TOEFL Exam Pattern: Test Structure and Scoring,
Explained
To prepare effectively for
the TOEFL, you need to understand the TOEFL exam pattern: how
the test is structured, what kinds of questions it’ll ask you, and how you can
ultimately use this information to get a high score on test day.
In this guide, we go over
the TOEFL pattern, for the test as a whole and for each section.Along the
way, we provide you with key tips for using the TOEFL test pattern to your
advantage and give you a rundown of the TOEFL structure for the paper-delivered
test as well.
What Is the
Overall TOEFL Exam Pattern?
The TOEFL iBT is a four-hour,
computerized test with four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. You’ll
use one main skill for each section (so on Reading you’ll read
passages and on Listening you’ll listen to audio clips), with some
questions or tasks requiring the use of multiple skills.
All sections are timed. You’ll
always have 20 minutes on Speaking and 50 minutes on Writing.
However, the Reading and Listening
sections vary in length due to unscored, experimental questions. Reading ranges
from 60 to 80 minutes long, while Listening ranges from 60 to 90 minutes
long. There will be no indication telling you which questions are
experimental and which ones aren’t, so don’t spend too much time
worrying about this—just try your best on all questions!
Finally, you’ll have one
10-minute break in the middle of the test, between the Listening and
Speaking sections. This break is mandatory, meaning you must take
it. You may take other breaks during the test, but you will not be able
to pause the timer for these.
The following table highlights the
overall TOEFL test pattern, including the order of the sections, how long each
section is, and how many questions each section contains:
Section
|
Order
|
Time
|
# of Questions
|
Details
|
Reading
|
1
|
60-80 mins
|
36-56 questions
|
Read 3-4 passages and answer questions
|
Listening
|
2
|
60-90 mins
|
34-51 questions
|
Listen to 4-6 lectures and 2-3 conversations and
answer questions
|
Break
|
3
|
10 mins
|
—
|
—
|
Speaking
|
4
|
20 mins
|
6 tasks
|
Answer prompts about familiar topics, campus
situations, and academic course content
|
Writing
|
5
|
50 mins
|
2 tasks
|
Compare a passage and a lecture; write about your
opinion
|
TOTAL
|
—
|
About 4 hrs
|
—
|
—
|
Source: ETS.org
You may take notes on
all sections of the exam. A test center administrator
will give you scratch paper and pencils to use. You’ll also get a headset with
a microphone to use for listening to audio clips and recording your Speaking
responses.
Each section is scored out of 30
points and then combined for a total TOEFL score out of 120.
For more information about TOEFL scoring, check out our guide. You’ll receive your
scores in your official score report online
about 10 days after your test date.
TOEFL Exam Pattern: Listening
Section
Like Reading, Listening varies in
its length and number of questions due to the possibility of getting unscored,
experimental questions. This section can range from 60 minutes and 34 questions
long to 90 minutes and 51 questions long.
Listening tests you on your
English-listening skills. In total, you’ll listen to four to six lectures and
two to three conversations. Each lecture lasts three to five minutes and comes
with six questions, while each conversation lasts about three minutes and comes
with five questions. You will hear each audio clip only once.
As you listen to a clip, you’ll
usually get to see a picture of the speaker(s) on-screen. Here’s an example:
During lectures, you may also see
specific terms or concepts written on a blackboard as so:
You may hear one or multiple
speakers in audio clips. You’ll also hear different
English accents (though most will be the North American accent).
Your Listening score is first
calculated as the sum of your raw points and then converted to a final score on
a scale of 0-30. A good Listening score varies
depending on what schools you’re applying to, but usually anything above
21 (the 50th percentile) is a good score.
Listening
Question Types
There are three question types on
Listening: standard multiple choice, multiple answer, and Replay. We discuss
each of these below.
Multiple
Choice
This is your basic multiple-choice
question and by far the most common question type you’ll see on Listening. Each
question is worth 1 raw point and comes with four answer choices and one
correct answer.
Multiple
Answer
This second question type is similar
to the multiple-choice question type above in that you’ll have four answers to
choose from; however, you may select more than one answer choice (denoted
by boxes instead of ovals).
The question will tell you how
many answers to select (usually two). You get 1 raw point for each of these
questions you answer correctly. There is no partial credit for this question
type, so you must get all answers correct to get the point.
Replay
These questions replay part
of the audio clip and then ask you a multiple-choice question about
that part of the clip. Like the other Listening question, this one, too,
is worth 1 raw point.
3 Tips for
Attacking the TOEFL Listening Pattern
Here are our top three tips for
getting the most out of the TOEFL exam pattern on Listening.
#1: Take
Notes as You Listen
The Listening section has you listen
to audio clips and then answer questions about them—but the hard part is
that you only get to hear the clips once (except on Replay questions). And
unlike the Reading section, you can’t skip around or go back to previous
questions or clips.
This is why it’s so important to
take notes as you listen. Doing this will help you keep track of the main
topics of the audio clips and who says what, allowing you to more easily answer
the questions that follow.
For more tips on how to take notes
on Listening, check out our guide.
#2: Pay
Close Attention to Replay Questions
Replay questions are different in
that they let you re-listen to part of the audio clip. Because the answer to
the question can be found in that particular part of the clip, pay
close attention to the replayed part.
Even if you remember most of the
audio clip or took detailed notes, really pay attention to the replayed part so
that you don’t miss any key information. The answer to the question
will be in this part of the clip specifically, so there’s no need to
go through your notes on the whole lecture or conversation.
#3: Read
Questions and Answer Choices Carefully
The Listening section pattern doesn’t
let you skip around with questions like you can on the Reading section,
so make sure you read all questions and answer choices carefully.
Don’t just choose the first answer
choice that sounds right—take time to understand what each
answer choice means, and then choose the one that most clearly and accurately
answers the question. If an answer choice sounds right but doesn’t exactly
answer the question, it’s probably wrong!
What Is the
Paper-Delivered TOEFL Test Pattern?
We’ve gone over everything you need
to know about the TOEFL exam pattern—but what about the paper-delivered TOEFL?
This version of the TOEFL is only
offered in areas where the TOEFL iBT (or “Internet-based test”) is
unavailable. Most people take the TOEFL iBT, but if
you’re taking the paper TOEFL, it’s important to familiarize yourself with its
pattern and see how it differs from the TOEFL iBT.
Here is a brief overview of the
paper-TOEFL test pattern:
Section
|
Order
|
Time
|
# of Questions
|
Listening
|
1
|
60 mins
|
34
|
Reading
|
2
|
60 mins
|
42
|
Writing
|
3
|
50 mins
|
2 tasks
|
TOTAL
|
—
|
About 3 hrs
|
—
|
Source: ETS.org
As you can see, though the two
TOEFL versions share many similarities, they’re not 100 percent identical.
Below are some of the key ways the paper TOEFL differs from the TOEFL iBT:
·
It doesn’t have a Speaking section: Since
you can’t record your responses without a computer, there is no feasible way to
recreate the Speaking section on the paper test.
·
It doesn’t have any experimental
questions: On the TOEFL iBT, you’ll have unscored questions
on either the Reading or Listening section, but you won’t get any such
questions on the paper TOEFL. Thus, all Reading and Listening questions you get
on the paper TOEFL will count toward your final score.
·
It’s a full hour shorter than the
TOEFL iBT: Without a Speaking section and experimental
questions, the paper TOEFL is about an hour shorter (three hours) than the
TOEFL iBT (four hours).
·
Listening comes before Reading: On the
TOEFL iBT, Reading comes first and Listening comes second, but these two
sections switch positions on the paper TOEFL.
·
It doesn’t have a 10-minute break
(or any break at all): Because the paper TOEFL is
shorter than the TOEFL iBT, there is no mandatory break in the middle of the
test. In other words, you must take the entire paper TOEFL in one sitting.
Recap: What
the TOEFL Exam Pattern Means for You
The TOEFL test pattern is generally
the same for all test takers: you start with the Reading and
Listening sections, have a quick 10-minute break, and then move to the Speaking
and Writing sections. Depending on which section you get experimental
questions, you’ll have either a longer Reading or Listening section.
Ultimately, the best way to prepare
for the TOEFL pattern is to understand the format of each section and
question type. You can then use this information to help you figure
out how to approach different questions, take notes efficiently, and get more
questions right.
Example Questions (Structure and Written
Expression):
Example 1:
...was backed up for miles on the freeway.
(A) Yesterday
(B) In the Morning
(C) Traffic
(D) Cars
The example above shows that it has a verb that is WAS but has no subject.
Answer C is the best because TRAFFIC is a single subject that is synchronous
with WAS (single verb). Answers A and B are wrong because it is not a subject
but a description of time, and answer D is indeed a subject but plural (plural)
and not synchronous with a single (singular) verb.
Example 2:
Engineers...for work on the new space program.
(A) Necessary
(B) Are needed
(C) Hopefully
(D) Next month
The example above shows that you already have subject Engineers and do not
have a verb. Because of the B answer, Are Needed is a verb so this is the best
answer. Answers A, C, and D are not verbs, so they are wrong.
Example 3:
The boy...going to the movies
(A) he is
(B) he always was
(C) is relaxing
(D) will be
The sentence above has subject (the boy) and has part of verb (going), so
that the sentence is correct, it needs the form of verb BE so that the sentence
becomes complete. Answers A and B are wrong because there will be excess
subject (he). Answer C is wrong because it will double verb ING with GOING.
Answer D is the best because it complements the word Going that needs to BE.
Example 4:
My best friend...always helpful with problems.
(A) Are
(B) Who
(C) Was
(D) Will
(E) Is
The subject of this sentence is My best friend, but does not have Verb. The
most suitable answer is (e) is, because that is the correct sentence. My best
friend is always helpful and with problems.
Example 5:
The customer...paying the clerk for the clothes.
(A) Is
(B) Want
(C) Can
(D) No
(E) Are
The sentence above already has Subject the customer and part of verb
paying. The above sentence requires tobe to make it complete verb, then the
answer to the above question is (a) is, because the correct sentence should be
the customer is paying the clerk for the clothes.
Example 6:
Mark Twain...the years after the Civil War the “Gilded Age.”
(A) called
(B) calling
(C) he called
(D) hiscalls
The sentence above already has a Subject, namely Mark Twain, but doesn't
have a verb yet. The best answer is (A) called because the sentence is simple,
past.
Example 7:
I...ACL at the Gunadarma University.
(A) was studying
(B) get finish learn
(C) with you go to
(D) studying
(E) am studying
The sentence above already has a subject but does not have a verb, the
right sentence is I am studying ACL at the Gunadarma University. because after
to be "am" can be accompanied by v + ing
Example 8:
8. My brother...very smart
(A) are
(B) is
(C) am
(D) was
(E) have
The sentence above already has a subject but does not have a verb, the
right sentence is my brother is very smart.
Example 9:
Those futsal shoes...expensive
(A) is
(B) am
(C) are
(D) was
The right sentence is those futsal shoes are expensive, because the subject
of those futsal shoes is plural, then the sentence requires to be in plural
form.
Example 10:
The Borobudur temple...Magelang, Indonesia
(A) landmarks
(B) is a landmarked in
(C) is a landmark in
(D) is in a landmark
The Borobudur temple is a landmark in
Magelang, Indonesia because it follows the rules of English sentences, a
sentence must have a subject and verb, in this case, The Borobudur Temple is a
single subject so that it needs to be singular, namely is. And the sentence
requires a complement for the needs of Modifier place, Magelang, so that the
landmark functions as a noun and cannot be used in the form of verbs 2 & 3
because the role of the verbs has been replaced by to be, is.
Example Questions (Error Analysis):
- The boy that is wearing a red cup from high school is my brother.
Jawab : that.
Because The Boy is a subject and is a person, it should use the word who. - The man is looking at the beautiful view by the mountain from his room.
Jawab : by.
In terms of its meaning is a beautiful view of the mountain, means you have to use the word of - My town is small and I love to live here
Jawab : and.
It should use conjunctions or conjunctions so that if translated into a City I am small but I like to live there. - When it was rain very hard,
the electricity in my house went out.
Jawab : rain. It should be raining, a continuous tense past. - Tigers live on forests, eat other animals and leaves fasts.
Jawab : on. The main sentence means the tiger lives in the forest. So you should use the word in. - Sailormoon, one of the oldest known superheroes comics, had beautiful face,
strong, but a
long hair.
Jawab : But. There is no need for a word in a sentence because it is a further explanation. If you want to use conjunctions, you can use and. - There are two books in the table. Mine is the
one who has
a sticker on the back. It’s easy to identify.
Jawab. Who. In the adjective clause material, the use of conjunctions which are more appropriate is used to give a description of the book / noun. - Opposite with my house, you will find the post office and the market.
Jawab : with. The truth is opposite to my house - Even though my brother lost the sing contest, he is still the favouriter of all the other contest.
Jawab : Favouriter. The superlative degree should be written most favorite. - Don’t leaves children under five
year unattended
Jawab : leaves. should be written leaving, becaue for the plural (simple present tense)
