Free TOEFL Practice Test 6 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
Building Toward the Sky
History And Engineering · Level 3 · 181 words · 5 questions
1. What can be inferred about buildings before steel framing?
- A.They could rise indefinitely with thin glass walls.
- B.They had no lower walls at all.
- C.They relied on elevators to carry their weight.
- D.Their maximum height was constrained by how much weight the walls could bear.Answer
Why D (Their maximum height was constrained by how much weight the walls could bear.) is the answer: The passage says walls carried the weight and grew impractically massive, limiting height.
- A. Thin glass walls came only after steel framing.
- B. Older buildings depended heavily on their lower walls.
- C. Elevators moved people, not building weight.
2. The word "impractical" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to
- A.beautiful
- B.expensive
- C.temporary
- D.unworkableAnswer
Why D (unworkable) is the answer: Massive base walls made adding floors unworkable, so 'impractical' means unworkable.
- A. Appearance is unrelated to the meaning.
- B. Cost is not the sense stressed; feasibility is.
- C. Duration is not what impractical means here.
3. What is the main idea of the passage?
- A.Elevators were invented before any tall buildings existed.
- B.Steel framing and the safety elevator allowed buildings to rise far higher and reshaped cities.Answer
- C.Thick stone walls are the best way to build tall structures.
- D.Cities became less crowded once towers appeared.
Why B (Steel framing and the safety elevator allowed buildings to rise far higher and reshaped cities.) is the answer: The passage credits steel skeletons and safe elevators with removing the height ceiling and transforming cities.
- A. The passage links elevators to reaching the new upper floors, not to preceding all tall buildings.
- C. Thick walls limited height, which the new methods overcame.
- D. Towers packed more activity onto downtown land, increasing density.
4. Look at the four markers [A], [B], [C], and [D] in paragraph 2. Where would the following sentence best fit? "With the frame doing the work, walls no longer had to grow thicker toward the ground."
- A.[C]
- B.[B]Answer
- C.[A]
- D.[D]
Why B ([B]) is the answer: The sentence follows the introduction of the steel frame and sets up the point that walls became thin, fitting at [B].
- A. At [C] the discussion has moved to elevators, breaking the topic.
- C. At [A] the frame has not yet been introduced, so 'the frame' has no referent.
- D. At [D] the elevator point is complete; the wall idea would be out of place.
5. According to paragraph 2, what allowed exterior walls to become thin?
- A.The building had fewer floors overall.
- B.The walls were made of heavier stone than before.
- C.The elevator supported the weight of the walls.
- D.A steel skeleton bore the building's load instead of the walls.Answer
Why D (A steel skeleton bore the building's load instead of the walls.) is the answer: The passage says the steel frame bore the load, freeing walls to become thin curtains.
- A. The frame allowed more floors, not fewer.
- B. Walls became thin curtains, not heavier stone.
- C. The elevator reached upper floors; it did not carry wall weight.
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
Remember to charge your recorder tonight.
2. 14 words
If the bus arrives early, we can stop for coffee before the review session.
3. 6 words
My advisor answered the email quickly.
4. 6 words
The bookstore restocked our required novel.
5. 10 words
Our seminar discussion moved online while the heating gets repaired.
6. 10 words
The department scheduled makeup labs for anyone who missed Friday.
7. 13 words
If the club cannot secure the auditorium, the meeting moves to the lounge.
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. Study room dispute
Your team reserved a library room, but another group says they booked it too.
What would you do first to solve the problem fairly?
9. Fitness routine
You want to exercise more, and the campus gym is emptiest very early in the morning.
How would you build a workout habit that you could actually keep?
10. Found a wallet
You find a wallet full of cash on a bench outside the library.
What would you do, and why would you handle it that way?
11. Tough feedback
A professor gives you honest, blunt feedback that stings a little but points out real problems.
How would you respond to that kind of feedback, and why?
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 do after work?
- watched
- funny
- a
- I
- does
- movie
- tonight
AnswerI watched a funny movie tonight.
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 you learn today?
- chemical
- the
- carefully
- complex
- being
- studied
- equations
- I
AnswerI carefully studied the complex chemical equations.
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. Relative Clauses
Speaker: What car does he drive?
- car
- he bought
- who
- The
- that
- recently
- runs smoothly
AnswerThe car that he bought recently runs smoothly.
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...
15. Relative Clauses
Speaker: Who manages the project?
- director
- which
- ensures
- The
- oversees
- quality standards
- production
- who
AnswerThe director who oversees production ensures quality standards.
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: What museum did you visit?
- attracted
- worldwide
- gallery
- art enthusiasts
- which
- The gallery
- displayed
- contemporary sculptures
AnswerThe gallery which displayed contemporary sculptures attracted art enthusiasts worldwide.
Relative clause with "which": "Which" introduces a relative clause describing a thing or concept. Place it directly after the noun being described.
Use "which" for things: The item WHICH has a quality...
17. Question Formation
Speaker: I have a complaint.
- customer service
- issues here
- you
- Do
- who
- know
- did
- handles
AnswerDo you know who handles customer service issues here?
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: I need course recommendations.
- indicated which
- course
- your advisor
- most beneficial
- research methodology
- Has
- indicated
- is
AnswerHas your advisor indicated which research methodology course is most beneficial?
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: What if we are wrong?
- our original
- always
- reconsider
- must
- could
- We
- approach
- later
AnswerWe could always reconsider our original approach later.
Modal verb: could + base verb: "Could" expresses possibility or suggestion. Like all modals, it takes the base verb form. Adverbs go between modal and main verb.
could + base verb: We could VISIT (not "could to visit").
20. Modal Verbs
Speaker: I want to reduce waste.
- consistently recycling
- all materials
- significantly
- You could
- decrease
- by
- household waste
- could
AnswerYou could significantly decrease household waste by consistently recycling all materials.
Modal verb: could + base verb: "Could" expresses possibility or suggestion. Like all modals, it takes the base verb form. Adverbs go between modal and main verb.
could + base verb: We could VISIT (not "could to visit").
21. Perfect Tenses
Speaker: What has changed?
- recently
- significantly
- has
- requirements
- have
- its admission
- updated
- The university
AnswerThe university has recently updated its admission requirements significantly.
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. Request
You are Alex Chen, a graduate student at Crestwood University. You recently signed a one-year lease for an apartment located at 125 Maple Avenue, and the lease began on September 1st. You are considering adopting a small dog from the local shelter and would like to ensure it's allowed according to the lease agreement. Although the lease doesn't explicitly mention pets, you want to seek permission from your landlord, Mr. Robert Lee, in advance. You have also been attending weekly dog training classes to prepare for your new pet.
- Writing to
- Professor
- Subject
- Request for Pet Permission
What your reply must cover
- Explain why you want to adopt a dog and how it will fit into your lifestyle.
- Reassure your landlord about your commitment to maintaining the apartment's cleanliness.
- Inquire if there are any specific requirements or additional fees related to having a pet.
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: Do you believe that online learning is as effective as traditional classroom learning? Why or why not?
Online learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge through digital platforms, where students can access courses and educational materials via the internet. This mode of learning has gained popularity due to its flexibility and accessibility, making education more attainable for people regardless of their location. However, it also raises questions about the effectiveness of online versus traditional in-person education.
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.