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

Conducted by ETS - the Test of English as a Foreign Language is one of the most widely accepted English language exams among universities and colleges abroad. Candidates looking to achieve a good TOEFL score are advised to continue reading as we bring together the best TOEFL study material, and TOEFL preparation books there are for our TOEFL aspirants. Preparing for the TOEFL exam is a very personal experience. And to make this experience more unique we have provided, TOEFL preparation material, section-wise TOEFL preparation tips, last-minute TOEFL preparation tips, TOEFL preparation books, and TOEFL online preparation modules for our diverse readers. A lot of times, students can ditch the TOEFL self-study plan (mentioned below) and opt for professional guidance. For candidates looking for professional guidance, candidates can check out our top TOEFL coaching centre across India.

The TOEFL exam pattern 2026 comprises four sections, Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing - along with the total score. 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 on TOEFL Vocabulary for scorig good marks.

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.

You finds lots of TOEFL study material online when you starts preparing. Official TOEFL website has most accurate details about everything. Candidates should checks out last-minute TOEFL prep tips that helps them score better. There is no set way to prepare since everyone learns different. You can chooses from many learning techniques that suits your needs best. Some people likes books while others prefers online practice tests. Both methods helps you gets ready for exam day. TOEFL preparation at home is same as preparing for test center version. Test content doesn't changes only where you takes it is different. 

Test takers sometimes gets overwhelmed by all study options available. You shouldn't worry since home version and center version is exactly same. Only thing that's different is environment where you sits. How long does it takes to prepare varies for each person completely. Some candidates needs two or three months to reach their best level. Others might takes longer time or shorter time depending on their skills. You should only schedules your TOEFL test after you feels completely ready. 

Under the TOEFL study material, we are going to discuss the various methods of conquering the TOEFL iBT exam. 

Alongside this, students can visit TOEFL Test Ready on the ETS official website and start practising for free! Based on your performance on the portal, the Free Sample Tests can help you predict your score and provide valuable feedback on which sections you should practice more.

TOEFL Preparation Materials by ETS

1. TOEFL TestReady

   • Free activity of the day

   • Free personalized study plan

   • Section practice samplers

   • Section test samplers

   • TOEFL sampler (a 40-minute practice test)

2. TOEFL Official Beginner’s Guide (Free)

3. Free TOEFL Test Preparation Course on EDX

4. TOEFL iBT Test Prep Planner (an 8-week free study plan)

5. TOEFL Master Classes

Best Books for TOEFL Preparation

If you take the route of self-study to prepare for TOEFL, there are a lot of TOEFL books and resources, along with TOEFL study plans, available to help you. The official ETS has its own official preparation books and online preparation. Refer to the following TOEFL books to help create a study plan –

• The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT Test: Available in eBook and paperback format.
• Official TOEFL iBT Tests, Volumes 1 & 2: Get 10 authentic, full-length TOEFL iBT tests with previous test questions. Available in paperback or an eBook, each volume offers five practice tests and includes interactive online versions of all five tests, sample Speaking and Writing responses and audio files and written transcripts for all listening passages.
• The TOEFL iBT Test Prep Planner: If you’re just beginning your test prep get started with this free 8-week planner, which includes in-depth review of the four sections of the test, skill-building activities, sample TOEFL iBT test questions, scoring information, including the Speaking and Writing scoring guides and tips for success on test day.
• The Complete Guide to the TOEFL Test iBT Edition by Bruce Rogers: In this exam guide, there is a lot of focus on developing the skills needed to take the test before actually giving example questions and practice tests, which is great and will surely benefit in the long run.
• Delta's Key to the TOEFL iBT: Advanced Skill Practice: The book comes with an audio CD containing over 9 hours of audio to ensure the listening component of the test is mastered. It features 35 units of study in reading, listening, speaking, and writing four full-length tests in TOEFL iBT format, 1,200 questions in the units, quizzes, and tests answer keys, audio scripts, and score charts.

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.

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)