In the two videos below – recorded in May 2026 – TOEFL experts Karen Barton and Spiros Papageorgiou discuss a range of topics related to the research and psychometric principles supporting the development of TOEFL iBT.
The full conversation covers the design principles behind the latest TOEFL iBT updates, the skills the test is designed to measure, and a broad sampling of research insights backing the deployment of several tasks on the exam.
Section 1: Skills Tested & Design Approach
In this segment, Karen Barton, Vice President of Assessment Operations, share insights on the skills tested on TOEFL iBT, as well as with their alignment to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the global benchmark for English proficiency.
Karen offers an overview of the task types on TOEFL iBT, as well as the evidence of English proficiency these tasks are designed to elicit. She also discusses ETS’ research standards, as well as the TOEFL team’s recent efforts to increase the volume and diversity of task types on TOEFL iBT – aided by the introduction of multistage adaptivity.
Section 2: A Sample of Research Insights
Here, Spiros Papageorgiou, Principal Measurement Scientists, shares a collection of research insights backing the design of TOEFL iBT’s current structure. Tasks discussed include: Complete the Words, Build a Sentence, Write for an Academic Discussion, Listen & Repeat, and Take an Interview.
Spiros also covers some of the innovative methods the TOEFL research team deploys to measure the behavior of test takers on the Writing section – from longitudinal studies to eye tracking to monitoring total active writing time.
For more information on the TOEFL iBT exam, we recommend that you explore our full technical manual. And if you’d like to connect with the TOEFL team, click here to find your TOEFL Strategic Advisor.