Reading
Build meaning from academic and everyday English.
- Published items
- 50
- Approx. base time
- 30 min
- Task types
- 3
TOEFL iBT® · January 2026 format
Know the test.Own your next move.
Four sections, twelve task types and a new 1–6 score scale—mapped in one clear, source-linked guide.
Independent guide, reviewed September 2026. PrepMate is not endorsed or approved by ETS.
The format at a glance
Four sections. One clear route.
Reading and Listening adapt after the first module. Writing and Speaking follow a linear sequence.
Listening
Follow intent, details and structure in spoken English.
- Published items
- 47
- Approx. base time
- 29 min
- Task types
- 4
Writing
Construct sentences and write for real communicative purposes.
- Published items
- 12
- Approx. base time
- 23 min
- Task types
- 3
Speaking
Respond clearly and intelligibly to spoken prompts.
- Published items
- 11
- Approx. base time
- 8 min
- Task types
- 2
These are ETS summary figures, not a promise for every delivered test. Item counts and timing can vary; directions add time, and Reading or Listening may include unscored pretest questions.
Your task map
All 12 task types.
Counts below are published response-item allocations. A task set can contain several responses, so a response item is not always a separate screen or exercise.
3 task types
Reading
Complete the Words
30 response itemsRestore ten partial words inside each short academic paragraph.
Read in Daily Life
5–15 response itemsRead messages, notices, schedules, advertisements or forms.
Read an Academic Passage
5–15 response itemsAnswer five questions about an accessible academic text.
4 task types
Listening
Listen and Choose a Response
15–19 response itemsHear a short prompt and choose among four written responses.
Listen to a Conversation
10 response itemsFollow a two-person everyday exchange, then answer two questions.
Listen to an Announcement
6–10 response itemsUnderstand the purpose and practical details of a short announcement.
Listen to an Academic Talk
8–16 response itemsIdentify the main point, evidence and organization of a short talk.
3 task types
Writing
Build a Sentence
10 responsesArrange movable words and phrases into a contextual response.
Write an Email
1 responseWrite to a named recipient and address the requested communication goals.
Write for an Academic Discussion
1 responseDevelop your contribution while the professor prompt and posts stay visible.
2 task types
Speaking
Listen and Repeat
7 responsesHear and reproduce a connected series of utterances accurately.
Take an Interview
4 responsesAnswer related questions that move from experience to supported opinion.
How the path changes
Adaptive where it matters. Linear where it does not.
“Adaptive” describes how the test selects a later module. It does not mean the score is a simple percentage of correct answers.
Reading + Listening
Two-stage adaptive
Module 1Selected Module 2
Performance in the first module informs the second module. Exact routing thresholds and live item-bank composition are not public implementation rules.
Writing + Speaking
Linear delivery
First taskNext task
These sections do not branch by performance. Linear delivery does not establish unrestricted backtracking or replay; follow the current on-screen directions.
Reporting scale0.5 steps
Each section + one overall band
Understand your score
A band, not a raw percentage.
- Section and overall scores are reported from 1 to 6 in half-point steps.
- The overall band averages the four section bands and rounds to a half band.
- During the two-year transition beginning January 2026, score reports also include a comparable /120 total based on an aligned range.
Official scores account for item difficulty. ETS comparison tables align score scales; they are not raw-correctness conversion tables.
Clear about uncertainty
What remains variable or unresolved.
Public guidance should make its limits visible, especially when the live test can vary.
Delivered counts and time
The section figures are current published summaries. Delivered forms, directions, transitions and approved accommodations can change the experience.
Adaptive routing rules
Exact branch thresholds, live combinations and score calibration are proprietary; public practice PDFs show examples, not the live algorithm.
Some interaction details
The exact current Build a Sentence countdown and some navigation, phase-timing and accommodation behavior are not fully established by the reviewed public sources.
Read the primary evidence
Official ETS sources.
Current test contentSection order, published item counts and approximate durations.2026 test specificationsTask allocation, adaptive modules and detailed format notes.2026 task overviewIllustrated descriptions of the current task formats.Teacher FAQAdaptivity, pretest questions and score-reporting context.Understanding scoresThe current 1–6 scale, half bands and overall-score calculation.Score-scale updateOfficial comparison ranges for the new and legacy reporting scales.
Source review current as of September 2026. ETS may revise test information; always check the official instructions for your appointment.
Format understood. Next move?
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