TOEFL Test - Listening Section

You will listen to 4-6 recorded academic lectures (6 questions each) and 2-3 recorded conversations (5 questions each). Then you will answer questions regarding the information you hear. The more correct responses you give, the higher your score will be.

TOEFL Listening Purposes

  1. To obtain basic comprehension, such as understanding the main idea, key points, structure, purpose, conclusion, important facts and relevant details
  2. To learn from listening, such as understanding various relationships between ideas (e.g., compare-and-contrast, cause-and-effect, agree-disagree, or steps in a process) and tracing the development of ideas or events throughout the recordings. Note any digression during the talk and any side comments.
  3. To make inferences about author’s opinion and what is implied in a recording

Listening Section Format

Length of Lecture:3–5 minutes long each, about 500–800 words
Number of Lectures:4–6 lectures
Questions:6 questions per lecture; 24-36 questions in total
Length of Conversation:about 3 minutes long; about 12–25 exchanges each
Number of Conversations:2–3 conversations
Questions:5 questions per conversation; 10-15 questions in total
Total Time:60–90 minutes
Avg. Time per Question:About 1 min
When Questions will appear:After listening material is finished playing
Screen/Test Details:a) Pictures on the screen can help test takers image the setting and the role of the speakers
b) Test takers will see and hear each question before seeing the answers
c) Note taking is allowed. After testing, notes are collected and shredded before the test taker leaves the test center.
d) In some questions a portion of the lecture or conversation is replayed so the test taker does not need to rely on memory of what was said.

Recording Types

Lectures – Note that one lecture per test is spoken with a British or Australian accent.
A monologue by a professor
An interactive lecture with one or two students asking
Conversations in an academic setting. Examples include:
During an office hour between a student and a professor or teaching assistant
Between a student and a registrar, housing director, residence assistant, librarian, bookstore employee, departmental secretary, etc.)

Question Types by Format

Questions with four choices and a single answer in traditional multiple-choice format
Questions with four or more choices and one or more answers
“Listening to learn” chart questions
Require test takers to order events or steps in a process
Require test takers to match objects or text to categories in a chart

Question Types by Content

Main Idea questions
Key facts questions – locate the specifics
Paraphrase questions
Test the ability to select the answer choice with the most accurate meaning based on the context
Variations include Definition questions, which ask you to recall the sound bites which define a word or phrase
Reference questions – why the speaker mentioned a particular detail or fact
Listening to learn questions
Chart questions - order events or steps in a process
Chart questions - match objects or text to categories in a chart
Inference questions
Find the implied message
Site Search
Next Events

Testimonial
The course was a great retouch of my English skills. The instructor was very energetic and friendly. Definitely a 5 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best.
-Jayho (This student took our Columbia Business School Communication and Culture boot camp.)
Manhattan Review Blog


Manhattan Review test preparation courses and services help students achieve better scores with our proven methods. We offer GMAT, TOEFL, SAT, ACT, GRE, and LSAT preparation classes and tutoring. Our store sells GMAT guides, GMAT official guides, TOEFL Guides, Online practice tests, and more. We also offer MBA admissions consulting, Law school admissions consulting and graduate school admissions consulting. To help you get into Columbia, Harvard, Stanford, Yale and other top business schools, law schools and graduate schools, let our expert consultants review your essays, resume, personal statement and application.