TOEFL Practice Test PDF 2026 September: Free Exam Questions & Answers

TOEFL Practice Test PDF 2026: Free Exam Questions & Answers

If you're preparing for the TOEFL iBT and want something you can print, annotate, and study offline, this free TOEFL practice test PDF is a solid starting point. The TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test) is the world's most widely accepted English proficiency exam — administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service) and recognized by more than 12,000 universities, employers, and immigration agencies across 160+ countries.

The test measures four skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Total testing time runs roughly two hours, and scores are reported on a 0–120 scale (30 points per section). Most North American universities require a total score between 80 and 100, though selective programs often set the bar at 100 or higher.

Who takes TOEFL? Primarily international students applying to universities in the US, Canada, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand — plus applicants seeking skilled-worker visas and academic professionals certifying their English proficiency. If English isn't your first language and you want to study at an English-medium institution, there's a very good chance TOEFL is on your list.

Using a PDF for practice is especially valuable for the Reading section (where you're working through dense academic passages under time pressure) and the Language Use questions that appear in Writing tasks. Printing practice passages lets you annotate directly — underlining topic sentences, circling key transitions, marking evidence for your written responses. That active reading habit is exactly what the real test rewards.

TOEFL iBT Section-by-Section Breakdown & Strategy

The TOEFL iBT has four sections delivered in a fixed order: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. Each section tests a different skill, and each rewards a slightly different preparation approach. Here's what to expect and how to practice smarter.

Reading (20 minutes, 2 passages, ~28 questions)

The Reading section presents two academic passages of roughly 700 words each — the kind you'd encounter in university textbooks. Topics span natural science, social science, and humanities. You'll answer approximately 14 questions per passage within a strict 20-minute window, so pacing matters: that's under 45 seconds per question once you factor in reading time.

TOEFL Reading includes 10 distinct question types you need to recognize on sight: factual information, negative factual information, inference, rhetorical purpose, vocabulary in context, reference, sentence simplification, text insertion, prose summary, and fill-in-a-table. The last two — prose summary and fill-in-a-table — are worth 2–3 points each and require you to identify the main supporting ideas of the whole passage, not just a single sentence. Practice those disproportionately; they're high-value and often underprepped.

Strategy: Read the introduction and first sentence of each paragraph before tackling questions. The topic sentence structure of academic writing is consistent enough that this two-minute investment saves time on most question types. On vocabulary questions, always go back to the sentence in context — TOEFL rarely tests simple dictionary definitions and almost always tests contextual meaning.

Listening (36 minutes, 3 lectures + 2 conversations)

The Listening section includes three academic lectures (each 4–5 minutes) and two conversations (3 minutes each). You hear each audio once — no replay. Every recording plays with a visual scene on screen, but you're expected to take notes. ETS provides scratch paper specifically for this. Use it.

Most Listening questions test your understanding of the main idea, supporting details, organization, and the speaker's attitude or purpose. "Speaker's attitude" questions are the trickiest: they ask you to identify tone, certainty level, or emotional stance — things conveyed through intonation and word choice rather than explicit statement. In your practice listening sessions, pause after lectures and ask yourself: Was the professor enthusiastic or skeptical about this idea? Did the student sound confident or confused? Training that instinct is half the battle.

For note-taking, focus on signpost language: "the key point here is," "however," "in contrast," "this matters because." These transitions signal the organizational skeleton of the lecture and map directly to the structure questions TOEFL loves to ask.

Speaking (16 minutes, 4 tasks)

TOEFL Speaking has four tasks. Task 1 is fully independent: you give a 45-second response (15-second prep) to a personal preference question. Tasks 2–4 are integrated — you read and/or listen to material first, then speak for 60 seconds (30-second prep for Tasks 2–3; 20-second prep for Task 4).

Integrated speaking tasks test whether you can synthesize information from multiple sources under time pressure — a core academic skill. Task 2 presents a campus-related reading and a conversation about it. Tasks 3 and 4 present academic content (reading + lecture, or lecture only). Your job is to summarize and connect, not offer personal opinions.

Responses are recorded and scored by ETS-trained raters on four criteria: Delivery (pronunciation, fluency, pacing), Language Use (vocabulary range, grammatical accuracy), Topic Development (coherence, completeness), and General Description. A 15–30 second prep time sounds short but is enough to jot two or three bullet points — and a two-point structure (main idea + one supporting detail) is all you need for a score-4 response on integrated tasks.

Writing (29 minutes, 2 tasks — Academic Discussion + Integrated)

The Writing section now has two tasks after ETS updated the format in 2023. The Integrated Writing task (20 minutes) gives you a reading passage, plays a lecture, and asks you to summarize how the lecture information relates to — and often contradicts — the reading. The Academic Discussion task (10 minutes) presents a professor's question and two student responses; you write a contribution to the discussion (150+ words).

Both tasks are AI-scored by ETS's automated scoring engine (e-rater), with human oversight for borderline scores. This matters for preparation: e-rater rewards lexical diversity, grammatical accuracy, organization, and essay length within the time limit. For the Integrated task, structure your response as: intro sentence (what the lecture does), body paragraph 1 (Point 1 from reading → how lecture counters it), body paragraph 2 (Point 2), body paragraph 3 (Point 3). That three-point parallel structure is the format the scoring rubric is built around. Don't deviate unless you're extremely confident in an alternative approach.

For the Academic Discussion task, read both student posts before writing. Reference at least one of them explicitly in your response — saying "I agree with Maria that..." or "While Carlos raises a valid point, I think..." signals to the scorer that you're participating in a discussion, not just writing a solo essay. Aim for 180–220 words in 10 minutes. That's doable with practice.

TOEFL vs. IELTS: Which Should You Take?

If you're weighing TOEFL against IELTS, the honest answer is: it depends on your target destination and your own test-taking strengths. Both are accepted at most major universities worldwide, so the choice is rarely about eligibility — it's about which format plays to your strengths.

TOEFL iBT is fully computer-based (including speaking — you speak into a microphone, not to a human examiner). IELTS Academic has a face-to-face speaking interview. If you're more comfortable speaking into a microphone and prefer a standardized, impersonal format, TOEFL has an edge. If you freeze up without a human conversation partner, IELTS may suit you better.

TOEFL Reading passages are longer and more academic than IELTS Academic reading texts. IELTS Writing includes a graph/chart description task (Task 1) with no equivalent in TOEFL. TOEFL Listening includes academic lectures from university contexts; IELTS Listening includes more everyday conversations alongside academic material.

On score requirements: US, Canadian, and Australian university programs typically specify TOEFL minimums. Common thresholds — undergraduate admissions: 61–79 total; graduate programs: 80–100; top-ranked graduate programs: 100–110+; MBA programs: 100+. Check each program's website — requirements vary significantly even within the same university.

Using this PDF as Reading and Writing practice is effective regardless of which test you ultimately take. Academic reading comprehension and organized writing under time pressure are skills that transfer directly. For more practice materials and section-specific drills, visit our TOEFL practice tests page.

How to Use This TOEFL Practice Test PDF

Don't just print it and skim through once. A structured approach gets real results. Start with a cold diagnostic: answer every question without notes or references. Time yourself. When you're done, score against the answer key and sort your errors by section. Which section gave you the most trouble? That's where you spend the next week.

For Reading errors, go back to the passage and find the specific sentence or paragraph where the answer is located. Ask yourself: Did I miss it because I ran out of time? Because the vocabulary tripped me up? Or because I misidentified the question type? Each failure mode has a different fix.

For Language Use errors (vocabulary and grammar in context), build a vocabulary log. Every time you miss a TOEFL vocabulary question, write down the word, the sentence it appeared in, and the correct answer with its definition. Academic word lists (like the Academic Word List, AWL) are useful supplements — most TOEFL vocabulary comes from that register.

Run at least two timed passes through the PDF before test day. The second pass should feel easier; if it doesn't, your weak section needs more focused drilling before you're ready.

Official Resources

• ETS TOEFL Official Site — the exam publisher's homepage, with the latest test format updates, score information, and links to every official prep tool.
• ETS Official TOEFL iBT Preparation Hub — ETS's own free and paid practice materials, including sample questions and scoring rubrics straight from the test maker.
• ETS TOEFL iBT Registration — book your official test date, check current fees for your country, and find test center availability directly through ETS.