Free TOEFL Practice Test 1 with Answers (2026 Format)
Work through the four sections in order, then mark yourself against the keys below them. The open responses — Email, Discussion and Take an Interview — have no key, because a 0–5 rubric answer does not have one; take those to the scored practice.
Section 1 — Reading
Approved Reading material, published with its questions, keyed answers and the reason each option was written.
Passage 1
Caring for Objects in a Museum
Art Conservation · Level 4 · 86 words · 10 questions
1. Complete the partially missing word not____.
- A.notions
- B.notches
- C.notaries
- D.notesAnswer
Why D (notes) is the answer: 'recorded in detailed notes' fits keeping a written history of care.
- A. 'notions' means vague ideas and does not fit 'detailed' records.
- B. 'notches' are cut grooves and do not mean written records.
- C. 'notaries' are officials and are unrelated to records.
2. Complete the partially missing word deter____.
- A.deter
- B.detergent
- C.determine
- D.deteriorateAnswer
Why D (deteriorate) is the answer: 'can deteriorate ancient paint' means to make it worse over time.
- A. 'deter' means to discourage and does not take 'paint' as an object of decay.
- B. 'detergent' is a noun for a cleaner and cannot be this verb.
- C. 'determine' means to decide and does not fit damaging paint.
3. Complete the partially missing word appr____.
- A.apprentice
- B.appreciateAnswer
- C.apprehend
- D.approach
Why B (appreciate) is the answer: 'to appreciate for generations' fits scholars and visitors valuing the artifacts.
- A. 'apprentice' is a noun for a trainee and cannot follow 'to' as this verb.
- C. 'apprehend' means to arrest or grasp and does not fit enjoying art.
- D. 'approach' means to come near and misses the sense of valuing.
4. Complete the partially missing word care____.
- A.carefullyAnswer
- B.careless
- C.careful
- D.carefulness
Why A (carefully) is the answer: The adverb 'carefully' modifies 'studies', describing how the piece is examined.
- B. 'careless' means without care and reverses the meaning.
- C. 'careful' is an adjective and cannot modify the verb 'studies'.
- D. 'carefulness' is a noun and is ungrammatical after the verb.
5. Complete the partially missing word rever____.
- A.reversibleAnswer
- B.reversing
- C.reverence
- D.reversal
Why A (reversible) is the answer: 'must be reversible' means the repair can be undone, matching the next clause.
- B. 'reversing' is a participle and does not fit as a predicate adjective here.
- C. 'reverence' means deep respect and is unrelated.
- D. 'reversal' is a noun and does not fit after 'must be'.
6. Complete the partially missing word appe____.
- A.appeal
- B.appease
- C.append
- D.appearAnswer
Why D (appear) is the answer: 'if better methods appear' means become available in the future.
- A. 'appeal' means to plead and does not fit 'better methods'.
- B. 'appease' means to calm and is unrelated to methods emerging.
- C. 'append' means to attach and does not fit the sentence.
7. Complete the partially missing word sur____.
- A.surge
- B.surname
- C.surplus
- D.surfaceAnswer
Why D (surface) is the answer: 'see beneath the surface' fits using X-rays to look under the top layer.
- A. 'surge' means a sudden rise and does not fit 'beneath the'.
- B. 'surname' means a family name and is unrelated.
- C. 'surplus' means an excess and does not fit 'beneath the'.
8. Complete the partially missing word stab____.
- A.stabilizer
- B.stable
- C.stability
- D.stabilizeAnswer
Why D (stabilize) is the answer: 'to stabilize an object' takes the base verb after 'to'.
- A. 'stabilizer' is a noun and cannot serve as the infinitive verb.
- B. 'stable' is an adjective and is ungrammatical after 'to'.
- C. 'stability' is a noun and cannot follow 'to' as a verb.
9. Complete the partially missing word ava____.
- A.avail
- B.availability
- C.avalanche
- D.availableAnswer
Why D (available) is the answer: 'remain available' uses the predicate adjective after 'remain'.
- A. 'avail' is a verb and does not fit after 'remain' as a predicate.
- B. 'availability' is a noun and cannot follow 'remain' here.
- C. 'avalanche' is a snow slide and is unrelated.
10. Complete the partially missing word fra____.
- A.fraction
- B.fragment
- C.fragrant
- D.fragileAnswer
Why D (fragile) is the answer: 'fragile objects' fits things easily damaged that conservators protect.
- A. 'fraction' means a part and cannot describe objects here.
- B. 'fragment' is a noun for a broken piece and does not fit before 'objects' as a describer.
- C. 'fragrant' means sweet-smelling and is unrelated to damage.
Section 2 — Listening
Audio you can play here, the full transcript, and the questions with their keys — the transcript is printed open rather than folded away.
This test carries no printed recording: the sample library has none left to publish at this number, and reprinting another test's material here would put the same recording on two pages. Sit this section in the free Listening section, which is free, uncapped and adaptive — closer to the real thing than a printed form could be.
Section 3 — Speaking
Seven Listen and Repeat sentences and four Take an Interview prompts, cut to the item counts the 2026 specification lists. Record your answers in the scored Speaking practice to get a band.
Listen and Repeat — 7 items
You hear each sentence once and say it back. The target text is what the recording says, so printing it withholds nothing.
1. 6 words
Please submit the lab form today.
2. 9 words
Please keep your response natural even if you pause.
3. 6 words
Turn in your permission slip early.
4. 6 words
The debate team travels this weekend.
5. 10 words
The gym coordinator canceled evening classes during the maintenance week.
6. 10 words
Please charge the shared tablets before returning them each night.
7. 13 words
When advising appointments overlap, students should reschedule using the calendar link they received.
Take an Interview — 4 items
An interviewer sets a situation and asks a question; you answer aloud. Open responses, so there is no key — the eight items reserved for the scored mock are excluded from this bank.
8. Choosing courses
Your academic advisor says two classes you want meet at the same time.
How would you choose between them for this semester, and why?
9. Cafe job offer
A campus cafe offers you early-morning shifts before your first class three days a week.
Would you take the job, and how would you keep it from hurting your studies?
10. Recycling program
The student council proposes putting more recycling bins across campus, funded by a small fee.
Would you support that proposal, and why?
11. Note-taking method
Some classmates take notes by hand, while others type everything on a laptop.
Which method do you prefer, and why does it work for you?
Section 4 — Writing
Ten keyed Build a Sentence items, one Write an Email prompt and one Academic Discussion board — the twelve items the Writing section lists.
Build a Sentence — 10 items
Arrange the given words into the sentence that answers the speaker. The keyed answer and the grammar rule behind it are printed under each item.
12. Basic SVO
Speaker: What did you have for lunch today?
- today
- delicious
- had
- I
- a
- were
- sandwich
AnswerI had a delicious sandwich today.
Simple past tense SVO: English past tense statements follow Subject + past-tense verb + Object order. The verb changes form to show the action happened before now.
Pattern: Subject + V-ed/irregular past + Object.
13. Basic SVO
Speaker: What did the children do?
- happily
- in
- played
- the
- sunny
- backyard
- They
- does
AnswerThey happily played in the sunny backyard.
SVO with adverbial modifiers: When adverbs modify the verb, they typically come before the main verb or after the object. Manner adverbs often follow the object.
Subject + adverb + Verb + Object, or Subject + Verb + Object + adverb.
14. Basic SVO
Speaker: How did the project end?
- the satisfied client
- finished
- delivered
- proudly
- to
- product
- the
- We proudly
AnswerWe proudly delivered the finished product to the satisfied client.
Complex SVO with multiple modifiers: With multiple modifiers, adjectives precede nouns, adverbs go near verbs, and prepositional phrases come at the end of the clause.
Build outward: Subject + Verb + Object, then add modifiers around each part.
15. Relative Clauses
Speaker: Who is your doctor?
- which
- recommended
- examined
- further testing
- me
- who
- The
- specialist
AnswerThe specialist who examined me recommended further testing.
Relative clause with "who": "Who" introduces a relative clause describing a person. The clause comes immediately after the noun it modifies and contains its own verb.
Use "who" for people: The person WHO does something...
16. Relative Clauses
Speaker: Which system is most reliable?
- processes data
- without significant errors
- that
- The network
- transactions
- network
- millions of
- handles
AnswerThe network that handles millions of transactions processes data without significant errors.
Relative clause with "that": "That" introduces a defining relative clause for people or things. It identifies which specific noun is being discussed.
Use "that" to identify: The one THAT matches the description...
17. Question Formation
Speaker: The system changed.
- the new
- does
- software
- Did
- works
- explain
- anyone
- how
AnswerDid anyone explain how the new software works?
Embedded question word order: In embedded questions, use statement word order after the question word. The subject comes before the verb, not after it.
Do you know WHERE she IS? (not "where is she")
18. Question Formation
Speaker: The results were unexpected.
- explain why
- differed
- from predictions
- Did
- the experimental
- explain
- the researchers
- results
AnswerDid the researchers explain why the experimental results differed from predictions?
Embedded question word order: In embedded questions, use statement word order after the question word. The subject comes before the verb, not after it.
Do you know WHERE she IS? (not "where is she")
19. Modal Verbs
Speaker: I am not sure what to do.
- consider
- all available
- would
- should
- first
- carefully
- You
- options
AnswerYou should carefully consider all available options first.
Modal verb: should + base verb: "Should" expresses advice or recommendation and is followed by the base form of the verb, never past tense or infinitive with "to."
should + base verb: You should STUDY (not "should studied").
20. Modal Verbs
Speaker: The team is underperforming.
- immediately
- address
- productivity
- issues
- the underlying
- They must
- must
- affecting performance
AnswerThey must immediately address the underlying productivity issues affecting performance.
Modal verb: must + base verb: "Must" expresses strong obligation or necessity. It is followed directly by the base form of the verb.
must + base verb: You must FINISH (not "must to finish").
21. Perfect Tenses
Speaker: Is the food ready?
- have
- dinner
- tonight
- They
- a wonderful
- prepared
- has
AnswerThey have prepared a wonderful dinner tonight.
Present perfect: have/has + past participle: Present perfect connects past actions to the present. Use "have" (I/you/we/they) or "has" (he/she/it) + past participle.
have/has + V-ed/irregular: I have FINISHED, She has GONE.
Write an Email — 1 task
An open response scored on a 0–5 rubric. There is no answer key to print, so the prompt is published complete, with the requirement list it carries.
22. Inquiry
You are Alex Smith, a graduate student at Greenfield University, currently living in an apartment at 123 Maple Street. Your lease is set to expire on June 30, 2023, and you are interested in renewing it for another year. You have been living there since July 2022 and have enjoyed the location due to its proximity to campus and local amenities. However, you are concerned about potential rent increases and would like to discuss this before making a decision.
- Writing to
- Service Provider
- Subject
- Lease Renewal Inquiry
What your reply must cover
- Inquire about the possibility of renewing the lease for another year
- Ask if there will be any changes to the current rent amount
- Request information on any updates or maintenance that may be scheduled for the upcoming year
Write for an Academic Discussion — 1 task
Also a 0–5 open response. The professor’s question is published in full, with the classmates’ posts wherever the bank records who said what.
23. Online Learning
Professor: What do you think? Does online learning provide a better educational experience compared to traditional classroom learning? Why or why not?
Online learning refers to an educational approach where courses are delivered via the internet. This can range from full degree programs to supplemental courses, providing flexibility for students in terms of location and schedule. However, this mode of learning poses challenges such as reduced face-to-face interaction and the need for self-discipline.
How to sit one of these
- 1Set a timer before you look at anything. The estimated whole-test time is in the blueprint below; a set you pause halfway through measures your reading speed, not your test readiness.
- 2Work top to bottom, section by section, without scrolling ahead to the answers.
- 3Only then read the keys and the rationales. On Build a Sentence and the Reading and Listening items, the key tells you whether you were right; the rationale tells you why the other options were written.
- 4The open responses — Write an Email, Academic Discussion, Take an Interview — have no key, because a 0–5 rubric response does not have one. Write or record yours, then take it to the scored practice to get a band and line-level feedback.
The 2026 blueprint each test is cut to
A numbered test here is not an arbitrary pile of questions. The Writing and Speaking sets are cut to the item counts the 2026 specification publishes, so the pacing you practise is the pacing the section actually has.
| Section | What the specification lists | What one numbered test carries |
|---|---|---|
| Reading | 50 items, 35 raw points, two-stage adaptive | One approved passage with its questions and keys, where the sample catalog has one — otherwise the free Reading section |
| Listening | 47 items, 35 raw points, two-stage adaptive | One approved recording with audio, full transcript, questions and keys, where the catalog has one |
| Speaking | 11 items — 7 Listen and Repeat, 4 Take an Interview | 7 Listen and Repeat sentences and 4 Take an Interview prompts |
| Writing | 12 items — 10 Build a Sentence, 1 Email, 1 Discussion | 10 keyed Build a Sentence items, one Email prompt, one Discussion board |
What ETS states
The 2026 specification lists 120 total items, 145 total raw points, and an estimated total test time between 1 hour 23 minutes and 1 hour 29 minutes.
The times are estimated and the blueprint is subject to minor revisions until the official launch. The 120-item total includes non-scored Reading and Listening items, so it is not the number of scored points.
The current Writing section lists 12 items: 10 Build a Sentence items, one Write an Email task, and one Academic Discussion task.
The 2026 specification lists the Speaking section at 11 items and 55 raw points, with task types Listen and Repeat (7 items) and Take an Interview (4 items).
The specification is subject to minor revision until launch. Speaking carries no non-scored items.
The 2026 Reading and Listening sections use multistage adaptive designs; Speaking and Writing are linear.
That is why the two adaptive sections cannot be reproduced as a fixed printed form — what you get here is approved material from those banks, and the adaptive run itself lives in the free Reading and Listening sections.
Sourced from the ETS 2026 test specifications, read 2026-07-27. Everything outside this box is Reach120’s own reading of it.
What ETS states
The 2026 specification lists the Reading section at 50 items and 35 raw points, with task types Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage.
These are published blueprint values, which the specification states are subject to minor revisions until the official launch. The item count includes non-scored items, so items do not equal raw points — the specification lists a maximum of 1 point per scored item.
The specification lists an estimated Reading time of an 18–21 minute router plus a 9 minute module, in a two-stage router-plus-module adaptive design.
The times are estimated. Reading prints a single 9 minute module for both routes, unlike Listening, which prints two discrete module lengths.
Reading items are machine-scored selected responses, evaluated by rule-based algorithms per the specification’s item-type notes.
Machine-scored is not exclusive to Reading and Listening — Build a Sentence is machine-scored too. This says nothing about how Reach120 scores your practice.
Sourced from the ETS 2026 test specifications, read 2026-07-27. Everything outside this box is Reach120’s own reading of it.
What ETS states
The 2026 specification lists the Listening section at 47 items and 35 raw points, with task types Listen and Choose a Response, Listen to a Conversation, Listen to an Announcement, and Listen to an Academic Talk.
These are published blueprint values, which the specification states are subject to minor revisions until the official launch. The item count includes non-scored items, so items do not equal raw points — the specification lists a maximum of 1 point per scored item.
The specification lists an estimated Listening time of an 18 minute router plus a second-stage module of 7 minutes (lower) or 11 minutes (upper).
The times are estimated, and the two module lengths are discrete listed values — not a sliding 7-to-11-minute range.
Listening items are machine-scored selected responses, evaluated by rule-based algorithms per the specification’s item-type notes.
Machine-scored is not exclusive to Reading and Listening — Build a Sentence is machine-scored too. This says nothing about how Reach120 scores your practice.
Sourced from the ETS 2026 test specifications, read 2026-07-27. Everything outside this box is Reach120’s own reading of it.
What gets scored, and by what
Two different things happen to two different kinds of answer, and it is worth being exact about which is which.
- Selected responses — Build a Sentence, and the Reading and Listening items — are checked against a stored key. That check is deterministic: the same answer gets the same result every time, and no language model is involved in deciding it.
- Open responses — Write an Email, Write for an Academic Discussion, Listen and Repeat, Take an Interview — are scored against the 0–5 rubrics in the scored practice, in the same sitting rather than queued for review. You can check that claim yourself on the free essay check, which scores a response with no account at all.
What ETS states
For TOEFL tests taken on or after January 21, 2026, official score reports use a 1–6 scale in half-band increments.
Per the 2026 specification, the maximum points per Build a Sentence item is 1.
The specification publishes the point allocation and the machine-scored framing. That an arrangement is therefore treated as correct or incorrect rather than graded on a rubric is Reach120’s reading of it, not an ETS statement.
Sourced from the ETS 2026 test specifications, read 2026-08-06. Everything outside this box is Reach120’s own reading of it.
Free TOEFL practice tests: common questions
- Are these TOEFL practice tests really free?
- Yes. Every question, transcript and answer key on these pages is published in the page itself with no account, no email gate and no paywall. A free account is only needed for the scored practice, where your own writing and speaking are graded against the rubrics.
- Is this a full-length TOEFL test?
- The Writing and Speaking sets are cut to the item counts the 2026 specification lists — 12 Writing items and 11 Speaking items. Reading and Listening are two-stage adaptive sections in the 2026 test, so a printed page cannot reproduce them item for item; each test carries approved Reading and Listening material where the sample catalog has it, and the adaptive run itself is in the free Reading and Listening sections.
- Do the questions come with answers?
- Where the task has an answer, yes, and it is printed under the item along with why it is right. Build a Sentence carries a keyed arrangement and the grammar rule behind it; Reading and Listening items carry the key and the reason each distractor was written; Listen and Repeat prints the target sentence. Write an Email, Academic Discussion and Take an Interview are open responses scored on 0–5 rubrics, so there is no key to print and inventing one would misrepresent the task.
- How are these different from the full mock?
- These pages are the reading-and-marking version: fixed, printable, complete with keys. The full mock is the sitting version — it runs the four sections back to back, times you, scores your open responses and reports one combined practice estimate. Most people use both: the numbered tests to learn the item types, the mock to rehearse the day.
- Are these real TOEFL questions?
- These are Reach120 practice items written against the published 2026 blueprint. None of them is a real TOEFL test question, and nothing here is published, licensed, endorsed or reviewed by ETS.
- How is a practice band related to an official score?
- It is not an official score. Since January 21, 2026, official TOEFL score reports use a 1–6 scale in half-band increments; the bands Reach120 reports are practice estimates produced by our own scoring against the published rubrics, and the methodology page states how they are produced and what they are measured against.