TOEFL Speaking Tips: Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview

The TOEFL iBT Speaking section changed in 2026. The older Independent and Integrated tasks were replaced by two task families: Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. Check the official ETS TOEFL pages for the current timing and scoring before your test date.

Listen and Repeat

You hear a short sentence and say it back. There is no preparation time, so this task is about hearing the whole sentence and keeping it in your head.

Listen for the stressed words first. They carry the meaning and help you remember the rest.

Keep the sentence's rhythm and intonation, not just its words.

If you lose a word, keep going rather than stopping. A complete sentence with a small slip is better than silence.

Take an Interview

You answer a series of spoken questions, as in a short conversation.

1. Answer the question directly in your first sentence.
2. Add one reason or a concrete example.
3. Finish cleanly instead of trailing off when time runs short.

Practise with timed prompts

Our [test-prep](/test-prep) has a current-format TOEFL practice set: six Listen and Repeat items, then five interview questions. After an attempt it returns a practice estimate. The prompts are written by us, and the estimate is not an official TOEFL score.