es.  There actually IS such as thing as an “Extended Version” of The TOEFL iBT Exam, AND…  You might actually have to take it — whether you want to or not.  The “normal” version of the TOEFL Exam is already approx. 3.5 hours long (just the test alone — not including the entire exam-day process).  And the extended version can add an extra 30 minutes or more!  😐

do not tell this to you with the intention of discouraging you — but to warn you.  Because if you were not aware that this was a possibility — and then you discovered that there was an extra Reading Passage in The TOEFL Reading Section — or an extra Lecture in The TOEFL Listening Section…  Well, that could really ruin your day.

hen I first heard about “The Extended Version” of The TOEFL Exam — I thought that with the thousands of people that take the exam every weekend (and now on Wednesdays as well) the chances that any of my students would ever get it would be slim.

ut in only a few months — at least 5 of my students reported back to me that they, indeed, had to do the extended version.  And they said that — even though it sucked to have to do the longer version — they were quite thankful that I warned them about it.

he short answer is that the creators of the exam are mad scientists with an agenda of manipulation and control — who are delighted by evilly manipulating “test-subjects”…

ops, I mean “test-takers” — by doing un-warranted, un-necessary, and un-ethical (so-called) “research” on the people who pay them (a supposedly “non-profit” organization)…

s I was saying…  you pay them a freakin’ sh!t-load of money (and it keeps getting more expensive even though the service does not improve) — only to be forced to do extra passages on their exam…  (Which most are already very nervous & uncomfortable about.)

hey are not actually “Evil”.  Instead, they just “doing research” in the name of, somehow, “improving” the exam for future “test-subjects”…  Oops — I mean “test-takers”.  (Even though the exam has not really changed much since 2009 — except to actually become shorter!  So this extended version really makes no logical sense at all.)  😐

owever — there really doesn’t seem to be much that anyone can do about it.  Even though I am pretty sure that it is illegal to do research on someone without their consent — I imagine that it would be futile to try to fight this in any way, so…

Unfortunately…

But…

ince there are a lot of things in life that really suck…  Things that we can’t really do much to change…  then the only thing that we CAN do — is to prepare for it.  😉

he Extended version of The TOEFL iBT Exam is not any more difficult than the “normal” version.  It just has 1 (maybe 2) more Reading Passages in The Reading Section — or 1 (maybe 2) more Audio Files in The Listening Section.

owever — the part that really sucks about it all, is that you will not NOT be scored on all of the Reading Passages or Audio Files that you have to do.  AND you will not know which ones you will be scored on…  But you still have to do them all…  Because the makers of the exam are evil…

I’m KIDDING!!!  They Are Not Really “Evil”

he way that you can tell if you have received the extended version of The TOEFL Exam is by looking at the timer in The Reading Section or The Listening Section.  If the timer shows more than 60 minutes in The Reading Section — then you know that you have received the extended version.  If you get an extended Reading Section — you will not have an extended Listening Section.

ince the amount of time on The Listening Section is not exact, it is a little more difficult to tell.  But if the timer is over 57 minutes — then you know that you definitely have the extended version.  But since you will NOT have an extension on both sections — you will not know if your Listening Section has been extended until it begins.

o my ultimate advice to you is:  PLAN To Be Taking The Extended Version.  That way — if you DO receive the extended version — you will not be surprised, and you will be less disappointed because you were prepared for it.  And if you do NOT receive the extended version — then you can be happy that your exam will be shorter  😉

ut if — when taking your TOEFL Exam — you find that you DO get The Extended Version — just take a deep breath — try to relax — and do the best that you can do.  If you have prepared for your TOEFL Exam by using The TOEFL Excellence Training System — then you will do just fine.  😎