TOEIC flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Part 1: Photographs

First listening part: six photos, each with four spoken statements, and you choose the single statement that accurately describes the picture. Nothing is printed in the test book.

Part 2: Question-Response

Second listening part: 25 items. You hear one question or statement and three spoken responses, with no text printed, so the reply must be judged from audio alone.

Part 3: Conversations

Thirteen recorded conversations, each followed by three questions, for 39 items. The questions follow the order of the conversation, and some sets include a printed graphic.

Part 4: Short Talks

Ten recorded talks, such as announcements, voicemails, advertisements, and broadcasts, with three questions each for 30 items. Each set is heard only once.

Wh-question yes/no trap

In Part 2, a prompt beginning with who, what, when, where, why, or how cannot be answered yes or no, so any yes or no response is automatically wrong.

Indirect response

A correct Part 2 reply often answers indirectly. To 'When does the meeting start?' the right choice may be 'The agenda isn't finished yet' rather than a stated time.

Similar-sound distractor

Wrong options often repeat a sound from the audio with a different meaning, such as write for right or meet for meat. Matching sound is not matching meaning.

Statement prompts in Part 2

When the prompt is a statement rather than a question, correct replies usually react or accept, for example 'That sounds like a good idea' or 'I already took care of it.'

Choice question response

If a Part 2 prompt offers two options joined by 'or', the correct response names one of them or a third alternative; yes and no are never correct.

Part 1 elimination rule

Discard photo statements that name the wrong subject, the wrong action, or the wrong location. A choice that is only partly true is still wrong.

Numbers and prices trap

Talks often state an original figure and then a change, such as a discount or delay. The answer is the corrected or computed value, not the first number heard.

Preview questions before audio

Before each Part 3 or Part 4 recording begins, read the three questions and answer choices. They reveal who is speaking, the topic, and which details matter.

Question order matches audio

In Parts 3 and 4, question one is answered early in the recording and question three near the end. Missing one item should not delay the next.

Four TOEIC accents

Recordings use American, British, Canadian, and Australian English. The same word may sound noticeably different, so practice listening to all four varieties.

Graphic in Part 3

Some conversation sets print a chart, schedule, or receipt. The answer requires comparing what the speakers say with the data shown in the printed figure.

Repeated-word distractor

A choice that repeats a word from the audio is often wrong. Correct answers usually paraphrase the recording instead of echoing its exact wording.

Part 5: Incomplete Sentences

Thirty single sentences, each containing one blank and four answer choices. Items test grammar and vocabulary, and each should take about twenty to twenty-five seconds.

Part 6: Text Completion

Four short business texts with four blanks each, for 16 items. Blanks may test grammar, a missing sentence, or a word that fits the whole paragraph.

Part 7: Reading Comprehension

Fifty-four items based on single, double, and triple passages. Some questions can be answered only by combining information from two or more of the texts.

Word-form question

Decide the needed part of speech from the blank's position, such as noun after an article or adverb beside a verb, then choose the option with the matching form.

Preposition collocation

Fixed pairs must be memorized: comply with, responsible for, interested in, according to, regardless of, in charge of, and subject to appear repeatedly in Part 5.

Subject-verb agreement trap

When a prepositional phrase sits between subject and verb, the verb agrees with the subject, not the nearest noun, as in 'The list of items is long.'

Connector: contrast

However, although, despite, and nevertheless signal contrast. Choose them when the two clauses oppose or contradict each other rather than continue the same idea.

Connector: cause and result

Therefore, consequently, because, and due to signal cause or result. Choose them when one clause explains or follows directly from the other.

Gerund after preposition

A verb following a preposition takes the -ing form, as in 'before submitting', 'interested in joining', and 'instead of waiting' for the client.

Vocabulary in context

Substitute each option into the sentence and keep the one preserving the original meaning. Familiar words used in the wrong sense are the usual trap.

NOT or EXCEPT question

Three choices are stated in the passage and one is not. Find and eliminate the three supported options; the leftover choice is the correct answer.

Double passage cross-reference

One question usually links both texts, such as matching an order in a letter to a policy in a notice. Read the second text with that link in mind.

Purpose question

Questions asking why someone wrote a letter are answered by the opening and closing lines, which state the request, complaint, invitation, or confirmation being made.

Time budget for Reading

Seventy-five minutes cover 100 items. Aim to finish Part 5 in about twelve minutes and Part 6 in about ten, leaving the remainder for Part 7.

Scanning technique

Read the question first, note the keyword such as a name, date, or number, then scan the passage for that keyword instead of reading every line.

Comparative and superlative

Use 'more' with adjectives of two or more syllables and '-er' with short ones. 'The most' marks the superlative when comparing three or more items.