Academic English preparation Reading Strategy for the 2026 Format

The official ETS table gives TOEFL iBT Reading 50 items and a 30-minute base time. The section has three task types and a two-stage adaptive design. Of the items, 35 questions count towards your Reading score; see TOEFL iBT: How the Test Works for the adaptive structure. The old format of 2 long passages and 20 questions is no longer current.

These figures come from the 2026 ETS overview and Technical Manual. Three points matter:

1. Texts are short and remain on screen. The ETS blueprint says texts remain visible throughout the task, so you can look back to check an answer. You need no background knowledge: the evidence is in the text.
2. ETS does not divide the time by task. No separate task times are stated; the section has 30 minutes. That averages about 36 seconds per item (30 minutes ÷ 50 items). This is our calculation, not an ETS rule. Use your own practice results to decide how much time each task needs.
3. Each task has its own guiding question. Complete the Words: which word fits the grammar and meaning here? Read in Daily Life: why was this text written? Read an Academic Passage: what is the main idea, and which sentence supports the answer?

The methods below start with the most mechanical task, Complete the Words, then move to everyday and academic texts.

The ETS rule. You receive an academic paragraph of about 70–100 words. The first sentence is intact. After it, the second half of every second word is deleted, and you type the missing letters. Each paragraph contains 10 such words. The ETS sample shows one underscore per missing letter. For odd-length words, the larger half is removed: in the sample, might appears as mi_ _ _ (5 letters: 2 shown, 3 missing).

The following paragraph is our original example. Complete it before looking at the answers:

Honeybees communicate with one another through movement rather than sound. Each succe_ _ _ _ _ forager perf_ _ _ _ a vigo_ _ _ _ dance wh_ _ _ nearby be_ _ follow ev_ _ _ movement clo_ _ _ _. Its an_ _ _ shows t_ _ direction o_ the food relative to the sun, and its length shows the distance. Other insects rely on scent instead. Ants, for example, leave chemical trails that nestmates follow to a good source of food. Both systems let a colony share information without a single word.

Answers: successful · performs · vigorous · while · bees · every · closely · angle · the · of

A four-step method:

1. Read the whole paragraph first. The intact first sentence introduces the topic: here, bees communicating through movement. Knowing the topic helps you predict many missing words.
2. Identify the grammatical role of the gap. Look at the neighbouring words.
3. Use the letter count. Visible letters + underscores = word length. This also helps identify the required word form.
4. Read the complete sentence to check: spelling, plural -s, -ed

Read in Daily Life uses short everyday texts. ETS lists notices and signs, menus, social media posts or web pages, schedules, emails, message chains, advertisements, news articles, forms, invoices and receipts. Texts are about 15–150 words long, followed by 2 or 3 questions depending on their length.

ETS describes the skills as understanding nonlinear formats such as tables and lists; identifying the main purpose; understanding informal language and common idioms; making inferences; reading telegraphic language, or shortened wording; and using skimming and scanning.

Four steps:

1. Identify the type and purpose (5 seconds): who is writing to whom, and why? Is it a warning, invitation, rule announcement or request?
2. Read the question, then consult the text. For purpose, the heading and opening sentence may be enough. For a detail, scan for the question's keyword.
3. Expand shortened language: No refunds after 48 h means no money is returned after 48 hours. Closed Mon–Wed means closed from Monday to Wednesday.
4. Make only a small inference: choose something not stated directly but clearly supported by what the text says.

Worked example (original text):

NOTICE — Block C Laundry Room The laundry room will be closed for machine replacement from Monday until further notice. Residents may use the machines in Block A (open 7 a.m.–10 p.m.). Please do not leave belongings in the Block C room: items left there after Friday will be moved to the front desk.

1. What is the main purpose of the notice? A) To announce a temporary closure and an alternative B) To advertise new machines C) To ask residents for payment D) To change the opening hours of Block A

2. What will happen to items left in the Block C room after Friday? A) They will be thrown away. B) They will be moved to the front desk. C) They will be moved to Block A. D) They will be replaced.

Answers: Question 1 is A: the notice announces a closure and offers Block A as an alternative. B is wrong: it explains why the room is closing, rather than advertising machines. Question 2 is