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Overview of the TOEFL Test

Start your TOEFL preparation with an overview of each part of the test: reading, listening, speaking and writing.

by Tim Martyn

Table of contents

Reading

Here are some key points about reading in the TOEFL test:

There are 2 reading passages and 20 questions in total (10 per passage).
Each passage is approximately 700 words in length.
The reading section takes approximately 35 minutes to complete.
The passages are taken from university-level textbooks. They’re the sort you might expect to find in an introduction to a discipline or topic.
A glossary feature is available to help you understand words that aren’t commonly used.

A variety of question types are used.

Reading question types
Factual information
Negative factual information
Inference
Rhetorical purpose
Vocabulary
Reference
Sentence simplification
Insert text
Prose summary
Fill in a table

Here are some key points about listening in the TOEFL test:

There are 2 types of listening material used: lectures and conversations.
You’ll answer 28 questions in total.
The listening section takes approximately 36 minutes to complete.
You hear each listening passage once only.
Pictures are used with each recording to help you understand the setting.
You can take notes throughout the listening section.

Here’s an overview of the 2 types of listening material used.

Type	Length	Number of questions
Lecture (3 per test)	4–5 minutes per lecture	6 per lecture
Conversation (2 per test)	approx. 3 minutes per conversation	5 per conversation

A variety of question types are used.

Here are some key points about speaking in the TOEFL test:

There are 4 tasks: 1 independent speaking task and 3 integrated speaking tasks.
The speaking section takes approximately 16 minutes to complete.
You record your speaking responses using a microphone – there’s no human examiner present.
AI scoring and certified human raters are both used to score your responses.

Here’s an overview of the various tasks.

Task	Type	Input material	Preparation time	Speaking time
1	Independent	Question prompt	15 seconds	45 seconds
2	Integrated	Read a passage and listen to a conversation (campus-related topic)	30 seconds	60 seconds
3	Integrated	Read a passage and listen to part of a lecture (academic subject)	30 seconds	60 seconds
4	Integrated	Listen to part of a lecture (academic subject)	20 seconds	60 seconds

Assessment criteria:

Here are some key points about writing in the TOEFL test:

There are 2 tasks: the Integrated writing task and the Writing for an academic discussion task.
The writing section takes approximately 29 minutes to complete not including reading and listening time.
AI scoring and certified human raters are both used to score your responses.

Here’s an overview of Task 1.

Type	Input material	Writing time	Recommended length
Integrated	Read a passage and listen to a short lecture	20 minutes	150–225 words

Here’s an overview of Task 2.

Type	Input material	Writing time	Recommended length
Online academic discussion	Discussion board with a question from a professor and responses from other students	10 minutes	At least 100 words