TOEFL iBT study guide
TOEFL iBT · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The TOEFL iBT test is ETS's academic English proficiency credential, used by universities and other institutions to judge whether a non-native speaker can handle coursework taught in English. It is aimed primarily at applicants to English-medium programs, but anyone who needs documented proof of academic English can sit it. The test measures reading, listening, speaking and writing as four separately scored sections, so a weak area stays visible rather than being absorbed into a single number. Tasks are academic in tone throughout: you read short and longer passages, listen to conversations, announcements and lectures, assemble and write sentences and short texts, and record spoken responses. The TOEFL iBT study guide has 4 sections and about 1,427 words.
01TOEFL Reading: Question Families, Evidence, and Traps
TOEFL Reading presents two academic passages of roughly 700 words each, with about 10 questions per passage in 35 minutes. Questions fall into predictable families: factual/detail, negative factual (EXCEPT), inference, rhetorical purpose, vocabulary in context, reference, sentence simplification, insert-a-sentence, and prose summary or table completion.
349 words, about 2 min02TOEFL Listening: Structure, Function, and Note-Taking
Listening contains two or three academic lectures and two conversations, with 28 questions in about 36 minutes; some items replay a short segment. Conversations are typically office hours or service encounters.
361 words, about 2 min03TOEFL Writing: Integrated and Academic Discussion Tasks
The integrated task (20 minutes, 150-225 words) gives a reading and a lecture that challenges it; you explain how the lecture responds, with no personal opinion. The academic discussion task (10 minutes, at least 100 words) shows a professor's question and classmates' posts; you contribute a position with reasoning and a concrete example.
343 words, about 2 min04TOEFL Speaking: Four Tasks, One Clear Message
Speaking lasts about 17 minutes. Task 1 is independent (15 seconds prep, 45 seconds speaking) and asks for an opinion.
374 words, about 2 min