TOEFL iBT Speaking

TOEFL iBT Speaking Test Guidance

The TOEFL is one of the best international tests available to educational institutions, to assess their applicants proficiency in the English language. The test is recognized in institutions in numerous countries around the world. If you wish to study at one of these universities, you may be required to achieve a minimum accepted score in the test.


The TOEFL iBT is comprised of four tests. These are the Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing tests. These tests are designed to assess your ability to speak or write in English, in response to something you have read and/or listened to. This basically tests your ability to attend lectures and other teaching sessions at a university, and to be able to follow what is taught. All four tests are conducted on the same day. A ten minute break is given after the first two tests.

TOEFL iBT Speaking Test

The iBT Speaking test assesses your proficiency in speaking in English. You are scored on how well you comprehend written or spoken English, and how well you can speak in response. This Speaking test consists of two types of questions. These are 'independent Speaking tasks' and 'integrated Speaking tasks'. In the first two questions, you will be asked to express your opinion on a topic that will be given to you. For the last four questions, you have to combine your abilities in reading, listening, and responding by speaking in English. You will be provided headphones to listen to the questions in the Speaking test. A microphone will also be provided for you to make your responses.


All your responses in the Speaking section are recorded and sent to certified raters in order to be scored. The initial scoring for each question is on a scale of 1 to 4. Then your average score is calculated, and the final score is given for this test on a scale of 0 to 30.

You are not assessed on your accent, that is, you do not need the accent of a native of an English-speaking country, in order to obtain a high score in this section. You are allowed to make a few mistakes. You do not lose points because of a few minor errors. As long as your response shows that you will have no difficulty in communicating in the English language, you can be sure of a good score in the Speaking test.

Preparation for the Speaking Test

Here are a few tips to help you to prepare for the Speaking test of TOEFL:

  1. Take a list of topics from the internet or from prep books, and practice giving your opinion on each topic. Time yourself and make your response in one minute's time.
  2. Take short passages and practice reading them and summarizing them.
  3. Practice making quick notes and using those notes to make your responses.
  4. If you can get the help of a person who is native speaker of English, ask him/her to listen to your responses and to provide you with feedback.
  5. Practice speaking at an optimum speed, neither too fast, nor too slow. If you speak too quickly, you will make more errors. If your responses take too long, you will waste your allotted time.
  6. Record your responses, listen to them, and evaluate them yourself for clarity and errors.
  7. If you are able to engage a tutor or join a preparatory course, then you will have professional help for your iBT Speaking test.
  8. You can use the following links to get some study material for the Speaking test: