TOEFL

IBT

Test at a test center

If you prefer a traditional test environment, a test center is the best option for you.

• Availability: Available worldwide at more than 3,000 authorized TOEFL iBT test centers.
• Test day: Visit What to Expect on Test Day to see a video about checking in and other test center procedures you’ll experience on test day.
• Dates: Offered more than 60 times a year.

TOEFL iBT Reading Section

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

It includes three or four reading passages, each approximately 700 words long, with 10 questions per passage. You have 54 to 72 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. There is a glossary feature available to define words not commonly used, if you need it.

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 lectures and conversations in this section. Both use campus-based language.

• 3–4 lectures, some with classroom discussion, each 3–5 minutes; 6 questions per lecture
• 2–3 conversations, each 3 minutes; 5 questions per conversation

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

Test time: You have 41 to 57 minutes to complete 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.

• Independent writing task (30 minutes) — write an essay based on personal experience or opinion in response to a writing topic.

You’ll type your responses on a computer keyboard (or hand write them for the TOEFL iBT Paper Edition).

Test time: You have 50 minutes to complete the Writing section.