The 2026 TOEFL iBT, explained
The redesigned TOEFL launched on January 21, 2026: a shorter, roughly 90-minute test with 12 task types across four sections, section-level adaptivity, and a new 1–6 band score. Here is exactly how the format, scoring, adaptivity, and timeline work.
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What changed in the redesign
The four sections & 12 task types
Every task type you will see on test day — and can practice here with unlimited fresh items.
Reading
Read short practical texts and academic excerpts, then show comprehension by typing missing words and answering multiple-choice questions.
Listening
Hear conversations, campus announcements, and academic talks once, then answer questions. Audio plays a single time, just like the real exam.
Writing
Arrange jumbled words, write a short email, and respond to a discussion board. The two longer tasks are scored against the official band descriptors.
Speaking
Repeat sentences you hear and answer interview questions out loud. You get structured feedback and a band estimate, not an official spoken score.
Scoring: the 1–6 band scale
Each of the four sections receives a band from 1–6 in 0.5-point increments. Your overall score is the average of the four section bands. The bands are aligned to CEFR levels, and score reports continue to show the legacy 0–120 scale alongside the band through 2028 so institutions can compare during the transition. Use our free score converter to translate between scales.
| Band | CEFR level |
|---|---|
| 6 | C2 |
| 5 – 5.5 | C1 |
| 4 – 4.5 | B2 |
| 3 – 3.5 | B1 |
| 1 – 2.5 | A1 – A2 |
How the adaptivity works
The Reading and Listening sections are section-adaptive. After the first module, a routing module decides whether your second module is the Easy or the Hard version, based on how you performed. This is adaptivity at the module level — not question by question, so you cannot lose points by guessing on a single hard item. In Listening, audio plays once and answers cannot be revised, so practicing under those constraints matters.
Timeline & the transition
- January 21, 2026The redesigned TOEFL iBT goes live worldwide with the shorter, four-section format and the 1–6 band score.
- Now → 2028Score reports show both the new 1–6 band and the legacy 0–120 scale, so universities can map new scores to the requirements they already use.
- After 2028The 1–6 band becomes the primary reference as institutions complete the move to the new scale.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the 2026 TOEFL iBT?
About 90 minutes across four sections — Reading, Listening, Writing, and Speaking — making it shorter than the previous format.
How is the new TOEFL scored?
Each section gets a band from 1 to 6 in 0.5-point increments, and your overall score is the average of the four section bands. Bands are aligned to CEFR levels, and score reports also show the legacy 0–120 scale through 2028.
Is the 2026 TOEFL adaptive?
The Reading and Listening sections are section-adaptive: a routing module decides whether your second module is easier or harder based on how you did on the first. It is not adaptive question by question.
What happened to the old 0–120 scores?
ETS reports both the new 1–6 band and the familiar 0–120 scale through 2028, so institutions can compare scores during the transition.