In January 2026 ETS launched a new version of its TOEFL iBT test. Changes to the test include shorter test length, revised score reporting methods, adaptive test design, and adjustments to the numbers of questions across the four skill sections. ETS has stated that these updates are designed to make the test more efficient, accessible, and reflective of real-life communication skills. However, these changes warrant caution regarding the accurate measurement of academic language skills and existing test comparability investigations and the interpretability of scores. This report is intended to provide an in-depth analysis of the new test through a validity lens and an informed view of the new TOEFL iBT test taker’s readiness for academic study in English-speaking environments.
The report focuses on construct comparison between the new TOEFL iBT, its predecessor and IELTS Academic, and on how that comparability impacts score interpretation. The authors examine test elements against a broad range of facets related to validity, such as cognitive processing, task design, scoring, alignment with CEFR, and washback to determine how the new version of TOEFL iBT compares to its predecessor. Key IELTS Academic information is included to provide a reference point for comparison.
Given the new TOEFL iBT’s substantially reduced text length and complexity, its narrowing of task types, the potentially increased susceptibility to “coaching” and its new scoring system, among other considerations, this report concludes that the revised TOEFL iBT represents a substantial construct shift, undermining assumptions of score equivalence with earlier TOEFL versions. The report warns about the risk for score misinterpretation that can arise from using legacy concordance tables.