New TOEFL 2026 Format Explained: All the Changes in 24 minutes

As you probably know, the TOEFL test will change completely in 2026. And the

most common questions students have are, "What will the new TOEFL look like? Will

it be easier?" In today's video, we'll answer these questions and discuss the structure of the new TOEFL test. We'll

also briefly review the structure of the current version. For a more in-depth

current version. For a more in-depth comparison, including the advantages and disadvantages of each test, feel free to watch the videos on the TOEFL test

channel. As we go along, I will also

channel. As we go along, I will also share some tips and advice about what I see students struggling with when preparing for the updated version of the test. Hello everyone and welcome to

test. Hello everyone and welcome to Lingua Marina. I'm Anastasia and I've

Lingua Marina. I'm Anastasia and I've been teaching the TOEFL for over 10 years. I've spent the last couple of

years. I've spent the last couple of months working on the new format, breaking it down to determine the best way to answer the questions. Since many

of my 101 students will need to take the test after the changes take place, I've been helping them preparing for the new format. This has allowed me to identify

format. This has allowed me to identify the most common problems you might encounter, and I would like to share this information with you. Let's get

started. After you watch the video, please let me know in the comments which format you plan to take. Like the

current version, the new TOEFL consists of four sections: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Currently, the

test takes 2 hours to complete. The new

format will be about an hour and a half long, which is even shorter. The first

section will be the reading section, just as in the 2025 format. Currently in

the reading section, you need to read two 700 words texts [music] and answer 10 questions after each one. Overall,

you will read two texts and [music] answer 20 questions.

All the questions are multiplechoice, meaning you have four options to choose [music] from, except for the last question at the end of each text. For

that question, you'll need to choose three sentences from six to summarize the text. You have 35 minutes to

the text. You have 35 minutes to complete the section, which gives you an average of about 1 minute and 45 seconds to answer each question. The new format

is a bit more customized. Although the

basic tasks remain the same, every student will have a slightly different structure. In the new reading section,

structure. In the new reading section, there will be 35 to 48 questions instead of 20. That may sound like a lot, but

of 20. That may sound like a lot, but the questions themselves will take less time to complete. This section consists of two modules. The first is the testing

module that allows ETSs to evaluate your level. The second module is based on

level. The second module is based on your performance on the first. If you

answer more than 60% of the questions correctly, you'll receive the advanced module. If you answer fewer than 60%

module. If you answer fewer than 60% correctly, you'll receive the easy module. There are three types of tasks

module. There are three types of tasks in both modules. Complete the words, read in daily life, and read an academic

passage. You will always start with one

passage. You will always start with one or two complete the words tasks. For

these tasks, you will read short texts of about 70 to 100 words. The first

sentence will always remain unchanged.

Starting with the second sentence, every other word will be partially deleted.

Your job is to fill in the gaps. There

will always be 10 gaps to fill in. This

task can be tricky for two reasons.

First, you have limited time. Second,

you need to know which words to fill in.

Some words are simple such as and, only, and that, while others are more academic. [music]

academic. [music] You will need to fill in words such as interact cognitive essential and record among others. This means you

should expand your academic vocabulary and use your knowledge of grammar and sentence structure to determine the correct form of each word. Then [music]

you'll usually have read and daily life tasks. There are two types of read and

tasks. There are two types of read and daily life tasks. One type includes a short text with two questions while the other has a slightly longer text with

three questions. The only differences

three questions. The only differences are the length of the text and the [music] number of questions. The texts

may be notices, emails, campus [music] announcements or short social media posts. In my opinion, the questions are

posts. In my opinion, the questions are fairly simple. The main challenge is

fairly simple. The main challenge is answering them quickly since time is limited. Although the texts will be

limited. Although the texts will be simpler than those in the current version of the test, they will still include topic specific vocabulary such

as inventory audit, submit your selection, bakery stall, handmade crafts, vibrant atmosphere, and cordial service.

Then you will complete one or two longer read an academic passage tasks. You can

think of these tasks as simplified versions of the current TOEFL reading tasks. Each passage will be much

tasks. Each passage will be much shorter, about 200 words instead of the 700word passages in the current TOEFL.

The topics will be similar to those on the current test, but they will be less detailed. Instead of 10 questions as in

detailed. Instead of 10 questions as in the current version of the TOEFL, each passage will be followed by only five.

You will see many familiar question types such as vocabulary, factual information, rhetorical purpose, and negative factual information questions

along with some new ones. For example,

what is the relationship between the two paragraphs? Or what does the passage

paragraphs? Or what does the passage suggest about something?

What is the passage mainly about? As I

said, the test will be different for each student, but on average in module one, you will have one to two complete the words tasks, 10 questions each, two

to three read and daily life tasks, two to three questions each, one or two read an academic text tasks, five questions each. Overall, the first module will

each. Overall, the first module will contain 20 to 30 questions. As I

mentioned before, your performance in module one will determine which module two you'll receive. If you receive the easier module two, you will have one

complete the words task and two or three additional read and daily life tasks.

You won't have a read an academic text task. You can think of the easier module

task. You can think of the easier module as very similar to module one but without the academic text. This module

will include about 15 to 18 questions.

When you add these to the 20 to 30 questions from module one, you get a total of 35 to 48 [music] questions which matches the range

mentioned by ETSs. If you receive the harder module, you will have one additional complete the words task and one or two read an academic text tasks.

You can think of this version as module one but without the read and daily life task. Overall, this module will include

task. Overall, this module will include about 15 to 20 questions. Combined with

the 20 to 30 questions from module one, this brings the total to 35 to 50 questions.

This is why the official ETSs website says that the reading section can have up to 50 questions. The time you get per question differs [music] depending on

how many questions and tasks you have.

However, ETSs gives a maximum of 50 questions and 30 minutes for this part of the test, which means you have about

35 seconds per question. As you can see, the questions do become easier and the texts are much shorter, but the time you have for each question is also much more

limited and the total number of questions increases. The new format

questions increases. The new format reminds me of the SAT where you have to answer many simple questions in a limited amount [music] of time. Let's

jump right into the listening section.

In the current version of the test, you will listen to three lectures. Each

lecture is 3 to 5 minutes long and is followed by six questions. You'll also

hear two threeinut conversations each followed by five questions. So the

listening section looks like this.

Conversation lecture conversation lecture, lecture. The entire section

lecture, lecture. The entire section usually takes 36 minutes. There are 28 questions in total. The questions are still multiple choice, which is great

because you can still get the correct answer even if you didn't hear or understand something. In the new TOEFL

understand something. In the new TOEFL listening section, you will have to answer 30 to 40 questions instead of 28.

There will be four tasks. One task

[music] is listen and choose a response.

For this question type, you will listen to eight sentences or questions in English and then select a response from four options. For example, you'll hear

four options. For example, you'll hear the question, who is responsible for the project timeline? You won't see the

project timeline? You won't see the question. You'll only hear it. Then

question. You'll only hear it. Then

choose one of the four options. I do.

I'm not sure. A few unexpected delays.

It stays on track. Feel free to let me know what you think the right answer is in the comments below. This task isn't hard, and I don't think you'll have many

problems with it. The two main challenges are understanding the sentence [music] or a question and then choosing the correct answer. This task

requires knowing the types of questions and the rules for answering them. For

example, in our task, I do sounds like a good option, but it's not grammatically correct. If the question asks who is

correct. If the question asks who is responsible for something, we need to respond I am, not I do. Task two is

listen to a conversation. Think of it as a shortened version of the current conversations. Instead of 3 minutes,

conversations. Instead of 3 minutes, each conversation will last only 20 to 30 seconds. [music]

30 seconds. [music] Instead of five questions after each conversation, there will only be two.

Task three is listen to an announcement.

Similar to the listen to [music] a conversation task, the recording will be 20 to 30 seconds long and you will have two questions to answer after it.

[music] The only difference is that instead of a conversation between two people, you will hear an announcement [music] on campus. Task four is listen

to an academic talk. This is a shortened version of the current lectures. Rather

than being 3 to 5 minutes long as the lectures are now, the academic talks will only last 90 seconds each.

You will have four questions after each talk rather than six. As you can see, lectures and conversations will be significantly shorter and the number of

questions after each recording will be reduced. There will also be two new

reduced. There will also be two new tasks. Listen to an announcement and

tasks. Listen to an announcement and listen and choose a response.

So module one might look like this.

Listen and choose a response task, eight [music] questions. Three to four

[music] questions. Three to four conversations, two questions each. One

to three campus announcements, two questions each. [music] And one to two

questions each. [music] And one to two academic tasks, four questions each.

This will give us 20 to [music] 30 questions in the first module. Again, as

with the new TOEFL reading section, [music] if you score below 60%, you'll receive an easier module, too. In the

easier module, you may have a few listen and choose a response tasks followed by several conversations and announcements.

You can think of the easier module as the first module without the listen to an academic talk task. If you score above 60% you will be directed to the

harder module. The harder module is very

harder module. The harder module is very similar to the first module meaning you will have the same four question types.

According to ETSs the listening section will include up to 47 questions and you will have a maximum of 29 minutes to complete this part of the test. As you

can see, the conversations and lectures will be much shorter in the new format of the test. So, if you've had trouble with concentration before, this change

is actually a good thing for you.

However, you will need to listen more carefully. In the past, even if you

carefully. In the past, even if you [music] missed part of a lecture, you might not have needed that information to answer the question. With the shorter

listening tasks though, you will need to pay close attention and catch all the details.

Now let's move on to the speaking section. At present, [music] the TOEFL

section. At present, [music] the TOEFL speaking section consists of four tasks.

One is the independent task where you will answer a question in 45 seconds after [music] 15 seconds of preparation.

This is the part that many students find the most stressful in the current version of the test. The other three tasks are integrated tasks and are based

on what you read and hear. In the new TOEFL, the speaking section will be moved to the end of the test after the

writing section. There will also be only

writing section. There will also be only two tasks, listen and repeat. Take an

interview. The listen and repeat task is fairly easy. You will listen to seven

fairly easy. You will listen to seven sentences, each about three to five seconds long. The setting may be a tour

seconds long. The setting may be a tour of the library, a campus gym, a zoo, or an art gallery. You will also see pictures to [music] help with

understanding, but I recommend focusing mainly on listening since the pictures can sometimes be distracting. After each

[music] sentence, there will be a short pause during which you'll need to repeat exactly [music] what you heard. As you

move through the task, the sentences will gradually become longer and more complex.

When I first saw this task, I thought it was extremely [music] simple and that most people would easily ace it.

However, once we started practicing with students [music] it became clear that this task is actually more challenging than it seems for some of them. First, you can't

[music] see the sentences. So, this task also tests your listening skills. Many

students don't hear the sentences clearly. [music]

clearly. [music] Some struggle with more specific vocabulary while others have difficulty repeating the sentences word for word

and end up losing or changing some words. To get a high score, you need to

words. To get a high score, you need to repeat the sentences exactly as you hear them. Some students also have trouble

them. Some students also have trouble with pronunciation or intonation and others don't enunciate clearly. There

are quite a few possible issues. In

addition, there is no preparation time.

Let's do a short exercise. [music] I'll

say a few sentences and you'll repeat them after me. We have a variety of wildlife.

Bears, wolves, and large cats are to the right.

You can find sea lions and elephants further down the path.

Please no [music] outside food or drinks and do not feed the animals.

Avoid banging or tapping on the displays and enclosures.

As you can see, some sentences are quite simple, while others containing words such as banging, further down, displays,

and enclosures can be harder. The second

task is the take an interview task.

You'll have a short conversation with a pre-recorded interviewer and you'll have to answer four questions. In a [music] way, these questions are similar to question one of the current TOEFL

speaking test. You'll answer four

speaking test. You'll answer four questions [music] and you'll have 45 seconds to respond to each one. However,

this time there will be no preparation time. You must start speaking

time. You must start speaking immediately.

The entire section will take a maximum of eight minutes and will consist of 11 questions.

Overall, I would say that the speaking section will be easier for students with strong conversational and listening skills.

However, for students at intermediate and upper intermediate levels, it may feel more challenging. In our new TOEFL prep course for the 2026 version of the

test, I've included readymade templates for different question types that help you respond without hesitation. Having a

clear structure often makes it easier to speak fluently and come up with ideas on the spot. If your mind goes blank during

the spot. If your mind goes blank during the exam, you can start with a familiar opening sentence and then build your answer using a structure you already

know. For example, if you are asked

know. For example, if you are asked about your favorite food, you could say, "Well, there are several kinds of food I

enjoy. One of them is, another one is,"

enjoy. One of them is, another one is," and so on. I've tested these templates with intermediate level students who usually struggle to speak quickly,

especially when they have to respond within 45 seconds and without preparation.

Even more encouraging, one of my pre-intermediate students who is now preparing for the TOEFL with me earned a solid 3.5

out of four after using these templates in her responses. So, knowing a few reliable templates and being able to choose the most effective one for each

question can make a real difference. If

you'd like to learn more, feel free to check out the course using the link below. The good news is that preparing

below. The good news is that preparing for this part of the test will greatly improve your pronunciation fluency and of course your ability to speak [music]

on the spot. Now let's move on to the writing section of the test. At the

moment there are two writing tasks. The

first is a 20inut integrated task. You

will read a text then listen to a lecture that contradicts it. [music]

After that, you'll write a 150 to 225word response summarizing both. For

example, the reading might argue that zoos are good and give three reasons.

[music] The lecture will then argue that zoos are bad and explain why each point from the reading is incorrect. Your job is to

simply summarize this contrast. [music]

The second task is a 10-minute writing for an academic discussion task. In this

task, you will give your opinion in an online classroom discussion. The

professor will ask a question [music] and you must respond in writing. You

should write at least 100 words, although a strong response is usually around 130 to 150 words. For example,

the professor might ask, "What is the most important benefit of having a museum in a city?" You need to answer the question and support your opinion

with details and examples.

Two other students will also share their views and you should choose a position that is different from theirs. In total,

you will have 30 minutes to complete this section. 20 minutes for the

this section. 20 minutes for the integrated task, not including reading and listening time, and 10 minutes for the writing for an academic discussion

task. The writing for an academic

task. The writing for an academic discussion task will remain the same in the new TOEFL writing section. It's the

only task that won't change from the current version of the test. In

addition, there will be two new writing tasks. Altogether, the writing section

tasks. Altogether, the writing section will consist of three tasks.

Build a sentence task. Write an email task. Write for an academic discussion

task. Write for an academic discussion task. In the build a sentence task, you

task. In the build a sentence task, you will see 10 sentences.

Some will be statements and others will be questions. [music] Your job is to

be questions. [music] Your job is to rearrange the words in the boxes to form correct sentences.

This task tests your understanding of sentence structure and grammar. You need

to know which words [music] come first in a question. and when to use inverted word order. From what I've seen, many

word order. From what I've seen, many students struggle with this task because they don't always recognize the correct sentence pattern quickly enough. The

second task is the write an email task.

If you've prepared for the IELS before, this task will feel familiar. You will

have seven minutes to write an email.

The task itself is quite straightforward. You're given the

straightforward. You're given the purpose of the email and three bullet points to include. Your job is to choose the appropriate style, informal, [music]

semiformal, or formal, and use the correct vocabulary for each one. For

example, you should avoid contractions in a formal email. The main challenge here is the limited time. If your typing speed is slow, it's a good idea to

[music] work on it. Writing a clear email in seven minutes requires both fast [music] typing and quick thinking.

The last task is the writing for an academic discussion task which we have already discussed. Well, that brings us

already discussed. Well, that brings us to the end of this long video. I hope

I've answered some of your questions.

Let me know if you'd like to see more videos about the TOEFL 2026 and which section you find the most challenging.

Also, tell me in the comments which test format you prefer and find easier. Just

write 2025 or 2026 and let's compare your answers. As always, I wish you the

your answers. As always, I wish you the best of luck on your TOEFL journey and remember, you're more ready than you think. Bye.

think. Bye.