Overview of the TOEFL Test

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

Table of contents

Reading

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

There are 3 or 4 reading passages.
Each passage is approximately 700 words in length and has 10 questions.
The reading section takes 54–72 minutes in total.
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:

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

There are 2 types of listening material used: lectures and conversations.
The listening section takes 41–57 minutes in total.
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 (3–4 per test)	3–5 minutes	6 per lecture
Conversation (2–3 per test)	3 minutes	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.
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.
You have 17 minutes to complete the speaking tasks.

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: an integrated writing task and an independent writing task.
AI scoring and certified human raters are both used to score your responses.
You have 50 minutes to complete the writing tasks.

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

Assessment criteria:

Here’s an overview of Task 2:

Type	Input material	Writing time	Recommended length
Independent	Question prompt	30 minutes	At least 300 words

Assessment criteria: