TOEFL is recognized as the gold standard of English language proficiency exams. It’s used by universities around the world to assess how well a student can communicate in English. Published by ETS (Educational Testing Service), TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It allows you to demonstrate what you know about each of the four main components of spoken and written communication: grammar and vocabulary, listening, reading, and speaking/writing. In other words, it tests how educated someone is in the ways of speaking and writing in English—the purpose behind using language every day.