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This page will provide a comprehensive overview of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam format, detailing the various sections and specific components to help you grasp what the test entails and what to expect. We will also discuss basic TOEFL preparation tips to help you study effectively.

Additionally, we will compare the TOEFL to the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), another highly popular and widely recognised English proficiency exam, to assist you in making an informed decision if you are choosing between the two.

Whether you have already scheduled your test or are still in the decision-making process, understanding the exam format is crucial for effective preparation and can greatly influence your performance.

TOEFL format

The TOEFL exam format is decided by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which administers the test. The total duration is 116 minutes, comprising four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. The total score is calculated based on all four sections, with each section scored from 0 to 30, making the highest possible score 120.

Here’s the outline of the TOEFL exam format:

Section

Duration

Question/Task No.

Description 

Reading

35 minutes

20 questions

Read passages and respond to questions.

Listening

36 minutes

28 questions

Answer questions about brief lecturers or classroom discussions. 

Speaking

16 minutes

4 tasks

Talk about a familiar topic and discuss material they have read and heard.

Writing

29 minutes

2 tasks

Read a passage, listen to a recording and provide a response.

State and support your opinion in an online classroom discussion.

TOEFL scores are available online six days after taking the test. The total score is the sum of the scores from all four sections. During registration, you can select up to four institutions to send your score report to, and ETS will send the official scores directly to these institutions once they are available.

TOEFL Reading section

The Reading section of the TOEFL evaluates how well you can comprehend and interpret academic materials. It includes two passages, each around 700 words long, with 10 questions per passage. This section takes approximately 35 minutes to complete and is scored based on the number of correct responses.

There are 10 types of reading questions:

  1. Inference Questions: Require you to make logical conclusions based on the passage.

  2. Vocabulary Questions: Test your understanding of specific words within the context.

  3. Rhetorical Purpose Questions: Assess why the author included certain pieces of information in a particular way.

  4. Detail (Factual Information) Questions: Ask for specific information stated in the passage.

  5. Negative Factual Information Questions: Identify information that is not true according to the passage.

  6. Essential Information (Sentence Simplification) Questions: Simplify a complex sentence to its essential meaning.

  7. Sentence Insertion Questions: Determine where a new sentence best fits within the passage.

  8. Complete the Summary (Prose Summary) Questions: Summarise the main ideas of the passage.

  9. Complete the Table (Fill in a Table) Questions: Organise information from the passage into a table format.

The reading passages are excerpts from university-level textbooks. These passages cover various subjects, but you don't need prior knowledge to answer the questions. A glossary feature defines uncommon words if needed. Here are some tips to help you approach this section of the TOEFL:

  1. Skim the passage first to get a general idea before answering the questions.

  2. Refer back to the passage to find specific information for detailed questions.