GoodMocks teamThe short answer
Yes, ETS still offers TOEFL Essentials. It’s a shorter English test, about 1.5 hours, taken from home, with scores in your ETS account 5–6 days later. It has four sections plus a short unscored video statement, and scores run from 1 to 12. It’s a different test from the TOEFL iBT, which has a 1–6 scale. ETS says hundreds of institutions accept Essentials, so check your school’s list before you book.
- About how long it takes
- 1.5 hours
- Band scale for scores
- 1–12
- Until official scores
- 5–6 days
- Scores stay valid
- 2 years
On this page9 sections
Is TOEFL Essentials still offered?Link to Is TOEFL Essentials still offered?
As far as ETS’s own pages show, yes. When we read them on November 2, 2026, the Essentials pages were live, with registration and a test fee. ETS lists Essentials in the TOEFL family beside the iBT, and its Essentials Information Bulletin is the 2026–2027 edition, with policies in effect from July 2026 through June 2027.
What ETS doesn’t say, on the pages we read, is whether Essentials will continue after June 2027, and it announces no end date. If you’re planning far ahead, or you need scores for a school that might change its list, check ETS’s Essentials page again before you book.
What’s on TOEFL EssentialsLink to What’s on TOEFL Essentials
Four sections (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking) plus a Personal Video Statement, a 5-minute video in which you answer questions about yourself. ETS says the video is not scored: institutions can watch it to get to know you. The tasks are short, and ETS says they cover both school and everyday life.
| Section | Time | Questions | What you do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 21–34 min | 30–45 | Reply to a short exchange, answer questions about conversations, announcements and talks |
| Reading | 22–33 min | 30–45 | Pick similar words, read everyday texts, tables and short academic passages |
| Writing | 24–30 min | 14–18 questions and 2 tasks | Build sentences, write an email, then describe a photo or join an academic discussion |
| Speaking | About 13 min | 3 tasks, 19 responses | Read aloud, listen and repeat, and answer a simulated interviewer |
| Personal Video Statement | 5 min | 2 questions | Talk about yourself and your opinions (not scored) |
ETS says the test adapts to your level as you go, and that some questions don’t count toward your score (they’re there for research). Plan on 1 hour 50 minutes in all: ETS says the test takes about 1.5 hours, and the rest is 20 minutes for check-in.
How Essentials scores workLink to How Essentials scores work
- Section scores: 1 to 12, in whole bands, for Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
- Overall score: 1 to 12, in half bands. It’s the average of the section scores.
- Foundational skills: Vocabulary Knowledge and Sentence Construction, shown as percentiles from the 5th to the 95th.
- At the end of the test: an unofficial Listening and Reading score, and the choice to cancel your scores or have them sent.
- Official scores: posted in your ETS account 5–6 days after the test. They stay valid for 2 years.
- MyBest scores: your best section scores from all your valid tests in the last 2 years, shown on every report.
ETS says you can send score reports to as many institutions as you like at no extra cost. There’s no limit on retakes, but you can’t take it more than once in a 3-day period. ETS’s website has a sample score report, scoring guides and performance descriptors if you want to see what each band means.
TOEFL Essentials vs TOEFL iBT, side by sideLink to TOEFL Essentials vs TOEFL iBT, side by side
| TOEFL Essentials | TOEFL iBT (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | About 1.5 hours, plan 1 h 50 min with check-in | About 2 hours, ETS says, with directions |
| Sections | Listening, Reading, Writing, Speaking, plus an unscored video statement | Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking: twelve task types |
| Score scale | Bands 1–12, overall in half bands | Bands 1.0–6.0, plus a comparable 0–120 score for two years |
| Scores arrive | 5–6 days after the test | 3 days after the test |
| Where you take it | From home, as ETS describes it | At a test center, or at home with a live proctor |
| Fee | US$199 (INR 17,200 in India), ETS’s registration page says | Depends on your country, on ETS’s fees page |
| Who accepts it | ETS says hundreds of institutions, with more deciding | ETS says 13,500+ institutions in over 160 countries |
| How long scores last | 2 years | 2 years |
The scales are different. A 5 on Essentials isn’t a 5 on the iBT, and the Essentials pages we read give no direct conversion between the two. If you need to compare, use the CEFR levels each test reports. Our score calculator shows the iBT’s CEFR levels.
Who accepts TOEFL Essentials?Link to Who accepts TOEFL Essentials?
This is the question to settle before you book. ETS says “hundreds of institutions” accept Essentials and many more are still deciding. It also says it expects wide acceptance among institutions that take the iBT, citing its own survey in which more than 90% of the US, Canadian and UK universities surveyed said they’d likely accept it. That’s a survey, though, not a promise: ETS itself says to “check with institutions directly”.
ETS keeps a searchable list of institutions that say they accept Essentials, built from university websites. It adds that others may accept it without saying so. The Essentials pages we read don’t say whether visa offices take it, while ETS’s iBT FAQ does say iBT scores can meet visa requirements in several countries. Ask the visa office or your agent before relying on Essentials for a visa.
Which test do you need?Link to Which test do you need?
- 1
Read the exact name
Look for “Essentials” or “iBT” on the school’s web page or letter. “The TOEFL” alone could mean several tests.
- 2
Find the school’s list of accepted tests
Look in the admissions or international students pages. If it names Essentials, you can take it. If it only names the iBT, book the iBT.
- 3
Not listed? Ask in writing
Send one question: “Do you accept TOEFL Essentials scores for my program?” Keep the answer. A yes from the school is worth more than any list.
- 4
Check dates and deadlines
Essentials results take 5–6 days and the iBT 3, but a school’s deadline is what counts. Count back from it.
Common mix-upsLink to Common mix-ups
| What you may hear | What ETS’s pages say |
|---|---|
| “Essentials is just a shorter iBT.” | It’s a separate test with its own tasks, an unscored video statement and its own 1–12 scale. |
| “A 9 on Essentials means a 4.5 on the iBT.” | The scales differ and the pages we read give no conversion. Compare CEFR levels instead. |
| “Every school that takes the iBT takes Essentials.” | ETS says many are still deciding and to check with each institution. |
| “Essentials is the iBT with a different name.” | ETS lists both in the family. The iBT has twelve task types and about two hours, Essentials about 1.5. |
| “You get the score straight away.” | Only an unofficial Listening and Reading score. Official scores come 5–6 days later. |
| “If I do badly, I’m stuck with it.” | ETS lets you cancel your scores at the end of the test, and you can retake it, though not more than once in 3 days. |
Preparing, and where GoodMocks fitsLink to Preparing, and where GoodMocks fits
GoodMocks is an independent site with TOEFL iBT practice only. We don’t offer Essentials practice, so we can’t help you prepare for Essentials itself. ETS does, and says its preparation is free: three official practice tests showing each section’s question types, and a self-paced online course, “Understanding the TOEFL Essentials Test”, on the edX platform. Both are linked from ETS’s Essentials Test Prep page.
Common questions
Is TOEFL Essentials still available in 2026?
Yes, on ETS’s pages as of November 2, 2026. Registration is open, and ETS’s Information Bulletin covers the 2026–2027 testing year, July 2026 through June 2027. ETS’s pages we read say nothing about it ending.
How long is TOEFL Essentials?
ETS says about 1.5 hours, and to plan 1 hour 50 minutes in all, including 20 minutes of check-in. That includes a 5-minute video statement that isn’t scored.
How is TOEFL Essentials scored?
Each section is scored 1 to 12 in whole bands, and the overall score is the average in half bands. Official scores reach your ETS account 5–6 days after the test, and they stay valid for 2 years.
Do universities accept TOEFL Essentials?
Some do. ETS says hundreds of institutions accept it and more are deciding, and it keeps a list. Because the list isn’t everything, ask your school directly before you book.
Is TOEFL Essentials the same as the TOEFL iBT?
No. They’re separate tests from ETS with different lengths, tasks and score scales (1–12 against 1–6). The Essentials pages we read give no direct conversion between them.
How can I practice for TOEFL Essentials?
ETS offers three free official practice tests and a self-paced course on edX, both linked from its Essentials Test Prep page.
Sources
Every exam fact on this page comes from ETS, checked on November 2, 2026. GoodMocks is independent from ETS.
- ETS: TOEFL Essentials test
- ETS: Learn about TOEFL Essentials
- ETS: TOEFL Essentials test content
- ETS: Why choose TOEFL Essentials?
- ETS: TOEFL Essentials scores
- ETS: Institutions accepting TOEFL Essentials scores
- ETS: TOEFL Essentials registration and fees
- ETS: TOEFL Essentials Information Bulletin 2026–2027 (PDF)
- ETS: TOEFL Essentials test prep
- ETS: TOEFL iBT test content and structure
- ETS: About TOEFL iBT (FAQ)
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