL Essentials for job applications?
Some employers may accept it, but acceptance varies. It’s recommended to confirm directly with the employer before choosing this test.
TOEFL Essentials vs TOEFL iBT
Here are some key differences between the TOEFL Essentials and iBT:
| Feature | TOEFL Essentials | TOEFL iBT |
|---|---|---|
| Test Format | Online, taken from home | Online at test centers, or Home edition |
| Test Duration | About 1.5 hours | About 3 hours |
| Test Pattern | Four sections
|
Four sections
|
| Scoring Scale | 1-12 bands per section |
Score range 0-30 per section (total 0-120) A new score of 1-6 bands will be added from January 21, 2026 onwards. |
| Overall Score | Average of 4 sections (rounded to nearest half band) | Sum of all 4 sections (total score) |
| Score Availability | 6 days after the exam day | 4-8 days after the test |
| Fee | INR 17,200 | INR 18,000 |
TOEFL Essentials 2026 offers a shorter, fully online English proficiency test with faster results and lower fees than TOEFL iBT, but its acceptance is still limited to around 500 programs worldwide. It is best suited for applicants who confirm acceptance with their target universities and prefer a flexible, at-home testing option with section-wise band scoring.
FAQs
Ques. Is TOEFL Essentials easier than TOEFL iBT?
Ans. It is generally considered less demanding because of shorter passages, simpler tasks, and a shorter test duration, but it still tests all four skills.
Ques. What equipment do I need to take the test at home?
Ans. You need a laptop or desktop, stable internet, a working webcam and microphone, and a quiet room that meets ETS proctoring rules.
Ques. Does TOEFL Essentials affect future TOEFL iBT attempts?
Ans. No, taking TOEFL Essentials does not impact your TOEFL iBT scores or attempts. Both tests are scored and reported separately.
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