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How to Take the TOEFL iBT Home Edition: Complete Guide

The TOEFL iBT Home Edition is the same TOEFL test — same format, same scoring, accepted by the same universities — taken on your own computer under live online proctoring. Here is everything you need to register, set up your room, and score high without leaving home.

What is the TOEFL Home Edition?

The Home Edition is offered by ETS around the clock, four days a week, and can usually be scheduled as little as 24 hours in advance. It contains the same four sections — Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing — takes about two hours, and is scored on the same 0–120 scale as the test-center version.

Universities and visa offices treat Home Edition scores exactly like test-center scores, which makes it the fastest route to an official TOEFL result when application deadlines are close.

Equipment and room requirements

• A desktop or laptop computer (not a tablet or phone) with Windows or macOS, a single monitor, a working speaker, and a microphone — headsets and earphones are not allowed.
• A webcam that can be moved to show the proctor a 360° view of your room, including your desk surface.
• A stable internet connection — run the ETS equipment check in advance and prefer a wired connection if your Wi-Fi is unreliable.
• A quiet, private room with the door closed. No one else may enter during the test, and your desk must be clear of books, papers, and extra devices.
• For notes: a whiteboard with an erasable marker, or paper inside a transparent sheet protector — regular paper and pencils are prohibited.

How to register

Create an ETS account at ets.org/toefl, choose "TOEFL iBT Home Edition" when booking, pick a date and time, and pay the fee. Before test day, install the ETS Test Browser, run the ProctorU equipment check on the same computer and network you will use, and prepare a valid passport — your name on the registration must match it exactly.

Test-day rules and procedure

• Check in within 12 minutes after your appointment time; arriving late means forfeiting the test.
• The proctor will verify your ID, scan your room and desk through your webcam, and may ask you to show your ears and wrists.
• Stay visible on camera the whole time. You may not leave your seat, read questions out loud, or look away from the screen for long periods.
• If your connection drops, do not panic — re-launch the session and the proctor will reconnect you. Persistent technical issues entitle you to a free reschedule.

Tips to score high at home

Take at least one full mock test in the same room, at the same time of day, with the same whiteboard setup — familiarity removes test-day friction. Practice speaking answers at a normal volume so background-noise flags don't interrupt you. Finally, compress your prep into a short, intensive window: focused 3–7 day plans consistently outperform months of low-intensity study.