The TOEFL® Reading section assesses your reading comprehension skills and vocabulary knowledge. To help you prepare for this section of the TOEFL, this page contains everything you need to know, including what topics are covered and how many questions there are.
Click “Start Test” above to take a free TOEFL Reading practice test!
What’s on the Test?
The Reading section measures how well you understand written English. You’ll answer a total of 50 questions within a 30-minute time limit. These questions are spread across several different task formats.
Complete the Words
In this task type, you’ll demonstrate your ability to understand both the meaning and structure of a paragraph (70–100 words). The opening sentence is provided in full, while the remaining sentences contain 10 words with missing letters. Your goal is to correctly complete each of those partially written words based on context.
The missing words were: might, that, people, only, basic, However, is, from, record, dancing.
Read in Daily Life
These questions are based on short, non-academic texts you might see in everyday situations, such as emails, menus, receipts, or notices. Each passage ranges from about 15 to 150 words. After reading the text, you’ll answer several multiple-choice questions that test practical reading comprehension.
The notice discusses enrolling in paperless billing statements and accessing an account through a mobile app, which is typical of a utility service provider.
Read an Academic Passage
For this task, you’ll read brief informational passages, each about 200 words long, and answer five questions related to the content. The passages cover academic subjects such as science, history, economics, and art, and the questions focus on understanding key ideas and supporting details.
The passage focuses on scientists studying self-recognition in animals using the mirror test. It explains how researchers tested apes, then discovered that elephants, dolphins, and even cleaner fish show signs of self-awareness. The main idea is about scientific research into the self-awareness of animals.
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FAQs
Q
How many questions are in the TOEFL Reading section?
A
There are 30-40 multiple-choice questions in this section.
Q
How long is the TOEFL Reading section?
A
The time limit for this section is 54-72 minutes.
Q
What is a passing score for the TOEFL Reading section?
A
There is no set passing score for this section. The school of your choice will determine what it accepts as a passing score.
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