TOEFL Past Questions and Answers 2022 Update
Are you preparing to take the TOEFL? Do you want to get a better score on the test? If so, you need to practice as much as possible and be familiar with the types of questions that will be asked. An excellent way to do this is by practicing with TOEFL past questions and answers.
This guide will discuss how practicing with past questions and answers can help you achieve your target score and be accepted into the program you want.
We’ll also look at other TOEFL test online resources, including TOEFL preparatory books and online resources.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to the TOEFL iBT Test
- An Overview of the Test Sections
- Detailed Analysis of the Test Sections
- How to Pass TOEFL with TOEFL Past Questions and Answers?
- 3 Step Self Studying Guide using TOEFL Exam Past Questions
- Why is Practicing TOEFL Past Questions and Answers So Important to Achieve Your Target Scores.
- Top 5 TOEFL iBT Preparatory Books
- FAQs on TOEFL Past Questions and Answers
- Bottom line: Where Can You Find TOEFL Past Questions and Answers?
Introduction to the TOEFL iBT Test
The Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL is an international standardized test for English as a Foreign Language. It is a computer-based test that evaluates English language proficiency for persons who do not speak English natively. The test establishes that a student has the English language skills needed to perform well in an academic setting. That is why it is the most well-known and reputable English language proficiency test globally.
TOEFL test scores are accepted by more than 8,500 institutions and agencies in over 200 countries, allowing test takers to use their TOEFL test results almost anywhere in the world.
TOEFL tests all four language skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.
During the test, you’ll utilize all four of these English communication skills in various ways.
- Read, listen, and then speak in response to a question.
- Listen and then talk in answer to a question
- Read, listen and write in response to a question.
An Overview of the Test Sections
| Section | Timing | No of Questions | Tasks |
| Reading | 54–72 minutes | 30–40 questions | Read passages of texts and respond to questions |
| Listening | 41–57 minutes | 28–39 questions | Answer questions on brief lectures or classroom discussions |
| Break | 10 minutes | — | — |
| Speaking | 17 minutes | 4 tasks | Talk about a well-known topic and discuss the material you read and listened to |
| Writing | 50 minutes | 2 tasks | Read a passage, listen to a recording, and type your response |
Now let’s look at each TOEFL section in further detail. We’ll go through what each section comprises and the resources available to prepare for them.
Detailed Analysis of the Test Sections
1. TOEFL Reading Test Section
The TOEFL Reading Test Section is one of the four sections on the TOEFL iBT test. This section tests your ability to read and understand academic English texts. It consists of 3 or 4 reading passages, each with approximately 700 words and ten questions. The section has 54 to 72 minutes to complete all the questions.
The texts are selected from various academic disciplines, such as arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Don’t be concerned if you don’t know much about the subject. The passage will contain all the information you need to answer the questions. If you require further help, a glossary function is accessible to explain uncommon terms.
The questions in this section are multiple-choice, and most of them ask about the main idea of the passage or a specific detail. The questions will also test your ability to integrate and understand different text parts.
The reading comprehension section of the TOEFL test is somewhat different from the other sections in that you may skip answers and return to them later. After completing all of the reading questions, go back and double-check your responses.
There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for doing well in the TOEFL Reading Test Section. However, practicing with authentic academic passages will help you develop your skills to answer the questions correctly.
You can start practicing with our free TOEFL exam simulator sample containing TOEFL exam past questions for the reading test.
If you want more in-depth details, examples, and tips, you can prepare for your reading test on the go with no connection using our TOEFL past questions and answers PDF download. It includes complete past TOEFL reading passages with questions and answers.
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2. TOEFL Listening Test Section
The TOEFL Listening section tests your ability to understand academic English spoken in a lecture or conversation. You will be listening for:
- basic comprehension,
- pragmatic understanding (the speaker’s attitude and degree of confidence), and connecting and synthesizing information.
In this section, you will typically find two forms of listening tasks: lectures and conversations. Both utilize campus-based language.
- Lectures: This task has three to four lectures, each 3–5 minutes long. In each lecture, a professor gives a speech or engages with students. There are six questions in each lecture
- Conversations: There are two to three dialogues between two speakers, each 3 minutes long, with five questions per conversation.
You may take notes on any audio item during the test to help you answer questions. The section has a duration of anywhere from 41 to 57 minutes.
Unlike the reading test, you CAN NOT return to a choice once you’ve submitted your response in the listening section. So if you get stumped, you may need to guess.
You also can’t afford to spend too much time on one question since you risk running out of time and potentially missing simple questions, so, unfortunately, you must proceed if you get stuck.
Prepare with TOEFL past questions and answers for the listening test to help enhance your listening test abilities to the point where, if you must guess, you’ll be making a well-informed, educated guess.
3. The TOEFL Speaking section
The TOEFL Speaking section tests your ability to express yourself in English clearly and effectively in academic settings. It consists of four activities based on real-life circumstances that you may encounter both in and out of the classroom.
- Question 1 is an “independent speaking task.” It requires you to express your views, knowledge, and experiences without relying on anything else.
- Questions 2–4 are known as “integrated speaking tasks.” They require you to integrate your English language abilities – listening, reading, and to talk – like you would in or out of a classroom.
You’ll have 15–30 seconds to prep before each response, and your answer will be 45 or 60 seconds long.
You’ll talk into the microphone to respond. Your replies will be recorded and sent to ETS, where various AI scoring and certified human raters will assess and score them for fairness and quality. The Speaking section has a time limit of 17 minutes.
Accents
To reflect the many accents you may hear while studying abroad, they’ve added native-speaker English accents from North America, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia to the Speaking section. The first of the four items might have accented speech only.
The following are two examples, each of which uses accents from the United Kingdom. The example is 15 seconds long, and you have 45 seconds to respond in each case.
| Audio File | Transcript |
| Item 1 (MP3) | What city or area would you recommend your foreign friends visit if they stay in your nation for an extended period? Explain why using details and examples. |
| Item 2 (MP3) | Some people love taking risks and experimenting with new experiences. Others are not adventurous and choose to avoid risk. Which behavior do you believe is superior? Describe your reasoning for this conclusion. |
Practice with our TOEFL exam past questions and answers for the speaking test for more in-depth information, examples, and strategies.
4. The TOEFL Writing Section
The TOEFL Writing section tests your ability to write in English about academic topics. You’ll need to be able to express yourself in a clear and well-organized manner.
It consists of two tasks:
- Integrated writing task (20 minutes) — Listen to a short lecture and read a brief passage, then write in response to what you’ve read and listened to.
- Independent writing task (30 minutes) — In response to a writing topic, produce an essay based on your experience or viewpoint.
You’ll type your replies on a computer keyboard (or handwrite them for the TOEFL iBT® Paper Edition). ETS assesses your responses using AI scoring and certified human raters to assure accuracy and fairness.
You’ll have 50 minutes to finish the Writing section.
Let’s look at how the TOEFL raters and e-rater calculate your TOEFL essay score. Your essay is evaluated on four different criteria. They are:
- How properly do you address the topic?
- How successfully you develop and support your ideas.
- How effectively do you organize the essay and connect your thoughts.
- How effectively do you utilize the English language, including grammar, vocabulary, and writing conventions.
The rules of writing in English, often known as writing conventions, include spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
The TOEFL Integrated Writing Task has four basic criteria for assessing your essay:
- How effectively do you extract crucial information from the presentation?
- How successfully do you relate the lecture points to the reading points.
- How efficiently you structure the essay and provide information.
- Your use of the English language, particularly grammar, vocabulary, and writing conventions.
TOEFL past questions and answers for writing tasks are an excellent method to improve your essay-writing skills. Compare your essay to high-scoring TOEFL essays with similar question structures and answers to see how they’re structured and responded to the same question. The goal should be to emulate these essays.
How to Pass TOEFL with TOEFL Past Questions and Answers?
Two of the biggest problems students face with TOEFL are
- a lack of familiarity with the test and
- a lack of practice.
TOEFL past questions can help to mitigate both of these problems. By familiarizing yourself with the types of questions that are asked on the test, you’ll be able to focus your studying better. And, by practicing with real TOEFL questions, you will become more familiar with the types of questions that are asked, but you’ll also develop your skills in answering the questions within the given time limit. Additionally, practicing with real TOEFL questions will help to boost your confidence on test day.
When you practice with TOEFL past questions, make sure you time yourself to get used to the pacing of the test. You should also try to mimic the testing conditions as much as possible. This means practicing in a quiet environment and taking breaks sparingly. To answer how to pass TOEFL with TOEFL exam past questions, let’s look at these steps.
3 Step Self Studying Guide using TOEFL Exam Past Questions
TOEFL exam past questions are an essential tool for self-studying. They can help you not only to assess your current level of English proficiency and identify your weaknesses and focus your studies on those areas.
The following is a three-step guide to using TOEFL exam past questions for self-studying:
1. Identify your level of English proficiency
The first step is to identify your current level of English proficiency. This can be done by taking a practice test to know where you are struggling or by reviewing the level descriptors provided by the ETS. Once you have identified your level, you can assess your weaknesses and strong points.
2. Choose the right type of questions to practice
After you have identified your level of English proficiency and your weaknesses, you can choose the type of questions to practice. If you are a beginner, start with the basic level questions. If you are an intermediate or advanced student, start with the more difficult questions. Learn the necessary skills, ideas, and methods for improving where you’re weak by going through our TOEFL resources.
3. Practice, practice, practice
The key to improving your English proficiency is practice, practice, practice. The more you practice, the better you will become. And, the more familiar you will be with the test format and the types of questions that are asked. Continue to practice your newly acquired talents.
After about 5 – 7 days of practice, go back through steps 1 and 2. For example, (Take a new TOEFL practice test, assess the results, and improve your skills. Continue doing this until you that scoring higher than your desired TOEFL score.)
Why is Practicing TOEFL Past Questions and Answers So Important to Achieve Your Target Scores.
These are five major reasons why it’s important to practice TOEFL exam past questions before taking the TOEFL iBT test. Let’s look at each one now.
1. Confidence booster
Our TOEFL past questions and answers material covers the same four sections of the actual test: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. Therefore practicing the TOEFL exam past questions is like taking the official exam. This experience will help you stay comfortable and relaxed during your actual exam.
The more you practice, the more confident you will become. And, the more confident you are, the better you will perform on test day. Stress is the most common reason for failure among TOEFL test takers with a high English level. You’re more likely to feel overwhelmed if you go into the TOEFL unprepared, as test-takers with greater experience have learned to disregard minor mistakes. Practicing with TOEFL past questions is one of the best ways to boost your confidence for the TOEFL iBT test.
2. Familiarity with the test
One of the best ways to overcome any test is to be familiar with it. When you practice with TOEFL past questions, you become more familiar with the layout of the test, the types of questions that are asked, and the time limit for each question. This will help to ease your nerves on test day and allow you to focus on the questions.
3. Improved test score
When you practice with TOEFL past questions, you become more familiar with the test and develop your skills in answering the questions. This will help to boost your score on test day.
4. Identify weak areas
The best way to identify your weak areas is to practice with TOEFL past questions. This will help you focus your studies on those areas and improve your score.
5. Chance to review the correct answers
One of the benefits of practicing with TOEFL past questions is that you have the opportunity to review the correct answers. This is beneficial because it allows you to learn from your mistakes and improve your score on future practice tests.
Now let’s look at some additional TOEFL resources that can help you improve your test preparation while practicing TOEFL exam past questions.
Top 5 TOEFL iBT Preparatory Books
1. The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test
The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test is the best-selling book for preparing for the TOEFL test. It includes information on all of the sections of the test, practice questions and answers, and tips from ETS (the company that administers the TOEFL test). The book is great for teaching you about TOEFL, but it should not be solely relied on since it does not provide enough explanations and examples.
2. Barron’s TOEFL iBT
Barron’s TOEFL iBT is another popular book for preparing for the TOEFL test. It includes an overview of the test, a diagnostic test to help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, and practice questions and answers.
This comprehensive TOEFL preparation book emphasizes techniques and hints to assist students to pass the test. Students may learn the fundamentals of each section of the exam and gain expert assistance with over 200 digital flashcards.
The drawbacks are: unlike the actual TOEFL test, there is no precise paragraph mentioned in the question, the conversations do not correspond with the readings, and the writing questions have a specified format.
3. Kaplan TOEFL iBT Prep Plus
Kaplan TOEFL iBT Prep Plus is another great resource for preparing for the TOEFL test. This book offers a lot of practice material, including tests in the book and on CD, as well as explanations for each answer. It also includes a section on essay writing that provides detailed instructions and examples.
The downside to this book is that the practice material is not always of the same level as the actual TOEFL test. It lacks accuracy in some questions and samples
4. Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test
Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test is a thorough preparation guide that covers all of the areas on the TOEFL test. It includes an introduction to each section of the test, explanations of the questions, and numerous practice exercises with answer keys. The book also includes a CD-ROM with additional practice exercises and an audio program. The drawbacks are access to audio files comes at an extra cost, no vocabulary listings, and explanations to answers are not sufficient.
5. Barron’s “Essential Words for the TOEFL, 7th Edition”
This book is designed to increase students’ vocabulary for the TOEFL test. The Barron’s “Essential Words for the TOEFL, 7th Edition” is a great resource to have in addition to your Other TOEFL preparation materials. It identifies and offers instances of 500 essential general TOEFL vocabulary words.
It also covers important “purpose” words (such as “define,” “discuss,” and “for example”) found in the test’s writing and speech sections.
FAQs on TOEFL Past Questions and Answers
What type of questions are asked in TOEFL?
The TOEFL exam questions are in four sections: reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The questions are designed to test your understanding of English as it is used in academic settings. The questions are both multiple-choice and essay.
Is the TOEFL exam hard?
The TOEFL exam is challenging for non-native English speakers. However, if you prepare for the test by practicing TOEFL past questions and answers, you will better achieve your target score.
What is a good TOEFL score out of 120?
A good TOEFL score is 100 or above. However, your target score may vary depending on the program you are applying to. Check with the program to see what their minimum TOEFL score requirement is.
Is TOEFL easier than IELTS?
The TOEFL and IELTS exams are both challenging. However, if you’re a faster typer than a writer, your handwriting is unprofessional, and you like computers over paper tests, the TOEFL may be right for you. You may find the IELTS easier if you prefer writing out your answers, are uncomfortable with computer-based examinations, and/or aren’t as comfortable with English language keyboards.
How can I practice TOEFL test?
One great way to practice for the TOEFL exam is to take TOEFL past questions and answers tests. This will help you become familiar with the types of questions asked on the test and how to answer them correctly.
You can also find practice materials online or in prep books.
Bottom line: Where Can You Find TOEFL Past Questions and Answers?
The TOEFL exam is a challenging test for non-native English speakers. However, practicing TOEFL past questions and answers can increase your chances of achieving your target score. The ultimate question is- where can you find authentic TOEFL exam past questions? You can get all that right here at Exampulse.
We provide TOEFL exam past questions and answers in PDF format, and these questions are real and latest. The questions are set at the same level as the actual test so that you can be well-prepared for the big day. Start practicing today!
