Staff
The immersive experience connects English skills with Saudi students’ global ambitions
Riyadh, Sept 30, 2026: TOEFL brought its global TOEFL Experience Day initiative to Riyadh on September 21, 2026, gathering educators, counsellors and education professionals for an immersive exploration of the evolving TOEFL iBT experience. The event took place at Holiday Inn Riyadh Al Olaya, offering attendees a firsthand look at how English assessment is adapting to the way today’s learners’ study, communicate and prepare for international academic opportunities.
Saudi Arabia’s continued investment in education and youth readiness formed the backdrop of the event. English proficiency remains a key enabler for students seeking access to global pathways, and the TOEFL iBT® Experience Day supports this national priority by bringing the assessment journey directly to those guiding students’ academic decisions.
The event showcased the enhanced TOEFL iBT®, launched globally in January 2026. Updates included adaptive reading and listening sections, modern academic and campus‑life content, faster score reporting and a 1–6 score scale aligned more intuitively with the CEFR. These enhancements create a more personalised and relevant testing experience while maintaining the academic standards trusted by institutions worldwide.
Participants moved through four interactive stations that brought the TOEFL iBT® journey to life, setting the stage for the FAST sessions led by expert facilitators. Farhan Jamil led the Fair session, highlighting how a broader mix of inclusive and relatable academic content gives learners, regardless of where or how they learned English, a fair opportunity to demonstrate their true abilities. Eric Woods presented the Agile session, exploring the smoother and more efficient TOEFL experience, including a streamlined journey and faster, more flexible testing processes. Kathryn Hardy introduced the Smart session, focusing on the updated TOEFL experience, including modernised content and a clearer approach to demonstrating and understanding English proficiency. Victoria Hemmings delivered the Tailored session, showing how technology and adaptive testing can provide a more personalised experience, enabling test takers to demonstrate their range of English abilities. Together, these sessions offered attendees a complete and immersive understanding of how TOEFL continues to evolve for today’s learners.
The event drew participation from leading schools such as Alhussan International Schools, Alrowad Global Schools, GEMS American International School, Najd National Schools, Pakistan International School, Sri Lankan International School, Kingdom Schools and more, alongside top universities including Alfaisal University, King Saud University, Princess Nourah University, Prince Sultan University and more. Prominent organisations also joined, including ETEC, EP – Study Abroad, the Institute of Public Administration, Jacobs Solutions Co., the Ministry of Health, NCLE, Saudi British Centre (SBC), Tihama Education, VIP Kids and more, reflecting the broad national interest in strengthening English proficiency pathways.
Throughout the day, participants engaged in friendly competition as ten Golden Keys were awarded by the facilitators. Five Golden Key holders will receive free online test-practice courses (OTPC vouchers) from TOEFL, while five others will receive vouchers for the Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT® Pocket Edition. The TOEFL Quiz, conducted by Zuhaib at the end of the session, tested participants’ knowledge of the topics covered, with the top three winners receiving Sony Bluetooth headsets as prizes. ETS also gave away participation certificates to attendees and honored the SBC team and facilitators for their contributions to the event. In total, the event welcomed approximately 150+ attendees.
Reflecting on the success of the day, Sabry Shehata, Managing Director, ETS RHQ said: “English proficiency is a gateway to global education and opportunity. For more than 60 years, TOEFL has helped learners demonstrate the academic English skills they need to pursue their ambitions around the world. As Saudi Arabia advances Vision 2030 and invests in education, human capital and global competitiveness, trusted measures of English proficiency will play an important role in helping learners access opportunities, succeed in international environments and contribute to the Kingdom’s future.”
Through initiatives such as TOEFL Experience Day and the continued evolution of the TOEFL iBT®, TOEFL iBT® continues to support students in demonstrating the English skills they need to pursue their academic ambitions in Saudi Arabia and around the world.
The TOEFL iBT® test is accepted by more than 13,500 institutions across 160+ countries and territories worldwide. To learn more about the TOEFL iBT, visit www.ets.org/toefl and follow TOEFL on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.
