TOEFL Sample Questions 2026: Example Walkthroughs for All 12 Question Types

TOEFL sample questions are the fastest way to understand what the 2026 exam actually asks you to do. The TOEFL iBT now contains 12 distinct question types spread across Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking. Three of those types — Complete the Words, Listen and Repeat, and Build a Sentence — were added in mid-2024 and do not appear in older TOEFL practice questions or prep books. Each section uses a different scoring method, and two sections (Reading and Listening) route you into adaptive difficulty modules based on your first-half performance.

This article walks through one original example for each of the 12 TOEFL question types. Every example shows you the format, time constraints, how it is scored, and one concrete approach step. If you want full strategies for a specific section, see the dedicated guides for Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.

Key Takeaways

• The 2026 TOEFL iBT tests 12 question types across four sections, and three of them are brand-new since mid-2024.
• Reading and Listening use adaptive modules: your Module 1 score determines whether Module 2 is easier or harder, which affects your maximum possible band score.
• Each section is scored on a 1.0–6.0 band scale in half-point increments, aligned with CEFR levels.
• Writing and Speaking tasks are AI-scored using rubric criteria like fluency, organization, and language use — not just correctness.
• Practicing with questions that match the current format is essential. If your TOEFL sample test does not include Build a Sentence or Listen and Repeat, it is outdated.

How Is the TOEFL Scored in 2026?

Before looking at individual TOEFL practice questions, it helps to understand the scoring system they feed into. Each of the four sections receives a band score from 1.0 to 6.0 in half-point increments. Your overall TOEFL score is the average of the four section bands, rounded to the nearest 0.5.

Reading and Listening use adaptive module routing. You answer Module 1 first. If you score above the threshold (13 or more correct in Reading, 12 or more in Listening), you are routed to a harder Module 2 where each correct answer is worth 1.5 points instead of 1. If you score below the threshold, you receive an easier Module 2 worth 1 point each, and your band is capped at 4.0.

Writing and Speaking are non-adaptive. Writing has a maximum of 20 raw points (10 from Build a Sentence plus 5 each from Email and Discussion). Speaking has a maximum of 55 raw points across 11 items. Both convert to the same 1.0–6.0 band scale.

For the complete scoring breakdown and exam structure, see our full guide.

What Does Complete the Words Look Like?

Section: Reading | Questions per set: 10 | Scoring: 1 point each (auto-graded) | Time: Part of Reading module (~25 min total)

You see an academic passage with 10 words that have missing letters. Your job is to type the complete word based on the context. Here is a simplified example:

Passage excerpt: "The process of phot__________ allows plants to convert sunlight into chemical energy. Carbon dioxide enters through small openings called sto____ on the underside of leaves."

The correct answers are "photosynthesis" and "stomata." You must spell them correctly. No answer choices are provided — you type the word yourself.

Approach: Read the full sentence before and after the blank. The surrounding context usually makes the word clear if you know it. Focus on academic vocabulary in your preparation, because these words come from college-level science and humanities texts. For more on this, see the Reading strategies guide.

Try a free Complete the Words question →

What Does Read in Daily Life Look Like?

Section: Reading | Questions per set: 2–3 | Scoring: 1 point each (auto-graded) | Time: Part of Reading module

This type gives you a practical, real-world text — a notice, email, advertisement, or announcement — and asks comprehension questions. There are two sub-formats: Notice (3 questions) and Mail (2 questions).

Sample notice:

"Campus Library Holiday Hours — The main library will close at 5:00 PM on December 20 and remain closed through January 2. The digital resources portal will stay available during the closure. Study rooms cannot be reserved during this period. Regular hours resume January 3."

Sample question: "A student needs to access a research database on December 28. What should they do?"

• A) Visit the main library before 5 PM
• B) Use the digital resources portal
• C) Reserve a study room online
• D) Wait until January 3

Correct answer: B. The notice says digital resources stay available during the closure.

Approach: Read the entire text before answering. These questions test whether you can extract specific details. The wrong answers often use words from the text but apply them to the wrong situation.

Try a free Read in Daily Life question →

What Does Read an Academic Passage Look Like?

Section: Reading | Questions per set: 5 | Scoring: 1 point each (auto-graded) | Time: Part of Reading module

You read a 400–500 word academic passage and answer five multiple-choice questions. Topics range from biology and history to social sciences.

Sample question (after a passage about urban heat islands): "According to the passage, what is the primary reason that cities experience higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas?"

• A) Cities receive more direct sunlight due to their latitude
• B) Dark surfaces like asphalt absorb and re-emit more heat
• C) Urban populations generate warmth through body heat
• D) Tall buildings block cooling winds from reaching the ground

This format is the most familiar to anyone who has seen older TOEFL tests. It tests reading comprehension, inference, and vocabulary in context.

Approach: Answer questions in order. The questions generally follow the passage structure — question 1 relates to the first few paragraphs, question 5 to the last. Do not spend more than 2 minutes per question.

Try a free Read an Academic Passage question →

What Does Listen and Choose a Response Look Like?

Section: Listening | Questions per set: 1 | Scoring: 1 point (auto-graded) | Time: ~30 seconds per item

You hear a short spoken exchange — usually 1–2 sentences — and then choose the most appropriate response from three or four written options.

Sample audio transcript: "Professor: I noticed you haven't signed up for the field trip yet. The bus leaves at 7 AM on Saturday."

Sample question: "What would be the best response?"

• A) "I did not know there was a bus."
• B) "Thanks for letting me know. I will register today."
• C) "I already went on that trip last year."

Correct answer: B. It directly addresses the professor's implied request to sign up.

Approach: Listen for the speaker's intention, not just the words. The correct response usually acknowledges the main point and moves the conversation forward.

Try a free Listen and Choose a Response question →

What Does Listen to a Conversation Look Like?

Section: Listening | Questions per set: 2 | Scoring: 1 point each (auto-graded) | Time: Audio plays once, then ~1 minute for questions

You hear a conversation between two people, typically a student and a university staff member or professor. After the audio finishes, you answer two comprehension questions.

Sample scenario: A student visits the registrar's office to ask about dropping a course after the deadline. The staff member explains the late-drop policy and mentions a required advisor signature.

Sample question: "What does the student need to do before dropping the course?"

• A) Pay a late-drop fee
• B) Get approval from their academic advisor
• C) Submit a written explanation to the registrar
• D) Complete all remaining assignments first

Approach: Take brief notes while listening. Focus on what each speaker wants and any conditions or steps they mention. You cannot replay the audio in a mock test, so capture key details the first time. More techniques are in the Listening strategies guide.

Try a free Listen to a Conversation question →

What Does Listen to an Announcement Look Like?

Section: Listening | Questions per set: 2 | Scoring: 1 point each (auto-graded) | Time: Audio plays once, then ~1 minute for questions

You hear a short announcement — a campus event notice, a policy change, or a public service message — and answer two questions about it.

Sample scenario: A university dining services announcement explains that the cafeteria will switch to a mobile-ordering system starting next month. Students must download an app and link their meal plan.

Sample question: "What must students do before using the new ordering system?"

This type tests your ability to identify specific instructions and deadlines from spoken announcements.

Approach: Listen for action items: what, when, and who. Announcements almost always contain at least one specific date, location, or requirement that becomes a question.

Try a free Listen to an Announcement question →

What Does Listen to an Academic Talk Look Like?

Section: Listening | Questions per set: 4 | Scoring: 1 point each (auto-graded) | Time: Audio plays once, then ~2 minutes for questions

This is the longest listening task. You hear a 3–4 minute academic lecture on a topic like geology, art history, or psychology. Four questions follow.

Sample scenario: A biology professor explains how certain deep-sea fish produce their own light through bioluminescence. The lecture covers the chemical reaction involved, two functions of bioluminescence (attracting prey and communicating with mates), and a recent study that found a third function.

Sample question: "According to the professor, what are two purposes of bioluminescence mentioned in the lecture?" (Select two answers)

This type appears only in Module 1 of the Listening section. It tests your ability to follow extended academic reasoning and identify supporting details.

Approach: Structure your notes around the lecture's main points. Academic talks almost always follow a pattern: introduce topic, explain mechanism, give examples, mention a complication or new finding. Write one line per main point.

Try a free Listen to an Academic Talk question →

What Does Build a Sentence Look Like?

Section: Writing | Questions per set: 10 | Scoring: 1 point each (auto-graded) | Time: ~10 minutes for all 10

This is one of the three new 2026 task types. You see word groups (phrases) that need to be arranged into a grammatically correct sentence. You click or drag the groups into the correct order.

Sample word groups: [ the research team ] [ published their findings ] [ after completing ] [ a three-year study ] [ on soil erosion ]

Correct order: "After completing a three-year study on soil erosion, the research team published their findings."

Another valid arrangement might also be accepted if it produces a grammatically correct sentence, but typically there is one intended answer.

Approach: Look for dependent clauses first. Phrases starting with "after," "because," "although," or "when" usually come at the beginning or end of the sentence. Then find the subject-verb pair — that forms the core of the main clause. For more Writing strategies, see the Writing templates guide.

Try a free Build a Sentence question →

What Does Write an Email Look Like?

Section: Writing | Questions: 1 | Scoring: 0–5 (AI rubric) | Time: 10 minutes

You read a prompt that describes a situation and asks you to write an email of approximately 100–150 words. The prompt specifies who you are writing to and what you need to communicate.

Sample prompt: "You recently moved into a new apartment near campus. Your neighbor plays loud music late at night, and it is affecting your sleep and study schedule. Write an email to your building manager explaining the situation and requesting a solution."

Your email is scored on three rubric dimensions: how clearly you explain the situation, whether your language is appropriate for the recipient, and how well-organized your message is.

Approach: Spend 1 minute planning before you write. Use a simple structure: greeting, state the problem, explain the impact, make a specific request, closing. Stay within the word count — writing 300 words does not earn more points than a well-organized 130-word response.

Try a free Write an Email question →

What Does Write for an Academic Discussion Look Like?

Section: Writing | Questions: 1 | Scoring: 0–5 (AI rubric) | Time: 10 minutes

You see a discussion prompt from a professor and two student responses. Your task is to contribute to the discussion with your own response of about 100–150 words.

Sample prompt: "Professor Chen: Urban green spaces have been shown to improve mental health. Some city planners argue that rooftop gardens on commercial buildings could supplement traditional parks. Do you think rooftop gardens are a practical solution for cities that lack park space?"

Student A argues that rooftop gardens are too expensive to maintain. Student B says they work well in dense cities like Singapore.

Your response should add a new point, agree or disagree with reasoning, or expand on something the other students said. The AI scoring rubric evaluates the relevance of your contribution, the quality of your reasoning, and your use of academic language.

Approach: Do not simply agree with one student. Add your own evidence or perspective. A strong response might concede one point ("While cost is a valid concern...") and then introduce a different angle. See Writing templates for response structures.

Try a free Write for an Academic Discussion question →

What Does Listen and Repeat Look Like?

Section: Speaking | Questions: 7 | Scoring: 0–5 each (AI rubric) | Time: ~15 seconds to listen, ~15 seconds to respond per item

This is another new 2026 task type. You hear a sentence spoken at natural speed and must repeat it as accurately as possible. The sentences range from simple daily English to complex academic structures.

Sample audio transcript: "The committee voted to postpone the decision until more data becomes available."

You then have about 15 seconds to speak the sentence into your microphone. The AI evaluates three dimensions: fluency (smooth delivery without long pauses), intelligibility (clear pronunciation), and repeat accuracy (how closely your words match the original).

Approach: Do not try to memorize word-by-word. Listen for the overall structure and meaning. If you understand the sentence, you can reconstruct it even if you miss a word. Practice with progressively longer sentences. The Speaking templates guide covers specific drills.

Try a free Listen and Repeat question →

What Does Take an Interview Look Like?

Section: Speaking | Questions: 4 | Scoring: 0–5 each (AI rubric) | Time: 15–30 seconds preparation, 45–60 seconds to respond per item

You hear a question and must give a spoken response. Questions ask for your opinion, an explanation, or a description related to everyday or academic topics.

Sample question: "Some universities require all students to take at least one science course, regardless of their major. Do you think this is a good policy? Explain why or why not."

You get 15–30 seconds to prepare and then 45–60 seconds to speak. The AI rubric scores four dimensions: fluency, intelligibility, language use (grammar and vocabulary), and organization (logical structure).

Approach: Use your preparation time to outline 2–3 points, not to script a full answer. State your position in the first sentence, give one or two reasons with brief examples, and close with a summary. Filling the full response time matters — a 20-second answer will score lower than a 50-second answer of similar quality.

Try a free Take an Interview question →

How to Practice With These Question Types

Knowing what each TOEFL question type looks like is the first step. The second step is practicing under realistic conditions. Here is what matters:

Practice with adaptive timing. In Reading and Listening, you face two modules back-to-back. Module 1 performance determines Module 2 difficulty. A full mock test that replicates this routing gives you a more accurate score prediction than isolated practice questions.

Use the current scoring scale. Your target should be a band score (1.0–6.0), not the old 0–30 per section scale. If a free practice test still reports scores out of 120, its question types may also be outdated.

Record yourself for Speaking. Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview are scored by AI on fluency, intelligibility, and accuracy. You cannot improve these without hearing your own responses. Record, listen, identify one issue, and repeat.

Time your Writing responses. Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion each give you 10 minutes. Many test takers run out of time because they spend too long planning. Practice writing a complete response in 8 minutes, leaving 2 minutes for review.

The TOEFL sample questions in this article show you the format. Consistent practice with the right format turns familiarity into readiness.