TOEFL iBT · WHAT CHANGED
The new TOEFL iBT,
task by task.
In short: The updated TOEFL iBT (from January 2026) takes under two hours. Reading (Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage) and Listening (Listen and Choose a Response, Conversation, Announcement, Academic Talk) are multistage adaptive. Writing has Build a Sentence, Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion; Speaking has Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. Scores are 1–6 bands aligned with CEFR.
Updated 26 October 2026 · Trestle editorial team, Qoodly
Key takeaways
- Shorter test, taken at home or at a test centre, scores in about three days according to ETS.
- Reading and Listening adapt: the first part sets the difficulty of the second.
- Everyday-life texts and short spoken exchanges now sit next to academic passages and talks.
- Listening speakers have North American, British and Australian accents.
Reading tasks
Complete the Words
A short academic paragraph (about 70–100 words). After an intact first sentence, the second half of every second word is missing and you type the missing letters; each text has 10 incomplete words. Tip: read the whole sentence first, use grammar (article, plural, verb ending) to narrow the word, and check spelling.
Read in Daily Life
Short real-world texts of about 15–150 words (notices, menus, schedules, emails, text messages, social media posts, forms, receipts) with two or three questions. Tip: identify the text type and purpose first; many questions ask what the writer wants or what someone should do next.
Read an Academic Passage
About 200 words on a topic from history, science, business or the arts, followed by five questions on facts, vocabulary in context, inference, the relationship between ideas and purpose. Tip: note the main idea of each paragraph as you read, then answer from evidence, not memory.
Listening tasks
Listen and Choose a Response
You hear one question or statement (not shown on screen) and choose the most appropriate reply from four written options. Tip: focus on the speaker’s intention and tone; the correct reply often answers the implied meaning, not the literal words.
Listen to a Conversation, an Announcement, an Academic Talk
Short conversations (two questions), academic announcements of about 40–85 words, and academic talks of about 100–250 words (four questions). Tip: listen for purpose and changes of plan; in talks, note the structure (definition, example, contrast).
Writing and Speaking tasks
Build a Sentence, Write an Email (7 minutes) and Write for an Academic Discussion (10 minutes) are covered in TOEFL writing tasks. Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview are covered in TOEFL speaking tasks.
Scores
Every section and the overall test get a band from 1 to 6 in half-band steps. For two years, score reports also show the old 0–120 scale. Convert scores with the TOEFL score converter.
Questions
When did the TOEFL iBT change?
The updated TOEFL iBT started in January 2026.
Is the new TOEFL adaptive?
Reading and Listening are multistage adaptive: your performance on the first part of the section decides the difficulty of the second part.
What is Complete the Words on the TOEFL?
A Reading task: in a short academic paragraph, the second half of every second word is missing and you type the missing letters. Each paragraph has 10 incomplete words.
How long is the new TOEFL test?
Under two hours. ETS lists base times of about 30 minutes for Reading, 29 for Listening, 23 for Writing and 8 for Speaking.
Sources
Formats and scores can change. Confirm the details for your test date with the test maker before you book.
Trestle is independent practice by Qoodly. It is not affiliated with, endorsed or approved by ETS or the IELTS partners. TOEFL, TOEFL iBT and TOEFL ITP are registered trademarks of ETS. IELTS is a registered trademark of the British Council, IDP Education and Cambridge University Press & Assessment.