International Exams · Entrance Exams

TOEFL Preparation

The redesigned TOEFL rewards breadth — practical English done accurately and fast, plus one academic task done well.

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TOEFL · checked 19 September 2026

TOEFL at a glance, from the official notices

The dates, vacancies and rules below are read on the conducting body’s own site and rewritten as each notice appears. The guide beneath carries the full pattern, syllabus, cut-offs and free mock tests.

Free TOEFL mock testTOEFL syllabusToday’s current affairs
19September 2026

Checked 19 September 2026

TOEFL: the facts that matter now

  1. 01

    Adaptive; about two hours — Reading 50 items in about 30 minutes, Listening 47 in 29, Writing 12 in 23, Speaking 11 in 8

    Format since 21 January 2026

  2. 02

    ETS, at test centres and as the TOEFL iBT Home Edition under a live proctor

    Administered by

  3. 03

    University admission at 13,000+ institutions in 160+ countries, above all in the United States and Canada

    Used for

  4. 04

    Four section scores and an overall on a 1–6 scale in half bands; a comparable 0–120 total also reported until January 2028

    Scoring

Strategy

TOEFL — How to prepare

From choosing the test to sending scores

  1. Confirm the scale the university quotes Requirements are being restated from 0–120 to 1–6; the report carries both until January 2028, so either can be met, but know which band you need.
  2. Choose centre or Home Edition with the visa in mind Universities accept both; Australia accepts neither for visas unless taken as “Taking TOEFL for Australia” at a centre, and other authorities have their own rules.
  3. Build vocabulary and grammar for the short tasks Complete the Words, Build a Sentence and Listen and Choose a Response are quick and numerous; accuracy across many small items is where the reading and writing bands are made.
  4. Practise the academic passage and talk The only long items; daily academic reading and lecture listening remain the preparation for them.
  5. Write discussion posts and emails to a timer A clear position with two reasons and a reply to the other view for the post; purpose, tone and completeness for the email.
  6. Register early and read the score date Scores arrive three days after the test and the exact date is shown at the end of it; add a week for the PDF and for sending to institutions.

Note-taking is no longer the skill

The old TOEFL turned on capturing a lecture accurately enough to summarise it. The current test plays shorter audio with questions that follow, and its writing tasks stand alone. Candidates coached on the old integrated method should redirect that effort to speed and accuracy on the short tasks and to the discussion post.

Exam resources

Everything for TOEFL

Six resource pages, each kept in step with the latest official notification.

TOEFL SyllabusTOEFL iBT syllabus for the 2026 test — the twelve task types across reading, listening, writing and speaking, what each asks, and how the sections are timed.TOEFL Exam PatternTOEFL iBT exam pattern since January 2026 — the adaptive two-hour sitting, section timings, the 1–6 scale and its 0–120 equivalent, MyBest, fees and results.TOEFL Previous PapersTOEFL iBT practice — ETS’s rebuilt practice tests for the 2026 format, what older material still teaches, and what to take from each attempt.TOEFL Mock TestsTOEFL iBT mock tests — full two-hour sittings of the 2026 format with a headset, scored on the 1–6 scale, and reading the result against a requirement.TOEFL PreparationTOEFL iBT preparation for the 2026 test — everyday and academic English together, the discussion post, recorded speaking, and registration choices for a visa.TOEFL Study MaterialTOEFL iBT study material for the 2026 format — ETS’s official practice and guides, and everyday and academic English sources matched to the twelve task types.

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