TOEFL iBT Overview — The Current Test (2026 Format)

On January 21, 2026, ETS replaced the previous TOEFL iBT with a shorter, adaptive format. If your preparation book is older than 2026, parts of it describe a test that no longer exists: the old Independent Writing essay and the old Speaking tasks are gone, and the 0–120 scale is no longer the primary score.

Structure and timing

Section	Items	Base time	Task types (current format)
Reading	50	~30 min	Complete the Words · Read in Daily Life · Read an Academic Passage — multistage adaptive
Listening	47	~29 min	Listen and Choose a Response · Conversation · Announcement · Academic Talk — multistage adaptive
Writing	12	~23 min	Build a Sentence · Write an Email · Write for an Academic Discussion
Speaking	11	~8 min	Listen and Repeat · Take an Interview

Format effective January 21, 2026 (ETS). Total testing time is about 90 minutes; allow about two hours at the test center or at home. There is no scheduled break. Reading and Listening adapt: everyone takes a first module, and the second module's difficulty depends on first-module performance.

Scoring in detail

TOEFL band	CEFR	Comparable 0–120 (transition)	What it usually means
6.0	C2	114–120	Full academic command
5.0–5.5	C1	95–113	Strong — meets most selective programs
4.0–4.5	B2	72–94	Solid — meets many university minimums (4.5 ≈ 86+)
3.0–3.5	B1	44–71	Developing — pathway/foundation level
2.0–2.5	A2	24–43	Basic — build foundations first
1.0–1.5	A1	0–23	Beginner — start with general English

Each section is scored 1–6 in half-point steps; the overall score is the average of the four sections, rounded to the nearest half band. Until January 2028, score reports also show a comparable 0–120 total. Scores are typically available about 72 hours after the test and remain valid for two years.

What changed in 2026

• Shorter: about 90 minutes of testing instead of about two hours.
• Adaptive Reading and Listening: two-stage modules; doing well early unlocks the harder second module — and the top bands.
• New task types: Complete the Words (Reading), Choose a Response (Listening), Build a Sentence and Write an Email (Writing), Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview (Speaking).
• New scores: 1–6 bands aligned to the CEFR, with a comparable 0–120 shown during the transition (until January 2028).
• Faster results: typically about 72 hours.

Test-day facts

• Delivered on computer at a test center or at home (Home Edition) with live proctoring.
• Sections run in a fixed order: Reading → Listening → Writing → Speaking, with no scheduled break.
• You may take notes on scratch paper provided at the center (or an approved whiteboard at home).
• Scores are valid for two years; universities set their own minimum bands.

Take the diagnostic See study paths

Independent study site; not affiliated with ETS. Confirm current details at ets.org/toefl.