TOEFL Exam Syllabus 2024 Section Wise Detailed Syllabus

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is an English language proficiency test conducted by ETS for study abroad, migration, or employment in foreign countries. It comprises four sections—reading, writing, listening, and speaking. TOEFL is accepted in over 12,500 universities in 160 countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

Aspirants can take the TOEFL iBT at the center or the TOEFL iBT home edition. The test duration is about 2 hours. However, to score well in the test, candidates must prepare well. Understanding the TOEFL syllabus is the first step in starting the TOEFL preparation.
In this blog, we have discussed the TOEFL exam syllabus section-wise.

TOEFL Exam Syllabus: An Overview of TOEFL iBT 

Section	Estimated Timing	Questions/Tasks	Description
Reading	35 minutes	20 questions	Read passages and respond to questions.
Listening	36 minutes	28 questions	Answer questions about brief lectures or classroom discussions.
Speaking	16 minutes	4 tasks	Talk about a familiar topic and discuss material you read and heard.
Writing	29 minutes	2 tasks	Read a passage, listen to a recording, type your response. State and support an opinion in an online classroom discussion.

Section-Wise TOEFL Exam Syllabus 

TOEFL Reading Section 

The TOEFL reading section is designed to examine how well you can read and understand the materials in an academic environment. In this section, you must read two passages of approximately 700 words each and answer the 10 questions in each passage. To complete the reading section, you can take 35 minutes.
The reading passages are taken from university-level textbooks. Thus, you must have a strong vocabulary and sentence understanding to score well in this section. However, if you find unfamiliar words during your test, don't worry; test takers receive a glossary that includes words that are not commonly used. 

TOEFL Listening Section 

The TOEFL listening section is one of the test's highest-scoring parts. It measures your ability to listen to and understand a conversation/lecture in English. The listening section includes basic comprehension, inference, facts, and connecting information. To do well in this section, you must understand different English accents.
In the listening section, you will hear 3 lectures of 3 -5 minutes each and 2 conversions of 3 minutes. You'll be required to answer 6 questions per lecture and 5 questions per conversion. Altogether, to complete the section, you can take 36 minutes.

TOEFL Speaking Section 

The TOEFL speaking section is a crucial part of the TOEFL test that measures your ability to speak English effectively inside and outside the classroom. In the TOEFL speaking section, you receive four tasks resembling real-life situations.
In the first task, you're required to speak independently, where you can share your ideas, opinions, and experiences. In the remaining three TOEFL speaking tasks, you must combine two or more English language skills, such as listening and speaking or speaking, reading, and listening.
Before speaking, you can take 15-30 seconds to prepare and try to respond to the topic for 45-60 seconds. The speaking test generally takes 16 minutes.

Writing Section 

The TOEFL writing section examines your integrated skills. It's designed to measure your ability to write in English in an academic setting and present your ideas well.
The writing section includes two tasks. First is an integrated writing task in which you must read a short passage, listen to a short lecture, and write about it. Other tasks include supporting and stating an opinion in an online classroom discussion.
To complete the writing section, you can take about 29 minutes.

Is the TOEFL a Difficult Exam?

TOEFL is generally considered a challenging test because it combines the different skills of the English language. Students usually find one section to another difficult based on their command of the language. However, one can score well on the TOEFL test with a better understanding of the test format, time management skills, and preparation level.

How to Prepare for the TOEFL ?

Students can join any abroad examination preparation center and leverage online and offline classes, free resources, and self-study materials to prepare for the TOEFL test. With a focused goal, an understanding of weaknesses and strengths, and regular study and practice, you can prepare well for the TOEFL test.

Tips to Prepare for TOEFL iBT 

1. Focus on Reading Comprehension
You must focus on reading comprehension since it can be a difficult test section. The TOEFL takes passages from university-level textbooks, so you must read various texts from newspapers, books, magazines, academic articles, passages, etc. After reading, you can summarize the reading materials by including key facts, main ideas, and details to make sure you understand the materials effectively.
2. Improve your Vocabulary 
A strong vocabulary will help you speak, write, and understand English efficiently. Thus, work on learning vocabulary for the test. While reading and listening practice, ensure that you note unfamiliar words and memorize them, strengthening your vocabulary.
3. Be an Active Listener
Developing listening skills is crucial for everyone. As a TOEFL aspirant, you must understand different English accents and focus on listening and understanding the conversation. To develop listening skills, you can listen to podcasts, news broadcasts, lectures, and discussions. Moreover, you can take notes while listening to stay attentive and improve your ability to understand and retain the information.
4. Develop Integrated Skills
TOEFL measures English language skills - reading, writing, listening, and speaking. So, you’re required to develop integrated skills., that enhance each other.
5. Learn Time Management 
You have a limited amount of time on the TOEFL to prove your proficiency in the English test. Hence, time management is essential. Your time management skills will improve with your practice.
6. Take Mock Tests 
Now that you’re preparing hard for TOEFL, knowing your preparation level is essential. Take the TOEFL practice test to assess your skills. The practice test will help you learn your weaknesses and strengths. Different study institutes offer free and paid mock tests to help you enhance your preparation. Leverage these resources to improve your preparation.
7. Engage in regular conversation
If you perform well in the speaking section, it’s important that you develop fluent speaking skills. To develop these skills, you can engage in regular conversations with native speakers and fellow learners. Additionally, you can practice speaking on a wide range of topics, giving opinions, and expressing your point of view strongly in any conversation.
8. Prepare with a Goal 
During your preparation, set an achievable goal for each section. Define your targeted score, which is important for getting admitted to your dream university. 

Conclusion

TOEFL is one of the most preferable English language proficiency tests. It’s among the challenging tests that include all the crucial communication skills- reading, listening, speaking and writing. By understanding the TOEFL syllabus, you have taken one of the crucial steps to start your academic journey in the world’s top English-speaking countries.

Candidates who aspire to take TOEFL or study abroad, especially from the USA must score well on the test to gain admission to their preferred colleges, courses, and universities. Students can prepare for TOEFL with free videos, study materials, online paid courses, or abroad-study institutes. You can achieve a good score in TOEFL with consistent practices and strategies.