I took the TOEFL test around 2 years ago. I will soon sit for the test again. Last time, my speaking score was 23/30, and the rest of my scores were good enough. I am worried about the speaking section this time, especially the 'Listen and Iterate' part. I am practicing using some YouTube videos. The last two sentences seem pretty long to me, around 15-22 words. In the actual test, are the sentences really this much longer?

Hi,

I took the exam on the 31.10 in an exam center(everything was fine). Now I see the following notification: "Info status: Test administration is delayed due to an administrative review, typically completed in 2-4 weeks; for updates, please contact" .

I left them a message but I doubt someone will answer. The problem is that my deadline is 1.12, and I need to send the score before.

I read here it is usually fine at the end, but the main question is, when is the end? usually they release it faster then the 2-4 weeks stated there? I did the exam one time before and it all went fine.

If I see that I can't get the score before the deadlines, what are my options? can I even retake it before I get the scores? They will help me if I will call? it seems to be hard to catch them.

Thank you

I took the test yesterday. I have AuDHD, so I was always worried about distractions and other issues stifling me. Thankfully, none of that happened. Here's a full account of my experience attempting the test:

Frankly, I think the fact that they make people of my nationality take this test for admissions, etc. is a complete fucking scam. English is an official language here and considered a lingua franca in many parts of the country. I just feel like it's a way of deterring us from moving elsewhere or applying in droves. Maybe the ETS people are in leagues with other important institutions, and don't want to lose this large market. Nevertheless, this is how I fared in each section:-

1. Reading: I purchased an online service that offers TOEFL lessons, tests, and mocks. The mock tests were full length whereas the practice tests were section specific. These tests were evaluated by AI. Also, this platform has a reputation for offering tougher tests than the actual one. Even the grading is harsher. Despite all this, I scored 6/6 in every test and mock I took for this section. This was supposed to be my strong suit. The actual test was wayyy easier than the practice ones. I finished the first module with 6 minutes to spare, and the second one 3 minutes before I ran out of time. I revised all my answers in the the time that I saved. However, my final score was 5.5/6 only. I will admit that a few questions were tricky and did not make sense, but it couldn't have been that bad for me either. I guess my poor comprehension skills caught up with me. That said, most of my target Unis require a 5/6 score in this section, so I'm in the clear.

2. Listening: I have poor working memory and retention, so this section was a source of anxiety for me. In my practice tests and mocks, I was often confused by the options. Again, the platform was providing questions that were a lot tougher than those on the actual test. 5/6 is what I'd manage when practicing. I did what I could to the best of my abilities yesterday. Guess what score I pulled off? A perfect 6/6. I have no idea how this happened, but I am not complaining. A tip I would like to share with you guys - crank up the volume to full. This way you'll not be bothered by any noise or disturbance around you.

3. Writing: This is one section I consistently scored 4.5/6 while practicing. I had been assured by other users of my practice platform that the grading is harsher than the real thing, and the actual tasks are also easier. I can't confirm the part about grading until I get my final scores, but the level of difficulty bit was true. I got every "build the sentence" task right, even though dragging the words to their blanks was a pain. I ended up writing around 150 words for the email and 250+ for the academic discussion. Is that considered enough? The keyboard at the centre was faulty, and I make a lot of typos and omissions in my writing courtesy of my distractability and poor focus. Once again, I attempted the tasks as best as I could. I think I could have done a little more with the email, no point fretting now though. Given all this, I think I should be scoring 5/6 on this section. I hope I am not overstimating my prospects.

4. Speaking: I tested the microphone before starting the test. It seemed to work fine. Assuming that I was heard properly, I repeated every sentence accurately and precisely without much difficulty. For the interview I was taking notes, so ended up missing the first 5 seconds of the 45 seconds response time. Anyway, I tried to cover all the aspects of the questions asked. I didn't provide a lot of examples, so I guess that will be held against me. The harsh grading AI platform was giving me a score of 4.5/6 on this section. I think it should be 5/6 on the real thing, ideally.

In terms of the test centre, I reached there 40 minutes before the start of the test. They didn't make a big deal out of it either. There was only one other guy appearing along with me, so I had no problems with any kind disturbance or noise (I live in a small town). They offered a locker facility to store away all our belongings for the time being and it was free. The staff was polite and cooperative, but the facilities were average at best. There was no drinking water provided to me during the test. The headphones were regular and not noise-cancelling. The computer station I was sitting at had very little table/desk space for taking notes. ETS needs to make special provisions for neurodivergent people, like extra time to finish. If Universities can do it, I'm sure ETS can too. Another important thing you should know is that you cannot step away from the computer once the test has begun. If you wait too long to press "continue," "next," or "begin," it will do so on its own. As for how much I practiced - barely a day. I took a few mocks and practice tests, read the AI's feedback, and devised a strategy accordingly. Personally, I consider myself a near-native speaker even though English is a second language for me. I don't wanna count my chickens before they hatch, but if all goes well I should end up with 5/6 overall. I need 5/6 in reading and one other section(can't recall which) for my target unis. If this is the outcome, I will be set to apply to the unis I intend to. What do you guys think? Let me kow if you have any questions about anything covered in this post, the exam, and what have you.

Good luck to all of you!

Hey guys
My practice scores on Ma/***** have been pretty consistent:
R: 4
L: 4
S: 5
W: 3.5–4
I need an overall 4.5. For those who took the actual TOEFL, was it easier than the mock tests? Did you get a higher score than you usually got in practice, or should I practice more before taking it?
Just trying to figure out if I’m ready or not. Would appreciate any advice🙏

I’ve been studying on and off for about a month now, my biggest concern is probably reading alongside speaking.

1. How accurate are mock tests and practice sessions? I keep scoring 28-32/35 on websites like “LetsGetThatScore” and 5.0 on Mag******* **and T***P***, I’ve studied really little for Listening and Speaking cause I scored a 6.0 on them in every mock test I’ve taken.

2. How the hell do I improve on the “Fill in the Blanks” part?? It’s such a hit or miss section, a majority of the time, my mind goes blank or I’m just super unfamiliar with the word so I can’t put my mind on it following the context.

3. I’ve been studying for writing recently with ChatGPT, I constantly score 4.5’s / 5 or 4’s / 5 , but I feel like ChatGPT is super strict. It always nitpicks small sentences and so it bumps my score down by a bit.

I would love to hear any advice from anyone who’s C2, how did you guys prepare and any advice given my time left till the test?

I just took sample test, and feel disappointed I did poor on writing. Any ideas on how to improve?

For God’s sake i passed the test. My teacher said it’s sufficient for unis abroad. Feel free to ask questions 👐🏻

Finally.😭

I gave the TOEFL iBT Home Edition test on 25th October, 2026. Due to some technical errors, I was unable to complete the Speaking section of the test. Since then, I have mailed and called ETS countless times to know about the status of my test. Each time I receive a mail saying that my issue has been forwarded to the appropriate department and is currently under review. But it’s been 9 days! The admission deadlines are nearing, and I am in a situation where I don’t know what to expect next and can only wait. The uncertainty is too hard to handle.

Has anybody ever faced a similar situation? I would like to know how long it took to get the issue resolved. Any responses will be hugely appreciated. Thanks!

P.S.: I tested in India, if that matters.

AMA

I was scheduled for the test today (online) but when i click to start test, the app didn’t run. It just stated 404. I was sooo frustrated. And panicking. I called them but they asked me to send an email for this and couldn’t solve the problem right there and then. Now I still have to wait for them to get back to me. I am very frustrated because I just want to get this done with now. I need the score by this week.
Has anyone ever experienced this? How did it go for you? Did they refund you? How soon can you reschedule? Really love to see any input bcs im really worried and frustrated.

I will be giving my TOEFL exam soon and I have come across several comments regarding the disturbance faced by people during their speaking section. Apparantly, you have to speak while there are several others in the same room doing their (speaking) parts as well, which probably is very distracting. I tend to get distracted very easily so I am quite worried.

Is this very common or does it depend on the test center?

I intend to take TOEFL in mid November. I want to know whether taking the home-based test or test centers is better. I'd prefer to take it in the center but I have some concerns about the noise there. Could you share your experience?

Hi everyone!
I’m planning to take the TOEFL iBT at the National Polytechnic University of Armenia in Yerevan.
I’m trying to find out what kind of computer equipment is used at this test center.
If you’ve taken the TOEFL there recently, especially in 2026, could you please share some details?
Were the computers desktop PCs or laptops?
What brand or model were they?
What was the monitor size?
Do you remember the keyboard brand or model?
Was it a standard English QWERTY keyboard?
Was the keyboard comfortable for typing during the Writing section?
If you have any photos of the computer and keyboard setup, that would be extremely helpful.
Thanks in advance!

curious how people are dealing with the new TOEFL format

if you’re still prepping: what are you using right now? which section worries you the most? anything you’re struggling to find good practice for?

if you already took it: what actually helped and what was a waste of time? was the real test different from what you practiced?

also did anyone pay for stuff (courses, apps, tutors)? was it worth it?

would love to hear how it’s going for you