TOEFL Listening: Exam Format, Score, Preparation Tips, and Practice Tests

TOEFL Listening examines your ability to listen to and understand English at an academic level. The listening section scores range from 0 to 30, and it accounts for 25% of your total results. The format of TOEFL listening test is based on two different passages: conversations and lectures. You will be allocated 36 minutes to answer 28 TOEFL listening questions. One thing you need to remember is that the audio only played once. You can improve your note-taking skills by taking TOEFL listening practice tests regularly. TOEFL listening practice includes listening to diverse English audios like podcasts, audiobooks, and videos.

Questions on Connecting Content in TOEFL listening assess a candidate's ability to synthesize information from various areas of the lecture or conversation.

Look for terms like these to recognize questions with Connecting Content:

• Fill in a table or chart.
• What is the likely outcome...?
• Make a prediction.
• Steps in a process.

Sample Question

Inference Questions

Inference questions assess your ability to deduce the meaning of a phrase or sentence that is not explicitly expressed in the lecture or conversation.

To solve inference questions in TOEFL search for phrases like:

• What does the professor imply...?
• What can be inferred...?
• What are the implications of…?

Sample Question

TOEFL Listening Score

TOEFL Listening is scored on a scale of 0 to 30. Scores are based on the number of correct answers, with each question contributing equally to the overall score. TOEFL scoring system categorizes proficiency levels as follows:

• Advanced scorers achieve a range of 22–30, 
• High-Intermediate falls within 17–21, 
• Low-Intermediate spans 9–16, 
• Below Low-Intermediate encompasses scores from 0 to 8. 

Candidates can create a straightforward conversion table for TOEFL listening section using the formula: (RAW/28) * 30 = SCALED. The resulting chart represents TOEFL listening score as follows:

TOEFL Listening Tips

TOEFL listening can be challenging due to varied accents, complex vocabulary, and academic content. The integration of skills like note-taking under time constraints adds to the difficulty, requiring focused preparation. TOEFL listening mock tests available on various websites can help to understand the question format. Candidates can check TOEFL listening tips below to add them to the study plan:

• Focus on details of each TOEFL listening samples
• To recognize question type concentrate on the recording
• Take concise notes on key phrases to recall relevant points
• Learn time management to practice balanced listening
• Listen to podcasts, audiobooks, and videos to adapt to different accents and styles.
• Learn university-related vocabulary, phrasal verbs, and idiomatic expressions to grasp context.
• Practice Tests from past TOEFL exam listening practice and ETS-provided free tests.

TOEFL Listening Practice Papers

To enhance TOEFL listening skills, candidates can regularly practice diverse English audio, and take official practice tests. Further, enhance note-taking abilities, and expose themself to various accents and speaking styles. Students should practice TOEFL listening practice free before the exam. Students should solve TOEFL listening test with answers papers. Following are TOEFL Listening practice tests that would help in the candidate’s preparation for the test.

TOEFL listening section assesses a candidate's ability to comprehend English lectures and conversations. TOEFL iBT and paper-based tests have various test formats. Candidates have 36 minutes to finish TOEFL iBT part, which consists of 28 questions. The paper-based TOEFL listening exam consists of 28-39 questions and takes 41-57 minutes to complete. Basic comprehension, understanding of the speaker's attitude, and connective information are all part of TOEFL iBT listening practice. Both the paper-based and TOEFL iBT listening sections were assessed on a scale of 0-30.