TOEFL Listening Practice Test: Tips, Types of Questions

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a standardized test that measures the English proficiency of non-native speakers.

  • The exam has different sections and one of these is the listening test section.
  • In this article, we will cover important aspects of the TOEFL Listening Practice test. The duration of the listening test is 60 to 90 minutes.
  • Once in a while, the students may receive the extended version which is 90 minutes long.
  • Students will have to listen to 6 passages for practicing. Each passage is 3 to 5 minutes in length.
  • Two passages involve student conversations and the other four passages involve lectures.
  • There are five questions associated with each conversation and six questions associated with lectures. The students can take notes while listening.

TOEFL listening practice test and its purpose

The main idea is to assess students for their:

  • Understanding the main idea of the given topic
  • Understanding of important details
  • Ability to form the relationship between ideas
  • Ability to gauge a speaker’s attitudes

The Internet is filled with sample TOEFL listening practice test videos to help students prepare for the exam. Scores are likely to improve after listening to these videos. One has to be sharp, attentive and alert while listening to the TOEFL Listening practice test videos. The videos are informative and even if students are not preparing for the exam, they can listen to these videos to improve their vocabulary and standard of English. The videos are also used as teaching aids in schools and colleges.

Tips for the TOEFL listening test

  • Take notes while you listen to the audio but only write down important points.
  • It is important to listen to the tone of the speaker. The tone of the speaker will help one answer questions about the speaker’s attitude.
  • Do not take down notes vigorously or else you might miss out on important information.
  • Conversations are shorter when compared to lectures and the topics are not always related to academics.

Different questions types

  • Gist questions
  • Detailed questions
  • Inference questions

The techniques of the reading and listening sections may be similar. According to TOEFL experts- concentration, alertness and practice are important for doing well on the exam. Hence it is advised to go through TOEFL preparation material like TOEFL exam papers, TOEFL sample papers, TOEFL listening test samples and TOEFL sample questions to prepare for the finale. TOEFL official guides and books are also available for help.

What is a Good TOEFL Score? Things to know about TOEFL

Free TOEFL Practice Test Samples