What's Tested on the TOEFL: Writing

What's Tested on the TOEFL iBT Writing Section

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The fourth and final section of the TOEFL iBT is the Writing Section, which tests your ability to write academic English. There are two writing tasks. It should take about 29 minutes to complete the Writing Section. When the Writing Section begins, you should still be wearing your headphones. You should keep the headphones on because the first task involves listening. Moreover, the headphones block out noise and reduce distractions, so it would be a good idea to keep them on for the entire section. Read on to learn more about the TOEFL Writing section.

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Overview of the TOEFL Writing Section

There are two writing questions/tasks on the TOEFL iBT: the Integrated Writing Question and the Academic Discussion Question.

Integrated Writing Question

First, you will have 3 minutes to read a passage about an academic topic, and then you will listen to a lecture about the same topic. You may take notes and use them to organize your essay, but the notes will not be graded. After the lecture, you will have 20 minutes to write a summary of the lecture and explain how it relates to the reading passage. While you write, you will see the reading passage again. Be sure to use information from both the lecture and the reading passage in your response. Your essay will be evaluated for organization, vocabulary, grammar, and a complete answer to the question. Typically, a good essay will require that you write 150–225 words.

Academic Discussion Question

You will have 10 minutes to read a question posted by a professor and two responses by students in the class and then to write a response that contributes and adds to the discussion. Your response will be evaluated for staying on topic, making clear explanations, and using precise vocabulary and a variety of grammatical structures. Typically, a good response will require that you write at least 100 words.

What is the format of the TOEFL Writing Section?

Handwriting essays is no longer an option on the TOEFL iBT. You must type both essays. If you do not know how to type well, you should practice on a keyboard or take typing lessons before your test. You can cut, copy, and paste as you type your essays. However, the word processor does not check your spelling, so you cannot rely on the computer to indicate when you’ve made a spelling or grammatical error. A Help button in all sections takes you to a list of topics for which helpful explanations are available.

TOEFL iBT: Types of Writing Questions

There are only two questions you will encounter on the Writing Section, each with a different format and time limit. You will type responses to both questions on a computer keyboard.

Integrated Writing Question (20 minutes)You must read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write a response to what you read and listened to.
Academic Discussion Question (10 minutes)You must state and support an opinion in an online classroom discussion.

TOEFL iBT Writing Strategies

There are some strategies that you should keep in mind for both parts of the TOEFL Writing Section. Generally, these strategies emphasize organization, familiar sentence structure, and editing.

  • Organize Your Thoughts First

    Because of the time limits, some students feel pressured to begin writing right away. To write a complete essay spontaneously, you must be able to organize your ideas in your mind as you write. It’s possible, but risky. The risk is that you may get lost or confused while you write. As a result, you will have to rewrite and edit more than you should, which will waste time and cause you to make more errors. Decide quickly how you will organize your essay. Ask yourself, “What is the topic of each paragraph?” and “What detail will I discuss in each paragraph?” You can record these decisions in note form and use them as a guide while you write.

  • Use Familiar Vocabulary

    Because this section involves written English, students feel that they must demonstrate a high level of vocabulary. They try to use long, sophisticated vocabulary from previous work or integrated texts. Although both tasks, especially the first, will involve academic terms and concepts, you shouldn’t try and use long, obscure words when you don’t have to. Be yourself and use the vocabulary that you would normally use. When you want to express something, don’t waste time thinking of a longer word. If you do, your writing may sound awkward, and you will make more errors.


  • Use Familiar and Natural Sentence Structure

    Like your spoken answers in the Speaking Section, your written answers in this section should reflect your usual sentence structure. However, some students feel that they have to demonstrate complex grammatical structures to get higher marks. As a result, they try to write longer sentences with more dependent clauses than the sentences they would normally write. Like the unnecessary word choice discussed above, this is risky. You may write awkward, confusing sentences, and you will almost certainly make more grammatical errors.


  • Write a Strong Conclusion

    In TOEFL essays, it is not appropriate to apologize for not having written enough, for not having enough time, or for not using good English skills. An apology will cause you to lose points. In addition, a good conclusion does not add new information. It does not introduce a new idea. A strong conclusion is more like a summary of the ideas in one last sentence.


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