If you’ve been looking up TOEFL speaking advice online, you’ve probably noticed that a lot of it doesn’t match what ETS is currently describing. That’s because the speaking section changed significantly in January 2026. The old four-task format — with independent responses and integrated reading/listening tasks — is gone. The new section has just two tasks and takes about eight minutes total.
This guide covers the new format from the ground up: what each task looks like, how your answers are scored, and the specific practice habits that will actually help you improve.
Table of Contents
What Changed in 2026: The New TOEFL Speaking Format
The 2026 TOEFL speaking section is shorter and more focused than the old version. Here’s a quick comparison:
| Old Format (pre-2026) | New Format (2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of tasks | 4 | 2 |
| Total time | ~16 minutes | ~8 minutes |
| Task types | 1 independent + 3 integrated (read/listen/speak) | Listen and Repeat + Interview |
| Preparation time | 15–30 seconds per task | None |
| Scored by | AI + human raters | AI only |
| Score scale | 0–30 | 1–6 |
The biggest change: there’s no lengthy source material to misunderstand. You won’t read an academic passage or listen to a lecture and then try to summarize it. Listening is still important — you need to understand the interviewer’s questions and accurately hear sentences for the repeat task — but the focus is on how clearly and naturally you speak, not on whether you correctly interpreted a reading or lecture.
If you’ve been preparing with older materials, some of that advice no longer applies. Templates for integrated speaking tasks, strategies for planning a 60-second summary response — those are for a test that no longer exists. The good news is that the new format is simpler to understand and prepare for.
Pro tip: Before diving into practice, watch Magoosh’s free video lesson on the 2026 TOEFL speaking section. It walks through both tasks with examples so you know exactly what to expect on test day.
Task 1: Listen and Repeat
What it is: You’ll hear seven short sentences, one at a time. After each sentence, you have 8–12 seconds to repeat it out loud, as closely as possible to how you heard it.
That’s the entire task. You don’t need to understand what the sentence means, form an opinion, or say anything original. Just repeat what you heard.
A simple image or visual might appear on screen — a map, a street sign, a building — but it’s just background. Your only job is to repeat the sentence.
What’s being tested: The AI is listening for how accurately you can reproduce English sounds and sentence rhythm. It’s testing:
- Pronunciation (are you making the sounds correctly?)
- Rhythm and stress (are you hitting the right words with emphasis?)
- Short-term auditory memory (can you hold the sentence in your head long enough to say it back?)
There are no ideas to express and no vocabulary to know. This is pure listening and speaking accuracy.
How to Practice Listen and Repeat
Shadowing is the most effective method. Here’s how it works:
- Find an audio recording of a native English speaker — a podcast, a YouTube video, a news segment, or official TOEFL practice audio.
- Listen to one sentence.
- Pause the recording.
- Repeat the sentence out loud, trying to match the speaker’s exact rhythm, stress, and pronunciation.
- Play the sentence again and compare your version to the original.
The goal isn’t perfection immediately. It’s to train your ear and your mouth to work together. The more you imitate native speakers, the more natural English patterns become.
What to focus on: Don’t try to fix every sound at once. Focus on sentence stress first — which words the speaker emphasizes. English speakers naturally stress content words (nouns, verbs, adjectives) and de-emphasize function words (a, the, of, was). If you get the stress pattern right, the sentence will sound natural even if individual sounds aren’t perfect.
Short-term memory drill: If you find it hard to hold a sentence in your head before repeating, practice listening to slightly longer and longer phrases. Start with four-word phrases, then five, then six. The goal is to expand how much language you can hold in working memory without losing it.
Pro tip: Magoosh’s free TOEFL practice test lets you practice the speaking section on its own — you can repeat each task as many times as you want and get AI feedback on your fluency and pronunciation each time, so you always know what to work on next.
Task 2: Take an Interview
What it is: You’ll see a video of a person — an actor — asking you simple questions about everyday topics. The questions are prerecorded, not live, so it’s not a real conversation. But your answers should sound like one.
You’ll answer four questions, and each response lasts 45 seconds. There is no preparation time.
Topics are intentionally simple and personal: your hobbies, your preferences, your daily habits. For example:
- “What’s your favorite way to relax after a busy day?”
- “Do you prefer studying alone or with others? Why?”
- “What’s something you enjoy doing on weekends?”
The video format can feel a little artificial — the actor won’t respond to what you say. Think of it as a prompt to get you talking, not a real back-and-forth.
What’s being tested: The AI is looking for natural, comfortable English. Not impressive vocabulary. Not formal academic language. Comfortable and spontaneous.
How to Structure a 45-Second Answer
Forty-five seconds is about the length of a paragraph. It’s enough to make one main point and support it with a brief reason or example. Here’s a simple framework:
- Main point (~15 seconds): Answer the question directly.
- Reason or example (~15–20 seconds): Explain why, or give an example from your life.
- Wrap up (~10 seconds): Close the thought. You don’t need a formal conclusion — just finish the idea.
Example:
Question: “Do you prefer studying alone or with others?”
“I definitely prefer studying alone. When I’m by myself, I can focus completely on the material without getting distracted. With a group, I tend to spend more time talking than studying. So for anything that requires concentration, I’d rather be on my own.”
That response is direct, complete, and takes about 40 seconds to say at a natural pace. It doesn’t use complicated vocabulary. It answers the question and gives a reason — exactly what the AI is looking for.
If the question asks “why,” always include a reason. Even a short one. “I prefer coffee because it keeps me more alert” is complete. “I prefer coffee” is not. Incomplete answers hurt your coherence score.
How to Practice for the Interview Task
Daily spontaneous speaking drills: Every day, pick a question from this list (or make up your own) and answer it out loud for 45 seconds without stopping:
- What do you usually do in the evenings?
- Describe your ideal weekend.
- What’s something you’ve learned recently?
- Do you prefer living in a city or a smaller town? Why?
- What’s your favorite type of food, and why do you like it?
Don’t prepare answers in advance. The whole point is to train yourself to think and speak at the same time. If you script answers, you’ll be lost when the real question is slightly different.
Record yourself and listen back. After each practice response, play it back and ask:
- Did I pause too much?
- Did I answer completely? (Did I give a reason if the question asked why?)
- Did any words sound unclear?
One or two practice responses per day is enough. Consistent daily practice matters more than long sessions.
Talk with real people if you can. Not every student has access to this, but it’s the best way to practice. When you speak with a native English speaker, you get immediate feedback — they either understand you or they don’t — and you build the habit of keeping a conversation going without pausing to plan. Many universities have international student groups, English conversation clubs, or language exchange programs. If those are available to you, use them. Even informal conversations over coffee count as practice.
Pro tip: Simpler language actually scores better than complex language you’re not confident with. If you hesitate mid-sentence because you’re searching for a sophisticated word, you lose fluency points. Use words you know well and speak smoothly.
How Your Speaking Is Scored
Your responses are scored automatically by AI. The AI listens for four things:
1. Fluency — how natural your pacing and rhythm sound. This is the biggest factor. If your speech flows smoothly from one word to the next, you’ll score higher than someone who pauses every few words, even if their vocabulary is stronger. Fluency is not about speaking fast — it’s about speaking without unnatural stops.
2. Accuracy — correct grammar and pronunciation. Minor errors are okay. Consistent patterns of errors bring the score down.
3. Coherence — whether your answers are organized and complete. Did you stay on topic? Did you answer the full question?
4. Pronunciation — whether your speech is intelligible (easy to understand). Accent alone does not hurt your score. The AI is not looking for a neutral or American accent. It’s listening for whether your sounds are clear enough to understand. A strong accent is fine as long as your words are easy to follow. Students from any language background can earn top scores.
The score scale: Each section is scored on a 1–6 scale in half-point increments, aligned with the CEFR framework. A 5.0 on speaking is a strong score that most universities will accept. During the transition period through 2028, your score report will also show a comparable 0–120 score for reference.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Trying to sound impressive. Many students use formal vocabulary or structures they wouldn’t normally use, hoping to impress the scorer. This almost always backfires — the hesitation while searching for an unusual word hurts fluency more than the word helps. Speak naturally.
Speaking too fast or pausing too long. Both hurt your fluency score. Rushing makes pronunciation harder to understand. Long pauses signal that you’ve lost your train of thought. Aim for a steady, natural pace — similar to how you’d talk to a friend.
Not completing your answer. If the question asks why, include a reason. If the question asks for an example, give one. An answer that’s missing a piece doesn’t score well on coherence, even if the language itself is accurate.
Preparing with old-format materials. If you find resources that describe four speaking tasks, templates for integrated responses, or planning strategies for summarizing a lecture — those are for the previous TOEFL format. Using them won’t help you prepare for what’s actually on the test.
A Simple Practice Plan
The speaking section is only eight minutes. There’s not a lot of material to master. What matters most is building habits through consistent practice — not cramming.
Here’s a straightforward plan:
Weeks 1–2: Focus on Listen and Repeat
- 10 minutes per day of shadowing exercises
- Use a podcast, news audio, or Magoosh’s practice speaking questions
- Record yourself and compare your rhythm to the original
- Goal: Your cadence starts to feel more natural; you stop translating in your head
Weeks 3–4: Add Interview practice
- 10 minutes per day on shadowing (maintain the habit)
- 10 minutes per day of spontaneous speaking drills (1–2 questions per session)
- Record yourself; listen back for pauses and incomplete answers
- Goal: You can give a full, organized 45-second answer without stopping
On test day:
- Speak at a natural pace — don’t rush
- Start speaking immediately (no prep time is available anyway)
- Use simple, confident language rather than impressive words you’re unsure about
- If you make a small mistake, keep going — don’t restart mid-sentence
Magoosh TOEFL includes an AI Speaking Grader that scores your responses and gives specific feedback on fluency and pronunciation — so you’re not just practicing, you’re practicing with feedback. There’s also a free practice test if you want a baseline score before you start your prep.
The speaking section is shorter and simpler than it used to be. It rewards students who can speak naturally and respond immediately — not students who can memorize perfect answers. With consistent practice on the right tasks, you can get comfortable with both.
More in this series:
- How to Improve Your TOEFL Reading Score (2026 Format)
- How to Improve Your TOEFL Writing Score (2026 Format)
- How to Improve Your TOEFL Listening Score (2026 Format)
