# TOEFL Home Edition 2026: Equipment Checklist | topin

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## Check acceptance and your room before hardware

Before spending on equipment, confirm each receiving programme accepts Home Edition and the current TOEFL format. The test being available through ETS is different from the result meeting a particular admissions or evidence policy. Check the precise school and degree rather than relying on a general statement that a country accepts TOEFL.

Next decide whether you can provide the required private room. ETS says you must be alone, nobody may enter and all doors must be closed. Public spaces are unsuitable. A shared flat can work only if the actual room meets the rules and other people can reliably avoid entering throughout the monitored session.

Do not book first and hope your circumstances change. A household with unpredictable interruptions, a computer you cannot administer or a poor connection may make a centre appointment more practical. That is a logistical judgement, not a claim that one testing mode produces better scores.

__Our decision table; acceptance and equipment compliance must both be confirmed.__
| Situation                          | Useful first action                                        | Possible decision                             |
| ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Private room and personal computer | Run the official equipment check                           | Consider Home Edition if recipients accept it |
| Shared room with no privacy        | Find a compliant private room                              | Use a centre if privacy cannot be arranged    |
| Managed work laptop                | Ask whether required installation and settings are allowed | Use another compliant device if blocked       |
| Recipient mode policy unclear      | Ask the receiving programme                                | Do not assume Home Edition counts             |

Our [centre test-day checklist](/articles/toefl-test-centre-checklist) covers the alternative. Compare the full preparation burden: transport and centre arrival on one side, room control and technology rehearsal on the other. Choose the mode you can execute reliably under the official conditions.

## Use today’s operating-system requirements

ETS’s live page requires a desktop or laptop, one screen and one keyboard. It lists licensed Windows 11 or higher and Mac OS X 10.13 or higher. A tablet or phone cannot be the primary testing computer. Multiple displays and multiple keyboards are not permitted. Disconnect or remove extras according to the official instructions before your check.

An older ETS Home Edition PDF lists Windows 10, so copying an old checklist can give a different answer from the current live page. Use the current requirements, the Test App check and your dashboard to resolve compatibility before the appointment. The presence of a familiar operating-system name does not establish that your specific configuration will pass.

Install the TOEFL Test App through My TOEFL Home as directed and run its equipment check. Repeat the check at the same weekday and time as the appointment where possible; ETS recommends that to assess the connection under similar usage. A generic internet speed test is not a replacement for the official check.

If using a work or university computer, confirm you can install the app and disable restricted software. Do not bypass organisational security controls to make the exam work. Choose a suitable personal device or centre appointment if the required configuration is unavailable. Borrowing a computer is useful only if you can rehearse that exact device before test day.

Keep the computer connected to a power supply. Make a note of the charger location and cable reach before arranging the desk. A setup that passes the software test but requires you to move repeatedly to reconnect power has not been fully rehearsed.

## Check sound, microphone and both camera views

Use an internal or external speaker and a microphone that is not part of a headset. ETS does not allow headsets or earphones for Home Edition. Record a short practice answer through the intended microphone and listen back through the intended speaker arrangement. This informal rehearsal complements the official check; it does not replace it.

The primary camera can be built in or separate, but must be movable for a 360-degree room inspection including the desk and underneath it. Test whether you can show the required areas without disconnecting the camera or stretching the cable. Arrange power and webcam cables so that the inspection is physically possible.

Second-camera requirements apply when specified for your appointment. The live equipment page says if applicable; the Home Edition FAQ and dashboard provide the appointment instructions. Prepare a supported smartphone or tablet and check the order confirmation rather than declaring the second camera universally optional or universally required.

ETS’s second-camera guidance describes iOS 12 or later or Android 8 or later, internet access and a powered device. Follow the dashboard’s placement instructions, including the required view of your working area. Rehearse the actual mounting position. A phone balanced on a light object can fall or lose the view even if its operating system qualifies.

Remember the phone exception is functional: a device used as a required monitoring camera follows those instructions. Other phones are put away as directed. Do not treat the presence of a second-camera phone as permission to use messaging, notifications or other mobile functions during the test.

## Make the room and note-taking setup compliant

ETS requires the computer and keyboard on a desk or tabletop with a standard chair. It describes clearing the tabletop and surrounding area of unapproved items, covering transparent walls, doors or large open windows, and removing test-related material from walls. Your proctor may require a position that makes the room door visible.

Use the [live equipment and environment page](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/register/at-home-requirements.html) as the final checklist. This article translates the process into a rehearsal, but cannot inspect your room or approve a particular object. When an item or room arrangement is unclear, resolve it through ETS instructions before the session.

For notes, the permitted choices are a small whiteboard with an erasable marker or one sheet inside a transparent protector with an erasable marker. Loose-paper notes and pencils or pens are not permitted for that purpose. You must show that notes have been erased at the end. Test the marker and eraser before the appointment.

Food and drink are not allowed under the standard room rules. The standard current TOEFL has no scheduled break. If health-related needs require items or breaks that differ from the ordinary conditions, use the [accommodations timeline](/articles/toefl-accommodations-request-timeline) before scheduling.

Explain the room boundary to household members in advance. Put delivery and family arrangements outside the testing window. That practical coordination is more useful than a sign nobody has read. It must still meet ETS’s requirement that nobody enters the room.

## Run a rehearsal at the appointment hour

Create a 48-hour preparation checkpoint because ETS’s Home Edition FAQ asks candidates to run the Test App check 48 hours before testing. Complete any identity-verification steps shown in your dashboard and read the current rules. Your order confirmation determines which additional setup applies.

* Run the official check on the exact computer and connection you will use.
* Verify speaker sound and microphone recording without a headset.
* Practise moving the main camera for the room inspection.
* Connect and position the second-camera device if required.
* Clear the desk, disable prohibited remote-access tools and test power connections.

ETS tells candidates to disable screen-sharing and remote-access software and prevent it opening automatically. Closing a visible window may not stop a background service. Use the normal supported settings for your device, and ask for help if a managed computer prevents compliance.

Take topin’s [free full-length TOEFL mock](/toefl/practice-test), scored like test day, with your permitted note surface. This is a language and endurance rehearsal, not an ETS compliance check. Combine it with the official app check so you test both the study routine and the actual technical requirements.

After rehearsal, photograph the desk arrangement for your own planning if helpful, then remove any unapproved items before the actual session. Record what failed and fix that specific issue rather than changing several components after a successful run. Recheck after any material hardware or connection change.

## Use a decision deadline for unresolved problems

The ETS page states that failing to meet requirements on test day can prevent testing without a refund or free reschedule. Resolve persistent failures while ordinary appointment-change options are still available. Do not wait until the check-in window to discover that your operating system or permissions cannot support the app.

For a connection failure, collect the equipment-check result, time and affected component, then use the linked official support route. For an interruption during the exam, follow the proctor’s instructions rather than improvising a restart or reaching for a phone. A proctor-directed action and an unauthorised action are not the same thing.

If the second camera disconnects, ETS’s FAQ says the proctor temporarily stops the exam and provides reconnection instructions. Do not interpret that statement as permission to disconnect it deliberately or a guarantee that every technical issue has the same resolution. Record any incident factually after the session.

A good final decision is concrete: every required check passed on this device and setup, or the unresolved issue makes a centre appointment more feasible. Use the [registration checklist](/articles/toefl-registration-passport-india) to confirm ID and appointment details as well. Hardware readiness is only one part of being ready to test.

## Try a full TOEFL mock free

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## FAQs

Can I use Windows 10?

The live equipment page checked on 5 October 2026 lists Windows 11 or higher, although an older PDF lists Windows 10\. Follow the current page, official app check and appointment instructions.

Can I wear headphones?

No. ETS’s Home Edition requirements exclude headsets and earphones. Use an allowed speaker and a microphone that is not part of a headset.

Is a second camera required?

Check your order confirmation and My TOEFL Home dashboard. ETS’s live equipment page says if applicable, so the instructions for your appointment determine the requirement.

Can I take notes on ordinary paper?

Not loose-paper notes. Use the permitted whiteboard or a sheet inside a transparent protector with an erasable marker, and erase the notes as instructed.

Does passing the equipment check prove my university accepts the result?

No. Equipment compliance and institutional acceptance are separate checks. Confirm the chosen delivery mode with each receiving programme before booking.

## Sources (checked 5 October 2026)

* [ETS: live Home Edition equipment and environment requirements; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/register/at-home-requirements.html)
* [ETS: Home Edition testing policies and second camera; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/faq/testing-policies-toefl-ibt.html)
* [ETS: 2026–27 TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/content/dam/ets-org/pdfs/toefl/toefl-ibt-bulletin.pdf)
* [ETS: current test content and structure; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/about/content.html)
* [ETS: identification and registration-name requirements; checked 5 October 2026](https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/register/id.html)

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