SECTION

 
Composition of the speaking section Special features of the speaking section
Question types in the speaking section Sample answers for each score
Composition of the speaking section
Independent Speaking Very familiar topics, such as questions about an experience in everyday life (2 questions) Total test time is 20 minutes. On each question, 15-30 seconds of preparation time are given. Total answering time is 45-60 seconds. (The remaining time is shown at the top of the screen.)
Integrated Speaking Questions based on the given script and lecture (4 questions)
Special features of speaking section
This is a new section in the TOEFL iBT. The purpose of this section is to measure the student’s speaking ability based on their response to reading and listening passages.
Independent Speaking Tasks are similar to those in the Test of Written English (TWE). They ask the student to explain and support personal their opinion about a topic.
Integrated speaking combines the information in the reading and listening passages. Students are required to answer thoroughly.
15-30 seconds of preparation time are given for each question. Total speaking time is 45-60 seconds.
Question types in the speaking section
(1) Independent Speaking: Personal Preference Task
- Speak about a person, place, object, or event that is familiar to you
(2) Independent Speaking: Paired Choice Task
- Two possible actions or situations are presented. You will be asked to decide which of the actions or situations you prefer, and to explain the reasons for your choice.
(3) Reading/Listening/Speaking : Campus Situation Topic
- Reading passage (75-100 words): campus-related issue
- Listening passage (60-80 seconds, 150-180 words): comments on the issue in the reading
- Summarize the speaker’s opinion within the context of the reading passage.

(4) Reading/Listening/Speaking : Academic Course Topic
- Reading passage (75-100 words): background information about an academic topic
- Listening passage (60-90 seconds, 150-220 words): a more specific aspect of the topic
- Speaking

(5) Listening/Speaking Campus Situation Topic
- Listening passage (60-90 seconds, 180-220 words): a student-related problem and two possible solutions
- Speaking

(6) Listening/Speaking Academic Course Topic
- Listening passage (90-120 seconds, 230-280 words): an excerpt from a lecture that explains a term or concept and gives two concrete examples to illustrate that term or concept
- Speaking
Sample answers for each score
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