TOEFL Exam Pattern

The TOEFL exam opens doors to global opportunities and is recognized by over 11,000 universities and institutions around the world. With more than 27 million test-takers to date, it’s a well-regarded measure of English proficiency. The test evaluates your listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills—key for achieving success in academic and professional settings abroad.

Knowing the TOEFL exam pattern and scoring can greatly influence how you prepare and ultimately perform.

For 2024, the TOEFL exam is structured into four main sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing, each of which contributes to your overall score. Designed by ETS, the organisation behind TOEFL, this format ensures a comprehensive assessment of your English skills.

To boost your chances of achieving a high score, it’s a good idea to spend time practising with TOEFL sample papers, as more practice often leads to better results.

Key Changes for 2024:

• Updated time ranges for sections to accommodate variations in content and tasks.
• Enhanced focus on integrated tasks in the Speaking and Writing sections.
• Revised question types to reflect current communication and academic contexts.

The TOEFL test format comprises four primary sections:

• Reading, where test-takers read passages and answer questions
• Listening, involving listening to lectures, conversations, and discussions followed by responding to related questions.
• Speaking, where candidates express opinions and ideas on familiar topics and integrate information from reading and listening tasks
• Writing, requiring the composition of essays based on provided reading and listening materials.

Each section is scored individually on a scale of 0 to 30, with the overall TOEFL score ranging from 0 to 120.

Here are the details of TOEFL Listening pattern:

• Lectures and Questions: You'll listen to three lectures, each lasting between 3 to 5 minutes, which may include classroom discussions. Each lecture is followed by 6 questions, totaling 18 questions.
• Conversations and Questions: You'll also hear two conversations, each about 3 minutes long with 12 to 25 exchanges. Each conversation has 5 questions, adding up to 10 questions for this part.
• Note-Taking and Timing: You're allowed to take notes while listening to help with answering the questions. The entire Listening section takes around 36 minutes, covering both the listening and answering parts.

Here are the details of TOEFL Reading pattern :

• Passages and Questions: You’ll read two passages, each around 700 words long, with a total of 10 questions per passage.
• Timing: You’ll have about 35 minutes to complete this section.
• Scoring and Evaluation: Your score depends on how accurately you answer comprehension questions. The Reading Section tests your ability to understand and analyse academic texts, focusing on main ideas, details, vocabulary, and logical relationships.

Here are the details of TOEFL Speaking pattern:

In the TOEFL Speaking Section, achieving high scores requires fulfilling task requirements with minimal errors or hesitations, demonstrating clear and sustained communication. Graders assess responses based on three main criteria: delivery, language use, and topic development.

The section includes:

• 1 independent task: Candidates prepare for 15-30 seconds and respond within 45 or 60 seconds.
• 3 integrated tasks (Read/Listen/Speak): Each task allows 15-30 seconds for preparation and 45 or 60 seconds for response.
• There are a total of 4 questions in the Speaking Section, collectively taking approximately 16 minutes to complete.

Here are the details of TOEFL Writing pattern:

The TOEFL Writing Section consists of two distinct tasks, each focusing on specific writing skills and abilities. Both tasks require a well-organised and detailed response, demonstrating clarity, coherence, and progression of ideas.

Integrated Task (Read/Listen/Write):

• Candidates first read a passage (3 minutes) and then listen to a related lecture (2 minutes).
• Subsequently, they are allotted 15 minutes to compose a written response that integrates information from both sources.

Writing for an Academic Discussion Task:

• This task involves writing an essay based on a given prompt within a 10-minute timeframe.
• The Writing Section comprises a total of 2 questions, collectively requiring 30 minutes to complete.

In 2024, the TOEFL test remains a key way to prove your English skills for studying or working internationally. Your TOEFL score is valid for two years from the test date, which means it’s a reliable measure of your English abilities for things like university applications, scholarships, and visas. To make the most of this, plan your test date carefully to match your academic and career goals, keeping in mind that your score will be relevant for two years.

Each year, more than 2.5 million students and professionals take the TOEFL test to showcase their English skills. With over 4,500 test centres across 165 countries, the TOEFL is widely accessible, highlighting its global significance as a standard for English proficiency in both academic and professional environments.

Looking to ace the TOEFL Exam? At AECC, we offer tailored guidance to help you navigate each section—Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing—with confidence. Our expert tutors provide comprehensive strategies to improve your English proficiency and maximise your TOEFL scores.