TOEFL Prep Tips 2026: How to Prepare for TOEFL Exam?

The TOEFL exam pattern 2026 is completely new and shorter. The test now uses a 1 to 6 scoring scale instead of 120. In the Reading section, passages are short, and you have to "Complete the Words". The Listening section has quick announcements. Speaking now includes a simple "Listen and Repeat" task. The Writing section no longer has long essays; instead, you do "Build a Sentence" and write short emails. This makes the TOEFL exam easier to finish

Good preparation is the key to scoring well in the TOEFL exam. With the right strategy and regular practice, students can improve their English skills and gain confidence. The test is conducted by Educational Testing Service (ETS), so following the official pattern is very important. Below are the best TOEFL preparation tips for 2026 along with a simple study plan.

The TOEFL exam has been designed to assess the test takers' reading, listening, writing, and speaking abilities in a university setting. We are going to start with the general TOEFL exam preparation tips and then discuss section-wise TOEFL preparation study material. One should also have a strong grasp of TOEFL vocabulary to score well. Preparing for the TOEFL iBT in 2026 is different because the test is now shorter and adaptive. You only have about 90 minutes to finish, so you need to be very fast and accurate. Here are the best ways to get ready for the new 1.0 to 6.0 scale.

Use a 30-Day TOEFL Study Plan

A one-month TOEFL study plan is the best way to stay organized.

• Week 1: Learn the new format. Take a diagnostic test on the ETS TestReady portal to see your level.

• Week 2: Focus on Reading and Listening. Since these sections are adaptive, practice starting strong so the computer gives you easier "routing" in the second part.

• Week 3: Work on Speaking and Writing. Practice the new Listen and Repeat task and writing quick emails.

• Week 4: Take full-length TOEFL mock tests. Do at least three tests with a timer to build your stamina.

Also Read: How to Score 30 in TOEFL Speaking

TOEFL Reading Tips

TOEFL study material: The reading section of the TOEFL test is aimed at determining how well you can read and understand academic study materials in a foreign environment. The reading section of the TOEFL iBT requires candidates to read 2 passages, each containing around 700 words and answer 10 questions on each passage. 

• Candidates are advised to read as much as possible, and strictly in the English language. The basic idea behind this exercise is to keep the mind of the student continuously engaged with the English language.
• A tried and tested method of practising the art of reading includes reading short passages and converting them into question-and-answer format to understand the idea behind the passage.
• Exchanging articles and literary work for grading or self-grading your work can also act as a benchmark to calculate your progress.

TOEFL Listening Tips

TOEFL study material: The listening section of the TOEFL iBT is aimed at testing the ability of the test takers to listen and understand the lectures in an academic environment where English is the primary language of instruction. This section requires candidates to listen to 3 lectures and 2 conversations and answer six questions per lecture and 5 questions per conversation. The section is scored based on the number of correct listening responses. In brief, candidates will be required to answer approximately 28 questions in around 36 minutes. Read on as we elucidate the TOEFL listening section tips to excel in the Listening Section of TOEFL Exam.

• Developing listening abilities: This is yet another important aspect that needs to be built around the student. A lot of times, students are unable to listen for long periods of time as they are unable to absorb information after a certain point. Hence, it is important for the candidate to first develop the habit of listening to long audio and then extract useful information and use it to answer questions. 
• Understanding the Flavour: Half the battle is won once the candidate can understand the genre of the conversation. Because often a lot of questions would be asked around the flavour of the dialogue. 

TOEFL Writing Tips

The Integrated Writing Task involves reading a short passage followed by listening to a short audio and then writing in a clear way - what you read and listened to. In the next task, i.e. "Writing for an Academic Discussion task", candidates will be required to state and support an opinion in an online classroom within a matter of 10 minutes.  

• To begin with, candidates are advised to listen to short passages or readings and write a summary of the same to fully understand the recordings. this way the candidate would be able to express his interpretation of the recording. 
• Students can also get hold of a book that teaches the different types of connecting words. Connecting words are important as these expressions show the relationship between sentences and paragraphs and also connect two or more short sentences into one long sentence.
• While listening to recordings, candidates can also identify the writer's opinion or opinions and interpret the same and write about them in detail.
• A lot of times, candidates would also come across conflicting opinions in one paragraph. So the reader needs to notice how the writer addresses possible objections to the opinion if they are present and write the same in their own words.

TOEFL Speaking Tips

• As part of a self-exercise, candidates can collect pictures from magazines and newspapers and then describe the same in under one minute. Candidates could further increase the difficulty of the exercise by describing the same thing multiple times, using different adjectives, and adding details.
• Candidates could also pick up opinion pieces and state an opinion for or against the topic, along with detailed reasons for their choices. In this exercise, candidates should use connecting words or phrases to help explain their opinion.
• Students could also self-evaluate their TOEFL iBT Speaking Skills by simply thinking about activities related to student life and writing reasons to explain their preferences for the same and speaking on this for one minute.
• Candidates can also develop the habit of reading newspapers and articles online and expressing their opinions on current affairs to their friends.

Selecting the best TOEFL study material is very important in 2026 because the exam has completely changed. If you use old books or guides from 2024 or 2025, you will be practicing for the wrong test.

Why Old TOEFL Prepration Books are No Use Now

Before January 21, 2026, the TOEFL was a long, linear test. Now, it is a 90-minute adaptive test.

• Old Material: Focuses on 3-hour long exams and 300-word essays that are no longer in the test.

• New Material: Focuses on multistage adaptive logic where the computer changes difficulty as you go.

• Old Writing Tasks: Used the "Independent Writing" essay, which is now replaced by Email Writing and Academic Discussion.

• Old Reading: Had very long, boring passages. The new version uses short, real-life texts like website snippets and student notices.

Top 3 Recommended Study Materials for TOEFL 2026

1. Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT (8th Edition)

This is the "bible" for the 2026 exam. Since it is made by ETS (the people who make the test), it is the only book that shows the new 1.0 to 6.0 score scale correctly. It includes the new Complete the Words and Listen and Repeat tasks.

2. TOEFL TestReady (Online Portal)

For Indian students, this is the best digital resource. It uses AI to score your speaking and writing just like the real exam. It also provides a custom TOEFL study plan on how many days you have left before your test date.

3. Kaplan TOEFL iBT Prep Plus (2026-2027)

Kaplan is great because they have updated their mock tests to be adaptive. If you get questions right in their practice test, the next part gets harder, exactly like the real 2026 format.

Best TOEFL Practice Tips for Indian Students

• Stop Writing Long Essays: The new Writing section is only 23 minutes. Practice being concise (short and clear) instead of writing 500 words.

• Master the "Listen and Repeat": Use apps or YouTube to hear a sentence and say it back exactly. This is a brand new Speaking task that many students find tricky.

• Check the Version: Before you buy any book on Amazon or Flipkart, look for the "Updated for 2026" tag on the cover.

Making a TOEFL Self-study Plan is very good idea to save money. You do not need big coaching class if you study properly at home. For the new TOEFL exam 2026, you need a smart plan because test style is changed. Check: TOEFL 2025 vs 2026

First, you must know the pattern. The test is short now, so you don't need to study 5 hours. Just 1 hour daily is enough. Start with Writing section. The new "Build a Sentence" question is little tricky, so practice grammar carefully. You can use free websites to check your sentences.

For Reading and Listening, do not read very long books. Practice short paragraphs and fill in the blanks. For Speaking, you can record your voice on phone. Try to listen English videos and repeat lines. Also, take a TOEFL mock test every Sunday. This tells you if you are ready. If you follow this simple plan for 2 months, you will get good TOEFL score and can go to study abroad easily.

As mentioned earlier, candidates have been advised only to source their TOEFL information from the most reliable sources. In this case, candidates can check our TOEFL sample papers that have been created keeping our readers in mind. The TOEFL practice paper questions have been sourced from the most trusted websites and candidates can visit the official TOEFL website for more TOEFL practice papers to solve. 

Solve TOEFL Mock Test Papers (section-wise)

TOEFL Test Ready available on the ETS Website lets users access sample questions and insider tips from the makers of the test, practice only the skills they need with free or paid materials, and check their progress with scoring from ETS, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Here's what you can do with the TOEFL TestReady:

• Practice on several full-length TOEFL iBT practice tests available on the TOEFL TestReady. You can access these papers anytime, anywhere for free and get AI-powered automated scoring and personalised feedback on your performance in all four sections of the test.
• On logging into the TOEFL TestReady, students can find a unique activity of the day that includes a question from any of the 4 sections of the exam. This exercise keeps rotating daily. 
• The TOEFL TestReady also helps you determine when you should start preparing for your main exam and which skills you should practice more. All you have to do is answer 4 survey questions and then, a personalised study plan will be generated for you. 

Other than this, you can get to practice on the free TOEFL mock tests, section tests with free samplers, section practice with free samplers, guides, books and more.