How the TOEFL iBT works
Four sections, new task types, and adaptive reading and listening.
12 minutes · A free lesson from Start here
The TOEFL iBT is taken on a computer, at a test centre or at home. In January 2026 ETS introduced a new format. It has four sections:
| Section | Tasks |
|---|---|
| Reading | Complete the Words · Read in Daily Life · Read an Academic Passage |
| Listening | Listen and Choose a Response · Listen to a Conversation · Listen to an Announcement · Listen to an Academic Talk |
| Writing | Build a Sentence · Write an Email · Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Speaking | Listen and Repeat · Take an Interview |
Reading and Listening are adaptive: how well you do in the first part decides how hard the second part is. So every early question matters.
Quick check: Which sections adapt to how well you are doing?
- Writing and Speaking
- Reading and Listening
- All four
Show the answer
B: Reading and Listening
Lesson quiz
Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.
Quick check: Which speaking tasks does the new TOEFL iBT have?
- Listen and Repeat, and Take an Interview
- Read Aloud and Describe Image
- A three-part interview with an examiner
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A: Listen and Repeat, and Take an Interview — Speaking has two task types since the new format began in January 2026.
Quick check: Why does every early Reading and Listening question matter?
- Early questions are worth double
- The test stops after ten questions
- How you do in the first part decides how hard the second part is
Show the answer
C: How you do in the first part decides how hard the second part is — Reading and Listening are adaptive.
Quick check: Which writing task asks you to put words in order?
- Write an Email
- Build a Sentence
- Write for an Academic Discussion
Show the answer
B: Build a Sentence — It tests grammar, especially word order.
Quick check: Where can you take the TOEFL iBT?
- Only on paper
- Only at a university
- At a test centre or at home
Show the answer
C: At a test centre or at home — It is taken on a computer either way.