TOEFL reading section checks how well you can read and understand materials used in an academic environment. The TOEFL exam Reading section has two passages with 10 questions each. The time required to complete the TOEFL reading section is 35 minutes. You will get a total of 20 multiple choice questions in this section.

There are multiple types of questions that are associated with the TOEFL new pattern reading passages. The reading test TOEFL ibt score ranges from 0-30. You must try to answer all questions correctly to improve your score. There is no negative marking in TOEFL Reading. The TOEFL reading practise tests will help you prepare for the exam.

TOEFL Reading Practice Tests

If you are looking for TOEFL reading exercises that can help you score in the exam, you can get many online. There are TOEFL reading mock test available. We have provided a few TOEFL reading topics and practice test here:

TOEFL Reading iBT vs PBT

TOEFL iBT and TOEFL at home are now shorter and consist of 2 passages. Candidates are allotted 35 minutes to complete 20 questions in the new TOEFL exam pattern. The TOEFL PBT has 3-4 passages and 30-40 questions that need to be completed in 54-72 minutes. The differences are:

TOEFL Reading Test Questions

The TOEFL reading test has 6 types of questions in TOEFL exam syllabus. They are designed to assess your reading and information analysis abilities. You must understand each type of question to excel in TOEFL reading section. The types of questions in reading section of TOEFL are:

• Factual Information and Negative Factual Information
• Inference and Rhetorical Purpose
• Vocabulary
• Sentence Simplification
• Insert Text Question
• Prose Summary

Factual Information and Negative Factual Information

You need to have a clear understanding of each statement to improve TOEFL score. It is suggested to read the sentences twice before answering. There will be 4 choices out of which you are required to pick 1 or sometimes 2 correct answers. The sample of TOEFL reading test questions will be framed like:

• According to paragraph 1, which of the following is true about X?
• Paragraph 2 mentions which of the following about Y?
• According to paragraph 3, how did X determine Y?
• According to paragraph 4, why did X do Y?

Negative Factual Question types:

• According to paragraph 1, which of the following is NOT true?
• The author mentions all of the following EXCEPT…

TOEFL Reading Inference Question

You need to analyze the conclusion of the passage and draw an inference. The words such as ‘Infer’, ‘Suggest’ or ‘Imply’ are used in the questions. The reading section of TOEFL question types for TOEFL preparation are:

• Which of the following can be inferred about X?
• Paragraph 3 suggests which of the following about Y?
• What is implied about X?

TOEFL Reading Rhetorical Purpose Questions

Here you need to answer the summary and the reason behind the passage. The author here presents information and you need to understand why that information is provided. Always ask “WHY” and you will be able to get the answer. The sample of TOEFL reading test question will be:

• In paragraph 2, why does the author mention X?
• Why does the author include a description of Y?
• The author mentions X for which of the following reasons?

Vocabulary Questions in TOEFL Reading

Here, you need to understand the meaning of a word or phrase. This will check your vocabulary and understanding of the phrases. You need to select the closest meaning as per the question. The TOEFL reading example questions are:

• The word X in paragraph 3 is similar in meaning to…
• The phrase Y in the passage is closest in meaning to...

Sentence Simplification TOEFL Reading Questions

In this section, your ability to paraphrase and summarize information without changing its meaning is tested. You need to identify a sentence that has the same meaning as the sentence in the question. The types of questions for TOEFL online preparation are:

• Which of the following best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence?
• Select the sentence that best expresses the information in the given statement.

TOEFL Reading Insert Text Question

You need to recognize logical and grammatical connections between sentences in TOEFL reading Insert text questions. There are 4 black squares in the passage, which denote the possible locations for the sentence in question. You need to select the correct one. The reading section of TOEFL question types are:

• Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square to add the sentence to the passage.

Prose Summary TOEFL Reading Questions

You need to select the option that best fits the summary of the given passage. You will be provided with six answer options, out of which you are required to pick three answer options that best summarize the ideas of the given statement. The TOEFL reading example questions are phrased like:

• An introductory sentence with a summary of the passage is provided. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage.

TOEFL Reading Score

The TOEFL reading scores are measured on a scale of 0-30. The raw scores are converted to scaled scores. The level of scores on how the students are accessed are:

TOEFL Reading Preparation Tips

The TOEFL Reading tips and tricks will help you improve the TOEFL reading scores. The TOEFL reading tips include:

• Increasing Vocabulary: Enhance your collection of words by reading books, magazines, listening to news or watching English videos and movies.
• Understanding passage: Try to figure out the brief and the core ideas in passages. This will help you proceed with the answers faster.
• Take Notes: This is very important to solve the questions faster. Write down important passage points and short heading of each paragraph.
• Solve Crosswords: Try solving crosswords and other puzzles to enhance your vocabulary.
• Practice: The best way to improve yourself is to solve TOEFL practice tests. Practice the TOEFL ibt reading sample that will help you improve the scores.

TOEFL Reading Preparation Books

TOEFL preparation books provide comprehensive study materials, to help candidates in preparation. Top TOEFL books include previous year's TOEFL ibt reading sample and mock tests to help students prepare for the exam.

• TOEFL Official Guide PDF: Check PDF

• Cambridge Preparation for TOEFL: Check PDF

• Barron’s TOEFL iBT, 15th Edition: Check PDF

• Kaplan TOEFL iBT: Check PDF

• Barron’s Essential Words for the TOEFL, 7th Edition: Check PDF

The TOEFL reading is the first part of the TOEFL exam. You must practice multiple reading sample TOEFL and mock tests before the exam. This will help you strengthen your knowledge and gain an upper hand in the TOEFL exam.