TOEIC practice: Listening, Reading, Speaking & Writing
TOEIC practice built around the workplace English the test actually asks for: invoices, shipping delays, maintenance notices, interview scheduling and customer emails. Each page takes one task type, explains what it measures, gives you a working order for doing it under time pressure, and sets forty original questions. Start with the section you lose most points in rather than working front to back.
Who TOEIC is for
- Employees whose company sets a TOEIC score for promotion, an overseas posting or a language allowance.
- Job applicants in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, France and Brazil, where a TOEIC score is a standard line on a CV.
- Graduates who need a workplace English certificate rather than an academic one, so IELTS or TOEFL is the wrong fit.
- Teachers running in-company classes who want ready-made practice that sounds like an office rather than a textbook.
- Candidates retaking the test after a near miss, who need to find the two task types costing them the points rather than revise everything again.
- Career changers moving into logistics, hospitality, manufacturing or customer service, where the vocabulary of the test is the vocabulary of the job.
- Anyone who has studied general English for years but freezes on invoices, shipping terms and schedule changes.
The exam at a glance
| Main test | TOEIC Listening & Reading, taken with pencil and paper or on a computer depending on the centre |
|---|---|
| Structure | Listening comes first, then Reading; there are seven parts across the two |
| Companion test | TOEIC Speaking & Writing, sat separately and scored separately |
| Level | Broadly B1 upwards on the CEFR, with scores mapping across a wide band |
| Scoring | Listening and Reading are scored separately and added together; there is no pass mark, only a score |
| Validity | Scores are usually treated as current for about two years by employers |
| Recognition | Used by companies, recruiters and some public bodies as a workplace English benchmark |
Note
Pick Two Activity is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Cambridge University Press & Assessment, the British Council, IDP, ETS, Duolingo or any other exam board. Exam names are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to describe the exam you are preparing for. Every question on this page is original practice written by us: we do not provide, copy or reproduce official exam papers.
The papers
Listening
Practise the TOEIC Listening test part by part: photographs, question-response, short conversations, talks and announcements, and the numbers that decide answers.
Reading
Practise the TOEIC Reading test: incomplete sentences, text completion, single passages such as emails and notices, and cross-referenced double and triple passages.
Speaking & Writing
TOEIC Speaking & Writing practice: read a text aloud, describe a picture, respond to questions, write a sentence from a picture and answer a written request.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between TOEIC Listening & Reading and TOEIC Speaking & Writing?
They are separate tests with separate scores. Listening & Reading is a multiple-choice test of receptive skills; Speaking & Writing asks you to record responses and type texts, and is usually taken when an employer specifically requires productive skills.
Is there a pass mark for TOEIC?
No. You receive a score, and it is the employer, university or ministry that sets the number they want. Ask for the target before you plan your preparation, because it changes which sections deserve your time.
How is TOEIC different from IELTS or Cambridge exams?
The content is workplace English almost throughout: invoices, schedules, shipping, HR notices, customer emails. There is no academic essay and no discussion of abstract topics, so preparation is about business vocabulary and speed rather than essay structure.
How long should I prepare?
It depends on your starting score and your target, but the most efficient plan is usually a few weeks of daily timed practice on the two or three task types where you lose most marks, rather than months of general study.
Does TOEIC use British or American English?
American English is the base, and the Listening test also uses other accents. Practise with American spelling and workplace usage, but do not be surprised by a range of voices in the audio.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers?
No. Marks come from correct answers only, so an unanswered question is simply a lost one. Fill in every space, including any you have to guess in the final minute.
Which section should I work on first?
The one where a small change buys the most marks. For most candidates that is Reading Part 5 and the Listening short talks, because both are systematic: a fixed set of grammar points and a fixed talk structure.
Can I take TOEIC on a computer?
Availability depends on the country and the centre, so check when you book. The task types are the same; what changes is the mechanics of marking answers and whether notes are permitted.
How much grammar do I need?
Less than most courses teach, but it must be automatic. Word forms, verb tense and voice, prepositions, conjunctions and pronouns account for the majority of what the incomplete sentences test.
Do I need to finish the Reading section?
You should aim to, because the last passages are not harder, only later. Budget your minutes across the three parts in advance rather than reading at a comfortable pace and running out.