TOEFL iBT® Speaking · Task 1 of 2

TOEFL iBT® Listen and Repeat

Listen and Repeat is the first of the two tasks in the Speaking section of the TOEFL iBT test, in the format used since 21 January 2026. You hear seven sentences set in one campus or academic scenario and repeat each one exactly as you heard it. There is no preparation time, and you have a maximum of 8 to 12 seconds to record each sentence. The sentences get longer and more complex as the set goes on.

Each repetition is scored from 0 to 5: a 5 is an exact repetition that is fully intelligible. Your seven scores count toward the Speaking section band (1–6), together with the four Take an Interview answers.

Last reviewed 7 October 2026 against the official sources listed below.

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Listen and Repeat at a glance

TOEFL iBT Listen and Repeat, tests taken on or after 21 January 2026
Detail	Listen and Repeat
Items in the test	7 sentences, all in one scenario
Where it comes	First task of the Speaking section; Take an Interview (4 questions) follows. The section has 11 items and takes about 8 minutes.
Setting	An academic or campus-life scenario, introduced aloud and on screen, with an illustration of the setting. No specialist background knowledge is needed.
Preparation time	None
Time to answer	A maximum of 8 to 12 seconds per sentence. ETS publishes the range, not the time for each sentence.
Difficulty	Sentences get progressively longer and more complex through the set.
Scored on	0–5 per sentence: how exact the repetition is and how intelligible it is
Scoring	AI scored, according to ETS's 2026 test specifications

Speakers in the Speaking section may have accents from North America, the UK, New Zealand or Australia.
ETS describes a pause after each sentence, then your repetition. ETS's own sample instructions say to repeat each sentence only once.

Sources: ETS: Updated TOEFL iBT Test Overview (PDF) · ETS: TOEFL iBT Speaking section · ETS: TOEFL iBT 2026 Test Blueprint and Specifications (PDF)

How each sentence is scored

ETS scores every repetition with a public 0–5 scoring guide. The table below summarizes it in our words; the full wording is in the ETS scoring guide linked below.

ETS Listen and Repeat scoring guide, summarized
Score	What a typical response looks like
5	An exact repetition of the sentence, fully intelligible.
4	The meaning is kept but it is not exact: for example one or two small function words missing or changed, a content word missing (in a longer sentence) or replaced with a related word, a tense or plural marker missing or wrong, or two words swapped. One or two words may be unclear; a self-correction is possible.
3	An essentially full sentence with most of the content words, but the original meaning is not accurately captured. Several small words may be changed or missing and one or more content words missing or changed. Intelligibility sometimes makes the meaning hard to follow.
2	A large part of the sentence is missing or highly inaccurate, for example only the first part repeated, then a stop or invented words. The response is fragmentary and hard to understand.
1	A few words only, or a response that is mostly unintelligible.
0	No response, no English, entirely unintelligible, unconnected to the sentence, or only phrases such as "I don't know".

ETS reports the Speaking section on a 1–6 band, from a raw score of 0–55 (11 answers scored 0–5). It does not publish how raw points convert to the band.

How the 1–6 Speaking band works, and how old 0–30 scores compare: TOEFL Speaking score explained

Sources: ETS: TOEFL iBT Speaking scoring guides (PDF) · ETS: Updated TOEFL iBT Test Overview (PDF)

How to approach Listen and Repeat

There is no preparation time, so the work happens while you listen. These steps follow what the ETS scoring guide rewards.

1
Use the scenario introduction
The introduction tells you where you are and who is speaking, for example a manager training you at a campus job. Expect the vocabulary of that place before the first sentence starts.
2
Hear the sentence as phrases
Hold a long sentence as two or three meaningful chunks (who, what, where or when) rather than a string of single words. Chunks are much easier to keep in your head for a few seconds.
3
Start promptly and speak clearly
You have at most 8 to 12 seconds. Begin as soon as you can record, at a steady, natural pace, copying the speaker's stress and rhythm. Clear pronunciation is part of the score.
4
Keep the small words and endings
Articles, prepositions, plural -s and past -ed are what separate a 5 from a 4 in the ETS guide. Listen for them on purpose.
5
Repeat, do not rephrase
A synonym or a different word order costs points even when the meaning is the same. Say the words you heard, in the order you heard them.
6
If you lose part of it, still finish a full sentence
The guide describes an essentially full sentence at level 3, and only the first part followed by a stop at level 2. Say the whole sentence as closely as you can rather than stopping halfway.

Common mistakes

Dropping small words (a, the, of, to) or word endings
Practise with transcripts and mark every function word and ending you missed; these are the most common differences between a 5 and a 4.
Paraphrasing a sentence you understood
Repeat the exact words. Replacing a word with a related one keeps you at 4 at best.
Stopping when you lose the end of the sentence
Finish with a complete sentence that keeps the meaning; a fragment is scored lower.
Rushing and running words together
Speak at the speaker's pace. Words that are hard to make out lower the score even when they are all there.
Practising only short sentences
The last sentences in the set are the longest and most complex. Practise full seven-sentence sets so the end of the set is not a surprise.
Preparing with the old TOEFL speaking tasks
Guides that describe independent or integrated tasks, or a 0–30 Speaking score, are about the test before 21 January 2026.

Worked example

A seven-sentence set we wrote in the style ETS describes, followed by sample repetitions. The levels are our reading of the public ETS scoring guide, not official scores.

Our original example, not a real test item

At the university library front desk

Scenario

You are starting a student job at the front desk of the university library. Listen to the head librarian and repeat what she says.

The seven sentences

1. The front desk opens at eight.

2. Students need their ID cards to borrow books.

3. The quiet study rooms are on the second floor.

4. Laptops can be borrowed for up to four hours at a time.

5. Please remind visitors that food is not allowed near the computers.

6. If a book is missing from the shelf, check the online catalog for its status.

7. Students who return books late will receive an email reminder before any fines are added.

Sample repetitions of sentences 6 and 7

A (sentence 6): "If a book is missing from the shelf, check the online catalog for its status."

B (sentence 6): "If book is missing from the shelf, check the online catalog for its status."

C (sentence 7): "Students who return books late will get an email before fines are added."

D (sentence 7): "Students who return books late will... um... email."

Why it works

A: exact and, if clearly pronounced, matches the description of a 5.
B: one function word ("a") is missing and the meaning is unchanged, which is the kind of minor change the guide describes at 4.
C: the meaning survives, but "receive" became "get" and "reminder" and "any" are missing. With a content word replaced and another missing, this sits between the guide's descriptions of 4 and 3.
D: only the start of the sentence, then a fragment. This matches the description of a 2.

Free TOEFL iBT Listen and Repeat practice videos

New practice questions on YouTube every day: answer out loud before the timer ends, then compare with a model answer. Realistic practice written to the official format, never real test content.

Playlists

TOEFL speaking practice testsEach video opens with a Listen and Repeat set, new 2026 format.

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Practise Listen and Repeat on the real clock

Your first full TOEFL iBT speaking mock is free: one Listen and Repeat set and one four-question interview, about 8 minutes, with an estimated 0–5 score for every answer, word-level feedback on each sentence, and an estimated Speaking band. No credit card needed.

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AI estimate for practice. Not an official score.

Listen and Repeat questions

How many sentences are in TOEFL Listen and Repeat?

Seven, all in one campus or academic scenario. They get longer and more complex as the set goes on. Listen and Repeat is followed by Take an Interview, for 11 Speaking items in about 8 minutes.

How long do I have to repeat each sentence?

A maximum of 8 to 12 seconds per sentence, with no preparation time. ETS publishes the range but not the exact time for each sentence.

How is Listen and Repeat scored?

Each sentence is scored from 0 to 5 using the ETS scoring guide. A 5 is an exact, fully intelligible repetition. A 4 keeps the meaning with minor changes, such as a missing small word or a word replaced with a related one. Lower scores describe missing parts, changed meaning or speech that is hard to understand.

Can I use my own words if I understood the sentence?

No. The task is to repeat exactly what you heard. In the ETS scoring guide, replacing a word with a related word or changing the word order is a change that keeps a response below 5.

Do I need academic vocabulary for Listen and Repeat?

The scenarios are set in academic and campus situations, but ETS says no specialized background knowledge is required. Everyday campus vocabulary (services, rules, directions, schedules) is the best preparation.

Is my Lingo Copilot score an official TOEFL score?

No. It is an AI estimate for practice on the same 0–5 and 1–6 scales. For official practice in the 2026 format, ETS offers free sample tests.

Sources

Every timing, count and scoring fact on this page comes from these official pages. Last reviewed 7 October 2026. Test owners change their tests: check the official pages before you book.