TOEFL iBT Listening from January 2026
About 29 minutes, about 47 items
- Listening is about 29 minutes and about 47 items.
- You may take notes. The notes are not scored.
- Four task types, from a one-line reply up to an academic talk.
Practice
About how many minutes is TOEFL Listening? Use the figure ETS publishes.
ETS says about 29 minutes and 47 items.
Short listening
- Listen and Choose a Response: you hear a short turn and pick what comes next.
- Listen to a Conversation: a longer conversation, then questions.
- Accent variety is normal. The answer is in what was said, not in the accent.
Practice
Complete: Listening has about ___ items.
About 47 items across the four listening tasks.
Announcements and academic talks
- Listen to an Announcement: one speaker giving practical information.
- Listen to an Academic Talk: a lecture-style talk on a study topic.
- For the talk, note the main claim and two supporting points, not every example.
Practice
Listen and Choose a Response is closest to which skill?
You hear a short turn and choose what a person would say next. It is conversational, not a lecture.
How to practise
- Play official sample audio once, the way the test does.
- Do not pause inside an item. Pause only between items when you practise at home.
- If the Library has no audio for a PDF, use it as a question sheet and find the matching recording on the ETS prepare pages.
Practice
You may take notes during TOEFL Listening.
Notes are allowed. They are not scored. Use them for the academic talk, not for every short item.
2026 format
- Sources, checked on 19 September 2026: TOEFL iBT content and structure, TOEFL iBT prepare.
Practice
Match each Listening task to what you hear.
Two everyday tasks, two longer ones. Practise both lengths.