Students preparing to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) will be able to take the exam online from next year, it was announced Thursday.

　　The Internet-based test will help overseas institutions make informed decisions on prospective students.

　　It is also seen as a way to boost interest in TOEFL which has lost student numbers due to increased competition from other language training companies.

　　The next-generation of TOEFL, aside from the present paper-based exam, will test students in reading, listening, speaking and writing.

　　The new TOEFL will be launched in the United States in September and then in Canada, France, Germany and Italy. The rollout schedule will be posted on the ETS website on November 1.

　　The charge of the new TOEFL has not yet been decided. Four online preparatory courses have been set up on the official ETS website.