TOEIC®  PREP – WHAT IS THE TOEIC?

WHAT IS THE TOEIC?

What you need to know about the TOEIC, TOEIC scores, TOEIC test availability, and the TOEIC sections

ABOUT THE TOEIC

The TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) is recognized worldwide and tests English skills of people working in an international environment.

TOEIC enables you to prove your English proficiency to a potential employer (sometimes to an educational institution), and more generally to gain insight into your current level of English.

TOEIC is administered as a paper-and-pencil test.

TOEIC is organized by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

TOEIC L&R AND TOEIC S&W

There are two separate TOEIC tests:

  • TOEIC Listening and Reading (TOEIC L&R)
  • TOEIC Speaking and Writing (TOEIC S&W).

They are two independent tests, administered separately and with different scoring systems. The test takers register for one or the other or both independently. In addition, it is possible to register separately for TOEIC Speaking Test and for TOEIC Writing Test.

As their titles suggest, TOEIC L&R assesses only the listening comprehension and reading comprehension skills of the test taker, whereas TOEIC S&W evaluates specifically the oral and written expression skills.

Both tests, however, remain geared towards workplace situations.

As 95% of our students prepare for TOEIC L&R, in this section of the website we speak of this test as simply “TOEIC”, if the contrary is not mentioned. However, should you need to prepare for TOEIC S&W, please feel free to contact us for more information – we do provide private tutoring for the Speaking and Writing test.

Here is some more information about both tests.

TOEIC L&R FORMAT

The TOEIC L&R contains two large sections: Listening and Reading. Those are broken into Parts. All questions on TOEIC L&R are multiple-choice.

SectionDurationPartsQuestions
Section I: Listeningapprox. 45 minutes
  • Part 1: Photographs
  • Part 2: Question-Response
  • Part 3: Conversations
  • Part 4: Short Talks
100
Section II: Reading75 minutes
  • Part 5: Incomplete Sentences
  • Part 6: Text Completion
  • Part 7: Reading Comprehension
100
Totalapprox. 2 hours.200
SectionSection I:
Listening
Section II:
Reading
Durationapprox.
45 minutes
75 minutes
Parts
  • Part 1: Photographs
  • Part 2: Question-
    Response
  • Part 3: Conversations
  • Part 4: Short Talks
  • Part 5: Incomplete
    Sentences
  • Part 6: Text
    Completion
  • Part 7: Reading
    Comprehension
Questions100100

TOEIC S&W FORMAT

The TOEIC Speaking Test and the TOEIC Writing Test are administered separately, although it is perfectly possible to take one after another on the same day. Here are the tasks that you can expect to encounter on TOEIC S&W.

TOEIC Speaking Test

The test lasts approximately 20 minutes and features 11 tasks.

Tasks 1-2: Read the text aloud

Task 3: Describe a picture

Tasks 4-6: Respond to a question

Tasks 7-9: Read the information and respond to a question using that information

Task 10: Propose a solution

Task 11: Express an opinion

TOEIC Writing Test

The test lasts approximately 60 minutes and features 8 tasks.

Tasks 1-5: Write a sentence based on a picture

Tasks 6-7: Respond to a written request

Task 8: Write an opinion essay

HOW IS THE TOEIC SCORED?

TOEIC L&R SCORES

TOEIC L&R is scored on the scale of 10 to 990. In addition, the scores for the Listening and Reading are reported separately, on the scale of 5 to 595.

TOEIC S&W SCORES

TOEIC Speaking Test is scored on the scare of 0 to 200. TOEIC Writing Test is also scored on the scale of 0 to 200. If you take both tests, your scores will be reported separately.

TOEIC BRIDGE

There also exists a “light” version of the TOEIC, entitled “TOEIC Bridge”. It is intended for learners of English who are between Beginner and Lower-Intermediate levels of English proficiency.

TOEIC Bridge tests the listening and reading skills only. It is composed of 100 multiple-choice questions and is one hour long.

For more information about TOEIC Bridge, please check ETS’s website.

WHEN AND HOW TO TAKE THE TOEIC?

TOEIC tests are offered year-around in many locations around the world, through the network of “ETS Preferred Network offices”.

How you register depends on where you plan to take the test and whether you will attend a public or institutional test session. Contact the local ETS Preferred Network office for test dates and availability in your area.