About TOEFL®

What is the TOEFL iBT test structure?

The TOEFL test consists of four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.

TOEFL iBT Reading Section

The TOEFL iBT Reading section assesses how well you can read and understand materials used in an academic environment.

It includes two reading passages, each approximately 700 words long, with 10 questions per passage. You have 36 minutes to answer all the questions in the section.

Reading passages are excerpts from university-level textbooks that would be used in introductions to a topic. The passages cover a variety of subjects. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with the topic of a passage. All the information you need to answer the questions will be included in the passage.

TOEFL iBT Listening Section

The TOEFL iBT Listening section is designed to measure your ability to understand conversations and lectures in English. It includes listening for:

• basic comprehension
• understanding the speaker’s attitude and degree of certainty
• connecting information

Listening questions

You’ll hear conversations and lectures in this section. Both use campus-based language.

• 2 conversations, each 3 minutes; 5 questions per conversation
• 3 lectures, some with classroom discussion, each 3–5 minutes; 6 questions per lecture

You can take notes on any audio item throughout the test to help you answer questions.

Test time: You have 36 minutes to complete 28 questions in the section.

TOEFL iBT Speaking Section

The TOEFL iBT Speaking section measures your ability to speak English effectively in academic settings. The four questions/tasks resemble real-life situations you might encounter both in and outside of a classroom.

Question 1: Independent Speaking Task — requires you to draw entirely on your own ideas, opinions, and experiences when you respond.

Questions 2–4: Integrated Speaking Tasks — require you to combine your English-language skills — listening and speaking, or listening, reading and speaking — just as you would in or out of a classroom.

Prep time: You’ll get 15–30 seconds of preparation time before each response, and your response will be 45 or 60 seconds long.

Speaking response: To respond, you’ll speak into the microphone and your responses will be recorded.

Test time: You have 17 minutes to complete the Speaking section.

TOEFL iBT Test Writing Section

The TOEFL iBT test Writing section measures your ability to write in English in an academic setting and to present your ideas in a clear, well-organized way.

There are two writing tasks.

• Integrated writing task (20 minutes) — read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
• Writing for an Academic Discussion (10 minutes) — read an online discussion. A professor has posted a question about a topic, and some classmates have responded with their ideas. Write a response that contributes to the discussion.

You’ll type your responses on a computer keyboard.

Test time: You have 30 minutes to complete the Writing section.

Format of TOEFL iBT