TOEFL Listening Section

TOEFL Test - Listening Section

You will listen to 4-6 recorded academic lectures (6 questions each) and 2-3 recorded conversations (5 questions each). Then you will answer questions regarding the information you hear. The more correct responses you give, the higher your score will be.

TOEFL Listening Purposes

  1.  To obtain basic comprehension, such as understanding the main idea, key points, structure, purpose, conclusion, important facts and relevant details
  2.  To learn from listening, such as understanding various relationships between ideas (e.g., compare-and-contrast, cause-and-effect, agree-disagree, or steps in a process) and tracing the development of ideas or events throughout the recordings. Note any digression during the talk and any side comments.
  3.  To make inferences about author’s opinion and what is implied in a recording

Listening Section Format

  Length of Lecture: 3–5 minutes long each, about 500–800 words  
  Number of Lectures: 4–6 lectures  
  Questions: 6 questions per lecture; 24-36 questions in total  
  Length of Conversation: about 3 minutes long; about 12–25 exchanges each  
  Number of Conversations: 2–3 conversations  
  Questions: 5 questions per conversation; 10-15 questions in total  
  Total Time: 60–90 minutes  
  Avg. Time per Question: About 1 min  
  When Questions will appear: After listening material is finished playing  
  Screen/Test Details: a) Pictures on the screen can help test takers image the setting and the role of the speakers  
    b) Test takers will see and hear each question before seeing the answers  
    c) Note taking is allowed. After testing, notes are collected and shredded before the test taker leaves the test center.  
    d) In some questions a portion of the lecture or conversation is replayed so the test taker does not need to rely on memory of what was said.  

Recording Types

Lectures – Note that one lecture per test is spoken with a British or Australian accent.

  • A monologue by a professor
  • An interactive lecture with one or two students asking conversations in an academic setting. Examples include:
    • During an office hour between a student and a professor or teaching assistant
    • Between a student and a registrar, housing director, residence assistant, librarian, bookstore employee, departmental secretary, etc.)

Question Types by Format

  • Questions with four choices and a single answer in traditional multiple-choice format
  • Questions with four or more choices and one or more answers
  • “Listening to learn” chart questions
    • Require test takers to order events or steps in a process
    • Require test takers to match objects or text to categories in a chart

Question Types by Content

  • Main Idea questions
  • Key facts questions – locate the specifics
  • Paraphrase questions
    • Test the ability to select the answer choice with the most accurate meaning based on the context
    • Variations include Definition questions, which ask you to recall the sound bites which define a word or phrase
  • Reference questions – why the speaker mentioned a particular detail or fact
  • Listening to learn questions
    • Chart questions - order events or steps in a process
    • Chart questions - match objects or text to categories in a chart
  • Inference questions
    • Find the implied message