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TOEFL iBT · ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

TOEFL iBT Preparation for the 2026 Format

TOEFL changed substantially in January 2026: new task types, an adaptive design and a new 1–6 score scale. Preparation material written for the old test now prepares students for the wrong exam, so the first job is to work on the current one.

Short answer

TOEFL preparation is offered online, one-to-one or in a group class.

One-to-one lessons are 90 minutes long and start at USD 67 per lesson; the group course runs 30 lessons of 90 minutes for USD 900, and a class never takes more than 6 students.

Group classes next begin on 4 January 2027.

Take the free full-length diagnostic

From USD 67 per lesson

Your lessons are taught by David Kim and Can Öztürk, who teach TOEFL.

  • Scored on a 1–6 scale
  • About two hours
  • Adaptive Reading and Listening
  • New tasks since January 2026

One-to-one, from

USD 67per lesson

  • One-to-one lessons
  • Group course
  • Question bank
  • Full practice tests
Free Intro CallView pricing

What changed, and why it matters

Since January 2026, TOEFL iBT reports four section scores and an overall score on a 1–6 scale, the overall being the average of the four rounded to the nearest half point. For a two-year transition ETS also reports a comparable score on the familiar 0–120 scale, which is useful while universities update their published requirements — but the 1–6 score is now the primary one.

The tasks themselves are different: shorter, more varied items such as completing words in a text, reading everyday material and building sentences, alongside the academic reading, listening and writing tasks. Students who prepare with pre-2026 books practise several task types that no longer exist and miss several that do.

The 2026 TOEFL iBT

SectionTasksApproximate time
ReadingComplete the Words; Read in Daily Life; Read an Academic PassageAbout 30 minutes
ListeningListen and Choose a Response; Conversation; Announcement; Academic TalkAbout 29 minutes
WritingBuild a Sentence; Write an Email; Write for an Academic DiscussionAbout 23 minutes
SpeakingListen and Repeat; Take an InterviewAbout 8 minutes

Source: ETS, TOEFL iBT test content, checked 22 September 2026. Because the test adapts, timings and item counts can vary; ETS describes the whole test as taking about two hours.

What the lessons work on

  • The new task types

    Complete the Words, Build a Sentence and Listen and Repeat reward accuracy under speed. They are practised specifically, because nothing in older materials prepares for them.

  • Writing an email and an academic discussion post

    Both are short and marked on how directly and appropriately they respond. Students write under time and get specific corrections.

  • Speaking under a short clock

    The interview task leaves little time to plan. Lessons build structures for extending an answer without hesitating.

  • Converting the target

    Where a university still publishes a 0–120 requirement, we work out what that means on the 1–6 scale with ETS’s own comparison, so the target is clear.

How TOEFL preparation works

Every lesson is live, online and 90 minutes long, scheduled in your own time zone. Lessons are taught in English, the language the exam is sat in.

  1. Free intro call

    Fifteen minutes with an advisor, at no cost and with no obligation.

  2. Diagnostic

    You sit a free full-length diagnostic in the real exam format before any lesson is booked. It produces a starting score and, more usefully, an error profile: which question types are costing marks, whether the problem is content or timing, and which sections need a specialist. The plan is written from that rather than from an estimate. It is taken online at a time you choose, so nobody has to travel to a centre to find out where they stand.

  3. Written plan

    You receive a written plan built from your starting point and your test date: which TOEFL sections come first, how many lessons that realistically takes, and when full practice tests enter. Nobody is sold a fixed number of lessons before the gap is known.

  4. Lessons and review

    Each lesson ends with set work and a target for the next one. Families receive progress notes, and the plan is re-read against every new score rather than followed blindly.

Ways to prepare for TOEFL, with prices

The full breakdown, including instalment options, is on the pricing page.

  • One-to-one lessons

    From USD 67 per lesson on the largest package (20 lessons). A single lesson can be booked first, to meet the tutor before committing.

  • Group course

    USD 900 for the full course, or 2 monthly payments of USD 475. Live online classes of at most 6, grouped by level and taught in English.

  • Question bank

    Self-study practice by section, from USD 29.99 for 120 days of access. Bought on its own, with no lesson required.

  • Full practice tests

    Full-length, timed tests with a score and error breakdown: USD 11.99 for one, USD 149.99 for twenty.

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  • PTE Preparation

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  • SAT Preparation

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Frequently asked questions

Short, direct answers. If yours is not here, ask us.

During the transition ETS reports both scales, and universities are updating their requirements. We use ETS’s published comparison to translate an old-scale requirement, and recommend confirming with the university directly.

Both are widely accepted. TOEFL is especially common for US applications and is taken entirely on computer, speaking included; IELTS includes a face-to-face speaking interview with an examiner. Our TOEFL–IELTS comparison sets out the differences.

ETS offers an at-home option alongside test centres. Whether your universities accept the at-home version is their decision, so check before booking.

Yes, a live online group course taught in English, in classes of at most six. The price is on the TOEFL pricing page.

Preparing for the new TOEFL?

Tell us your target score and your deadline. We will build the plan around the 2026 format, not the old one.