TOEFL Listening (2026 and Beyond)
The TOEFL listening section will totally change on January 21, 2026.
Starting on that date, the listening section will be divided into two modules. First will be the “routing module.” This will be the longest module and the difficulty will be the same for everyone. The second module will depend on your performance in the routing module. If you do well on the routing module, you will get the “hard module.” If you do poorly, you will get the “easy module.” You should correctly answer about 60% of the questions in the routing module to reach the hard module.
Every test will be different, but you’ll probably have about 27 minutes to complete both of them. A clock on the screen will display how much time is remaining in the current module.
The listening section will contain both scored and unscored questions. You won’t know which is which.
The Routing Module
This is the longest module. You’ll get a mix of four tasks: “choose a response,” “listen to a conversation,” “listen to an announcement” and “listen to an academic talk.”
Choose a Response
First, you’ll get about eight “choose a response” items. Here you will listen to a sentence from conversational English and then pick the correct response to it. You will have four choices to pick from. There are a few different styles correct responses. The following list isn’t comprehensive, but should give you a basic understanding of what the task is like. Remember that you will only HEAR the first sentence. You will be able to read the answer choices, of course.
Indirect Responses
Do you want to get lunch?
A. I’m not hungry.
B. It’s over there.
C. I’ll get you a sandwich.
D. No, I didn’t realize that.
In this case, the answer is “A.” It isn’t a direct response to the yes/no question, but it is a typical and correct response. Don’t be fooled by “D” which looks correct because it is a direct response. Don’t be fooled by “C” which repeats the word “get” and mentions a popular lunch meal.
Here’s another example of an indirect response:
Are you going to school today?
A. I didn’t finish my homework.
B. Actually, today is a holiday.
C. I did it yesterday.
D. School starts at 8:00
The answer is B. This isn’t a direct yes/no response, but it is a natural and normal response to the question. Don’t be fooled by “A” which mentions a thing people do at school, or “D” which mentions “school” itself. I think the ability to answer questions like this is called “pragmatic understanding.”
Very Indirect Responses
Similar to the Indirect Responses are what I call the Very Indirect Responses. These are responses to a question which advance the situation, but don’t actually answer the question. Like this:
What time do I need to pick up Michael from the airport?
A. Don’t worry about it. I’ll get him.
B He said he prefers the window seat.
C. The airport has a new snack shop.
D. The flight could be delayed due to weather
The answer is “A.” The speaker has ignored the question, but offered a useful resolution to the situation. Don’t be fooled by the other responses which refer to airport-related things.
Advancing Responses
Similarly, some responses serve to advance the scenario when a question has not been asked. For example:
I’m not available tomorrow.
A. I’ll try to get there early.
B. What’s a better day for you?
C. It’s not on my schedule either.
D. Were you there yesterday?
This moves the situation along by responding to the sentence with a request for more information. Don’t be fooled by “D” which looks good because of the match of “yesterday” with “tomorrow.”
Direct, but Detail-Heavy Responses
Some answers are fairly direct, but heavy in details. You need to scan a lot of information and make a snap decision. Like this:
How did the presentation go?
A. It ran longer than expected.
B. Despite the rain, I got a quick walk in after lunch.
C. Thanks for asking, but I’m not interested.
D. I think I should start working on it.
The correct answer is A. This is a direct response to the question, but the question is so open-ended, that the correct answer could be anything. The incorrect answers are all contextually wrong.
Idiomatic Responses
A few (not many) questions might require you to pick an idiomatic response. Like…
I have to tell you something.
A. I’m all ears.
B. I already told you.
C. I can’t tell the difference.
D. I can see them now.
The answer is “a,” which is an idiomatic way of saying that you are ready to listen to someone. Don’t be fooled by “B” and “C” which borrow the verb “tell” from the sentence.
Alternatives to Yes and No
Sometimes, the correct response is a direct, but fancier way of responding to a yes/no question. Like this:
Do you want to go to the concert with us?
A. I didn’t make it.
B. It starts tomorrow.
C. I bought a ticket yesterday.
D. Absolutely.
The answer is “D,” which is an enthusiastic way of saying “yes.” Be prepared to recognize fancier ways of saying “yes” and “no” on test day.
Polite Acknowledgements
Many of the correct responses are polite acknowledgements. Like this:
I’m not available this afternoon.
A. So am I.
B. It takes a while.
C. I didn’t mean it.
D. Well, I understand.
The correct answer is D, which is a nice way of acknowledging the situation.
Listen to a Conversation
Next, you will hear several conversations. They will be 20-30 seconds each, and always between two people (a man and a woman) they will discuss a situation from everyday life, either on campus or off campus. You will answer two basic questions about it. Below is a transcript of a typical conversation and matching questions. On test day, of course, you will only be able to listen to this conversation.
Man: Did the repair shop call you back about your laptop?
Woman: Not yet. They said the replacement keyboard would arrive this afternoon.
Man: How are you managing without a laptop?
Woman: The shop lent me one of theirs, so I can keep working. They’ll text me when mine’s ready.
Man: That sounds really convenient.
Questions
1. What will the woman use while she is waiting?
A. A laptop from the shop
B. A computer at her office
C. A tablet from the man
D. A shared computer on campus
2. How will the woman know her laptop is ready?
A. She’ll call the repair shop.
B. She’ll receive a text message.
C. She’ll get a voicemail from the shop.
D. She’ll check the store’s website.
The answers are A and B. These questions are pretty basic, as you can see. My general advice is to separate your notepaper or whiteboard into two halves – one half for each speaker. As you listen, scribble a few words about what each one says.
You might be asked something like “what will the man do next,” so pay attention to the final sentence. This is the only tricky aspect of this question type.
Be prepared to make very basic inferences. Like in this case you might be asked something like “What can be inferred about the woman’s laptop?” And the answer would be something like “Its keyboard is not working properly.”
Campus Announcement
Next, you will hear one or more campus announcements. Each will be 20-30 seconds long. They are pretty straightforward – mostly describing upcoming events happening on campus, or changes to services on campus. After each one, you will answer two questions. Below is a sample transcript. Of course, on test day you will not be able to read the announcement. You will only be able to listen to it.
Good afternoon. The university will host a study abroad information session next Monday at 4 p.m. in Room 210 of the International Center. Advisors and students who have previously studied abroad will answer questions about programs, scholarships, and application timelines. All majors are welcome.
Questions
What is the main purpose of the announcement?
A. To invite students to a study abroad information session
B. To announce new scholarship application rules
C. To promote the opening of a new campus center
D. To advertise a cultural festival
Who will be available to answer questions?
A. Travel agents
B. Scholarship winners
C. Past participants
D. Faculty members
The answers are A and C. Take a few notes as you listen to the announcement. Like in the sample, you will likely be asked a question about the main topic and another question about some specific detail. You might get something a little trickier like “what are the listeners asked to do” which will relate to a detail at the very end of the announcement.
Listen to an Academic Talk
Finally, you will listen to one or more short academic talks. They’ll be about 90 seconds each and will be followed by five questions. These can be about a variety of topics including psychology, sociology, history, economics, art, etc. ETS says that they are more likely to be about topics that modern test takers are familiar with than the old TOEFL (2005-2025). We’ll see.
Here’s the transcript of a sample lecture followed by five questions. On test day, of course, you will only hear the lecture. You won’t have the text.
Have you ever disagreed with something but stayed silent because you thought you were the only one who didn’t like it? But later it turned out that almost everyone else shared your belief? Well, you may have experienced something that sociologists call “pluralistic ignorance.” This is when our public behavior says “everything’s fine,” while our private beliefs say “I’m confused” or “I don’t like this.” This false impression that no one else in our group shares our belief can keep the entire group stuck and unable to progress as desired.
Consider a classroom where the professor has just made a difficult point and asks if anyone has questions. Several students are confused, but no one raises a hand. Each person looks around, sees silence, and assumes they’re the only one who doesn’t understand. The lecturer moves on… and obviously confusion increases. To break this pattern, the professor could have invited private signals like anonymous polls or asking students to fill in comment cards. On the other hand, the students themselves could have used hedging phrases to make asking questions more comfortable. Things like “I might be missing something…” or “It’s possible I lost track of your last point…”.
Because we read silence as approval, it is always important to encourage people to voice their opinions. In the end, this can prevent groups from following norms that no one actually supports.
Next week, we’ll practice rephrasing basic prompts like “Any questions?” into queries that illicit real opinions.
Questions
1. What is the talk mainly about?
A. Why students should avoid asking questions in class
B. Reasons people stay silent when they disagree
C. Methods for lecturers to improve their classes
D. Why is it better to wait for students to ask for clarification
2. Which strategy does the speaker recommend to improve lectures?
A. Saving time for students to discuss topics together
B. Allowing students to submit questions anonymously
C. Practicing how to ask questions properly
D. Stopping more frequently to ask if students need clarification
3. Why does the speaker mention hedging phrases?
A. To explain how lecturers can help students ask questions
B. To demonstrate why groups may follow norms that no one supports
C. To explain that professors should give direct answers
D. To show how students can help themselves
4. What can be inferred about filling in comment cards?
A. It is usually more efficient than direct questions.
B. It is can be more comfortable for students than speaking.
C. It is not commonly used in classrooms.
D. It is just as helpful as taking anonymous polls.
5. What will the students probably do next week?
A. Learn how to use private signals
B. Explore norms that most people disagree with
C. Discuss instances when they were confused
D. Learn how to ask more useful questions
The answers are: B, B, D, B, D
Question Types
The questions come in a few standard forms. They include:
- Main Idea Questions. These ask you to identify the main point of a lecture. The answer is often contained near the beginning of the lecture.
- Detail Questions. These ask you to identify some specific detail from the talk.
- Purpose Questions. These ask you why the lecturer mentioned some specific thing in the talk.
- Inference Questions. These ask you to make educated guesses about something mentioned in the talk.
- Do-Next Questions. These ask you to identify what the class will do after the talk. The answer is contained at the end of the talk
General Strategies for Academic Talks
- Take notes. Make them as detailed as possible. Practice this skill.
- Don’t pick an answer just because it contains a word or phrase you remember from the talk. Incorrect answer choices often repeat words, while correct choices might use a synonym or paraphrase.
- Pay special attention to supporting examples given by the speaker. They are often referred to in questions.
- Listen very carefully for phrases like “next time we will…” or “in our next class…”. Make detailed notes about what is said, as that will be referred to in one of the questions.
The Easy Module
If your performance is poor in the routing module (approximately less than 60% correct answers) you will be sent to the easy module. It will begin with several “choose a response” questions, which will be followed by conversations and announcements. There will be no academic talks.
The Hard Module
If your performance is strong in the routing module (approximately more than 60% correct answer) you will be sent to the hard module. It will begin with a small number of “choose a response” questions, which will be followed by conversations, announcements and academic talks.
The End
And that’s the end of the new 2026 TOEFL listening section! An unofficial score will be displayed at the end of your test. Your official score will be reported after three days; it could be different from your unofficial score, of course.