General English

Flexible group courses for everyday communication and fluency.

Academic English

Prepare for university study with advanced academic language skills.

Business English

English for professional communication in corporate and workplace settings.

Private Lessons

One-to-one lessons tailored to your goals, schedule and interests.

Language Excursions

Learn English while exploring Cape Town with your teacher as your guide.

IELTS Preparation

Get the score you need with targeted strategies and expert support.

Cambridge Exams

Prepare for the FCE or CAE with structured, high-quality training.

TOEFL Preparation

Build confidence and test skills to succeed in the TOEFL exam.

Private Lessons

Personalised one-to-one English lessons delivered online, on your schedule.

Corporate Groups

Live online training for teams, customised to your organisation’s needs.

English for Tech Professionals

Self-paced English course designed for developers, engineers, and IT teams.

Hiddingh Campus

Learn in a historic university campus right in the city centre.

Tours and Activities

Explore Cape Town and make friends through weekly excursions.

Social Programme

Join our schedule of fun events, outings and conversations.

Getting Around

Tips and tools for navigating the city like a local.

Social and Digital

Stay connected online and through our vibrant student community.

The Yellow House

A friendly, sociable student house just a short walk from school.

Adderley Studios

Modern, secure apartments in the heart of Cape Town.

Homestay

Live with a local family and experience South African culture.

Hotels & Aparthotels

Independent options for comfort, privacy and flexibility.

Price List

All tuition and accommodation fees in one clear table.

Booking Information

What to expect before, during and after you book.

Instalment Plans

Flexible payment options for long-term bookings.

User Login

View your bookings, make payments, and manage your details.

Visa Information

Visa options and support for international students coming to South Africa.

Insurance & Travel

What you need to know about travel, insurance and staying safe.

MyELC App

Access your timetable, progress and more on the student app.

Arrival and Orientation

How we help you settle in on your first day in Cape Town.

Certificates and Transcripts

How to request certificates, transcripts, or proof of enrolment.

Terms & Conditions

The small print — bookings, cancellations, and more.

Contact Us

Get in touch with the ELC team by email, phone or WhatsApp.

Privacy Policy

How we protect your data and respect your privacy.

Why Choose Us?

What makes ELC and UCT a great place to learn English.

About the University of Cape Town

South Africa’s leading university and home to the ELC.

About the English Language Centre

Who we are, what we offer, and how we teach.

Our Team

Meet the teachers, support staff and leadership team behind ELC.

Accreditations

Our international quality standards and endorsements.

Media & Press

News coverage, interviews and media mentions of ELC.

Testimonials

What our students, partners and teachers say about us.

Blog

Updates, stories and insights from the ELC community.


Get a Course Quote

View prices and options for your course and accommodation

Get a Quote

Book Your Course

Ready to study with us? Start your booking in just a few steps

Book Now

General English

Flexible group courses for everyday communication and fluency.

Academic English

Prepare for university study with advanced academic language skills.

Business English

English for professional communication in corporate and workplace settings.

Private Lessons

One-to-one lessons tailored to your goals, schedule and interests.

Language Excursions

Learn English while exploring Cape Town with your teacher as your guide.

IELTS Preparation

Get the score you need with targeted strategies and expert support.

Cambridge Exams

Prepare for the FCE or CAE with structured, high-quality training.

TOEFL Preparation

Build confidence and test skills to succeed in the TOEFL exam.

Private Lessons

Personalised one-to-one English lessons delivered online, on your schedule.

Corporate Groups

Live online training for teams, customised to your organisation’s needs.

English for Tech Professionals

Self-paced English course designed for developers, engineers, and IT teams.

Hiddingh Campus

Learn in a historic university campus right in the city centre.

Tours and Activities

Explore Cape Town and make friends through weekly excursions.

Social Programme

Join our schedule of fun events, outings and conversations.

Getting Around

Tips and tools for navigating the city like a local.

Social and Digital

Stay connected online and through our vibrant student community.

The Yellow House

A friendly, sociable student house just a short walk from school.

Adderley Studios

Modern, secure apartments in the heart of Cape Town.

Homestay

Live with a local family and experience South African culture.

Hotels and Aparthotels

Independent options for comfort, privacy and flexibility.

Find the Right Course

Use our Course Wizard to match your goals and level to the best option

Course Wizard

Take the Level Test

Not sure what level you are? Take the test and find out

Level Test

Price List

All tuition and accommodation fees in one clear table.

Booking Information

What to expect before, during and after you book.

Instalment Plans

Flexible payment options for long-term bookings.

User Login

View your bookings, make payments, and manage your details.

Visa Information

Visa options and support for international students coming to South Africa.

Insurance & Travel

What you need to know about travel, insurance and staying safe.

MyELC App

Access your timetable, progress and more on the student app.

Arrival and Orientation

How we help you settle in on your first day in Cape Town.

Certificates and Transcripts

How to request certificates, transcripts, or proof of enrolment.

Terms & Conditions

The small print — bookings, cancellations, and more.

Contact Us

Get in touch with the ELC team by email, phone or WhatsApp.

Privacy Policy

How we protect your data and respect your privacy.

Why Choose Us?

What makes ELC and UCT a great place to learn English.

About the University of Cape Town

South Africa’s leading university and home to the ELC.

About the English Language Centre

Who we are, what we offer, and how we teach.

Our Team

Meet the teachers, support staff and leadership team behind ELC.

Accreditations

Our international quality standards and endorsements.

Media & Press

News coverage, interviews and media mentions of ELC.

Testimonials

What our students, partners and teachers say about us.

Blog

Updates, stories and insights from the ELC community.

TOEFL Preparation

Achieve your target score with structured training and expert support.

Achieve Your Best TOEFL Score


Prepare for the TOEFL iBT with expert guidance in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. This course strengthens your academic English skills, helping you develop the accuracy, fluency, and confidence needed to succeed in university and professional settings.

With structured lessons, timed practice tests, and detailed feedback, you'll refine exam techniques and improve overall language proficiency. Our experienced teachers provide personalised support, ensuring you understand question formats, manage time effectively, and respond with clarity under exam conditions.

Lessons closely replicate real test scenarios, allowing you to practice in a structured, high-performance learning environment. By focusing on critical thinking, argument development, and complex language structures, this course prepares you to achieve a competitive score and advance your academic or career prospects.

Develops skills and strategies for high-scoring responses.

Practice with simulations for confidence in the online test format.

Receive expert feedback to meet university-level English proficiency.

Develop listening and speaking skills for academic success.

About the TOEFL Exam

Select a TOEFL paper from the list below:
  • TOEFL Writing
  • TOEFL Speaking
  • TOEFL Reading
  • TOEFL Listening
TOEFL Writing Section

The Writing section assesses the ability to construct well-organised essays in an academic style, requiring test takers to demonstrate their ability to express ideas clearly, support arguments with evidence, and maintain coherence throughout their responses. 

Integrated Task

The test taker reads a short passage, listens to a lecture, and writes a summary comparing the two. The response must convey the relationship between the reading and listening content.

Independent Task

The test taker writes an opinion-based essay on a given topic, supporting their argument with reasoning and examples. The essay is evaluated on coherence, organisation, vocabulary use, and grammatical accuracy.

Writing Score Descriptors
0-9 Lacks coherence, organisation, and grammatical accuracy, making comprehension difficult.
10-17 Essays are somewhat disorganised, with grammatical mistakes affecting clarity.
18-23 Writes clear and organised responses with some minor grammatical or vocabulary issues.
24-30 Produces well-structured, coherent essays with strong vocabulary and minimal grammar errors.

2 Tasks

29 Minutes

500+ Words

TOEFL Speaking Section

The Speaking section evaluates the ability to express ideas clearly and coherently in spoken English. It includes tasks requiring independent responses and responses based on reading and listening materials. 

Independent Task

The test taker answers a question based on personal experience or opinion, demonstrating fluency and coherence.

Integrated Tasks

The test taker responds to a combination of reading and listening materials, summarising and synthesising information accurately. Responses are judged on clarity, grammar, pronunciation, and completeness.

Speaking Score Descriptors
0-9 Speech is unclear with major grammatical and pronunciation problems, making communication difficult.
10-17 Speech is somewhat hesitant, with grammar and pronunciation errors affecting clarity.
18-23 Communicates ideas effectively but may have minor fluency or pronunciation issues.
24-30 Speaks fluently with clear pronunciation, well-structured responses, and strong vocabulary.

Oral Exam

4 Tasks

16 Minutes

TOEFL Reading Section

The Reading section assesses the test taker's ability to comprehend and analyse academic texts commonly found in university settings. It evaluates a range of reading skills, including the ability to identify main ideas, understand supporting details, make logical inferences, recognise relationships between ideas, and determine the meanings of words in context. Test takers are also assessed on their ability to understand the rhetorical structure of passages and how different pieces of information contribute to the overall argument or theme. 

Reading Score Descriptors
0-9 Limited ability to understand academic texts, struggles with vocabulary and main ideas.
10-17 Can grasp basic information but has difficulty with more abstract or dense passages.
18-23 Understands main ideas and details but struggles with some complex vocabulary and inference-making.
24-30 Understands complex academic texts well, identifies key ideas, makes inferences, and recognises rhetorical purpose.

2 Passages

1400 Words

20 Questions

35 Minutes

TOEFL Listening Section

The Listening section evaluates the ability to understand spoken English in academic settings, focusing on lectures and conversations typically encountered in university environments. It measures comprehension of main ideas, supporting details, speaker attitudes, and the logical flow of spoken information. Test takers must recognise how information is structured, identify relationships between ideas, and determine the speaker’s tone or intent. Additionally, this section assesses the ability to process spoken English in real time, distinguishing explicit and implicit meanings while integrating key points across different segments. The section consists of three lectures and two conversations, each followed by related questions that test understanding and analytical skills. 

Listening Score Descriptors
0-9 Limited ability to understand spoken English, struggles with key ideas and connections.
10-17 Understands basic spoken English but has difficulty with speed, accents, or implied meanings.
18-23 Can follow main ideas and details but may struggle with subtle meanings or complex speech.
24-30 Understands lectures and conversations well, including implicit meanings and speaker attitudes.

5 Recordings

30 Questions

36 Minutes

TOEFL Preparation FAQs

Looking for Something Else?

Check out our other English courses and find the one that suits you best.