Preparation · TOEIC Listening & Reading

Prepare for the TOEIC.
In the right order.

Two sections, seven parts. A concept-by-concept plan, built from your answers.

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New to the test? The TOEIC guide

Schools that accept it
17 schools whose official pages mention the TOEIC: for admission or for the degree. Their inclusion does not imply a partnership.
The strategy, applied to the TOEIC

A question bank lets you choose. Upsilar tells you what to work on.

Upsilar’s three-step strategy, followed by a full-length TOEIC practice test.

  1. What should I work on?

    Every concept has a status.

    Your queue brings together the open topics of the two sections; “ Recommended for you ” suggests the next one.

  2. In what order?

    Prerequisites unlock what comes next.

    Exploring a concept unlocks the next ones. Whether your answer is right or wrong, each response moves your plan forward.

  3. What about my progress?

    Your progress is saved.

    Pick up where you left off, with no required review or reset.

And on test day?

A mock exam to prepare for test day.

Listening then Reading, the 200 questions in test order. Your results then show what to work on.

Test day · about 2 hr

  1. Listening100 questions · 4 parts · about 45 min
  2. Reading100 questions · 3 parts · 75 min

Listening first, paced by the recording; then Reading, with 75 minutes for you to manage.

Wherever you are starting from

  • The date is approaching

    Prioritize.

    Focus your first sessions on one concept to revisit.

  • You have time

    Build the foundations.

    Understand a concept, then practice the questions connected to it.

  • You’re retaking it

    Build on what you know.

    Review the approaches that still need work.

Methods

A method for each part.

Seven parts, each with its own format. For each, the method Upsilar’s preparation follows, then a worked example that applies it.

  • 2sections, scored from 5 to 495
  • 7parties
  • 200questions, in about two hours

Part 1 · Listening · 6 questions

Photographs

Four statements about a photograph: choose the one that describes it best. They are not printed and are played only once.

The method

  1. Before listening, identify what the photo shows: people, objects, setting, and the action taking place.
  2. Listen for the subject and verb in each statement: is the described action visible?
  3. Eliminate statements that assume something the photo does not show, even if they mention objects in the image.

The questions

  • Four sentences about a photo
The section guide Listening

A worked example using the method

A woman standing by a window waters plants on the sill.
Image generated for this Upsilar exercise

You hear four sentences, once only

  1. AShe’s opening the window.
  2. BShe’s watering some plants.Correct answer
  3. CShe’s planting a tree.
  4. DShe’s buying some flowers.

The method in action

  1. Before listening: a woman is standing by a window, with plants on the sill; the action is watering.
  2. The subject doesn’t change, She ; the verb does. Opening, planting, buying: none of these actions is visible; watering is.
  3. A keeps the window but no one is opening it; C assumes there is a tree, and D an item being bought, neither of which appears in the photo. Answer: B.

The pitfall Choosing a sentence just because it repeats a word associated with the photo, “ window ” in A, or a sound close to what it shows, “ planting ” in C: the spoken action is what matters.

Part 2 · Listening · 25 questions

Question-Response

A question or statement followed by three responses: choose the one that fits. Nothing is printed; everything is played only once.

The method

  1. Identify what the sentence is doing; in a question, Who, When, Where, Why, How point to a person, time, place, reason, or manner.
  2. Be wary of an answer that repeats a word or sound from the question.
  3. Accept an indirect response if it truly answers the question.

The questions

  • A question or statement, followed by three responses
The section guide Listening

A worked example using the method

You hear, once only

When will the new printer be delivered?

Then three responses, played once

  1. AOn the second floor.
  2. BProbably on Thursday.Correct answer
  3. CYes, it prints in color.

The method in action

  1. The premier mot, When, calls for a time; A, a place, would answer Where.
  2. C echoes “ printer ”, with “ prints ”: repeating a sound is not an answer.
  3. B, “ Probably on Thursday ” is only an estimate, but it gives a time, so it answers the question. Answer: B.

The pitfall C: “ Yes, it prints in color ” describes the printer but gives no delivery time.

Part 3 · Listening · 39 questions

Conversations

Conversations between two or more people, played once; three questions per conversation, heard and then shown with four answer choices.

The method

  1. Read the three questions before listening so you know what to look for.
  2. Identify who is speaking: the question often asks about the man or the woman.
  3. Answer as you listen, in question order, without waiting for the conversation to end.

The questions

  • 13 conversations, between two or more people
The section guide Listening

A worked example using the method

You hear, once only

Woman Hi, I’m calling about the conference room I booked for Friday. We’ll have twelve people instead of eight.

Man Room B only seats ten. I can move you to Room D — it’s larger, but it’s on the fourth floor.

Woman That’s fine. Could you also add a projector?

Why is the woman calling?

  1. ATo cancel a meeting
  2. BTo change a reservationCorrect answer
  3. CTo order a projector
  4. DTo ask for directions

The method in action

  1. Read before listening, the question tells you what to look for: the reason for the call, usually given in the first few words.
  2. It asks about the woman making the call: her first response gives the reason—12 people instead of 8 in the room reserved for Friday.
  3. You can answer from that first response without waiting for the end: she wants to change her reservation. Answer: B.

The pitfall C: the projector is requested, but only in passing; it is not the reason for the call.

Part 4 · Listening · 30 questions

Talks

Announcements and messages from one speaker, played once; three questions each, heard and then read.

The method

  1. Read the three questions before listening.
  2. Recognize the type of talk from the first few words: a message, announcement, tour, or presentation.
  3. Listen for the requested detail: a location, time, or instruction.

The questions

  • 10 single-speaker talks
The section guide Listening

A worked example using the method

You hear, once only

Speaker Attention, passengers on the 3:15 train to Lyon. Because of track maintenance, this train will depart from platform 7 instead of platform 4. Please allow extra time to reach the platform. We apologize for the inconvenience.

What are listeners asked to do?

  1. ABuy a new ticket
  2. BAllow extra timeCorrect answer
  3. CWait on platform 4
  4. DTake a later train

The method in action

  1. Read before listening, the question tells you what to listen for: an instruction given to the audience.
  2. “ Attention, passengers ” marks an announcement at a train station from the first few words: the train is changing platforms.
  3. The instruction uses the imperative: “ Please allow extra time to reach the platform .” Answer: B.

The pitfall C: platform 4 is indeed mentioned, but it is the old one.

Part 5 · Reading · 30 questions

Incomplete Sentences

A sentence with a missing word or phrase and four answer choices.

The method

  1. Read the whole sentence, then look at what surrounds the blank.
  2. Compare the four choices: different forms of the same word call for grammar; different words call for meaning.
  3. Answer quickly: time saved here can go to the passages in Part 7.

The questions

  • 30 incomplete sentences, each with one blank
The section guide Reading

A worked example using the method

The new policy was … received by the staff.

  1. Awarm
  2. BwarmlyCorrect answer
  3. Cwarmth
  4. Dwarmer

The method in action

  1. The whole sentence is in the passive voice: “ was … received ”: the blank separates the auxiliary from the participle.
  2. Four forms of warm : grammar decides. Before the participle received, you need an adverb, warmly.
  3. One rule is enough; no need to linger. Answer: B, saving time for the passages.

The pitfall A: stopping at the blank makes you read “ was warm ”, correct on its own; but received suit, and it is the one the word modifies.

Part 6 · Reading · 16 questions

Text Completion

Passages with missing words or phrases, with four answer choices for each blank.

The method

  1. Read the whole text, not just the sentence with the blank.
  2. Look elsewhere in the text for the clue that settles it: a date, a verb tense, a repeated word.
  3. Check that the choice fits both the sentence and the passage.

The questions

  • 16 blanks across incomplete texts
The section guide Reading

A worked example using the method

Dear Ms. Alvarez, thank you for your order of May 3. Unfortunately, the chairs you selected are temporarily out of stock. …, we expect a new shipment by the end of the month, and we will send your order as soon as it arrives.
  1. AHoweverCorrect answer
  2. BTherefore
  3. CFor example
  4. DOtherwise

The method in action

  1. The whole passage: a chair order, an item out of stock, then an expected delivery.
  2. All four connectors fit the sentence on its own; the clue is in the preceding sentence, “ Unfortunately ”: bad news, followed by good news that offsets it. You need a contrast.
  3. However fits both the sentence and the passage; For example illustrates nothing, Otherwise would imply a condition. Answer: A.

The pitfall B, Therefore : the expected delivery is not a consequence of the stockout.

Part 7 · Reading · 29 + 25 questions

Reading Comprehension

Single passages or sets of two or three: articles, emails, and messages, each followed by several questions.

The method

  1. Read the question before the text, so you know what to look for.
  2. Find and reread the passage that answers the question; in a set, first identify what each text contributes.
  3. Choose the answer supported by the passage, whether it repeats its words or paraphrases them.

The questions

  • 29 questions on 10 individual passages, with two to four questions each
  • 25 questions on five sets of two or three passages, with five per set
The section guide Reading

A worked example using the method

Corliss Cycle Works, which has been repairing bicycles on Mercer Street since 2015, will open a second shop next month in the Linwood Arcade. The new shop will be twice the size of the Mercer Street location and will host repair classes on weekends. Owner Lena Ortiz says customers will be able to drop off bicycles at either shop.

What is indicated about the new shop?

  1. AIt will be larger than the original shop.Correct answer
  2. BIt will be located on Mercer Street.
  3. CIt will repair twice as many bicycles.
  4. DIt will be open only on weekends.

The method in action

  1. Read before the passage, the question tells you what and to look for in it: what the article says about the new shop, and only about it.
  2. The passage that answers the question, read again: “ The new shop will be twice the size of the Mercer Street location ”.
  3. A restates it, “ larger than the original shop ”; B, C, and D reuse “ Mercer Street ”, “ twice ” and “ weekends ” to say what the passage does not. Answer: A.

The pitfall C: “ twice ” does appear in the passage, but it refers to the size of the store, not the number of bikes repaired.

The standard TOEIC format, according to ETS. The examples are written by Upsilar in the format of each part; those for Parts 1 to 4 are audio, transcribed here.

A question, then its review

The answer matters. The method matters more.

A Part 5 question, explained as on Upsilar: the method, the steps, the trap.

Reading · Part 5 Written by Upsilar
The new accounting software will be installed … the weekend, so the office can reopen on Monday.

Choose an answer.

The solution, step by step

Correct answer: B — during.

The method

Four linking words: look at what follows the blank. A noun takes a preposition; a subject followed by a verb takes a conjunction.

The method in action

  1. After the blank. the weekend : a noun phrase, without a verb.
  2. The candidates. while is a conjunction: it needs a subject and a verb. since marks a starting point in the past, which does not fit the future installation; among would require a plural group.
  3. Conclusion. during is the preposition used for a duration: answer B.

The pitfall

Choose while for its meaning, “while”: the meaning is similar, but the construction is different.

Key takeaways

Before a noun, during ; before a subject and a verb, while.

Next · the Forge

Same method, new exercise.

The office will be closed … the new accounting software is being installed. (A) while (B) during (C) despite (D) among

This time, A. After the blank come a subject and a verb, the new accounting software is being installed : you need the conjunction while.

What you can evaluate us on

A method you can explain.

Clear principles, identified sources, and a guide that explains the test in detail.

01 · The model

A model that learns from every answer.

Your answers inform a Bayesian model that estimates your understanding of each concept and recommends what to work on next from the concepts unlocked by prerequisites. Your progress keeps track of the work you have done; it does not guarantee that you have mastered every concept you explore.

How the model decides
03 · The benchmarks

Understand the test before you prepare for it.

Format, score, and levels: the TOEIC guide provides the key facts, based on d’ETS and d’ETS Global, and a guide covers each section.

The TOEIC guide
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Frequently asked questions

Before you get started.

Five short answers. See the guide for the test itself.

Do I need to know the test before I start?

No. The TOEIC guide explains the test, scoring, and the levels; on the platform, your queue shows you where to start. The TOEIC guide

How much time should I allow to prepare?

It depends on your starting point, test date, and available time. Start by identifying one priority, then adjust the pace of your sessions.

Is it free?

Yes. The free account covers one test, with progressive access to the curriculum and monthly quotas. Basic, Premium, and Pro are described on the pricing page, but subscriptions are not open yet. They include access to the full curriculum without unlock quotas, in prerequisite order. See pricing

Is the app available in French?

The application’s interface is in English. The website, guides, and section guides are available in French and English.

Do wrong answers lose points?

No: ETS states that there is no penalty; leaving an answer blank offers no protection. The TOEIC guide

Prepare for the TOEIC

Start with one concept, then keep going in order.

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Start for free The TOEIC guide