TOEFL iBT Reading

ETS lists a baseline of 50 items in approximately 30 minutes for the Reading section. However, the section is adaptive, and ETS states that as the test adapts, test time and items may vary, so treat those figures as a guide rather than a guarantee.

Complete the Words (supplying partially missing words in a short text), Read in Daily Life (short everyday texts such as notices, messages or short informational texts), and Read an Academic Passage (a short passage similar to university course reading). Each targets slightly different skills: vocabulary in context, practical comprehension, and academic main ideas and details.

No. ETS states that all the information you need to answer the questions is included in the text, and that you do not need prior knowledge of the topic to understand the question. Answer from the passage, not from what you already know about the subject.

You receive four section scores plus an overall score on the 1–6 scale. The overall score is the average of the four sections rounded to the nearest half band. For a two-year transition period after January 2026, you also receive a comparable overall score on the 0–120 scale. No separate Reading-only passing mark is published.

No. ETS states there are no scheduled breaks during the TOEFL iBT test, so plan your timing and preparation accordingly. Since Reading comes early and is short, do not expect to step away between task types or between sections.

If you do not complete at least one Reading question, one Listening question, one Speaking task and one Writing task, your test will not be scored at all. In other words, skipping any section means no sections will be scored, so always answer at least one item in each section.

Yes. At a test center, scratch paper and pencils are provided; for the Home Edition, use a small whiteboard or a blank sheet of paper inside a transparent sheet protector with an erasable marker. Writing assistance software is not permitted during the test.

Two avoidable errors stand out. First, answering from outside knowledge instead of the text, even though ETS says everything needed is in the passage. Second, poor pacing: with roughly 50 items in about 30 minutes, lingering on one text starves later ones. Practise short, timed sets and move on.

Work through one task type at a time, then mix them. Start with Complete the Words to build context-based vocabulary, move to Read in Daily Life for main-idea and implied-meaning practice, then Academic Passages for supporting details and academic vocabulary. Finish with full timed sets to build pacing.

The source material provided here does not state a retake policy, a validity period, a fee, or a separate Reading passing score. Check the official ETS registration and score pages for current retake rules, fees and score validity rather than relying on second-hand figures.