All about the TOEFL Reading Section (2025)

TOEFL Reading (pre-2026)

The reading section is the first part of the TOEFL test. You will read two academic articles (about 700 words each) and answer ten questions about each one. You will have 36 minutes to read the articles and answer all of the questions.

There is a single timer for the whole section. You can always move forward and backwards between both articles and all of the questions as long as time remains. There are arrows to move between questions one at a time, and a button labelled “review” to jump to specific questions. This means you can use your time however you like.

Right after your test is finished, you will see your “unofficial” TOEFL reading score. This is reported on a scale of 0 to 30 points. The unofficial score rarely changes in the final score report.

Looking for help with the 2026 TOEFL? Scroll down!

Master the Reading Section

Here’s what we’ve got to help you master the TOEFL Reading Section

TOEFL Reading (2026)

The TOEFL Reading section will change on January 21, 2026.

Starting on that date, the reading 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 first module. If you do well, 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.

You can move back and forth between questions in the same module. But note that once you finish the routing module, you cannot return to it.

Every test will be different, but you’ll probably have 10-12 minutes for the routing module and 9-10 minutes for the second module. You’ll probably get between 35 and 48 questions in total. A clock on the screen will display how much time is remaining in the current module.

The reading 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 three tasks: “complete the words,” “reading in daily life” and “academic reading.”

Complete the Words Task

First, you’ll get one or two “complete the words” tasks. This is a paragraph where some of the words have missing letters. Your job is to fill in the missing letters. Here’s what you can expect one of these tasks:

The paragraph will usually (but not always) define some academic term or concept.
The whole thing will be about 70 words. It will look like a paragraph from an academic article or textbook.
Ten words in total will have missing letters. This means the task counts as ten questions
All of the words with missing letters will be in the second sentence and (sometimes) the third sentence. Generally, they will alternate between complete words and words with missing letters.
The missing letters will be in the second half of each word..
You will know how many missing letters there are in each word.

The difficulty of this task will be the same in the routing module, the easy module and the hard module.

Here’s a sample:

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, encompassing a wide range of topics such as perception, emotion, personality, and social interactions. Researchers inves___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ how peo___ ___ ___ think, fe___ ___ and ac ___ in var___ ___ ___ ___ situations. It is esse___ ___ ___ ___ ___ to coll___ ___ ___ data care___ ___ ___ ___ ___ and app___ ___ critical thin___ ___ ___ ___ when interpreting findings. Understanding psychological concepts can help students make informed decisions in their daily lives. Moreover, studies in this field provide valuable insight into human development, learning, and emotions.

Here’s the answer:

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, encompassing a wide range of topics such as perception, emotion, personality, and social interactions. Researchers investigate how people think, feel and act in various situations. It is essential to collect data carefully and apply critical thinking when interpreting findings. Understanding psychological concepts can help students make informed decisions in their daily lives. Moreover, studies in this field provide valuable insight into human development, learning, and emotions.

Tips for solving this task:

Quickly scan the whole paragraph. The context will help activate your existing vocabulary.
Consider possible word stems. The words will be cut at the half-way point, which means the missing part might be a common word stem. Like “investigate” or “carefully“
Ask yourself if the missing word is a noun, verb, adjective or adverb. Look at the surrounding words for clues.
These paragraphs are taken from academic texts. The words may be “academic” in tone, but not too obscure. Study for the task by spending time with the Academic Word list. Explore the words it contains as well as the word families.
If you really don’t know a word, make a guess and move on. It is really easy to waste a ton of time on this task. As we say in English, it might be necessary to “cut your losses” and move on. Besides, you don’t have to answer every question correctly to get a perfect score.

Reading in Daily Life (short)

Next, you’ll get one or more short “reading in daily life” tasks. You’ll read something that you might encounter in daily life and answer two questions about it. You might read a short email, a text message, a pamphlet, a notice posted on campus, an invoice… anything, really. It will deal with a situation you would deal with on or off campus. This will likely be 40 or 50 words long. The questions are pretty easy.

Here’s an example, in the form of a short email:

From: Omar Haddad
To: Lila Nguyen
The maintenance department just called to confirm that our balcony will be repainted tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. I’ll be at an early concert rehearsal, so could you be home to unlock the balcony door and let the crew inside? They said the floor must be clear. You should bring the plants and drying rack inside tonight. Thanks!
Why did Omar write to Lila?
A. To invite her to a concert rehearsal
B. To tell her about a maintenance visit
C. To complain about a noisy crew
D. To request a rent reduction
What does Omar ask Lila to do tonight?
A. Unlock the balcony door
B. Move some items inside
C. Call to confirm the arrival time
D. Cover the balcony floor with plastic

(answers at the bottom of this page)

Tips for solving this task:

Quickly scan the whole document. Unlike old TOEFL reading tasks, these ones are short. It is okay to look them over completely. You’ll often need to find answers that slightly paraphrase details in the reading. Don’t just select an answer choice because it contains the same words as the reading.
The most common questions ask about the “main point” or “main topic” of a reading or ask “why” it was written. Read the whole thing and find an answer choice that most closely summarizes it.
Remember who is doing what in the item. What is Omar doing? What is Lila doing? Keep these details straight!
Don’t spend too much time on this task. Answer the questions and move on quickly.

Reading in Daily Life (Long)

Next, you will get one or more long “reading in daily life” tasks. These ones are just like the short ones… but longer. They will likely be about 100 to 140 words. You’ll probably get 3 questions about each one. Here’s a sample:

Subject: Welcome
Dear Mr. Davis,
Welcome to the International Office Professionals Network! We’re happy that you’ve decided to join our global community of administrative assistants, office managers, and executive support staff. Whether you work in a large corporate office or a small business, we are here to help you progress in your career.
As a member, you will receive a monthly newsletter full of helpful articles, career tips, and the latest news on industry trends. Once you’ve made an account on our website, you’ll also have access to free online workshops (held once per month) and a members-only board where employers from around the country post new administrative positions each week.
To complete your registration, please log in to your account on the website and enter your company name and current job title. This will help us send you more relevant resources and invitations to in-person training events in your area. You will be required to select an ID and password before accessing the website.
Thank you again for joining. If you have any questions about your membership, feel free to contact us at anytime.
Sincerely,
Jason Clarke,
IOPN Member Services

And the questions:

What is most likely Mr. Davis’s job?
(A) Software engineer
(B) Office administrator
(C) Construction supervisor
(D) Accountant
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a benefit of membership?
(A) Monthly professional newsletter
(B) Access to a private job board
(C) A list of other members
(D) Career workshops
What is Mr. Davis asked to provide to complete the registration?
(A) His department and supervisor’s name
(B) His company name and position
(C) His preferred training events
(D) His membership ID and password
Why is IOPN collecting Mr. Davis’s job information?
(A) To create a public profile
(B) To verify his work history
(C) To make better recommendations
(D) To send promotional materials

(answers at the bottom of this page)

Tips for solving this task:

Quickly scan the whole document.
Try to identify the purpose of the document. Why was an email sent? Why did someone start a text message conversation?
As you scan, focus on specific details. Look for dates and deadlines, requirements for some task, and specific benefits or effects of something. These will often come up in questions.
You should also look for details about who is doing what. What is Mr. Davis doing?
Be able to make basic inferences. For example, the answer to the last question is “to make better recommendations.” This isn’t exactly stated, but can be inferred from “send you more relevant resources.”
Watch out for tricky distractors. For instance options C and D from the third question are mentioned in the letter, but they aren’t required to complete the registration.

Academic Reading

Next, you will get one or two “academic reading” tasks. These will look like short excerpts from a book, magazine or website. They will be about 200 words long. Each will be followed by 5 questions. Note that unlike on the old TOEFL (before 2026) the questions won’t tell you what paragraph to check for the answers. Instead, you’ll have to check the whole reading for the answer to each question.

The topics are a little more accessible than the topics on the old TOEFL. So you probably won’t get something about the ancient city of Teotihuacán. Instead, you might get something about how bees impact urban environments, or how sports impact social integration, or how too many products at the shops can make us feel anxiety. See what I mean? The topics are still academic, but somewhat more relatable to people in the modern world.

The readings seem to take a few patterns. Some of the are just encylopedic definitions of a thing. Others describe the good and bad aspects of a thing. Others talk about some problem and possible solutions. Others talk about a thing and then mention some application or benefit.

The questions are similar to those found on the old TOEFL, with a few changes. The question types are:

Factual
Negative Factual
Vocabulary
Rhetorical Purpose
Inference
Paragraph Relationships
Important idea

The last two are new in 2026.

Here’s a sample:

Urban Trees
Trees have long played a key role in urban areas that would otherwise be dominated by asphalt and concrete. They are, for instance, often planted along roads to provide shade that helps residents cope with high temperatures. The deep roots of mature trees can reduce erosion in cities by stabilizing soil, while their leaves and branches improve air quality by absorbing carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants.
But the benefits of trees extend far beyond the impacts they have on our physical health and on the natural environment around us. In fact, they have also been found to have important social and psychological effects. Recent studies indicate that residents of neighborhoods with thriving greenery experience lower levels of stress and enjoy better mental health. In addition, the presence of abundant plant life has been linked to increased community engagement and even to lower crime rates.
Unfortunately, the long-term survival of urban trees is being impacted by rapid development. Construction projects often damage their fragile root systems. Even when builders are careful to avoid doing any physical damage to trees, they might still inadvertently cut off their access to water and nutrients. These issues can be compounded by global climate change which causes extreme weather shifts that trees are often unable to adapt to.

And the questions (question type indicated in parenthesis):

1. According to the passage, what is one way urban trees contribute to public health? (factual information)
A. By reducing temperatures near roads
B. By preventing erosion on farmland
C. By removing pollutants
D. By displacing concrete and asphalt
2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a social or psychological benefit of trees? (negative factual information)
A. Reduced crime rates
B. Lower stress levels
C. Higher income levels
D. More community involvement
3. Why does the author discuss construction projects? (rhetorical purpose)
A. To explain why cities need more parks
B. To show how urban development can unintentionally harm trees
C. To demonstrate how tree coverage can be increased
D. To highlight the effect of global warming on trees
4. The word “compounded” in the passage is closest in meaning to which word? (vocabulary)
A. repeated
B. created
C. intensified
D. limited
5. Click the sentence that expresses the reason why people who live in areas with many trees might be happier than people who do not. (important idea)

(answers at the bottom of this page)

Tips for solving this task:

Quickly scan the article before you start answering the questions, but not for long.
Don’t get attracted to answer choices just because they use a word that appears in the article. For instance, choice A in question one looks good because “temperatures” appears in the article, but the article only says that trees help people cope with temperatures. It doesn’t say that trees actually lower temperatures. The real answer is C.
Negative factual questions like number 2 take more time that other questions. Give yourself a few extra seconds to answer them.
Vocabulary questions like number 4 take less time. Move past them quickly.
“Paragraph Purpose” questions are about how certain paragraphs relate to each other. For instance, one paragraph might define a term, while the other paragraph provides specific instances of it.
Spend some time studying the Academic Word List, as it will improve your comprehension.

The Easy Module

If your performance in the routing model is poor, you will enter the easy module. This module will also begin with a “complete the words” task. The difficulty level will probably be about the same as in the routing module. Here’s an example:

Marine biology introduces students to the diverse life forms that inhabit the world’s oceans. Oceans cov__ __ most o__ the sur__ __ _ _ of our pla__ __ __ and pro __ __ __ __ habitat f__ __ countless spe__ __ __ __. They ra__ __ __ from mini__ __ __ __ __ fish to mass__ __ __ whales. Scientists collect data by measuring water temperature, salinity and light to understand how these factors affect life. By studying ocean life, they can learn how changes in climate and pollution impact marine life.

Here’s the solution:

Marine biology introduces students to the diverse life forms that inhabit the world’s oceans. Oceans cover most of the surface of our planet and provide habitat for countless species. They range from miniscule fish to massive whales. Scientists collect data by measuring water temperature, salinity and light to understand how these factors affect life. By studying ocean life, they can learn how changes in climate and pollution impact marine life.

Following the “complete the words” task, you will get two or three “reading in daily life” tasks, similar to the ones above. You will probably not get an academic reading passage.

Here’s another sample daily life passage. This one is a text message chain:

Jamal (3:28 P.M.):
Hey, have you prepared the handouts for our presentation this evening?
Sofia (3:30 P.M.):
Not yet. There was a long line at the library printer when I stopped by earlier.
Jamal (3:31 P.M.):
OK, no worries. We just need them before 4:15 so we can review everything one last time before heading to the classroom.
Sofia (3:32 P.M.):
I’ll head back in about 10 minutes to try again. I’ll text you as soon as I’ve got the copies. If the printer’s still occupied, I’ll check the one in the student center.
Jamal (3:33 P.M.):
Great! Thanks for handling it! Let’s meet near Room 210 around 4:00.
Sofia (3:34 P.M.):
Perfect. See you there!

What is the main reason Sofia plans to return to the library?
(A) To meet Jamal near the classroom
(B) To check if she can use the printer
(C) To pick up her copies
(D) To review the presentation
Why might Sofia visit the student center?
(A) To give Jamal some documents
(B) To print handouts for the presentation
(C) To find a library book
(D) To go to Room 201
What does Jamal suggest they do before the presentation?
(A) Add more content to their copies
(B) Meet their professor in Room 210
(C) Have a final review of the materials
(D) Reserve an appointment at the library printer

After that, the reading section will conclude and the listening section will begin.

The Hard Module

If your performance in the routing model is strong, you will enter the hard module. This module will begin with another “complete the words” task. It will probably be the same difficulty level as the one in the routing module. Here’s another example:

Sustainable urban development strategies are used when planning roads in order to balance economic progress and social well‑being of communities. Urban plan__ __ __ __ gather accu__ __ __ __ figures bef__ __ __ creating str__ __ __ layouts. They al__ __ study pub__ __ __ transport patt__ __ __ __ to red__ __ __noise, low__ __ energy consu__ __ __ __ __ __, and curb pollution. Community meetings let residents share ideas and learn about upcoming projects through discussions and workshops.Together, these steps help cities grow in smart and sustainable ways for residents over time.

And the answer:

Sustainable urban development strategies are used when planning roads in order to balance economic progress and social well‑being of communities. Urban planners gather accurate figures before creating street layouts. They also study public transport patterns to reduce noise, lower energy consumption, and curb pollution. Community meetings let residents share ideas and learn about upcoming projects through discussions and workshops.Together, these steps help cities grow in smart and sustainable ways for residents over time.

Following the “complete the words” task, you’ll likely get one more academic reading passage. It will be about the same difficulty as the one in the routing module. Again, the topic might be a bit more contemporary than what was used in the old TOEFL from 2025 and earlier. Here’s another sample:

Bioplastics
Bioplastics made from seaweed and other aquatic plants are emerging as an alternative to traditional packaging materials, which many consider to be environmentally-unfriendly as they are often used just a single time. These innovative new materials are most commonly developed using brown and red algae which can be grown without impacting supplies of freshwater, and without chemical fertilizers. Since algae grows solely in marine environments, its production doesn’t impact global food prices by competing with traditional crops for valuable farmland.
The conversion of raw algae into packaging involves drying and grinding it to extract natural polymers known as alginates. When heated, these algates form clear films with properties similar to those of normal plastic wrap. While early versions of this natural wrap dissolved after prolonged exposure to water, scientists have discovered that coating them with beeswax helps them resist moisture long enough to safely preserve foods. If disposed of in a composting system after use, the films quickly break down – often in a matter of weeks – leaving behind no toxic residue.
Supporters argue that this technology could create employment for communities who live alongside coasts. Critics, however, argue that if implemented on a large scale, algae farming could upset fragile marine ecosystems. They suggest that dense offshore farms could block sunlight from reaching the seafloor and prevent certain fish from developing properly. Researchers are therefore experimenting with rotating harvest zones and setting maximum plot sizes to balance production with ecological health.

And the questions:

1. What is the passage mainly about? (factual information)
A. The possible benefits of harvesting seaweed and algae
B. The environmental risks of traditional plastic packaging
C. The development and potential of plastic alternatives
D. The ways to improve offshore fishing yields

2. According to the passage, why does algae farming not impact food prices? (factual information)
A. It frees up farmland to produce traditional crops.
B. It is done entirely in water.
C. It utilizes farms that float above the surface of the water.
D. It doesn’t involve chemical fertilizers.

3. The word “resist” in the passage is closest in meaning to which word? (vocabulary)

A. capture
B. prevent
C. withstand
D. measure

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a benefit of seaweed bioplastics? (negative factual information)
A. Rapid decomposition in composting systems
B. Economic opportunities for coastal residents
C. Harvest zones in areas not normally used for farming
D. Reduction of single‑use plastic waste

5. How does paragraph 3 relate to paragraphs 1 and 2? (paragraph relationship)

A. It highlights weaknesses in the argument made in paragraphs 1 and 2
B. It describes possible objections to the claims made in paragraphs 1 and 2
C. It contradicts the claims made in paragraph 1 and 2.
D. It gives an example of the benefits mentioned in paragraphs 1 and 2

(answers at the bottom of this page)

After that the reading section will conclude and the listening section will begin.

The End

And that’s the end of the new 2026 TOEFL reading 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.

Answers

Routing Module – Short daily life: B, B. Long daily life: B, C, B, C. Academic Reading: C, C, B, C, paragraph 2, sentence 3

Easy Module – Long daily life: B, B, C

Hard Module – Academic Reading: C, B, C, C, B