Frequently Asked Questions

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Yes! I offer one-on-one tutoring sessions via Zoom:

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Recommendation: We strongly encourage using a PC or laptop for practice to simulate actual TOEFL® testing conditions. This helps you get comfortable with the real test environment.

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Since the new TOEFL® iBT 2026 launches on January 21, 2026, we don't yet have official results from students. However, I have extensive experience with the previous TOEFL® format and have personally scored 109, 114, and 118 on the test. I've also helped hundreds of students achieve their target scores over 10+ years of teaching.

Our platform is specifically designed for the new 2026 format with up-to-date materials and strategies.

The enhanced TOEFL® iBT launching January 21, 2026 includes major improvements:

• Shorter test: About 2 hours (down from 3+ hours)
• New task types: More realistic academic and campus life scenarios
• Modern content: Includes emails, online discussions, and social interactions
• Adaptive testing: Reading and Listening sections adjust to your ability
• New scoring: Band scores from 1-6 (instead of 0-120), mapping to CEFR levels
• Better audio: All test centers worldwide getting upgraded headphones

The entire test takes approximately 2 hours to complete, including time for adjusting audio volume and reading instructions. Here's the breakdown:

• Reading: Up to 30 minutes (up to 50 questions)
• Listening: Up to 29 minutes (up to 47 questions)
• Writing: Up to 23 minutes (up to 12 questions)
• Speaking: Up to 8 minutes (up to 11 questions)

The time varies slightly because Reading and Listening include adaptive pretesting questions.

All test takers will complete the sections in this order:

1. Reading → 2. Listening → 3. Writing → 4. Speaking

This is different from the previous format where section order could vary.

The TOEFL® now includes more practical, real-world academic tasks:

Reading: Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage

Listening: Listen and Choose a Response, Listen to a Conversation, Listen to an Announcement, Listen to an Academic Talk

Writing: Build a Sentence, Write an Email, Write for an Academic Discussion

Speaking: Listen and Repeat, Take an Interview

The Reading and Listening sections are now adaptive, meaning:

• You complete a first module of questions
• Based on your performance, the test adapts and gives you a second module matched to your ability level
• You cannot go back to the first module once you start the second
• Your final score considers both modules and question difficulty

This ensures everyone gets a fair assessment at their true proficiency level.

Scores are now reported as band scores from 1 to 6 in 0.5 increments for each section and overall. These scores map directly to CEFR levels:

• C2 (Proficient): 6
• C1 (Advanced): 5-5.5
• B2 (Upper-Intermediate): 4-4.5
• B1 (Intermediate): 3-3.5
• A2 (Elementary): 2-2.5
• A1 (Beginner): 1-1.5

Note: For two years after January 21, 2026, score reports will also show comparable 0-120 scale scores to help with the transition.

Yes! Notetaking is still allowed:

Test Centers: You'll receive scratch paper and pencils (you cannot bring your own)

Home Edition: You must use an erasable marker on a whiteboard or a sheet inside a transparent protector

No. All test takers will encounter some pretest questions embedded in either Reading or Listening. These questions are unscored and used only for research purposes. You won't know which questions are pretest items.

Additionally, because of adaptive testing, different test takers may receive different second modules based on their first-module performance.

ETS provides official materials at www.ets.org/toefl, including:

• Sample questions and full-length practice tests
• Speaking and Writing scoring guides
• Performance descriptors for the 1-6 scale
• Test registration and scheduling

For test prep questions, you can email ETS at toefltestprep@ets.org