TOEFL Syllabus and Sections
TOEFL imitates a university classroom: you read a passage, listen to a lecture on the same subject, and are then asked to combine them. That is why the sections are not independent of one another, and why integrated tasks measure two skills at once. The list below covers the task types you will actually face.
Each heading below carries one question. Read them before you close this page: whichever one you stumble on is the part you still have to study.
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Reading (academic passages)
Can you explain Reading in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Listening (lectures and campus conversations)
Can you explain Listening in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Speaking (independent and integrated tasks)
Can you explain Speaking in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
Writing
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Integrated (combining a reading and a lecture)
Can you explain Integrated in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
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Academic Discussion (contributing to a discussion)
Can you explain Academic Discussion in your own words, in two minutes, without looking at the source?
What this page does not have
No past papers, no exam dates, no score calculators. All three are searched for constantly, but we do not hold reliable data on them, and a page with the wrong date is worse than no page at all. Check the awarding body’s own announcements for those.
Headings are kept at the top level. Sub-topics shift from year to year while the main headings do not, and a wrong sub-topic is worse than a missing one.
Frequently asked
What is the TOEFL syllabus?
TOEFL Syllabus and Sections covers: Reading (academic passages), Listening (lectures and campus conversations), Speaking (independent and integrated tasks), Integrated (combining a reading and a lecture), Academic Discussion (contributing to a discussion).
What sections does the TOEFL have?
The exam is split into Writing. Not every candidate sits all of them; the part you are preparing for decides your study list.
How should I study for the TOEFL?
Reading a topic creates familiarity, not knowledge. When you finish a heading, close the source and explain it out loud for two minutes. Wherever you stall is what you need to revisit; re-reading something you can already explain is wasted time.
Can I find past TOEFL papers here?
No. This page lists topics only. For past papers, exam dates and scoring, check the awarding body’s own site.
I have read the material. How do I know I actually know it?
Reading makes you feel like you know it. If you can close the source and explain the topic in your own words, you have learned it; if you stall halfway, you have not. That is exactly what Demostra measures.
Related exams
Reading is not knowing
Reading something makes it feel familiar, and that familiarity gets mistaken for knowledge. The only thing that separates the two is explaining it: close the source, say it in your own words, and notice where you stall.
That is what Demostra does. You set a goal, the app builds a topic map like the one above, you explain each topic out loud, and every topic lands in one of three states: proven, blurry, revisit. No score, just a state.