TOEIC Test Guide: Format, Scores, Levels, and Study Plan

Key takeaways

• The TOEIC Listening and Reading test scores from 10 to 990 across two sections of 100 questions each.
• TOEIC is primarily used in professional and workplace contexts, not university admissions.
• Most employers use TOEIC score ranges rather than pass/fail thresholds, with 600-700 common for professional roles.
• The TOEIC Speaking and Writing test is a separate exam from L&R and is scored independently.
• TOEIC is accepted by employers in over 160 countries and is particularly widely used in Japan, South Korea, and France.

Your employer has just asked for a TOEIC score. Your university requires it for graduation. Or you are applying for a role in a company that uses TOEIC as a workplace English benchmark. Whatever the reason, you need to understand exactly how the exam works, what score the context requires, and how to reach it.

This guide covers the full TOEIC format, how section scores are calculated, what the score ranges mean in practice, which types of roles and contexts each score level typically corresponds to, and how to prepare section by section.

With over 15 years of experience across 150+ languages, italki connects you with English tutors who specialise in TOEIC preparation and target your weak sections.

What is the TOEIC test?

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) is created by ETS and designed to measure the everyday English skills used in international business and professional environments. Unlike IELTS or TOEFL, TOEIC measures workplace English: reading business emails, understanding office conversations, following professional presentations. TOEIC Listening and Reading (L&R) is the most widely administered version: 200 questions, 120 minutes, scored from 10 to 990. TOEIC Speaking and Writing (S&W) is a separate exam that tests oral and written production. Get clarity on which TOEIC version your employer requires and find an English teacher online to help with your exam preparation.

TOEIC L&R exam format

Listening section (45 minutes, 100 questions, score 5-495)

Part	Type	Questions
Part 1	Photographs: choose the statement that best describes the photo	6
Part 2	Question-response: choose the best response to a spoken question	25
Part 3	Short conversations: answer questions about a dialogue	39
Part 4	Short talks: answer questions about a monologue or announcement	30

Reading section (75 minutes, 100 questions, score 5-495)

Part	Type	Questions
Part 5	Incomplete sentences: choose the correct word to fill the gap	30
Part 6	Text completion: fill gaps in a short document	16
Part 7	Reading comprehension: answer questions about single and multiple documents	54

What TOEIC scores mean

Score range	Level	Practical description
10-215	Novice	Very limited English for communication
220-465	Elementary	Basic English in familiar situations only
470-725	Pre-intermediate	Can handle routine tasks but struggles with complex language
730-855	Intermediate	Can work effectively in English in most professional situations
860-940	Upper-intermediate	Handles complex professional language with ease
945-990	Advanced	Highly effective command of professional English

Identify where your target score sits. Book a trial lesson with an English tutor on italki and get a realistic assessment of which score band matches your current English level.

Part 5 and Part 6: grammar and vocabulary in context

For Part 5, the most efficient strategy is to identify what part of speech is missing before looking at the options. If the gap follows a determiner and precedes a verb, you need a noun. Identifying the structural gap narrows your choice immediately. Work on grammar accuracy with English teachers online and learn the specific structures that appear most frequently in Part 5 questions.

Part 7: reading comprehension

54 questions across single documents, double documents, and triple documents. For Part 7 time management, practice completing a double-document set in under seven minutes. If a question is taking more than 90 seconds, mark a guess and move on. Practice Part 7 under strict time limits with an English online tutor and build the speed and accuracy employers expect from higher-scoring candidates.

Listening parts 3 and 4: anticipating before you hear

Before each audio clip plays, preview the questions. Reading the questions before the audio starts tells you what information to listen for. In Part 3, the third question often asks about the next action a speaker will take or what was implied. Practice identifying intention and implication, not just explicit content. Build your listening strategy with online English tutors and learn to anticipate what to listen for before each Part 3 and 4 audio plays. TOEIC candidates who target their weak sections improve by 50-100 points with focused preparation. You now understand the format, what score bands mean in your industry, and which parts demand the most preparation time. The next step is taking a full practice test and identifying exactly which sections hold you back. Trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide, italki has English tutors who specialise in TOEIC preparation and build a targeted study plan for your exact score goal.Book a trial lesson today.

FAQ

Does TOEIC expire?

TOEIC scores do not have a formal expiry date set by ETS. However, many employers consider results taken more than two years ago to be outdated. Confirm with the specific employer or institution what they consider a current result. What is the difference between TOEIC L&R and TOEIC S&W? TOEIC L&R tests comprehension skills only. TOEIC S&W tests production skills. Some employers require both; most require only L&R. Confirm which version is required before registering. Is TOEIC accepted for immigration or university admission? TOEIC is primarily a workplace proficiency exam and is generally not accepted for university admission to English-taught academic programs. IELTS or TOEFL are the standard for those purposes. TOEIC is not typically used for immigration language requirements.