ETS introduces adaptive TOEFL, fairness protocols and faster scores to ease global students' stress and test anxiety.
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) has unveiled sweeping reforms to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam that includes adaptive testing, faster scores and bias-free content.
These changes are aimed at easing the stress and anxiety faced by international students seeking admission to universities abroad.
A calmer path to international education
For millions of students across the world, sitting for the TOEFL is a decisive step in applying to universities abroad.
The exam, long seen as one of the most rigorous measures of academic English, has also been synonymous with long hours, cultural unfamiliarity and the pressure to secure a high score.
Now, the ETS, which designs and administers the TOEFL, has set in motion a major overhaul that it says will shift the focus away from anxiety and back onto ability.
The changes, announced in a series of global communications, aim to make the exam shorter, fairer and more transparent. At their heart lies a recognition that anxiety can cloud performance and that the best assessment is one that allows students to show what they truly know.
Adaptive testing to reduce stress
One of the most significant reforms is the introduction of multistage adaptive testing in the Reading and Listening sections.
Rather than presenting all candidates with the same sequence of questions regardless of ability, the new TOEFL adjusts the level question difficulty in real time. If a candidate answers correctly, they may face slightly harder questions; if they struggle, subsequent questions will better match their level.
This adaptive model is intended to reduce the stress of facing questions that are either impossibly hard or uncomfortably easy. Instead, students are kept within a manageable range where they can demonstrate their competence without feeling lost.
ETS stresses that this approach is both fairer and more precise.
Omar Chihane, head of the TOEFL at ETS, told India Today: 'Adaptive testing is about fairness -- it ensures you are measured against questions that are appropriate for your level.'
Shorter exams and quicker results
Another practical source of exam anxiety is the sheer length. Until recently, TOEFL was known as one of the longer English tests, requiring nearly four hours in some versions.
ETS has now streamlined the exam into a shorter format that still tests the four key skills -- reading, listening, speaking and writing -- but eliminates redundancies and repetitive tasks.
For students, this means reduced fatigue and less psychological strain. It also means they can complete the exam in a timeframe more aligned with attention spans and university assessment standards.
In parallel, ETS has accelerated score turnaround times.
Results are now typically available within about 72 hours. This rapid reporting removes one of the most stressful elements of the testing process: The long wait to know whether one's dreams of admission can proceed.
Chihane highlighted this as a clear student benefit, 'Faster results and clearer score reporting mean less waiting and less uncertainty, which directly reduces stress for students.'
Cultural neutrality and fairness
Stress does not come only from the mechanics of testing; it also arises when students feel alienated by the content itself.
The TOEFL has historically used academic materials drawn from university lectures, research articles and everyday discussions. Yet, not all students encounter these contexts equally in their education.
ETS has responded with a rigorous programme of content modernisation and bias review. All test questions now undergo checks to ensure they are culturally neutral and globally relevant. Idiomatic phrases or region-specific references are pared back, replaced with language that focuses squarely on English proficiency rather than cultural familiarity.
Chihane emphasised this point in his interview, 'Our content is reviewed to avoid cultural bias. Students anywhere in the world should feel that the TOEFL is fair to them.'
Clearer scoring, less guesswork
One perennial concern for students has been deciphering what their scores mean in practice.
A university may require 'a TOEFL iBT score of 90', but students often wonder whether that corresponds to advanced proficiency or whether missing a few points will endanger their application.
To reduce such uncertainty, ETS has aligned TOEFL scoring more closely with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the international standard used across schools and universities. This makes it easier for students to understand whether they are at the B2 or C1 level, for example, and for universities to set requirements in transparent terms.
The alignment is not only about transparency; it is also about realism.
As Chihane noted, 'We want students to focus on showing their real English ability, not to feel overwhelmed by test-day nerves.'
Supporting materials and fairness protocols
Beyond the test itself, ETS has expanded its official preparation resources and issued clear guidelines for institutions.
By explaining how scores relate to admission thresholds, ETS aims to prevent the spiral of anxiety that comes from aiming blindly for a 'perfect' score.
The organisation also points to its internal fairness protocols. Each test item is written and reviewed by a diverse international team of psychometricians, educators and reviewers. This diversity is seen as critical to spotting hidden cultural assumptions and ensuring that the exam is accessible to students from every region.
A broader message of reassurance
The changes do not mean the TOEFL is any less rigorous. Universities still rely on it to confirm whether applicants can succeed in English-medium academic settings.
What ETS hopes to remove is unnecessary stress -- the kind that distracts from actual ability and disadvantages students who may already be navigating the challenges of international study.
For ETS, the redesign is also a message to students: The organisation is listening. From adaptive testing and faster results to cultural neutrality and transparent scoring, the reforms are crafted to show that assessment can be both demanding and supportive.
As Chihane put it, the ultimate aim is simple, 'Students should approach the TOEFL with confidence, knowing it is a fair test that measures what really matters.'
