The TOEFL iBT format in 2026
Since January 21, 2026, the TOEFL iBT has four shorter sections with new task types, and scores on a 1–6 band scale. Here’s every part of the test, in the order you’ll take it.
- Sections, no breaks
- 4
- Testing time
- 83–89 min
- Band score
- 1.0–6.0
- CEFR levels
- A1–C2
The four sections, in order
You take them in this order, with no scheduled breaks. Reading and Listening adapt to you: how you do in the first module decides how hard the second one is. Writing and Speaking are the same for everyone.
1. Reading
~30 min · 50 questions · adaptive
- Complete the Words
- A short paragraph where you type the missing letters of ten words.
- Read in Daily Life
- Short everyday texts like notices, emails and text messages, each with two or three questions.
- Read an Academic Passage
- A 200-word passage with five questions on facts, vocabulary, inference and purpose.
2. Listening
25–29 min · 47 questions · adaptive
- Listen and Choose a Response
- One short spoken question or statement, then the best of four written replies to choose.
- Listen to a Conversation
- A short everyday conversation between two people, then two questions about it.
- Listen to an Announcement
- A short announcement in a class or at a school event, then questions about it.
- Listen to an Academic Talk
- A short lecture or podcast-style talk on an academic subject, then four questions.
3. Writing
~23 min · 12 questions
- Build a Sentence
- A two-line exchange where you put word and phrase tiles in order to finish the reply.
- Write an Email
- An email that does three things you’re given, written in 7 minutes.
- Write for an Academic Discussion
- Your own post in an online class discussion, after a professor’s question and two classmates’ replies.
4. Speaking
~8 min · 11 questions
- Listen and Repeat
- Seven sentences to repeat exactly as you hear them, getting longer as you go.
- Take an Interview
- Four interview questions, with 45 seconds to answer each.
How the TOEFL is scored in 2026
Each section gets a band score from 1.0 to 6.0, in half-band steps. Your overall score is the average of the four, rounded to the nearest half band, and each band lines up with a CEFR level from A1 to C2.
Reading and Listening count your correct answers, allowing for how hard your questions were. Speaking and Writing are scored against ETS’s scoring guide for each task. Until January 2028, score reports also show a comparable score on the old 0–120 scale.
Convert between band, CEFR and 0–120 with the Score Calculator
Try the whole format in one sitting
Full Practice Test 1 runs all four sections in the real order, with your band score at the end. Free, with no account needed.
Start Full Practice Test 1