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100 Reading Questions for the TOEFL® Test (PDF included)

Author

Josh MacPherson
Head Instructor at TST Prep

Published on: August 4, 2023

Updated on: April 2, 2026

Reading time: 12 minutes

Looking for some TOEFL Reading practice?

Well, there’s a problem. 

A lot of practice is old and out of date. 

On January 21st, 2026, the TOEFL test completely changed, so all of the old materials no longer help. 

But don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. 

Below you will find 100 free TOEFL Reading practice questions for the new TOEFL iBT. 

In the updated TOEFL Reading section, you will encounter three new task types: 

  • Complete the Words 
  • Read in Daily Life 
  • Read an Academic Passage 

You can try them all for free, right on our site. Or you can download the PDF. 

But if you are anything like most TOEFL test-takers, you still have questions. 

Which is why in this article, I am going to lay out a smarter way to practice so you can improve your reading skills and get a higher TOEFL score on test day. It goes in a series of steps:

How do I practice reading for the TOEFL?

What you need to know about the TOEFL Reading

Before I talk about how to practice for the TOEFL Reading, let me just give a quick rundown of the TOEFL Reading section so we are on the same page. 

On January 21, 2026, the TOEFL Reading section completely changed. It went from a purely academic test to a mix of general and academic English. The passages were shortened, and the questions became less complex. 

While most test-takers welcomed this change, some have been surprised by the level of difficulty of the new test. Shorter and simpler doesn’t always mean easier.

Complete the Words

This new task type requires students to read a short passage and complete the missing words. It sounds simple, but when you realize that every second word is missing letters, it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out how each word should end. 

One quick tip is to use the keyboard and type in the spelling you think might be correct. It is much easier to see the words on the screen than to keep them in your head. You can always delete what you type, so feel free to type in your ideas to check and see if they fit.

 

Fill in the missing letters in the paragraph.

The Moon appears bright because its surface reflects sunlight toward Earth. Over bil _ _ _ _ _ of ye _ _ _ , countless imp _ _ _ _ have cov _ _ _ _ it wi _ _ fine du _ _ and ro _ _ fragments. Th _ _ _ scars re _ _ _ _ unchanged bec _ _ _ _ the Moon has no wind or rain to wear them away. Scientists study the patterns of craters to learn how often objects hit our solar system. Each mark on its surface tells a small part of the Moon’s long and silent history.

The Moon appears bright because its surface reflects sunlight toward Earth. Over bil(lions) of ye(ars), countless imp(acts) have cov(ered) it wi(th) fine du(st) and ro(ck) fragments. Th(ese) scars re(main) unchanged bec(ause) the Moon has no wind or rain to wear them away. Scientists study the patterns of craters to learn how often objects hit our solar system. Each mark on its surface tells a small part of the Moon’s long and silent history.

Read in Daily Life

Read in Daily Life short texts are usually presented as an email or an announcement. There will be two questions about each text.

Read in Daily Life - Short

Read in Daily Life short texts are usually presented as an email or an announcement. There will be two questions about each text.

Read in Daily Life - Long

The Daily Life Long passages are also often presented as an announcement or an email. This time, you will be expected to answer three questions about the passage instead of two.

Text Chain

The Text Chain passages are rare, but you may encounter one on test day, so it is worth discussing. This passage is designed to emulate the type of communication you would find in a group chat or on an app like Slack. 

There will be three questions about the text chain.

Read an Academic Passage

The Read an Academic Passage task is similar to passages in previous versions of the TOEFL, except much shorter. In the past, passages were about 700 words; now they are just 200 words. 

The passage will be about an academic topic you expect to hear in a university class setting. According to ETS, “The passages cover topics drawn from subject areas such as history, art and music, business and economics, life science, physical science, and social science.” As you read, you must answer five questions about the text. 

The Rise of the Telegraph

Before the nineteenth century, communication could travel only as fast as a messenger on horseback or a ship at sea. News, orders, and personal letters often took weeks or months to reach their destinations. That changed dramatically with the invention of the telegraph. Using electric signals sent through wires, people could transmit messages across vast distances in seconds, transforming both business and daily life. The first major network was developed in the 1840s by Samuel Morse in the United States. His system converted words into patterns of short and long electrical pulses, known as Morse code. Telegraph offices soon lined railroad stations, allowing traders to track prices and newspapers to report events almost as they happened. During the American Civil War, generals used the telegraph to coordinate troop movements, demonstrating how information could become as decisive as weaponry. Similar systems spread across Europe and later under the oceans, connecting continents through submarine cables. The telegraph compressed the world. It reshaped politics, commerce, and journalism by introducing the idea of instant communication. Though later replaced by telephones and the internet, the telegraph laid the first electronic foundation for the global networks that now link nearly every part of human society.



1. All of the following are mentioned in the passage as effects of the telegraph EXCEPT —
  1. The spread of international communication
  2. Quicker reporting of news events
  3. Improvements in transportation speed
  4. Changes in political and commercial life
2. The word “compressed” in the passage is closest in meaning to
  1. weakened
  2. shortened
  3. expanded
  4. delayed
3. Why does the author mention Samuel Morse?
  1. To identify the inventor who developed the first large-scale telegraph network
  2. To compare his invention with earlier systems of long-distance communication
  3. To show how his work improved military technology
  4. To explain why his code was later replaced by the telephone
4. What can be inferred about communication before the telegraph?
  1. It involved widespread use of coded signals.
  2. It was faster but less reliable than later systems.
  3. It relied entirely on transportation speed to deliver messages.
  4. It required coordination between countries through trade networks.
5. What is the relationship between paragraphs 2 and 3?
  1. Paragraph 3 provides detailed examples of how Morse’s code was transmitted.
  2. Paragraph 3 contrasts the telegraph with newer communication inventions.
  3. Paragraph 3 introduces problems caused by the telegraph’s invention.
  4. Paragraph 3 explains the broader impact of the developments described in paragraph 2.
Answers: c, b, a, c, d

The number of passages you will encounter of each task type changes. However, you can expect at least one of each task type on test day. 

Also, note that the reading section is separated into two modules. Module one consists of at least one of each task type. Module two changes depending on your performance. If you are doing well, you will definitely see an academic passage in module two. If you are not doing well, you will have at least two daily life passages. No matter which version of the test you get, you will have to finish Complete the Words twice, once in the first module and the other in the second. 

Step #1: Learn more about each task and question type

We just talked about each task type in the TOEFL Reading, so you’re covered there. But what about the question types?

What question types can you expect on test day?

There are ten different question types spread throughout the reading section. In the Daily Life, there are only five:

  • Factual Information – asks about details from the passage

“What will remain unchanged during the renovation period?”

  • Negative Factual Information – asks to identify what is not true

“All of the following are mentioned in the passage as effects of the telegraph EXCEPT”

  • Gist-Purpose – asks to summarize the purpose

“ What is the main purpose of the messages?”

  • Gist-Content- asks to summarize the main idea

“What is the main idea of the passage?”

  • Inference – asks to make an inference about a part of the passage

“What can be inferred about the team’s presentation?”

For the Academic Reading passages, you may see the above question types, or one of the following:

  • Vocabulary – asks to define a word or phrase

“The word “linger” in the passage is closest in meaning to”

  • Organization – asks to identify the connection between paragraphs

“What is the relationship between paragraphs 2 and 3?”

  • Rhetorical Purpose – asks to explain why a part of the passage is included

“Why does the author mention the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo?”

  • Insert Text – asks to insert a new sentence into an appropriate part of the passage

“There are four locations in the passage marked (A, B, C, and D). Where would the following sentence best fit?”

  • Click the Sentence – asks to identify an aspect of the passage

“Click on the sentence that explains why soil degradation often goes unnoticed compared to other environmental problems.”

But don’t worry.

You don’t have to memorize all of these question types. Some are more popular than others. For example, you may not even see a Click a Sentence question on test day. Refer to the chart below to check the frequency of each question type and where it shows up in the TOEFL Reading.

TOEFL Reading Question Types

Question Types Daily Life Academic Frequency
Gist-Purpose ✔ sometimes
Gist-Content ✔ ✔ almost always
Factual Information ✔ ✔ almost always
Negative Factual Information ✔ ✔ almost always
Inference ✔ ✔ almost always
Vocabulary ✔ sometimes
Organization ✔ sometimes
Rhetorical Purpose ✔ sometimes
Insert Text ✔ hardly ever
Click the Sentence ✔ hardly ever

Step #2: Do a practice inventory

Picture this. 

You sit down to start your TOEFL studies, but you need to find a practice test first. You start hunting the internet for free resources, but you aren’t sure if you can trust what you find. Or maybe you’ve seen this test before. Or it doesn’t have the answer key. And before you know it, an hour has past and you haven’t even started your studies yet. 

You want to have everything ready, so you don’t waste a minute once you sit down and work, which is why I recommend a practice inventory. 

The idea is simple: collect all of your TOEFL practice materials and set your schedule. So, for example, on a Sunday night, take an hour to decide what you will do for the rest of the week. Figure out which materials you will use on Monday, Tuesday, and so on. Have everything ready, so you don’t have to stress over finding the right test questions. 

And the good news is the TST Prep TOEFL Emergency Course comes with all the course videos, practice tests, and practice questions you need to prepare for the test. Plus, we have study schedules that will fit your busy lifestyle. Check it out if you are looking for an easy and efficient way to prep. 

Step #3: Setting up your environment

You now know about the TOEFL test. You have collected your TOEFL practice materials and set up a study schedule, but there is still one more step before you actually start doing the work: setting up your environment. Ideally, you want to practice in a place with few distractions. Setting up your study area in the living room where the kids watch TV, and you scroll through social is bound to distract from your studies. Try to pick a quiet place in your house with few distractions. Turn notifications off on your phone and commit to at least 30 minutes a day of uninterrupted study. *One little bonus tip here is to practice with a timer. The TOEFL iBT is a timed test, and you have a limited amount of time to complete each task. Be sure that you don’t just get the question right, but you do it within the limited time you will have on test day. While the time allocation changes depending on the test, here is a rough estimate:
  • Complete the Words: 2 minutes (10 blanks)
  • Daily Life short: 90 seconds (2 questions)
  • Daily Life long: 3 minutes (3 questions)
  • Daily Life short: 3 minutes (3 questions)
  • Academic text: 5 minutes (5 questions)

Step #4: Reviewing your work

Think of your favorite professional athlete.

Now imagine the incredible amount of work they endured to become one of the best at their sport.

Of course they practiced, but, more importantly, they watched the game film.

After the game, most professional athletes sit in a room and watch their performance. In American football, players spend dozens of hours every week watching their games because they understand that improvement comes through the study of what went wrong in the past.

Your TOEFL test is a performance of your English ability. Use the information you get from practicing your reading comprehension skills to understand your personal strengths and weaknesses. After you know what your problem is – for example, you have trouble answering inference questions – map out a course of action that will help you improve.

Most students only practice. Sure, everyone checks their answers, but only for a score, not to gain a deeper understanding of why they were wrong and how they can improve in the future.

Here are some questions to ask yourself after you have answered a question wrong:

  • Did I misread the passage or the question?
  • Was there difficult vocabulary that I didn’t understand? Is this word part of the Academic Word List?
  • Is there a particular question type I struggle to answer? What’s the answer and how do I fix it?
  • What can I do to ensure I don’t make the same mistake again?

In the ELT world (English Language Teaching), this is referred to as reflective practice. It’s popular in many other fields, like medicine and management, but it has also become an important component of improving teacher performance.

Failing to review your answers is just one of many mistakes students make when preparing for the reading section of the TOEFL. You can try it out right now. Try one of our free TOEFL Reading practice tests in the video below.

Step #5: Repetition is crucial

Most TOEFL test-takers are allergic to taking the same test more than once. 

“I already did this test a month ago.” 

So you might be surprised that I actually RECOMMEND that you take the same test more than once. Not every day, of course, but wait at least two weeks and try to do the same test again. 

Sure, you will remember some of the answers, but you will also remember what you learned. You will remember the mistakes you made and why you got a question correct or incorrect. You will remember the vocabulary you misunderstood at the time and decide whether or not you comprehend it now. 

This advice extends to a few days before the test, as well. Don’t bother doing a bunch of new practice tests. Review what you have already done, instead. It will boost your confidence and solidify what you already know.

Conclusion

So how can you practice and improve your reading skills for the TOEFL? 

  • Learn more about each task and question type 
  • Do a practice inventory 
  • Set up your environment
  • Review your work 
  • Repeat the same test more than once 

Enough talking… If you are just ready to sink your teeth into some free online reading practice, here 100 Reading Practice Questions (free download) 

Did we miss anything? Any more advice you would like to add about the TOEFL Reading? 

Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Josh MacPherson

Founder and Head Instructor

Josh MacPherson is the head instructor, presenter, and curriculum developer at TST Prep. As of August 2024, his TST Prep Youtube channel has amassed over 500,000 subscribers. His Emergency Course for the TOEFL® on Udemy has enrolled over 77,000 students from over 100 countries and, at the time of writing, has earned a 4.5/5 star rating.

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in secondary education and a Master’s in ESL Curriculum and Instruction, he served as academic coordinator of the Intensive English Program at ASA College in midtown Manhattan and as the coordinator of the Corporate Sales Division for Shane Schools in Kansai, Japan. He now devotes much of his time to creating content, studying Japanese, and spending time with his wife and their three children.

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Educational Content Disclaimer

This article provides educational guidance for TOEFL test preparation. While our strategies have helped 10,000+ students achieve their target scores, individual results may vary based on English proficiency level, study time commitment, and test-taking experience.

Official TOEFL Resources: This content supplements (but does not replace) official ETS TOEFL preparation materials. We recommend combining our strategies with official ETS resources for comprehensive preparation.

Accuracy Commitment: All information is current as of January 2026 and reflects the latest TOEFL iBT test format. We update our content regularly to maintain accuracy with ETS guidelines.

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