This evaluative and developmental study was undertaken between 1972-74 to determine the effectiveness of items used for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in relationship to other item types used in assessing English proficiency, and to recommend possible changes in TOEFL content and format. TOEFL was developed to assess the English proficiency of non-native English-speaking students applying to institutions of higher education in the United States. Questions of validation, criterion selection and content specification were first investigated before nine written and oral TOEFL item formats were evaluated for possible use in a revised test. Both original and new formats were administered to 98 Peruvian, 145 Chilean and 199 Japanese subjects in their native countries. Open ended response measures and multiple choice measures were examined. Intercorrelations among test scores indicated that the test could be revised to incorporate three instead of five components: (1) listening comprehension; (2) English structure and writing ability; (3) reading comprehension and vocabulary in context. Four objective subtests aimed at increasing TOEFL effectiveness, and tailored criterion measures of English productive skills, speaking and writing were also developed. (AEF)