TOEFL Reading presents academic passages — the kind you'd meet in a first-year university textbook — with questions that test comprehension, vocabulary in context, inference, and how a text is organised. It's scored 0 to 30. Knowing the question types and reading efficiently is the whole game. Always confirm the current number of passages and timing on the official ETS sources.
The short version
•Academic passages, scored 0–30; questions test comprehension, vocabulary, and inference.
•Read for structure and argument, not word-by-word.
•Learn each question type so you know what it's asking.
•Confirm the current passage count and timing on ETS.
What it tests
Questions go beyond surface facts: vocabulary in context, the purpose of a sentence or paragraph, inference, and summarising the main ideas. The final question on a passage often asks you to pick the sentences that best summarise it.
You can move back and forth within a passage, so flagging and returning is part of good strategy.
How to study for it
Practice reading academic English for structure — topic sentences, how paragraphs connect, where the author's argument turns — rather than translating word by word. Build academic vocabulary in context, and learn each question type so you recognise what it wants instantly.
Work to time, and review every miss by question type: if inference questions trip you up, drill those specifically rather than doing more whole passages.
Frequently asked
What is the TOEFL Reading section like?
It presents academic passages with questions on comprehension, vocabulary in context, inference, and text organisation, scored from 0 to 30. You can navigate within a passage, so you can flag and return to questions.
How do I improve my TOEFL Reading score?
Read academic English for structure and argument, build vocabulary in context, learn the question types, and review your mistakes by type under timed conditions.
How long is the TOEFL Reading section?
The TOEFL iBT was shortened, so timing and passage counts have changed — check the official ETS test-content page for the current figures before your test.