TOEFL · Guides · October 25, 2026 · 9 min read

New TOEFL format 2026: exam pattern, sections, timing and every task type

Since 21 January 2026 the TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, internet-based test) has a new pattern: four sections, Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking, with 12 task types and about 1 hour 30 minutes of testing time (90 minutes of base time, which varies a little as the test adapts). Reading and Listening are two-stage adaptive, so the second half of each section depends on how you did in the first. Scores are reported on a 1–6 scale in half bands. The integrated essay, the four old speaking tasks and the 700-word reading passages are gone; in their place are many short tasks that look like everyday university life.

Facts in this guide come from the ETS Test Blueprint and Specifications for the 2026 update and the ETS “Test Content and Structure” page, as of October 2026.

TOEFL exam pattern 2026 at a glance

A few notes on the table:

• The sections run in the order of the table, and there are no scheduled breaks.
• Some Reading and Listening items are unscored try-outs. You cannot tell which, so treat every item as if it counts.
• ETS asks you to allow about two hours in total, because directions and check-in are not part of the testing time.
• The times are the “approximate base time” from the ETS Test Content page (October 2026). Reading and Listening adapt, so their time and number of items vary a little. Plan your day on the two-hour figure.

Reading section: three task types

Complete the Words. You read a short academic paragraph in which the second half of some words has been removed, and you type the missing letters. For example, “The river carr___ sediment towa___ the coast” needs carries and towards. It tests vocabulary, spelling and grammar together, and there are many of these items, so speed matters. Practice: Complete the Words guide.

Read in Daily Life. Short non-academic texts of about 15–150 words: a notice, a text message, a menu, an email, a social post. Each has two or three questions about the purpose, a detail or what someone should do next. Think “campus noticeboard” rather than “textbook”.

Read an Academic Passage. A short academic text of up to about 200 words, followed by questions on the main idea, details, inferences and the meaning of a word in context. The passages are far shorter than the old 700-word ones, but the questions still reward careful reading.

Listening section: four task types

Listen and Choose a Response. You hear one short line, such as “Do you know if the library’s open on Sunday?”, and choose the most natural reply from four written options. It tests whether you follow everyday spoken English quickly. This is the most frequent Listening task.

Listen to a Conversation. Two people talk about something on campus: a missed deadline, a room booking, a club. Then you answer questions about what they want, what they decide and why.

Listen to an Announcement. A short university announcement of roughly 35–100 words: a change of venue, a new rule, an event. Questions ask about the purpose, key details and what listeners should do.

Listen to an Academic Talk. A short lecture of up to about 250 words on a topic from the sciences, humanities or social sciences. Questions cover the main point, how the talk is organised, inferences and the speaker’s attitude.

Audio plays once. You can take notes. ETS says it uses a mix of AI-generated audio and voice actors, with several English accents.

Writing section: three task types

Build a Sentence (×10). Someone says something, and you must build the reply from a set of scrambled words and phrases. The whole sentence has to be correct to earn the point. Think word order, questions and auxiliaries: “you / could / where / tell me / the lab is” becomes “Could you tell me where the lab is?”. Practice: Build a Sentence guide.

Write an Email (about 7 minutes). You get a situation, such as asking a professor for an extension or complaining to a housing office, with two or three points to cover. You write a short, polite, clear email. Register and covering every point matter as much as grammar. Guide: TOEFL Write an Email.

Write for an Academic Discussion (10 minutes). A professor posts a question on an online class forum and two students reply. You add your own post: take a position, give a reason and an example, and add something new to the discussion. Guide: Academic Discussion.

Speaking and writing responses are scored 0–5 on ETS rubrics. ETS says scoring is computer-based, with human raters for quality control.

Speaking section: two task types

Listen and Repeat (×7). You hear a sentence and repeat it exactly. The sentences start short and get longer and harder, as in a campus tour or a set of instructions. Accuracy of the repetition and clear pronunciation are what count. Guide: Listen and Repeat.

Take an Interview (×4). A recorded interviewer asks four questions in a row, moving from simple facts about your life to opinions and predictions. You have about 45 seconds per answer and no preparation time. Answer the question directly, add a reason and an example, and keep talking until the time is almost up.

The whole Speaking section takes about 8 minutes.

How the adaptive modules work

Reading and Listening are each split into two stages:

1. Router module. Everyone starts with a set of items of middle difficulty (roughly CEFR B1–B2).
2. Second module. If you do well on the router, you get a harder second module; if not, an easier one.

Your score depends on both the number of correct answers and which second module you reached. The easier path makes the top bands hard to reach, so a careless start can cap your score. Writing and Speaking are not adaptive; everyone on a given form gets the same tasks.

What changed compared with the old TOEFL

The “shorter TOEFL” that ran from July 2023 to January 2026 had two 700-word reading passages (20 questions, 35 min), 28 listening questions on lectures and conversations (36 min), four speaking tasks and two writing tasks, the integrated essay and the Academic Discussion. It was scored 0–120.

Removed: the integrated writing task (read, listen, then write), the integrated speaking tasks with a reading or lecture, the independent “do you agree” speaking question, and long reading passages. Kept: Write for an Academic Discussion, which survived the change almost unchanged. New: Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Listen and Choose a Response, announcements, Build a Sentence, the email, Listen and Repeat and the interview.

Most books, old practice tests and video courses still teach the old format, so check the publication date before you buy. The scoring side is covered in TOEFL score chart 2026.

At home or at a test centre

ETS offers the same test two ways:

The content and scoring are the same. Home Edition has strict room and equipment rules, so run the ETS equipment check before you register. One caveat from the 2026–27 ETS Bulletin: for Australian visas, only TOEFL iBT tests taken before 21 January 2026 and the separate TOEFL iBT Australia are currently approved. Always check what your university or visa authority accepts. Prices are in TOEFL exam fee 2026, and the difference between TOEFL tests is in TOEFL ITP vs iBT.

How to prepare for the new pattern

Practise the short tasks with a timer, because the new test rewards speed on many small items. Take at least one full mock test to feel the adaptive router module, and drill Listen and Repeat daily: it is scored on exact repetition. If you are still choosing a test, see IELTS vs TOEFL.

Nomto’s TOEFL room has every one of the 12 task types with the test timing, and audio plays once. Speaking and writing answers are scored 0–5 on the official rubrics by AI, marked as an estimate; Reading, Listening and Build a Sentence are checked instantly with explanations in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese, Turkish or Indonesian. The adaptive mock tests, full or one section, end with a report on the 1–6 scale and the 0–120 total. A free account gives you 10 Reading, Listening and Build a Sentence items, 3 spoken and 1 written answer scored by AI and a one-section mock; a pass ($15 a week, $49 for 3 months, $79 for 6 months, $119 a year) opens all courses. More on the course: TOEFL preparation.

Common questions

What is the full form of TOEFL? Test of English as a Foreign Language. The iBT is the internet-based version, the one universities usually ask for.

How long is the TOEFL in 2026? About 1 hour 30 minutes of testing (ETS lists 90 minutes of base time, varying a little as the test adapts), plus directions. ETS suggests allowing about two hours.

Is there a syllabus? No fixed syllabus. The test covers academic and everyday English across the 12 task types above, at levels from A1 to C2.

Is there a break? No. ETS lists no scheduled breaks, so plan water and the bathroom before you start. Notes are allowed in every section.

What happens if I skip a section? You need to answer at least one item in each of the four sections to get scores at all; skip one and none are scored.

Is the old TOEFL still offered? No. All TOEFL iBT tests since 21 January 2026 use the new format.

TOEFL® and TOEFL iBT® are registered trademarks of ETS. Nomto is not endorsed or approved by ETS.

Also in Bahasa Indonesia, Türkçe, Tiếng Việt, Português (Brasil), Español, Русский