Retired task, sourced
The TOEFL Independent Writing essay is retired. Here is what replaced it.
If you are practicing for a TOEFL Independent Writing essay — a standalone argumentative essay on a given topic, with no reading or listening tied to it — that task is no longer on the TOEFL iBT. As of January 21, 2026, ETS replaced it with two shorter, functional writing tasks.
What ETS states
- As of January 21, 2026, the TOEFL iBT Writing section consists of three task types: Build a Sentence, Write an Email, and Write for an Academic Discussion — none of them a sustained, multi-paragraph essay. ETS: TOEFL iBT Test Content, accessed August 6, 2026.
What replaced it
Reach120 interprets — our read connecting the retired task to the current 2026 format, built on the sourced fact above, never an ETS statement.
Reach120 interprets — ETS's current materials do not publish a task-by-task mapping from the old format to the new one. Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion are the two tasks that now carry sustained writing on the exam, and both are shorter, register-specific tasks rather than the single long-form argumentative essay Independent Writing asked for. That correspondence is our read of the change, not an ETS statement.
Frequently asked
Is the TOEFL Independent Writing essay still on the test?
No. As of January 21, 2026, the TOEFL iBT Writing section no longer includes a standalone argumentative essay task. It was replaced by two shorter tasks: Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion.
What replaced the TOEFL Independent Writing essay?
ETS does not publish a direct replacement mapping. Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion are the two current tasks that carry sustained writing on the 2026 exam — that is Reach120's read of the change, not an ETS statement.
Do I still need to write a full essay for the TOEFL Writing section?
No task on the current TOEFL iBT asks for a multi-paragraph argumentative essay. Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion are both shorter, register-specific writing tasks — see the guides linked above for what each one actually asks.