The TOEFL iBT Reading section assesses your ability to understand written English in academic and everyday contexts, interpret information, recognize vocabulary, and analyze ideas.

Important update: Since January 21, 2026, the TOEFL iBT Reading section has included three official task types: Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage. The updated section is adaptive, with approximately 50 items and a base time of 30 minutes, although the number of items and timing can vary.

Part A: Official TOEFL iBT Reading Task Types

1. Complete the Words

• Completing partially missing words

• Vocabulary recognition in context

• Word formation and spelling

• Identifying correct grammatical forms

• Using surrounding sentences as clues

• Understanding paragraph meaning

• Recognizing prefixes and suffixes

• Choosing contextually appropriate word forms

2. Read in Daily Life

• Reading notices and announcements

• Understanding emails and messages

• Interpreting advertisements

• Reading schedules and timetables

• Understanding instructions and guidelines

• Reading websites and social media posts

• Identifying main purposes and details

• Drawing inferences from short texts

3. Read an Academic Passage

• Identifying central ideas

• Understanding supporting details

• Recognizing academic vocabulary

• Understanding factual information

• Making logical inferences

• Identifying relationships between ideas

• Understanding passage organization

• Interpreting the author's purpose

Part B: Core Reading Comprehension Skills

4. Main Idea and Central Theme

• Identifying the main idea

• Recognizing the central argument

• Distinguishing main ideas from supporting details

• Identifying paragraph topics

• Understanding the overall message

5. Factual Information and Details

• Finding explicitly stated information

• Identifying important facts

• Recognizing dates, names, and locations

• Understanding numerical information

• Distinguishing facts from opinions

6. Inference and Implied Meaning

• Drawing logical conclusions

• Understanding unstated information

• Inferring the writer's intentions

• Recognizing implied relationships

• Using textual evidence to support inferences

7. Vocabulary in Context

• Understanding unfamiliar words

• Using contextual clues

• Identifying synonyms and antonyms

• Understanding multiple-meaning words

• Recognizing figurative expressions

• Interpreting academic terminology

8. Word Formation and Morphology

• Prefixes

• Suffixes

• Root words

• Compound words

• Word families

• Derivational morphology

• Inflectional forms

• Spelling patterns

9. Grammar for Reading Comprehension

• Sentence structure

• Subject–verb agreement

• Verb tenses and aspects

• Active and passive voice

• Relative clauses

• Conditional sentences

• Modal verbs

• Complex and compound sentences

10. Pronoun and Reference Recognition

• Personal pronouns

• Demonstrative pronouns

• Relative pronouns

• Possessive pronouns

• Reference words

• Identifying antecedents

• Understanding references across sentences

11. Sentence Meaning and Interpretation

• Understanding simple sentences

• Understanding compound sentences

• Understanding complex sentences

• Identifying independent and dependent clauses

• Recognizing sentence emphasis

• Interpreting negative constructions

• Understanding logical connectors

12. Paragraph Organization

• Topic sentences

• Supporting sentences

• Concluding sentences

• Paragraph unity

• Paragraph coherence

• Transitions between ideas

• Recognizing paragraph functions

13. Logical Relationships Between Ideas

• Cause and effect

• Comparison and contrast

• Problem and solution

• Sequence and chronology

• Classification and categorization

• Definition and explanation

• Examples and illustrations

• Generalization and specification

14. Author's Purpose, Tone, and Perspective

• Identifying the writer's purpose

• Recognizing informative writing

• Understanding explanatory writing

• Identifying persuasive arguments

• Distinguishing objective and subjective language

• Recognizing tone and attitude

• Understanding audience and context

15. Critical and Analytical Reading

• Evaluating claims and evidence

• Distinguishing assumptions from conclusions

• Identifying reasoning patterns

• Recognizing logical inconsistencies

• Interpreting arguments

• Comparing different viewpoints

• Understanding limitations of evidence

Part C: Academic Passage Subject Areas

The following are recommended content areas for reading practice, not a fixed ETS list of examination subjects.

16. Physical Sciences

• Physics

• Chemistry

• Astronomy

• Astrophysics

• Nuclear science

• Particle physics

• Thermodynamics

• Electromagnetism

• Materials science

• Energy and matter

17. Biological Sciences

• Cell biology

• Genetics

• Evolution

• Ecology

• Microbiology

• Human physiology

• Plant biology

• Animal behavior

• Biodiversity

• Biotechnology

18. Earth and Environmental Sciences

• Geology

• Meteorology

• Oceanography

• Climate science

• Plate tectonics

• Natural disasters

• Environmental pollution

• Renewable energy

• Conservation

• Earth's atmosphere

19. Social Sciences

• Sociology

• Psychology

• Anthropology

• Economics

• Political science

• Human geography

• Demography

• Education

• Urbanization

• Cultural studies

20. History and Archaeology

• Ancient civilizations

• Medieval societies

• Modern history

• Archaeological discoveries

• Historical migration

• Industrial Revolution

• History of science

• Cultural heritage

• Historical technologies

• Social transformations

21. Arts, Literature, and Humanities

• Literature

• Philosophy

• Linguistics

• Music

• Architecture

• Visual arts

• Cultural traditions

• Art history

• Language development

• Literary movements

22. Technology and Innovation

• Artificial intelligence

• Computer science

• Robotics

• Telecommunications

• Transportation technologies

• Medical technologies

• Scientific discoveries

• Space exploration

• Digital communication

• Emerging technologies

Part D: Everyday and University Reading

23. Campus Life and University Communication

• University announcements

• Course registration instructions

• Library notices

• Scholarship information

• Student services

• Campus events

• Academic calendars

• Examination schedules

• Housing information

• Administrative emails

24. Practical and Digital Texts

• Online articles

• Website instructions

• Digital advertisements

• Public notices

• Information leaflets

• Travel schedules

• Event invitations

• Product information

• Workplace messages

• Short informational reports

Part E: Reading Techniques and Test Preparation

25. Skimming and Scanning

• Reading quickly for the main idea

• Locating keywords

• Searching for specific information

• Identifying topic sentences

• Recognizing text structure

• Distinguishing essential and nonessential details

26. Academic Vocabulary Development

• General academic vocabulary

• Discipline-specific vocabulary

• Synonyms and antonyms

• Word collocations

• Academic verbs and nouns

• Transition expressions

• High-frequency academic word families

• Context-based vocabulary exercises

27. Reading Speed and Fluency

• Timed reading practice

• Improving reading accuracy

• Reducing unnecessary rereading

• Recognizing phrase groups

• Processing complex sentences

• Improving comprehension under time limits

28. Information Integration and Synthesis

• Connecting ideas across sentences

• Combining supporting information

• Identifying relationships across paragraphs

• Distinguishing central and secondary information

• Interpreting evidence

• Forming concise summaries

29. Question-Solving Strategies

• Understanding question instructions

• Identifying relevant textual evidence

• Eliminating incorrect answers

• Recognizing distractors

• Avoiding unsupported assumptions

• Applying contextual reasoning

• Checking answers efficiently

30. TOEFL iBT Reading Practice and Assessment

• Complete the Words practice sets

• Daily Life reading exercises

• Academic passage practice sets

• Timed mini-tests

• Adaptive-style reading practice

• Vocabulary and grammar revision

• Error analysis

• Reading performance tracking

• Full-length TOEFL practice tests

• Final examination preparation

TOEFL iBT Reading — Recommended Study Priorities

Priority, Topics, Recommended focus

1.  Essential, 1–3, Master all three official task types

2. Very High, 4–8, Main ideas, details, inference, vocabulary, word formation

3. High, 9–15, Grammar, references, logical relationships, analytical reading

4. High, 16–24, Academic subjects and everyday reading materials

5. Essential, 25–30, Reading efficiency, strategies, timed practice, mock tests

Official preparation resources: ETS TOEFL iBT Reading Section and ETS TOEFL Preparation Resources.

The most effective preparation combines three elements: strong vocabulary and grammar, accurate reading comprehension, and regular practice with the updated TOEFL iBT task formats.