Exam field guide

TOEFL iBT preparation with a clear practice method

Practise connecting ideas across academic English while keeping evidence and organization visible.

Provider
ETS
Format version
2026.2
Registry verified
Speaking
Not assessed

TOEFL iBT · 2026.2

Format ledger

Registry-derived sections, interaction counts, duration, and Compass support
SectionItemsDurationCompass route
Reading5030 minSupported
Listening4729 minSupported
Writing1223 minSupported
Speaking118 minSupported

Preparation priorities

  1. map relationships between ideas in a passage
  2. take selective notes from academic audio
  3. build sentences and responses around explicit logic

Score boundary

Speaking is Not assessed. The supported sections are: Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking. The registered policy disables an overall result, so this practice produces neither a complete official result nor an eligibility decision. The registry format notice is reproduced separately without modification.

Source registry notice

The original candidate banks contain 70 Reading and 64 Listening items; each Compass two-stage path delivers 50 Reading and 47 Listening items with exactly 35 scored points per objective section. Compass routes at a 60% router threshold and applies an uncalibrated proportional 1–6 practice transform, not ETS routing or equating. Build a Sentence provides partial practice evidence only. Constructed Writing and Speaking are not assessed, so there is no overall, official, or admission result.

Source ledger

Provider and public-authority references recorded in the exam registry.

ETS
  • TOEFL iBT content and structurewww.ets.org
    Open source
  • TOEFL 1–6 score scalewww.ets.org
    Open source
  • TOEFL iBT test specifications for January 2026www.ets.org
    Open source
  • TOEFL 1–6 score scale update PDFwww.ets.org
    Open source

Frequently asked questions

What should I note during academic audio?

Capture the main claim, the function of each example, and any correction or contrast rather than trying to transcribe sentences.

How can I connect ideas in a reading passage?

Label cause, comparison, concession, and example relationships, then use those labels to predict what belongs together.

What helps when arranging words into a sentence?

Find the core subject and verb first, then attach modifiers according to meaning instead of arranging words by sound alone.

TOEFL iBT

Turn the format into evidence

Start with a short skills check, then rehearse the supported structure under its recorded timing.