What does the 'Complete the Words' task ask you to do?

Fill in letters missing from key words in a short text — it tests vocabulary and spelling in context.

What kind of texts appear in 'Read in Daily Life'?

Brief practical texts such as notices, messages and short informational texts, with comprehension questions.

How does the 'Read an Academic Passage' task compare to the old TOEFL reading?

It's a shorter university-style passage with questions, but it tests the same academic reading skills as before.

How does the two-stage adaptive Reading section work?

Your performance in the first stage sets the difficulty of the second stage, so early items matter.

Why might questions feel harder in the second stage?

Because you did well in the first stage and the test raised the difficulty — it's usually a positive sign.

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Smart Note7 min

TOEFL Reading 2026: The Three New Task Types

What Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life and Read an Academic Passage actually ask you to do — and how the two-stage adaptive section works.

The big picture

TOEFL Reading 2026 (~50 items, ~30 min)
- Complete the Words — Fill in missing letters in key words
- Read in Daily Life — Notices, messages, short info texts
- Academic Passage — A university-style passage + questions
- Two-stage adaptive — Difficulty shifts after the first stage

Complete the Words — vocabulary in context

You see a short text with letters missing from key words and complete them. It rewards a strong vocabulary and accurate spelling in context, read quickly.

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Real example: You might see: 'Students must ret_rn library books before the end of te_m.' You complete 'return' and 'term'. The surrounding sentence tells you the word; you supply the spelling.

🧠 Memory hook: Read the whole sentence first — the context hands you the word, you just spell it.

Read in Daily Life — everyday English

You read brief, practical texts — notices, messages, short informational texts — and answer comprehension questions. This is real-world reading, not academic prose.

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Real example: A dorm notice: 'The laundry room on Floor 2 is closed for repairs; please use Floor 4 until Monday.' A question might ask where students should do laundry this week.

🧠 Memory hook: Skim for the practical point: what changed, who's affected, what to do.

Read an Academic Passage — the university text

You read a short academic passage, similar to what you'd meet in a university course, and answer questions on main ideas and details. Shorter than the old TOEFL passages, but the academic reading skills are the same.

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Real example: A passage on why coral reefs bleach: a question tests the main cause, another tests a specific detail. Locate the sentence that answers it rather than re-reading the whole text.

🧠 Memory hook: Find the sentence, not the whole passage. Questions point to a spot.

It's adaptive — do your best early

Reading is two-stage adaptive: your performance in the first stage sets the difficulty of the second. So give the early items your full focus — they steer the rest of the section.

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Real example: If items start feeling harder in the second stage, that's usually a good sign — the test raised the level because you handled stage one well. Don't panic; keep going.

🧠 Memory hook: Harder second half? That often means you're doing well. Strong start = higher ceiling.

Frequently asked questions

What does the 'Complete the Words' task ask you to do?: Fill in letters missing from key words in a short text — it tests vocabulary and spelling in context.
What kind of texts appear in 'Read in Daily Life'?: Brief practical texts such as notices, messages and short informational texts, with comprehension questions.
How does the 'Read an Academic Passage' task compare to the old TOEFL reading?: It's a shorter university-style passage with questions, but it tests the same academic reading skills as before.
How does the two-stage adaptive Reading section work?: Your performance in the first stage sets the difficulty of the second stage, so early items matter.
Why might questions feel harder in the second stage?: Because you did well in the first stage and the test raised the difficulty — it's usually a positive sign.

Keep going — free practice

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