How to prepare for the TOEFL iBT® test in 2026

Before you study, take one full practice test under timed conditions. It gives you a band for each of the four sections, so you know where to spend your time. Without it, most people practice what they already do well.

How to get the most from it:

• Take the whole test in one sitting, with headphones or speakers and a microphone, in a quiet room.
• Do not pause to look things up. You want to see your level as it is today.
• Afterwards, write down your band in each section and the task types that felt hardest.

You can take a free diagnostic practice test on Prepiva: Practice Exam 01 is a full test in the 2026 format, and it is free.

Find the score you need. Universities, employers and agencies set their own requirements, and many still write them on the old 0–120 scale. If your requirement is a 0–120 number, find the band it compares with. For example, a requirement of 80 is in the 72–85 range, which compares with band 4 (B2).

Then set a target band for the overall score and for each section, if the institution sets section minimums. Write down three things: your target overall band, any section minimums, and the date your scores must arrive.

Choosing a test: if your universities accept both the TOEFL iBT test and IELTS, compare the two first: TOEFL iBT® or IELTS.

The gap between your diagnostic band and your target band tells you how much work is ahead. A gap of half a band is a different plan from a gap of two bands.

Know the test before you train for it. Read about the 2026 test format: four sections in a fixed order (Reading, Listening, Writing, Speaking), twelve task types, and about 90 minutes of timed sections. Reading and Listening are adaptive: your first-stage answers decide whether the second stage is easier or harder.

Prepiva has a guide for each of the twelve task types, with the format, the timing, the scoring, the steps on screen, strategies and common traps. The guides are free with an account.

Most people start with Reading and Listening. Their tasks give quick, clear feedback, and many of the skills (vocabulary, following an argument, catching details) help in Writing and Speaking too. If your diagnostic test shows one section far below the others, give that section the most time, whatever it is.

• Reading: learn the three Reading task types and use Prepiva’s free Reading practice sets. Review every mistake and ask why the right answer is right.
• Listening: learn the four Listening task types, practice taking short notes, and use the free Listening practice sets. Each recording plays once in the test, so train yourself not to depend on replays.
• Writing: practice Build a Sentence, then write timed emails (7 minutes) and academic discussion posts (10 minutes). Check each text against the task guide: did you cover every point, and is the tone right for the reader? The Writing practice page has an original sample answer for each task, with notes on what makes it work.
• Speaking: record yourself repeating sentences and answering interview questions in 45 seconds. Listen back for pauses, unclear words and answers that stop too early. The Speaking practice page has 24 original interview questions grouped by topic.

Prepiva’s Pro plan adds AI feedback on Writing and Speaking practice. On the Free plan, use the guides and your recordings to check your own work.

Choose the plan that fits your gap. As a rough guide, the 4-week plan suits people whose diagnostic band is within about half a band of their target; the 8-week plan suits a gap of about a band or more. Both assume about an hour of study on most days. Adjust them to your weakest section.

Where the second and third full tests come from: the Free plan includes one complete Prepiva test, Practice Exam 01, which you use for the diagnostic. For the tests in the middle and at the end of a plan, use ETS’s free sample test, or Prepiva Pro, which includes all 10 Prepiva practice tests with retakes.

• Take your last full practice test three to five days before the test, not the day before.
• Review your mistakes, but do not start new material.
• Check the test-day rules on ETS’s website: ID, what to bring, and, for the TOEFL iBT Home Edition, the equipment and room checks. See ETS’s Home Edition page.
• Sleep well the night before, and plan to start early so you are not rushed.

Test dates, fees and registration change by country, so check them on ETS’s website.

• ETS: ETS offers free sample tests on its website.
• Prepiva Free ($0): one complete practice test (Practice Exam 01 with a full score report), unlimited Reading and Listening practice and guides for all 12 task types.
• Prepiva Pro ($19.99 a month, or $39.99 every 3 months): all 10 full practice tests with retakes, Writing and Speaking practice with AI feedback, and your progress across attempts and sections.

Prepiva’s bands are practice estimates and do not predict the score ETS will report. Read how we build and score our tests. Prepiva is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with ETS: read about Prepiva.