What is TOEFL Listening Test: Tips and Types of Questions

TOEFL is also known as the Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is a standardised test used to measure non-native speakers’ English language ability. Those who want to study at English-speaking universities must take this exam. The exam consists of multiple rounds, of which the TOEFL listening test is one. The TOEFL listening test is the second section of the TOEFL iBT test.

The TOEFL listening test evaluates your ability to understand spoken English as it is used in academic settings. In this blog, we will talk about the TOEFL listening test, its structure, the types of questions that are asked, and much more. Here is a quick preview of the TOEFL exam. 

Particulars	Details
Name of the Exam	TOEFL iBT listening test
Full Form	Test of English as a Foreign Language
Number of Questions	28-39 questions
Time Duration	41-57 minutes

What is the TOEFL Listening Test?

The TOEFL listening test measures how well you can understand English spoken in conversations and academic settings. It is a key component of the TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test), which is widely used by universities and institutions to assess English proficiency for non-native speakers.

This section of the TOEFL test assesses how well you can comprehend and interpret English conversations and lectures as they might occur in university settings. The test aims to evaluate your ability to follow and understand academic discourse, which includes recognizing key ideas, details, and the overall context of spoken English. Now you have an idea of what is TOEFL listening test. Let’s understand its structure and format further.

TOEFL Listening Test Score Ranges and Calculation

The TOEFL Listening Test is scored on a scale of 0 to 30. There are 28 questions in total, with each question contributing one mark to your score. You can use a TOEFL listening score calculator to convert your raw score to a scaled score. A high score, typically between 22 and 30, indicates advanced proficiency and is often required by top-ranking universities worldwide.

You can check or download your detailed TOEFL score report from the official ETS website. The raw score for the TOEFL Listening section ranges from 0 to 28, and you have 36 minutes to answer the questions. TOEFL now provides an enhanced score report, offering personalized feedback and insights into your performance. This report helps you understand which types of TOEFL listening questions you answered well and which areas need improvement.

TOEFL Listening Test: Structure, Format 

The listening test of the TOEFL iBT test is designed to judge the candidate’s English proficiency in terms of listening to lectures and conversations. Based on this, the aspirant attempts to answer questions. In this test, the candidates are required to listen to a basic comprehension and then connect the information. 

Check out the table below to understand the TOEFL listening test structure.

Standard Listening:

Time	Tasks	Time Required to Answer	Marks	Common Topics
41 minutes	28 questions (3 lectures, 2 conversations)	10 minutes	Out of 30	Academic topics and university subjects: Education, Science, History, Social Sciences, Arts, etc

Experimental Listening:

Time	Tasks	Time Required to Answer	Marks	Common Answers
57 Minutes	39 questions (4 lectures, 3 conversations)	10 minutes	Out of 30	Academic topics and university subjects: Science, Education, Social Sciences, History, Arts, etc

Types of Questions Asked in the TOEFL Listening Test

One should note that in the TOEFL listening test, the questions are given to the candidate via an audio message. In order to answer the questions, the candidates are required to listen to an audio clip and answer the questions that follow. One important thing to remember is that the audio message is played only once. Therefore, the candidate must remember the questions. 

Since no one can remember all the questions, the candidate can always make quick notes of the questions and use them later. Are you worried about the speed of the audio? Well, worry not, as the audio message is played very slowly. This will help the candidate grasp the information very quickly. 

Here are some of the types of questions that are asked in a TOEFL listening test:

• Summary-based questions: In this type of question, the candidate is asked to summarise what they have heard in the audio clip. Here, the exam taker is required to identify the main topic. Questions like ‘What was the audio clip about’?, and ‘What was the gist of this audio clip’? can be asked.
• Detailed questions: Here the candidate is asked detailed questions so as to test their attention to the details as well as their ability to pick out key facts. 
• Connecting content: Under this question category, the candidate will be required to put together information from different places. One could be asked to fill in the table, the blacks, etc. 
• Inference: In this, one is asked to identify the meaning of the sentence or even specific phrases. 

TOEFL Listening Score Calculation

The TOEFL Listening section consists of 28 questions. Scoring is done by converting raw scores to scaled scores, with no penalties for incorrect answers. The formula for converting raw scores to scaled scores is (RAW/28) * 30 = SCALED. The following table illustrates how raw scores translate into TOEFL iBT Listening scores:

Raw Score	TOEFL iBT Listening Score
28	30
27	29-30
26	27-30
25	25-30
24	24-29
23	23-27
22	22-26
21	21-25
20	19-24
19	18-23
18	17-21
17	16-20
16	14-19
15	13-18
14	12-17
13	10-15
12	9-14
11	7-13
10	6-12
9	5-10
8	3-9
7	2-7
6	1-6
5	1-4
4	0-2
3	0-1
2	0
1	–

TOEFL Listening Score Conversion to Percentiles

Percentiles help you gauge your performance compared to other test-takers. Here’s how TOEFL Listening scores convert to percentiles:

TOEFL Listening Score	Percentile
30	96
29	91
28	86
27	80
26	75
25	69
24	64
23	58
22	53
21	47
20	42
19	37
18	32
17	28
16	24
15	21

Most universities require a TOEFL Listening percentile of 80 or higher. To gain admission to top U.S. colleges, aim for a score of 27 or above.

Average TOEFL Listening Score

The average TOEFL Listening score, as reported by ETS, is 22. This score is accepted by many top-ranked universities around the world. Preparing effectively with expert guidance can help you achieve a higher score.

Preparation Tips for the TOEFL Listening Test

In order to ace the TOEFL listening test, it is required for the candidate to have a proper plan. It is very important for the student to have some strategies in place to pass this round. Here are some basic tips and tricks that will help the candidate ace the round:

• Focus on key points: When preparing for the listening test, it is very important to focus on only relevant information. Doing so will help the candidate solve the questions more easily. 
• Understand the question: It is very important to understand the type of question. With this, the candidate will have a basic understanding of what to focus on. 
• Increase your vocabulary: In order to understand the context of the conversation happening in the audio clip, one should have a strong vocabulary. Be sure to learn a lot of phrasal verbs and idioms. 
• Take several practice tests. Lastly, don’t forget to take as many practice tests as you can. This will help you prepare for the final day. 

Hopefully, these tips will help you ace your TOEFL listening test. 

FAQs on TOEFL listening test

We hope this blog has provided you with all the necessary information about how to take the TOEFL listening test. It talked about the types of listening tests, how to prepare for them, and much more.

For more such informative blogs, do check out our TOEFL page. You can also build a plan with Leverage Edu‘s Leverage Live classes and our top trainers and strengthen your English score as well as your application so that you can secure your spot at your dream college.