The exam is half an hour shorter.
Reading:
-Fewer questions than before (10, in rare cases 9, in that event, you'll receive a "fill in a table" question instead of a summary question in the end).
-54 minutes (3 passages) OR 74 minutes (4 passages, 1 will be experimental and not count toward your grade). You will need about 18 minutes per passage or 105 seconds per question (this doesn't necessarily mean you should spend 105 seconds on every single question).
-The question types are the same: vocabulary, negative factual, factual information, rhetorical purpose, reference, sentence simplification, insert text, etc.
Listening:
-2 to 3 sets (each set has 1 convo and 2 lectures) OR 1 convo and 1 lecture.
-If you receive 3 sets, one of the conversations and one of the lectures will not be graded.
-The long set has 17 questions total and you'll have 10 minutes to solve them
-The short set has 11 questions and you'll be given 6.5 minutes to answer them.
-Again, like the previous exam, the clock does not run while listening.
-You will have about 35 seconds per question.
-Some students may get 7 minutes instead of 6 minutes for the questions.
SIDE NOTE: Some students feel some of the reading and listening passages are more difficult than before.
Speaking:
Question 1 (personal preference) and Question 5 (campus situation) have been eliminated from the new test. The remaining questions are the same as before. That said, do note that multiple-choice style and advantage/disadvantage style questions are no longer used in the new question 1. Your score is now determined by 1 human rater and the SpeechRater software. Before, you were only graded by a human rater only.
SIDE NOTE: Many students are reporting that they notice two examples mentioned in their Task 3 short lectures compared to before 2019 where most of the Task 3s would contain one example in the short lectures.
Writing:
-It's the same as before, BUT...students are reporting of receiving multiple-choice style questions more than before.
Additional information:
-Students now receive overall speaking scores for speaking and writing, but the specific level assessments have been removed from the score reports, which is unfortunate.
-Students can take the exam once a week now.
Older 2018-2019 trends are still apply:
-Task 1 questions might be as long as 5-6 lines. Be advised.
-There's a warning to "not use memorized examples" at the end of the independent writing prompt.
-In multiple-choice style writing questions (Task 2 writing), students are sometimes told they can choose more than one option.
-It's now possible to get 25 points in the TOEFL speaking question, whereas before it was impossible..
To increase your chance of succeeding on the exam, I recommend you work with an experienced TOEFL tutor who knows what they are doing, stick to original ETS material (TPOs), and set a proper plan for yourself to prepare for the exam. If you're looking for a tutor who knows what they are doing and is willing to give you accurate and relevant advice and feedback for the exam, look no further. I've helped countless students reach their academic or career goals by passing TOEFL. I've developed my own guides and resources for the exam as well, the kind of information you will not find on YouTube or in most prep books.
The best way to prepare for the test is to work with an experienced TOEFL tutor, to purchase self-studying materials from ETS, and to study every day under the guidance of your tutor. I look forward to hearing from you, if you need a TOEFL tutor with 10+ years of TOEFL experience and 20+ years of ESL teaching experience.
