TOEFL iBT · Task guide 3 · 5 min read
TOEFL iBT Listening tasks: responses, conversations, announcements and academic talks
The four Listening tasks on the updated TOEFL iBT, with original examples, note-taking advice and tips for the adaptive Listening section.
How the Listening section works
The Listening section measures how well you understand spoken English in university situations. ETS says it uses short, focused audio clips. You can take notes while you listen, and no background knowledge of any subject is needed.
| Task | What you hear | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Listen and Choose a Response | A short spoken prompt | Choose the most suitable reply |
| Listen to a Conversation | A conversation about campus life | Answer questions |
| Listen to an Announcement | An announcement in an academic or campus setting | Answer questions |
| Listen to an Academic Talk | A short talk by a professor or expert | Answer questions |
ETS lists about 47 items and about 29 minutes of base time (ETS's specification estimates the same or less, depending on the second stage, so timing varies), and the section is adaptive in two stages. ETS's specification says recordings are played once, and ETS says you may hear native-speaker accents from North America, the UK, New Zealand or Australia. The official description is on the TOEFL iBT Listening section page.
ETS's specification gives approximate numbers of items per task: 15 to 19 for Listen and Choose a Response, 10 for Conversations, 6 to 10 for Announcements and 8 to 16 for Academic Talks. These can vary between test takers, and ETS says the specification may be revised.
Listen and Choose a Response
You hear one short prompt and pick the reply that fits best. The task checks meaning, intent and common patterns of spoken English.
Our own example (not an ETS item). You hear: "I was going to hand in my essay today, but the website keeps crashing." Which reply is best?
A. "Yes, I wrote it last night." B. "Maybe you could ask for a short extension." C. "The website is very colourful." D. "I hand in my essay every week."
B responds to the problem the speaker described. The others repeat words but do not answer the speaker's situation.
Tips
- Listen for the speaker's purpose: a complaint, a request, a question or an offer.
- Reject replies that echo words but change the meaning.
- Prepare for the next prompt straight away, because these are quick.
Listen to a Conversation
You hear two people talking, usually about campus life, and answer questions on main ideas, key details, speaker intent and implied meaning.
Our own example (not an ETS item). A student asks an adviser whether she can move a seminar to Friday. The adviser says Friday is full, but there is a place on Tuesday afternoon. The student sounds unsure because she works on Tuesdays. A likely question: Why does the student hesitate? The answer is that Tuesday clashes with her job, which she signals without stating a refusal.
Tips
- Write the problem and the solution in your notes.
- Listen to tone as well as words. Hesitation, surprise and politeness often carry meaning.
- Notice who will do what next.
Listen to an Announcement
You hear an announcement in a campus or academic setting. Questions ask about the speaker's purpose, key information, implied meaning and likely next actions.
Our own example (not an ETS item): "Attention, students. The computer lab on the second floor will close at six tonight for maintenance. Please save your work and use the lab on the first floor until nine." A question might ask Where should a student go at seven o'clock? The answer is the first-floor lab.
Tips
- Note times, places, dates and instructions.
- Expect a question about what the listener should do next.
Listen to an Academic Talk
You hear a short talk by a professor or expert and answer questions on main ideas, supporting details, organisation, inferences and sometimes uncommon or idiomatic vocabulary. ETS's specification gives a maximum length of about 250 words for the longest recordings.
Our own example talk topic (not an ETS item): how bees tell each other where flowers are. A main-idea question asks what the talk is mostly about. A detail question might ask what the speaker says about distance. An organisation question might ask why the speaker mentions an experiment.
Tips
- Take notes in a simple outline: main idea, then two or three supporting points.
- When a speaker says "for instance" or "in contrast", note why it is there.
- If you miss a word, keep listening. The next sentence often explains it.
Note-taking that works
- Write keywords, not sentences. Use arrows and abbreviations of your own.
- Leave space between points so you can add detail.
- Write while you listen, then give the screen your full attention when the question appears.
Exam tip: practice by listening to short recordings of talks and announcements once only, then summarising them from your notes. This matches the real test, where you cannot replay.
Key points
- Four tasks: Listen and Choose a Response, Conversation, Announcement, Academic Talk.
- About 47 items and about 29 minutes of base time (timing varies); adaptive in two stages.
- Recordings play once; note-taking is allowed.
- Official description: ets.org Listening section.
Back to the TOEFL hub for practice tests and the other section guides.