Online TOEFL preparation courses for the new 2026 TOEFL iBT

The TOEFL iBT is an English test for university study. TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language, and iBT stands for internet-based test, meaning a test taken on a computer. It is run by ETS (Educational Testing Service), a US non-profit organisation that also develops the TOEIC.

The test covers reading, listening, writing and speaking. Universities in the USA and Canada ask for it most often. Many universities in Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as scholarship bodies, accept it too.

Universities rely on the TOEFL because they need a comparable score for applicants from many countries. ETS sends results electronically and directly to the university, so applicants cannot alter them. Test takers pay the fee themselves.

The new TOEFL iBT has four sections in this order: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. Pure test time is about 90 minutes. ETS recommends allowing about two hours in total, because the instructions are not counted as test time. There is no scheduled break.

In Reading, Complete the Words asks you to fill in missing letters in an academic paragraph. You then read short everyday texts such as emails or notices and answer questions on an academic passage. In Listening you hear short exchanges, conversations, campus announcements and short lectures. Each recording plays only once.

In Writing, Build a Sentence asks you to put given words into the correct order. After that you write an email and a post for a class discussion. In Speaking you repeat seven sentences in Listen and Repeat and answer four questions in Take an Interview. The item counts for Reading and Listening include some unscored items that ETS uses to trial new questions.

Adaptive means that the test adjusts the difficulty to your previous answers. In the TOEFL iBT, Reading and Listening are two-stage adaptive. Everyone first works through a starting module, which ETS calls the router. Depending on the result, an easier or a harder second module follows. In Listening the easier second module takes about 7 minutes and the harder one about 11 minutes, so the total test time varies slightly.

Writing and Speaking are not adaptive. Everyone taking the same test form gets the same tasks there.

ETS scores writing and speaking with AI

A computer marks reading and listening items as right or wrong. According to the 2026 test specifications, ETS scores writing and speaking responses with AI systems, meaning software that measures features such as fluency, coherence and grammar. The listening recordings use partly AI-generated voices and partly human voice actors, with US, Canadian, British and Australian accents.

Since 2026 you receive a band score between 1 and 6, in half-point steps, for each of the four sections. A band score is a level on the test's own scale. The overall score is the average of the four section scores, rounded to the nearest half band. An average of 5.125 gives 5, and an average of 5.25 gives 5.5.

ETS maps the band scores to the CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference with six levels from A1 to C2. For tests taken before 2026, ETS also publishes comparable totals on the old 0 to 120 scale.

For a two-year transition period from January 2026, your score report also shows a comparable total on the 0 to 120 scale next to the band score.

Many universities still state their requirement on the old 0 to 120 scale. Convert this value into a band score, meaning a level on the new 1 to 6 scale, with the ETS table, or ask the university for its new requirement. Also look for minimum scores in individual sections, for example Speaking or Writing.

Universities often accept both TOEFL and IELTS. ETS publishes a comparison table for this purpose. IELTS uses a scale from 0 to 9.

A 2026 study published by IELTS argues that older conversion tables do not fit the new TOEFL format. The two test providers compete with each other. Rely on the current ETS table and, above all, on what your university states.

The TOEFL iBT fee depends on the country where you take the test. According to ETS, fees range from US$170 to US$475 worldwide.

Extra charges may apply. Registering within 7 days of the test costs an additional US$49, and rescheduling costs US$69. Each additional score report to a university costs US$29. Four score reports are included in the fee if you choose the recipients by the day before your test.

Your scores appear in your ETS account about 3 days after the test. One day later you can download the report as a PDF.

The Home Edition runs with a live proctor

You take the TOEFL iBT at a test centre or as the Home Edition on your own computer. In the Home Edition a human proctor watches you live through camera and microphone. Content and scoring are the same. You need a quiet room, a stable internet connection and a computer that meets the ETS technical requirements. Check beforehand whether your university accepts the Home Edition.

A TOEFL score is valid for two years from the test date. After that, ETS no longer reports it to universities. The reason lies in the purpose of the test: the university wants to know how well you speak English when you start your degree, and language skills decline without practice.

For your planning, this means the score must still be valid at the application deadline. Some universities even require it to be valid until enrolment.

Within those two years you can use one score for several applications. The four score reports included in the fee cover up to four universities.

This plan assumes your English is already close to the target, roughly CEFR level B2 for a band score of 4 to 4.5. The CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference with six levels from A1 to C2. If you are a full level below, Cambridge English estimates about 200 additional guided learning hours.

1 Week 1 with a practice test and a target score

Take the free ETS practice test, which lasts about 40 minutes and covers all four sections. Then set a target score for each section.

2 Weeks 2 and 3 for Reading and Listening

Practise Complete the Words and short everyday texts daily with a time limit. For listening, train note-taking on announcements and short lectures.

3 Weeks 4 and 5 for Writing

Write at least three emails and three discussion posts per week and have them scored.

4 Weeks 6 and 7 for Speaking

Repeat sentences and answer interview questions every day while recording yourself. A teacher or AI software gives feedback on pronunciation and structure.

5 Week 8 with two full practice tests

Sit two practice tests under exam conditions and close the last gaps.

An online TOEFL course only helps if it reflects the format introduced on 21 January 2026. Check these seven points before you book.

1. The course trains all 12 task types of the new format, from Complete the Words to Take an Interview.
2. Practice tests adapt to your level in Reading and Listening, as the real test does.
3. Teachers or software score your emails and discussion posts and explain the score.
4. You get feedback on pronunciation in Listen and Repeat, because every sentence counts there.
5. The course reports results as band scores, meaning the 1 to 6 scale used since 2026.
6. You can reach a teacher by message or video call when you have questions.
7. The provider states when the material was last updated.

The new task types bring new sources of error. Six mistakes are especially likely in TOEFL preparation.

• Many test takers underestimate Listen and Repeat and lose points through skipped or swapped words.
• Some spend too much time on single gaps in Complete the Words.
• Many miss the right tone in Write an Email, for example towards a professor or a classmate.
• Some practise with books from before 2026 and meet unfamiliar tasks on test day.
• Some focus only on the overall score and overlook a university's minimum section scores.
• Some Home Edition candidates check their equipment too late and lose their test slot.