Editor’s Note: This is a contributed article submitted by Study.com. The views and recommendations expressed are those of the contributor and are intended for educational purposes.
Online TOEFL study plans abound. However, before delving into which one suits you best, it’s worth pausing and noting that most TOEFL preparation strategies are now outdated.
The updated TOEFL exam, which came into effect on January 21, 2026, is significantly different from the language test’s earlier iteration. Two of the four sections now dynamically adjust questions depending on your performance; there are new task types, and even the score report looks different. Essentially, a plan built for the older TOEFL could have you practicing outdated and sometimes irrelevant tasks and pacing against the wrong time frames.
In addition to taking the updated exam into account, first-time TOEFL test takers should remember that an effective preparation strategy consists of a step-by-step approach rather than generic “study harder” advice. The timeline below allows you to understand the updated exam’s format, pinpoint weak areas, establish a target score, and then work towards bridging the gap between your current level and your target within the preparation period.
What Changed in the TOEFL in 2026?
How Long Is the New TOEFL Test?
In total, the updated test takes about 90 minutes to complete, making it shorter than the earlier iteration. First-time test takers should start by understanding the structure of the exam. The four sections are to be attempted in a fixed order, with no scheduled breaks in between. The table below shows you the approximate time per section as well as the number and type of tasks to be expected.
| Section | Approximate Time | Items | Tasks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 30 minutes | 50 |
Complete the Words Read in Daily Life Read an Academic Passage |
| Listening | 29 minutes | 47 |
Listen and Choose a Response Conversations Announcements Academic Talks |
| Writing | 23 minutes | 12 |
Build a Sentence Write an Email Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Speaking | 8 minutes | 11 |
Listen and Repeat Take an Interview |
There are two other changes that are worth considering when formulating your TOEFL preparation strategy.
Is the TOEFL Adaptive Now?
- Reading and Listening sections are taken in stages, and your performance in the first stage influences the difficulty of the questions you receive in the second stage.
- Therefore, getting the first few questions right helps increase your chances of potentially getting a higher score.
- Conversely, getting the initial questions wrong can narrow the score range available to you further on.
- There are also new task types in both sections, like Complete the Word in the reading section.
- The listening section now also focuses on everyday conversations.
How Does the New TOEFL 1 to 6 Scoring Work?
- Each section is now scored between 1.0 and 6.0, with marks awarded in 0.5 point increments.
- The total score is the average of the four band scores of each section.
- These new TOEFL score bands also line up with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scoring system, making them easy to transfer and use in multiple countries.
More details on the changes to the TOEFL as well as how the new score report lines up to other grading systems can be found in ETS’s own announcement of the 2026 redesign.
How to Set a Target TOEFL Score for Your University
Once you are versed with how the scoring works, it’s time to set a target. Universities have varying TOEFL score requirements, so set your target according to the university on your list with the highest score requirements. Note that a university’s page could still post requirements according to the old TOEFL scorecard, in which case you should first convert the score to the updated band system and then set your target.
Are Old TOEFL Practice Materials Still Useful?
Be wary of TOEFL practice material that you find online, since it could be based on the old exam format. Since the change in TOEFL is relatively recent, a majority of the material to be found could be outdated.
What Is the Best TOEFL Test Prep?
When choosing TOEFL preparation materials, look for resources that reflect the current exam format, include realistic practice questions, and provide clear explanations of answers. Official practice materials and well-designed preparation courses can help you understand the question types and assess your progress before test day. Consider reading through a step-by-step 2026 prep checklist before you commit to a schedule.
A 10-Week TOEFL Study Plan for First-Time Test Takers
How Many Hours a Week Should You Study for the TOEFL?
Consistent preparation over two or three months with three to five hours per week often results in better outcomes than a few weekends’ worth of intense preparation. When building a timeline, it’s important to accurately judge how much time you can take out in a week for preparation. Be realistic, and take into consideration your responsibilities and circumstances.
While the example below takes 10 weeks as the preparation timeline, the same preparation stages can be modified to fit the amount of time you have leading up to your TOEFL attempt.
| Weeks | Focus | What you actually do |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Baseline and diagnosis | One full-length timed test, followed by an analysis to help pinpoint where more prep focus is required. |
| 3–8 | Section-by-section skill building | Your two weakest sections get most of the time; the others get maintenance |
| 9–10 | Full-length timed practice | Two complete tests under real conditions, then slow down and rest up for the actual exam. |
Swipe horizontally to view the complete table on smaller screens.
Weeks 1–2: Take a Practice Test and Find Your Weak Areas
Even before making your preparation schedule, take a practice test to gauge where you stand — essentially, the gap between your current state of preparation and where you need to reach in order to achieve your target score. This practice test should be taken cold, without preparation. Here, post-test analysis is what’s more important, as it helps you find those crucial weak spots that you need to focus your preparation on.
Therefore, in the first two weeks, focus on which sections you score well in and which ones you don’t. Try to figure out where you’re losing points:
- Is it from not knowing the answer, or is it from misreading the question?
- Are you able to finish the test in the stipulated time?
- What are your most repeated mistakes in practice tests?
Compile all your observations, and at the end of this first preparation stage, you will have a clear picture of exactly what your weakest sections are and what types of tasks you need to practice most.
Remember: The initial diagnosing stage is crucial for your TOEFL preparation. The gap between your score in the first practice test and your target score is the gap your preparation needs to fill.
Weeks 3–8: Build the Weak Sections
This second stage is where you start honing your skills and working on the sections that need the most attention. At the same time, maintain and get better at your strong suits. Essentially, your preparation schedule should be focused on filling the score gap to your target, whether it is half a band, a full band, or more.
Suppose your preparation schedule calls for three practice sessions a week:
- Two sessions per week can be earmarked for working on your weakest section.
- The remaining session can be used to work on your second weakest section as well as on maintaining your strengths by practicing tasks from stronger sections.
- It’s best to finish study sessions by redoing the tasks in which you made mistakes.
Halfway through the second stage, from week 3 onwards, start occasionally taking complete practice tests within the stipulated time limit and in test-taking conditions (i.e., without any scheduled breaks). Compare the section-wise scores to what you achieved in your initial practice test. This lets you gauge whether your study strategies are effective, or whether you need to try something else.
Remember: The second stage is about focusing on strengthening your weakest sections and gauging the efficacy of your study strategy by undertaking practice tests.
Weeks 9–10: What to Do in the Last Two Weeks Before the TOEFL
The final stage of preparation is becoming completely comfortable taking the TOEFL in a testing environment. Take a practice test once or twice a week as you would on exam day. Keep preparation light between tests, and focus mainly on the tasks and sections which still have the highest concentration of mistakes. You are now working on conserving energy for test day and focusing on pacing and stamina for the exam.
Remember: Your preparation heavy lifting should be done in stage 2. This final stage should be kept relatively light so that you are sharp and energetic for the exam instead of being exhausted. Focus on getting comfortable with test conditions and going over your error log to minimize repeating mistakes.
A 6-Week TOEFL Study Schedule
The study plan timeline can be compressed or expanded to fit the amount of time you have till test day. Suppose you have six weeks:
- Stage 1 (1 week): Compress the first stage to 1 week by quickly taking a practice test and establishing your baseline as well as weak areas to focus on.
- Stage 2 (3 to 4 weeks): Spend the next three to four weeks on the second stage, working on strengthening your most mistake-prone sections.
- Stage 3 (1 week): Spend a week on the final stage with practice tests and light revision.
How to Get Feedback on TOEFL Speaking and Writing Without a Tutor
TOEFL’s reading and listening sections are easier to practice, since they are scored automatically and you instantly know whether you got a question right or wrong. Here, practicing the different formats of questions ensures you have a strategy to tackle whatever the reading and listening sections throw at you on exam day.
Measuring your performance in speaking and writing sections in the absence of a tutor or someone to grade your answers is slightly more complicated. However, there are ways to do it.
How to Practice TOEFL Speaking Without a Tutor
Speaking section tasks, of which there are two on the exam, are relatively short. The tasks reward attention, focus, and the ability to speak fluently under test-taking pressure.
- Record your responses and listen back to them the next day.
- When listening to your responses, look for and negatively mark:
- Filler words
- Pauses longer than two seconds
- Incomplete sentences
How to Grade Your Own TOEFL Writing
- Use the rubric that is specifically used to grade the TOEFL writing section.
- Grade yourself honestly for each aspect the rubric assigns points to.
- Again, it is best to grade your responses the next day so that your mind gets some distance from the test.
- Grade yourself down if the tone of your response doesn’t match what the task requires.
Here, too, fluency, focus, and attention under pressure are tested. It’s also important to pay attention to tone, and grade yourself down if the tone of your response doesn’t match what the task requires. An essay and a formal email have decidedly different tones, and your response should reflect that.
How to Improve Your TOEFL Vocabulary
Vocabulary is a key factor in all sections of the TOEFL, and building it gradually and consistently over your preparation period is the best way to ensure you retain it. Repeatedly practicing words can help you recall them under test-taking conditions, so try to incorporate a simple daily habit for building vocabulary that you can sustain across multiple months leading up to the exam.
How Should You Start Preparing for the TOEFL?
First-time test takers should remember that effective TOEFL preparation depends on practicing your weakest sections. Scoring low on a single section can bring down your total score, so making sure you tackle your most problematic areas is more important than practicing more of what you are already good at. The first diagnostic practice test is crucial. It helps you formulate your study plan by pinpointing what areas you need to prioritize. This subsequently helps you divide your preparation time more effectively.
Pay attention to width and depth when it comes to question formats in each section. Make sure to practice all question formats, and repeat each question format multiple times, especially the ones you are more prone to make mistakes in. This ensures there are no surprises on test day. Having practiced them beforehand also helps tackle questions under test-day time pressure.
As a first step in preparing for the TOEFL, start by doing a timed practice test to establish your baseline. Follow that up with an analysis of where you made mistakes and what areas need the most improvement. These findings should then underpin your TOEFL study plan.
Another article from the author → What Is the TOEFL Exam? A Beginner’s Guide for English Learners Planning to Study Abroad
