TOEFL ITP explained, and how it differs from the TOEFL iBT

ITP is one of the tests in the TOEFL family, made by ETS, the same organization behind the TOEFL iBT. ETS describes the TOEFL ITP Assessment Series as “a leading English-proficiency testing program for ages 16+” that lets schools “measure and evaluate” their students’ English. ETS says more than 2,500 institutions in over 50 countries give the tests every year.

The key word is institutions. ETS’s ITP pages are written for the school or program that orders the tests, not for you. A teacher or coordinator arranges the sitting, and the handbook for test takers says your instructors will tell you which ITP test you’ll take.

ETS lists what schools use it for:

• Placing students in English-language programs, and checking their progress during them.
• Exiting a program, by showing English listening and reading skills.
• Getting ready for the TOEFL iBT. ETS lists “skill building and preparation” for the iBT as a use.
• Admission to that school’s own programs, such as short non-degree courses, or degree programs through testing the school runs for its own use.
• Scholarship programs, as supporting proof of academic English.

There are two levels, and your school picks one. Both are multiple choice, on paper or on a computer, with three sections: Listening Comprehension, Structure and Written Expression, and Reading Comprehension. “Structure and Written Expression” sounds like writing, but ETS says it measures whether you recognize grammar points in standard written English. You don’t write anything.

Some schools add a Speaking test. ETS says it has four tasks (one read-aloud, two independent speaking tasks and one integrated task), takes about 15 minutes and is only available with the digital Level 1 or Level 2 test. It’s reported on its own score report, scored 31–68, and isn’t added to your Level 1 or 2 score.

1. 1

   Your school orders it

   Schools order the tests through ETS or the ETS Preferred Network office for their country. Individuals aren’t described as booking it themselves on ETS’s pages, so ask your teacher or program.

2. 2

   You’re told the level and the format

   ETS says instructors tell test takers which tests they’ll take. Ask whether it’s paper or digital and whether there’s a Speaking test.

3. 3

   You take it where and when they say

   Often a classroom. A school can also run it at home with its own “Bring Your Own Proctor” steps, which you’ll get from the school. Taking Speaking at home needs a compliant headset.

4. 4

   Your school gives you the result

   Scores go to the school that gave the test, and the school gives you your report. ETS’s handbook says scores are valid only within that school, for two years.

A few rules from the handbook: there’s no scheduled break, you can take notes during Listening and Speaking, and if your test is on paper you bring your own No. 2 or HB pencils and a good eraser, because the test administrator won’t supply them. ETS’s test-taker contact page covers only the iBT and TOEFL Essentials, so for ITP questions, start with your school.

One surprise: the 2026 iBT is shorter than ITP Level 1. It’s also a very different kind of test. The ITP uses only multiple-choice questions, while the iBT asks you to build sentences, write an email, answer an interview and more. Our 2026 format overview goes through all twelve iBT tasks.

Work through these in order. Stop at the first one that fits.

1. 1

   Read the exact name

   Look for “ITP” or “iBT” on the email, the web page or the letter. “The TOEFL” alone could mean either.

2. 2

   Is the test run by your own school or program?

   If a teacher, coordinator or the program itself arranges it (a placement test, a course exit test, a scholarship round), it’s probably the ITP. You won’t book it yourself. Ask them for the level, the format and the date.

3. 3

   Are you applying to a university or employer?

   A school you’re applying to usually wants the TOEFL iBT, which you book yourself. ETS says the ITP is not a replacement for it. Some schools use their own ITP sittings for their own admissions, so check with the admissions office.

4. 4

   Still not sure? Ask in writing

   Send one question: “Do you want TOEFL iBT scores, or TOEFL ITP scores from your own testing?” Keep the answer.

Each section’s number of correct answers is converted to a scaled score. To get the total, ETS says to add the three section scores and multiply by ten thirds. For example, 48 + 56 + 52 = 156, and 156 × 10 ÷ 3 = 520. ETS also notes that a score is not perfectly precise: on the total it’s about 14 points either way.

There’s no ETS pass mark. The handbook says each school decides what score is acceptable, and that ETS sets no passing or failing scores. If you need a target, ask the school that gave you the test. ETS also maps ITP scores to CEFR levels, the European scale of language levels:

Don’t turn an ITP score into an iBT score yourself. On the ITP pages we read, ETS gives no direct ITP-to-iBT conversion. It does say its TOEFL Steps tool shows how CEFR levels relate to Reading and Listening scores across the TOEFL tests, so the CEFR level is the fair way to compare. Our score calculator shows the iBT’s CEFR levels.

If you need the iBT, the 2026 test is shorter than many people expect, with new task types. GoodMocks is an independent site with TOEFL iBT practice only. We don’t offer ITP practice, so we can’t help you prepare for the ITP itself. For the ITP, use ETS’s own materials: free sample questions for each Level 1 and Level 2 section, a Speaking sample test, and the Test Taker Handbook, which also has practice questions. ETS says practice tests come through your local ETS Preferred Network office, so ask your school.