The Test of English as a Foreign Language is an obligatory entrance test vital for international students who are looking for admission in US universities and colleges for higher studies. Some of the institutes located outside United States also accept the TOEFL as a measure of English Proficiency of a candidate. TOEFL measures the ability of non-native speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is spoken, written and heard in college and university.

All those candidates who take up the TOEFL test plan to study at colleges and universities where medium of instructions is English. Additionally, government agencies, scholarship programs and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL scores to evaluate English proficiency. TOEFL assesses English language aptitude in reading, listening and writing and is accessible on computer in most regions of the world.

In areas where access to computer based testing is limited, a paper and pencil version of the test is administered. Till now approximately 5000 colleges and universities, professional schools and sponsoring institutions accept TOEFL scores.