CredenTrek For TOEFL
Choose It Right. Prepare Smart. Reach Your Target Score.
The TOEFL test changed in January 2026. Most preparation material did not.
The test is now shorter, partly adaptive and scored from 1 to 6, while many universities still publish requirements on the old 0 to 120 scale. Candidates practise tasks that no longer exist, misread old requirements, miss the deadline for free score reports and lose fees to late changes. This book shows you the new test on one map and every decision around it.
In publication on Amazon. The buttons appear here as soon as the listing is live.
Edition 2026.2 · Verified 9 October 2026. All four sections, the twelve task types with item counts and scoring, the adaptive two-stage design and the January 2026 changes verified against the ETS test content page and the 2026 test specifications.
Where candidates go wrong
The TOEFL iBT test was redesigned in January 2026. It is shorter, partly adaptive and reported on a 1 to 6 scale, while many universities still publish requirements on the old 0 to 120 scale. Candidates who prepare with older materials practise tasks that no longer exist, and others misread a requirement written in the old scale and aim too low.
Other losses are older and just as costly. Candidates miss the deadline for choosing free score recipients and pay for every report. They cancel too late for any refund, or arrive with an identity document that does not match their registration.
The gap this book fills
Most TOEFL books teach techniques for each task, and many were written for the test as it was before 2026. Few show you the new test on one map and then help with the decisions around it. That information is spread across the ETS website, the Information Bulletin, the fees page and each institution's requirements. This book puts it in one order and checks every changeable fact against the ETS documents.
The TOEFL iBT roadmap in 8 free guides
Each guide answers one question in full, checked against the official documents. Read them in order, from the decision to renewal.
- 01TOEFL iBT or IELTS? Let your institutions decide first, then your strengthsChoosing your test · 6 min
- 02The TOEFL 1 to 6 scale explained: read any requirement, old or new, and set a target for each sectionScore scale · 5 min
- 03The TOEFL iBT changed on 21 January 2026: what is different and what it means for you2026 changes · 5 min
- 04Four sections, twelve task types, about 90 minutes: the TOEFL iBT mappedTest format · 5 min
- 05How long to prepare for TOEFL iBT: let your gap set the date, not the calendarPreparation time · 6 min
- 06Registering for TOEFL iBT: protect your fee, your date and your seatRegistration and cost · 6 min
- 07Ten TOEFL iBT practice questions for the 2026 test, and why the runner-up losesPractice questions · 6 min
- 08Half a band short on TOEFL iBT: score review, MyBest scores or a new attemptScores and retakes · 5 min
TOEFL iBT at a glance
These facts were checked against the official ETS website and the 2026–27 TOEFL iBT Information Bulletin in October 2026. Confirm them in your ETS account before you book.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Test | TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language, internet-based test) |
| Owner | ETS |
| Sections | Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking |
| Test time | About 90 minutes of section time; ETS advises allowing about two hours |
| Breaks | No scheduled breaks |
| Scores | 1 to 6 for each section and overall, in half bands, since 21 January 2026 |
| Transition | A comparable 0 to 120 score is also reported for two years after January 2026 |
| Task types | 12 task types; Reading and Listening are adaptive |
| Delivery | Authorised test centre or TOEFL iBT Home Edition |
| Scores available | About three days after the test, in your ETS account |
| Free score reports | Up to four, chosen by 10 pm the day before your test |
| Validity | Two years from the test date |
What changed in January 2026
From 21 January 2026, ETS introduced a redesigned TOEFL iBT. The table compares it with the version used from July 2023.
| Area | Version from July 2023 | From 21 January 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Score scale | 0 to 120 total; 0 to 30 per section | 1 to 6 per section and overall, in half bands |
| Length | Just under 2 hours | About 90 minutes of section time |
| Reading and Listening | Fixed sets of longer passages and lectures | Shorter tasks; two-stage adaptive |
| Writing | An integrated essay and an academic discussion | Build a Sentence, Write an Email, Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Speaking | Four tasks, including integrated tasks | Listen and Repeat, and Take an Interview |
Table 5.2 · What changed in January 2026. For two years your report also shows a comparable 0 to 120 score.
Any book, course or app that still shows 0 to 120 practice scores, a 20-minute integrated essay or four speaking tasks was written for the old test. Use it only for general English practice, never as a mock test.
What you will learn
You will learn what the redesigned TOEFL iBT tests in full: the four sections and all twelve task types. You will see how the adaptive sections work and how each task is scored on the new 1 to 6 scale.
You will learn how to read any requirement, whether it uses the new scale or the old 0 to 120 scale. You will also learn how to choose between TOEFL and IELTS, plan, register, pay, contact ETS, send your scores and raise a score that falls short.
What you will have at the end
| Output | Where you build it |
|---|---|
| A test choice record: test, place and target scores | Chapter 3 |
| A pre-registration requirements checklist | Chapter 4 |
| Your scores and weakest task types from a practice test | Chapter 5 |
| A weekly practice plan split by section | Chapter 7 and Appendix B |
| A three-level budget with the service fees | Chapter 9 and Appendix C |
| Six message templates for ETS | Chapter 10 and Appendix D |
| A target score table on both scales | Chapters 11 and 12 |
| A plan for a score that falls short | Chapter 13 |
| A score-sending checklist and validity calendar | Chapters 14 and 15 |
| Your answers to 15 practice questions | Appendix G |
Sixteen chapters in six stages
- 1What TOEFL Really Is
- 2What Your Score Opens
- 3TOEFL or IELTS: Which Test, Which Version?
- 4Eligibility and Requirements
- 5The Test Map
- 6Choosing Your Study Route
- 7Your Adaptive Study Plan
- 8Scheduling and Test Day
- 9Costs and Budget
- 10Official Communication
- 11Where Your Score Is Accepted
- 12Reading Score Requirements by Goal
- 13Raising Your Score on a Retake
- 14Using Your Score: Admissions, Visas and Jobs
- 15Score Validity and Timing
- 16Beyond the Test: Using English at Work
Appendices. A. Official Sources Map · B. Weekly Plan Template · C. Budget Template · D. Message Templates · E. Test-Day Checklist · F. CV and LinkedIn Template · G. Practice Questions · H. Glossary
Try three practice questions
Three of the book's 15 questions, written for the book in the style of the exam. They are not ETS questions.
Complete the Words. Fill in the missing letters: "The library will cl___ early on Friday because of the hol____."
Show answer
Campus Gym: Change to Opening Hours. From Monday, the gym will open at 7 am instead of 6 am on weekdays while the changing rooms are repaired. Weekend hours do not change. Students with early classes may use the pool entrance, which opens at 6:30 am.
Read in Daily Life. Why are the weekday hours changing?
- AThe gym is closing permanently
- BThe changing rooms are being repaired
- CWeekend demand has fallen
- DThe pool is being cleaned
Show answer
Read in Daily Life. What can a student with an early class do?
- AUse the gym at 6 am as before
- BUse the gym only at weekends
- CEnter through the pool entrance from 6:30 am
- DAsk for a refund
Show answer
Paperback and Kindle
For students applying to universities that teach in English, scholarship applicants, and professionals whose employer or licensing body accepts TOEFL iBT.
In publication on Amazon. The buttons appear here as soon as the listing is live.
Companion reading and kit
Search links on Amazon for items candidates often use alongside this book. We do not review them; check that any edition matches your exam version.
- The official ETS guide to the TOEFL iBTSearch on Amazon ↗
Frequently asked
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Independent publication. Not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by ETS. TOEFL and TOEFL iBT are registered trademarks of ETS.