Test Preparation
TOEFL Speaking Practice: Current Tasks and a Review Routine
For current TOEFL Speaking preparation, practise accurate repetition and clear answers to interview questions. A memorized opinion speech will not prepare you for every task. This guide provides original study activities and a way to review your recordings; it does not predict your official score.
What happened to the 26-point speaking target?
The address of this page preserves an older “score 26” search topic. TOEFL iBT introduced section scores on a 1–6 scale in January 2026. An old target of 26/30 should not be treated as the current section scale. Check the receiving institution's current requirement and the ETS score-scale explanation.
The current speaking tasks
ETS lists Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. The first calls for repeating a sentence you hear; the second involves responding to questions in a simulated interview. Use the official Speaking overview and ETS preparation materials to check delivery and timing.
Listen and Repeat: a practice activity
Ask a study partner to read one sentence while you keep the text covered. Record your repetition, then compare it with the sentence. Reading aloud while looking at the words practises pronunciation, but it does not test your ability to retain what you heard. These sentences are original examples, not official test items.
- The library closes earlier on Friday.
- Please return the equipment before your next class.
- Students who need a quiet room can book one at reception.
- The workshop has been moved because the main hall is being repaired.
Check omitted articles, plural endings and changes in word order. For example, “student need” loses both the plural subject and its grammatical relationship in “students need.” Repeat a short phrase accurately, then try the complete sentence again. Increase difficulty only when the earlier sentence is clear.
Interview practice: answer, support, explain
Try these original prompts without writing a full script: Describe a place where you study well. What makes a group project successful? Would you prefer a morning or afternoon class, and why? Record one answer, listen once for meaning and once for delivery, then answer a different question using the same review method.
Example response: a place to study
I usually study in a small room at the public library. It is quieter than my apartment, and I can leave my phone in my bag without checking it every few minutes. Last week, I prepared a presentation there and finished the outline in one session. I still practise the presentation at home because I need to speak aloud, but the library works well for planning and reading.
The response names a place, explains why it helps, gives a concrete example and adds a relevant qualification. It is an unscored teaching model, not a response to memorize.
A recording checklist
- Relevance: Did the first sentence answer the actual question?
- Development: Did an example explain the reason rather than repeat it?
- Clarity: Which phrase would a new listener need to hear again?
- Language: Did a tense, agreement or word-choice error change the meaning?
- Delivery: Were pauses useful, or did you lose the connection between ideas?
Use a short weekly review cycle
Save a first recording and identify one recurring issue. Spend the next session practising that issue in new sentences. Later in the week, answer an unfamiliar prompt and compare the same feature. Improvement on a memorized recording is useful rehearsal; transfer to a new question is a better check of independent skill.
For the next session, use pronunciation practice, compare TOEFL iBT and ITP, or work on current writing exercises. Speaking practice should complement the other skills in your study plan.
Apply what you learned
A student reads a sentence aloud while looking at the text. Does this fully practise Listen and Repeat?
Show answer and explanation
No. Cover the text, listen to the sentence, then repeat it from what you heard.
Reading aloud can practise pronunciation, but it does not check listening and retention. Compare your recording with the original sentence afterward.