The TOEFL Essentials test has four sections — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking — plus a 5-minute, unscored Personal Video Statement.
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The TOEFL Essentials test has four sections — Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking — plus a 5-minute, unscored Personal Video Statement.
The test takes about 1.5 hours to complete, but you should plan on 1 hour and 50 minutes to allow 20 minutes for check in.
Use the table below to view the breakdown of each TOEFL Essentials test section.
| Section | Time1 | Questions1 | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
Listening |
21–34 min. |
30–45 |
Answer questions about conversations and talks in various settings |
Reading |
22–33 min. |
30–45 |
Answer questions about short academic and nonacademic texts |
Writing |
24–30 min. |
14–18 questions and 2 tasks |
Build sentences and write responses for everyday and academic situations |
Speaking |
13 min. |
3 tasks with 19 responses |
Retell written and spoken input, and speak to a simulated interviewer |
Personal Video Statement |
5 min. |
2 |
Answer questions about yourself and your opinions (not scored) |
Take a closer look at each section and watch videos on the types of questions.
For an even more in-depth look at the test, register for our self-paced course, Understanding the TOEFL Essentials Test, on the edX® platform.
1 The time and number of questions are approximate and can vary due to the adaptive format of the test. The test you take may include some unscored questions — either in the Listening and Writing sections, or in the Reading section. These questions are for research purposes and don’t count toward your score.