TOEFL Exam Pattern 2024: Check Section-wise Paper Format, Total Marks, Duration

It is vital to understand the structure of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam if you want to be successful. This English language proficiency test is usually taken by non-native speakers who want to study abroad. The exam pattern and syllabus are designed to measure applicants' English skills. Therefore, it is important to be knowledgeable of the structure of the exam and the complete material that is going to be tested so that you can plan your studying and practice more efficiently and ultimately reach the desired TOEFL scores.

Here’s taking a closer look at the TOEFL exam format along with other vital aspects. 

Category	Information
Official Website	https://www.ets.org/toefl
Examination Mode	Internet-Based and Paper-Delivered Test
Number of Sections	4
TOEFL Exam Duration	Approx. 3 hours (Internet-based test) Approx. 2.5 hours (Paper-delivered test)
Skills Measured/Test Sections	Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing
Overall Score Range	0 – 120
TOEFL Score Validity	2 years

TOEFL Exam Pattern (Section-Wise)

Section	Duration of Questions	Key Tasks
Reading	Questions: 30–40 questions	Reading three to four paragraphs from the provided academic literature and responding to the questions that follow.
	Duration: 54–72 minutes
Listening	Questions: 28-38	Prior to answering questions about them, paying close attention to lectures, classroom debates, conversations, and discussions.
	Duration: 41-57 minutes
Break: 10 minutes
Speaking	Questions: 4 tasks	Candidates should express their ideas on subjects they are familiar with and also talk based on the listening and reading exercises.
	Duration: 17 minutes
Writing	Questions: 2 tasks	Candidates should support their arguments in the essay by referencing their responses from the listening and reading exercises.
	Duration: 50 minutes

TOEFL Test Pattern & Marks

The TOEFL exam structure, scoring range, and mean scores for each section are shown in the table below. After taking the test for six days, candidates receive an email from ETS. Their results can be viewed online at this time. 11 days following the test date, printed score results are sent via email post.

Section	Score Range	Mean Scores
Reading	0–30	20
Listening	0–30	19
Speaking	0–30	19
Writing	0–30	20
Total Score	0–120	78

TOEFL Reading Pattern

Composition	10 questions are then based on each of 3–4 comprehension passages, which are each about 700 words long.
What do the questions entail?	The Reading section of the TOEFL exam is designed to assess your comprehension skills. As a result, the majority of the passages' main ideas deal with commonplace concerns and are typically taken from textbooks at advanced academic levels.
Duration of the Test	54-72 Minutes
Type of Questions	There is only one correct answer to each of these multiple-choice questions.
Score Scale	The raw score is determined by how many questions were successfully answered. A scale from 0 to 30 is used to rate this raw score.

How to Attempt the TOEFL Exam Reading Section?

1. It is not necessary to read the section in great detail. All you need to do is quickly look over the text to gain a basic understanding of the primary concept of the passage.

2. Don't devote too much time to going over the text since the queries are complex and they necessitate a careful examination.

3. Make sure that you respond to the inquiries based on the content given to you instead of your own opinion or conviction.

4.The texts are quite detailed and the data can be presented in a bewildering way, so you have to be attentive when scanning the material.

TOEFL Listening Pattern

Composition	Six questions based on each of the three or four lectures in the listening section are then presented. 5 questions based on each of the 1-2 discussions, each lasting 3 minutes.
What do the questions entail?	To test a candidate's ability to understand the audio and accurately summarise the information, listening tasks are included in the TOEFL exam structure. A speech or talk might be heard in the audio. A general conversation or a method of resolving disputes could be used.
Duration of the Test	41 to 57 Minutes
Type of Questions	There will be multiple-choice questions with just one right answer.
Score Scale	The amount of questions properly answered determines the raw score, which is graded on a 0–30 scale, just like the Reading section.

How to Attempt the TOEFL Exam  Listening Section?

1. It is essential to pay close attention to the sound recording and comprehend the topic.

2. You must be able to understand the speaker's tone.

3. It can be a little challenging to keep track of what each speaker is saying throughout the conversion part.
 

TOEFL Speaking Pattern

Composition	The Speaking section encompasses 4 assignments, with 1 being a standalone exercise and the remaining 3 being integrated together (questions 2-4). It requires you to express your opinions on a certain topic.
What do the questions entail?	The integrated section of the TOEFL exam uses the provided text and evaluates your ability to combine either Reading-Speaking, Listening-Speaking, or Listening skills. The Independent questions, on the other hand, measure your proficiency in expressing yourself, along with the included audio for the Reading and Listening parts.
Duration of the Test	17 Minutes
Type of Questions	You will need to vocalize your replies into the microphone and your responses will be analyzed.
Score Scale	The speaking examination is judged by a human grader and a computer-generated rater. Both the graders mark it on a rating of 0 to 4 which is then converted to a scale from 0 to 30.

How to Attempt the TOEFL Exam Speaking Section?

1. Try not to prepare a speech you can recite verbatim.

2. Make a list of the points you wish to make and arrange them so that your presentation appears structured.

3. Before taking the test, practice TOEFL speaking subjects.

TOEFL Writing Pattern

Composition	There are two tasks in this section. One integrated and one independent.
What do the questions entail?	For Integrated Questions, one must read a given passage, listen to an accompanying lecture, and then compose their responses. For Independent Questions, an essay must be written.
Duration of the Test	50 Minutes  Task 1 – 30 Minutes Task 2 – 20 Minutes
Type of Questions	You will need to manually enter your responses that will be forwarded to ETS.
Score Scale	The Writing section of the exam will be marked by two separate evaluators; a human and an AI system. Each scorer will assign a score from 0 to 5, and the total score will be a combination of both ratings and will be scaled to a range of 0 to 30.

How to Attempt the TOEFL Exam  Writing Section?

1. Create a mental blueprint of what you want to write.

2. Have a clear framework and a smooth flow when writing.

Latest Updates for TOEFL Exam Pattern 2024

The organization responsible for administering the TOEFL exam, ETS, has made significant changes to the exam format. The new pattern will reduce the duration of the test to just under two hours and introduce various enhancements aimed at improving the overall experience for individuals taking the TOEFL English language test with aspirations of studying abroad. These modifications align with ETS's commitment to providing a seamless testing process. For more detailed information about these changes, please visit our website where we have provided a comprehensive comparison between the current TOEFL exam pattern and the revised version that will be implemented on July 26, 2023.

Sections	TOEFL Exam Pattern (current)	TOEFL Exam Pattern (new) [w.e.f July 26]
TOEFL Reading Section	Duration: 54 – 72 minutes Questions 30-40	Duration: 35 minutes Questions 20
TOEFL Listening Section	Duration: 41-57 minutes Questions: 28 – 39	Duration: 36 minutes Questions 28
TOEFL Speaking Section	Duration: 17 minutes Questions: 4 tasks	Duration: 16 minutes Questions: 4 tasks
TOEFL Writing Section	Duration: 50 minutes Questions: 2 tasks	Duration: 29 minutes Questions: 2 tasks
	Total Duration: 162 – 196 minutes	Total Duration: 116 minutes

Helpful Calculators:

• CGPA to Percentage
• SGPA to CGPA
• SGPA to Percentage