From 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT uses adaptive Reading and Listening, new task types across all four sections, and a 1–6 score scale in half-band increments. The test takes about two hours including directions. ETS also reports a comparable 0–120 overall score during the transition through January 2028.
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From 21 January 2026, TOEFL iBT uses adaptive Reading and Listening, new task types across all four sections, and a 1–6 score scale in half-band increments. The test takes about two hours including directions. ETS also reports a comparable 0–120 overall score during the transition through January 2028.
The January 2026 update changed the task mix, introduced adaptive Reading and Listening, and moved score reporting to a 1–6 scale. Use ETS's full-session guidance rather than treating the sum of base section times as the complete appointment length.
| Feature | Old TOEFL (pre-2026) | New TOEFL 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Timing guidance | About 2 hours | Allow about 2 hours total; listed base section time is about 90 minutes |
| Score Scale | 0–120 only | 0–120 + new 1–6 band (CEFR) |
| Adaptive Format | No (fixed) | Yes — multistage adaptive (Reading & Listening) |
| Reading | 2 passages, ~35 min, fixed | ~30 min, 50 questions, 3 task types, adaptive |
| Listening | 3–4 lectures + conversations, ~36 min | ~29 min, 47 questions, 4 task types, adaptive |
| Speaking | 4 tasks, ~17 min | 11 questions, ~8 min, 2 new task types |
| Writing | Integrated + Independent essay | 12 questions, ~23 min, 3 new task types |
| Break | 10-minute break | No scheduled break |
| Score Delivery | 4–8 days | Within 72 hours |
Complete the Words
Fill in missing letters within an academic paragraph. Tests vocabulary knowledge and contextual word recognition.
Tip: Practice academic vocabulary in context — not just word lists.
Read in Daily Life
Read short real-world texts (15–150 words) like emails, menus, signs, schedules, or invoices. Answer comprehension questions about practical information.
Tip: Get comfortable with everyday English formats you encounter in real campus life.
Read an Academic Passage
Read a ~200-word academic passage and answer 5 multiple-choice questions. Much shorter than the old 700-word passages.
Tip: Focus on quick comprehension — you need to extract key ideas from shorter texts efficiently.
Practice New TOEFL Reading Free →
Listen and Choose a Response
Hear a short exchange and select the most appropriate pragmatic response. Tests understanding of tone, intent, and social context.
Listen to a Conversation
Listen to a campus or daily-life conversation between students, professors, or staff. Answer comprehension questions.
Listen to an Announcement
Listen to a campus or classroom announcement and answer questions about key details, instructions, or schedules.
Listen to an Academic Talk
Listen to a short academic lecture and answer questions about main ideas, details, and speaker's purpose.
Practice New TOEFL Listening Free →
The biggest change: Speaking was cut from ~17 minutes to ~8 minutes. The old Independent and Integrated tasks are completely gone.
Listen and Repeat
Listen to sentences and repeat them with correct pronunciation and intonation. Tests your ability to produce natural-sounding English.
Tip: Practice shadowing — listen to academic English audio and repeat immediately.
Take an Interview
4 questions with 45 seconds each to respond. No preparation time — you must answer immediately after hearing the question.
Tip: Practice spontaneous responses daily. Use AI speaking tools to build automatic fluency.
Practice New TOEFL Speaking Free →
The old Independent Essay and Integrated Writing are gone. All three new task types focus on practical and academic communication.
Build a Sentence
Arrange words or phrases to build a grammatical response within a short conversation. Tests control of English sentence structure.
Tip: Review grammar fundamentals: subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, clause structure.
Write an Email
Compose a short email in response to a given situation — such as replying to a professor, requesting information, or responding to a campus notice.
Tip: Learn email conventions: appropriate greetings, clear purpose statements, polite closings.
Write for an Academic Discussion
Read an instructor's prompt and two student posts, then add a relevant, supported contribution to the discussion.
Tip: Practice writing at least 100 words in 10 minutes while developing your own contribution.
The new band scale uses half-band increments aligned with the Common European Framework (CEFR). During the transition period (2026–2028), score reports show both the traditional 0–120 score and the new band. After January 2028, only the band scale will be used.
| New Band | CEFR Level | Comparable Prior Total |
|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | C2 | 114+ |
| 5.5 | C1 | 107+ |
| 5.0 | C1 | 95+ |
| 4.5 | B2 | 86+ |
| 4.0 | B2 | 72+ |
| 3.5 | B1 | 58+ |
| 3.0 | B1 | 44+ |
| 2.5 | A2 | 34+ |
| 2.0 | A2 | 24+ |
| 1.5 | A1 | 12+ |
| 1.0 | A1 | 0+ |
Use cross-test comparisons carefully: a planning estimate is not an admissions guarantee, and institutions may set overall and section-specific requirements. Use our IELTS–TOEFL converter tool →
Study the current task types: Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage, Listen and Repeat, Build a Sentence, Write an Email, and Write for an Academic Discussion.
The new Speaking section gives zero preparation time for interview questions. You need to respond immediately and fluently for 45 seconds. Practice daily with AI speaking tools that simulate the new interview format. Focus on automatic responses rather than memorized templates.
Practice building sentences, writing purposeful emails, and contributing to academic discussions. For the discussion task, train yourself to develop at least 100 relevant words within 10 minutes.
Reading and Listening are now multistage adaptive — if you answer well, questions get harder. This is a good thing (it demonstrates higher proficiency). Practice with varied difficulty levels so harder questions don't catch you off guard.
Rehearse the listed base times for each section, but plan for the full session ETS describes, including directions and adaptive variation. Build pacing by task type instead of relying on one 90-minute countdown.
The new "Read in Daily Life" task uses emails, menus, invoices, and signs. Read everyday English materials: campus emails, restaurant menus, event schedules, product labels. This builds the practical reading skills the new TOEFL tests.
English AIdol is fully updated for the January 2026 TOEFL format. Practice all new task types — Complete the Words, Write an Email, Listen and Repeat, Take an Interview — with instant AI feedback.
Starting January 21, 2026, ETS says to allow about two hours for the updated TOEFL iBT, including directions; its listed base section times total about 90 minutes. Reading and Listening use adaptive testing, and score reports use a 1–6 scale in half-band increments. Reading includes Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage. Speaking uses Listen and Repeat plus Take an Interview. Writing uses Build a Sentence, Write an Email, and Write for an Academic Discussion.
The current TOEFL reports section and overall scores from 1 to 6 in half-band increments. ETS aligns the scale with CEFR without using invented “plus” CEFR levels. Its comparable prior-total thresholds include 6 = 114+, 5.5 = 107+, 5 = 95+, 4.5 = 86+, 4 = 72+, 3.5 = 58+, and 3 = 44+. Through January 2028, reports also include a comparable 0–120 overall score.
ETS lists the current Reading section at about 30 minutes and 50 questions, with multistage adaptive delivery. It has three task types: (1) Complete the Words — complete missing letters in an academic paragraph. (2) Read in Daily Life — read short practical texts such as emails, notices, schedules, or invoices and answer comprehension questions. (3) Read an Academic Passage — read a short academic passage and answer 5 multiple-choice questions. Timing and item counts can vary in an adaptive test.
The new Speaking section is only ~8 minutes with 11 questions (down from ~17 minutes). It has two task types: (1) Listen and Repeat — tests pronunciation and intonation by having you repeat sentences you hear. (2) Take an Interview — 4 questions with 45 seconds each to respond, no preparation time. The old Independent and Integrated speaking tasks are completely removed.
The current Writing section is about 23 minutes with 12 questions and three task types: (1) Build a Sentence — arrange words or phrases into a grammatical response. (2) Write an Email — respond to a situation in 7 minutes. (3) Write for an Academic Discussion — contribute to a discussion in 10 minutes and write at least 100 words.
The current TOEFL is different, not universally easier. ETS says to allow about two hours including directions, while its listed base section times total about 90 minutes. Reading and Listening are adaptive, and Speaking and Writing use new task types. Compare current official samples under timed conditions because the better fit depends on your own reading, listening, speaking, writing, and computer-test skills.
Use the official ETS comparison table. Its comparable prior-total thresholds are 6 = 114+, 5.5 = 107+, 5 = 95+, 4.5 = 86+, 4 = 72+, 3.5 = 58+, 3 = 44+, 2.5 = 34+, 2 = 24+, 1.5 = 12+, and 1 = 0+. Score requirements are set by each receiving institution or program, so confirm its current policy.
ETS says to allow about two hours for the updated TOEFL, including directions; its listed base section times total about 90 minutes. TOEFL uses adaptive Reading and Listening, and its Speaking section uses Listen and Repeat plus recorded interview responses. IELTS Speaking uses an interview with an examiner. The reading and writing task formats also differ. Acceptance and minimum scores are controlled by each receiving institution, so verify the exact policy you need.
ETS states that the updated test remains TOEFL iBT and that acceptance continues through the transition, when reports include both the 0–120 comparison and the new 1–6 scale. However, each university, program, employer, or authority controls its own acceptance and minimum scores. Confirm the current requirement directly with the intended recipient before booking or sending scores.
Focus on the current task types: practice sentence construction, email writing, and academic discussion responses. For Speaking, practise repeating sentences accurately and answering interview questions. For Reading, get comfortable with short practical texts alongside academic passages. Rehearse the published base section times, then allow the full two-hour session ETS recommends for directions and adaptive variation.