The TOEFL syllabus was developed to assess candidates’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities in an academic setting. The exam and syllabus were carefully designed to evaluate a wide range of skills and determine candidates’ proficiency in the English language. The TOEFL syllabus encompasses all aspects of the exam, including writing, reading, listening, and speaking.
Types of TOEFL Reading Questions
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Factual Information and Negative Factual Information: Factual information questions focus on main ideas, supporting facts, and definitions. Negative factual information questions are similar but require identifying the single false answer from a list of four choices. Pay attention to words like “NOT” and “EXCEPT” when answering negative factual information questions.
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Inference and Rhetorical: Inference questions require identifying the implied or suggested meaning in a passage. Look for words like “INFERRED,” “IMPLIES,” and “SUGGESTS.” Rhetorical purpose questions are similar but ask about the purpose or reason behind certain statements, indicated by the use of “WHY” in the question.
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Recognizing Vocabulary: Vocabulary questions ask candidates to determine the meanings of specific highlighted words in the passage. These questions are generally straightforward and easier to answer.
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Sentence Explanation: These types of questions require candidates to identify the difference between very similar sentences and choose the one that is explained in a more simplified manner.
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Insert Text: This question type assesses candidates’ ability to analyze the logical placement of ideas within a given reading passage. Each passage includes one insert text question.
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Prose Summary: Prose summary questions require candidates to recognize the main ideas and significance of a reading passage. There are six answer choices, of which three are correct.
TOEFL Listening Question Types
Some candidates may find TOEFL Listening Question Details confusing. It is important to note that most of the listening questions are based on passages from the reading section, and candidates should pay attention to understanding the tone of the passage.
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Gist Content/Purpose: Gist content questions ask for the main idea of the recording, while gist purpose questions focus on the main aim of the recording. These question types can be recognized by phrases like “MAINLY ABOUT,” “MAINLY DISCUSSING,” “WHY DOES THE STUDENT,” or “WHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE?”
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Detail Questions: These questions require candidates to provide factual details obtained from the recording. They can be recognized by phrases like “ACCORDING TO…” or “WHAT IS…?”
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Function: Function questions ask candidates to identify the intended meaning or purpose behind the context provided. It is important to understand the difference between the surface meaning and the actual meaning in these questions.
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Attitude: Candidates need to identify the attitude or expression conveyed by the spoken words. This question type can be identified by phrases like “WHAT IS THE PROFESSOR’S ATTITUDE?” or “WHAT DOES THE CANDIDATE THINK ABOUT?”
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Organization: These questions assess candidates’ understanding of how the lecture is structured. They may include questions like “WHY DOES THE PROFESSOR MENTION ABOUT…” or “WHY DOES THE PROFESSOR DISCUSS…?”
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Connections in Content: This question type focuses on the connections between ideas presented in the lecture. It often appears in fill-in-the-blanks questions with prompts like “WHAT IS THE LIKELY OUTCOME…?”
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Inference: Candidates must identify the underlying meaning of the lecture, as it may not be explicitly stated.
TOEFL Speaking Question Types
The TOEFL iBT speaking section consists of two tasks:
Task 1 – Independent Task: In this task, test-takers are asked to express their own thoughts, opinions, and experiences.
Tasks 2-4 – Integrated Task: These tasks integrate speaking skills with listening, writing, and reading skills.
TOEFL Writing Question Types
The TOEFL writing section includes two categories:
Integrated Writing Task: Similar to the speaking task, this task requires candidates to carefully read a passage, listen to a brief lecture, and then provide a response based on the information from both sources.
Independent Writing Task: Similarly to the speaking task, candidates are required to present their own ideas, opinions, and experiences through written responses.
