Get to Know the TOEIC Test
Before you start practicing for the TOEIC test, it is important to get to know the test. Let’s look at the purpose of the TOEIC test as well as its content and format.
1. What is the TOEIC test?
The Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) is an English language proficiency test for people whose native language is not English. TOEIC test scores indicate how well people can communicate in English with others in the global work-place. The test does not require specialized knowledge or vocabulary; it measures only the kind of English used in everyday activities.
2. What is the content of the TOEIC test?
The TOEIC test was designed to meet the needs of the working world. The test questions are developed from samples of spoken and written language collected from various countries around the world where English is used in the workplace. Test questions include many different settings and situations, such as:
General Business – contracts, negotiations, marketing, sales, business planning and conferences.
Manufacturing – plant management, assembly lines, quality control
Finance and budgeting – banking, investment, taxes, accounting, billing
Corporate development – research, product development
Offices – board meetings, committees, letters, memoranda, telephone, fax, and e-mail messages, office equipment and furniture, office procedures
Personnel – recruiting, hiring, retiring, salaries, promotions, job applications and advertisements
Purchasing – shopping, ordering, supplies, shipping, invoices
Technical areas – electronics, technology, computers, laboratories and related equipment, technical specifications
Housing/corporate property – construction, specifications, buying and renting, electric and gas services
Travel – trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries, tickets, schedules, station and airport announcements, car rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations
Dining out – business and informal lunches, banquets, receptions, restaurants reservations
Entertainment – cinema, theater, music, art, media
Health – medical insurance, visiting doctors, dentists, clinics, hospitals
Becoming familiar with the language used in these settings will help you in the test, but please note;
§ You do not need to know specialized business and technical vocabulary for the test
§ Your skill and knowledge is specialized areas will not be tested
What is the format of the test?
§ The TOEIC test itself takes 2 hours to complete. Some extra time is needed to complete the biographical questions on the answer sheet and to respond to a short questionnaire about your educational and work history
§ It is a paper-and-pencil test
§ It is a multiple choice test. For each question, you choose the answer that you think is correct and mark it with a pencil on your answer sheet
§ There are 200 questions in the test
§ The questions are divided into two main sections: Listening Comprehension and Reading. Each of these sections is timed separately. The Listening Comprehension section takes approximately 45 minutes. The Reading section takes 75 minutes.
Get to know the different types of questions in the test
Section 1: Listening Comprehension
In this section, there are 100 questions. During the test you will listen to a recording of a variety of statements, questions, short conversations, and short talks and then answer questions based on the listening segments. There are four parts to this section.
Part I: Photographs
There are 20 questions in this part. For each question, you will see a picture in your test book, and you will hear four short statements on the recording. You have to choose the statement that best describes what you see in the picture
Part II: Question-Response
There are 30 questions in this part. You will hear a question asked by one speaker, followed by three responses from another speaker. You have to choose the most appropriate response to the question.
Part III: Short Conversations
There are 30 questions in this part. For each question, you will hear a short conversation between two people. In the test book, you will see a question about the conversation and four choices. You have to choose the correct answer to the question.
Part IV: Short Talks
There are 20 questions in this part. You will hear several short talks. In your test book, you will read two or more questions about each short talk. Each question is followed by four choices, printed in the test book. You have to choose the best answer to each question.
Section2: Reading
In this section, there are 100 questions, printed in the test book. You will read a variety of materials and answer questions based on the reading materials. There are three parts to this section.
Part V: Incomplete Sentences
There are 40 questions in this part. Each question consists of a sentence with a word or phrase deleted from it. Four words or phrases, marked (A), (B), (C), and (D), are given beneath each sentence. You have to decide which choice best completes the sentence.
Part VI: Error Recognition
There are 20 questions in this part. For each question, you will read a sentence that has four words or phrases underlined. The four underlined parts of the sentence are marked (A), (B), (C), and (D). You have to identify the one underlined word or phrase that is incorrect.
Part VII: Reading Comprehension
There are 40 questions in this section. These questions are based on a selection of reading materials, such as notices, letters, forms, newspaper and magazine articles, and advertisements. Each text is followed by two or more questions.
