The TOEFL exam syllabus is provided by Educational Testing Services, the TOEFL's governing organisation. The test is divided into four sections, each of which is designed to assess the test-English taker's language abilities. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are among them, and each takes about 3 hours to finish.
All applicants should have a full comprehension of both the TOEFL exam pattern and the TOEFL syllabus before registering for the test. Every portion of the TOEFL has important details that a candidate should be aware of in order to achieve a high score.
Below table explains the TOEFL Exam Syllabus in detail.
Sections |
Time Duration |
No. of Questions |
Details |
Reading |
54-72 minutes |
About 40 |
3-4 passages with 10 questions each |
Listening |
41-57 minutes |
40+ |
|
Speaking |
17 minutes |
4 |
|
Writing |
50 minutes |
2 |
time: 2 min; writing: 15 min)
|
Reading
The applicant will be asked to read 3-5 passages and respond to 12-14 questions on each passage in this part. The number of correct reading comprehension responses determines the section's grade.
Listening
You will hear both short and extended conversations in this TOEFL exam syllabus section. Following the brief dialogue, you will be asked one question with numerous options for responses. You must select one option. You will be asked many questions based on the conversation in long talks.
Speaking
To get the best marks in the Speaking Section, your responses must meet the requirements of the work with only minor errors or lapses. The examiners are seeking for a discourse that is both understandable and long-lasting. Syllabus for TOEFL speaking section is explained in the table above.
Writing
A topic should be effectively addressed in the essay. The response should be well-organized and well-developed, with pertinent explanations and supporting details. It should also have a sense of unity, progression, and cohesion. If you want to get a good writing grade, make sure you show syntactic variation and acceptable word choice while avoiding minor grammatical mistakes.
Highlights of TOEFL Exam Pattern 2024
Sections |
Number of Questions |
Duration |
Reading |
3–4 passages - 10 questions each |
54-72 minutes |
Listening |
3-4 Lectures and 2-3 Conversations - 10 questions each |
41-57 minutes |
Speaking |
4 questions |
17 minutes |
Writing |
2 tasks |
50 minutes |
TOEFL Exam Syllabus: Reading
You will read 3-4 passages and answer 10 questions about each one in this passage. The number of correct reading comprehension responses determines the section's grade.
Question Type:
i) 3-4 passages, 10 questions each
ii) Total number of questions: 30-40
Time: 54-72 minutes
TOEFL Exam Syllabus: Listening
You will hear lectures and conversations based on campus lingo in the Listening test part. This component assesses the test taker's ability to interpret English conversations and lectures. Listening to fundamental comprehension and understanding, linking, and synthesising information are all part of this process.
Question Type:
i) 3–4 lectures (3-5 minutes long, about 500-800 words), 6 questions each
ii) 2–3 conversations (about 3 minutes long, about 12-25 exchanges), 5 questions each
Time: 41-57 minutes
TOEFL Exam Syllabus: Speaking
To get the best marks in the Speaking Section, your responses must meet the requirements of the work with only minor errors or lapses. The examiners are seeking a discourse that is both understandable and long-lasting. The section's scoring is determined on three primary factors: delivery, topic development, and, language use.
Question Type:
i) 1 individual task (prep time: 15 sec; response time: 45 sec)
ii) 3 integrated tasks – Read/Listen/Speak
Total number of Questions: 4
Time: 17 minutes
TOEFL Exam Syllabus: Writing
Each of the two essays should successfully handle a different topic. The response should be well-organized and well-developed, with pertinent explanations and supporting details. It should also have a sense of unity, progression, and cohesion. If you want a good writing grade, make sure you use syntactic variety and appropriate word choice while avoiding small grammatical errors.
Question Type:
i) 1 integrated task – Read/Listen/Write (20 minutes) (listening
time: 2 min; reading time: 3 min; writing: 15 min)
ii) 1 individual task (30 minutes)
Total number of Questions: 2
Time: 50 minutes
Once you've completed your ETS TOEFL exam, you won't have to wait long to get your TOEFL results. At the end of the test, test takers can see their unofficial Reading and Listening results. You will receive an email notification when your official scores are posted online. Log in to your TOEFL iBT account and select Scores from the drop-down menu.
The official TOEFL iBT score will be accessible six days after the test date, and test-takers who choose the Special Home Edition of the TOEFL will receive their results six to ten days after the test day. If a candidate requested a print copy of their score report before taking the test, it will be mailed to them within 11 days after the test date. Local postal agencies will determine delivery times.
Skill/Score Range |
Level |
Reading Score Range 0-30 |
Advanced (24-30) High Intermediate (18-23) Low-Intermediate (4-17) Below Low-Intermediate (0-3) |
Listening Score Range 0-30 |
Advanced (22-30) high-intermediate (17-21) Low-Intermediate (9-16) Below Low-Intermediate (0-8) |
Speaking Score Range 0-30 |
Advanced (25-30) high-intermediate (20-24) Low-Intermediate (16-19) Basic (10-15) Below Basic (0-9) |
Writing Score Range 0-30 |
Advanced (24-30) high-intermediate (17-23) Low-Intermediate (13-16) Basic (7-12) Below Basic (0-6) |
Total Score |
These are added together for a total score of 0-120. |
Source - ETS