WEEK 101
Understand the New TOEFL
Take a diagnostic test and practise all four TOEFL sections. Learn how each question type works, review your mistakes, and begin using AI Tutor to improve your weakest skills.
TOEFL PREPARATION GUIDE · 2026
Want to improve your TOEFL score but aren't sure where to start? With the new TOEFL format introduced in January 2026, having the right study plan is more important than ever. The key isn't just practising more questions. It's knowing what to study, identifying your weaknesses, and improving the skills that will help you achieve a higher score.
To make your preparation easier, we've created two complete TOEFL 2026 study plans: a one-month intensive plan and a six-month plan. Both include daily practice schedules, full-length tests, and targeted AI Tutor exercises to help you improve faster. Follow the plans below or download our two free PDF study guides to stay on track and make every study session count.
Table Of Contents
1-Month TOEFL Study Plan
Best for students who already have intermediate or upper-intermediate English skills and are taking the TOEFL within one month.
This four-week study plan helps you become familiar with the new TOEFL format, improve your skills in all four sections, and build confidence before test day. You’ll practise Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing every study day, gradually increase your practice, and use AI Tutor to improve your weakest skills.
WEEK 202
Improve Your TOEFL Skills
Increase your daily practice across all four sections. Learn question-specific strategies and use AI Tutor lessons to strengthen grammar, comprehension, pronunciation, and writing skills.
WEEK 303
Build Speed and Accuracy
Complete more practice questions under timed conditions. Improve your Speaking fluency and Writing accuracy, review recurring mistakes, and take another full-length TOEFL practice test.
WEEK 404
Get Ready for Test Day
Continue practising all four sections, focus on your weakest skills, and complete a final full-length TOEFL practice test. Review important strategies and prepare for test day.
Your Weekly TOEFL Study Schedule
Follow these weekly practice targets to build your skills and become more comfortable with the new TOEFL. Practice volume increases during the first three weeks, while Week 4 focuses on test readiness and reviewing mistakes.
- Reading
- 60–70 questions
- Listening
- 60–70 questions
- Build a Sentence
- 30–40 questions
- Extended Writing
- 3 Emails + 3 Academic Discussions
- Speaking
- 6 Listen and Repeat sets + 6 Interview practices
- AI Tutor
- 20–30 minutes per study day
- Practice tests
- 1 diagnostic full-length test
- Reading
- 80–90 questions
- Listening
- 80–90 questions
- Build a Sentence
- 40–50 questions
- Extended Writing
- 3 Emails + 3 Academic Discussions
- Speaking
- 8 Listen and Repeat sets + 8 Interview practices
- AI Tutor
- 20–30 minutes per study day
- Practice tests
- Timed section exercises
- Reading
- 100–110 questions
- Listening
- 100–110 questions
- Build a Sentence
- 50–60 questions
- Extended Writing
- 3 Emails + 3 Academic Discussions
- Speaking
- 10 Listen and Repeat sets + 10 Interview practices
- AI Tutor
- 20–30 minutes per study day
- Practice tests
- 1 full-length practice test
- Reading
- 70–80 questions
- Listening
- 70–80 questions
- Build a Sentence
- 35–45 questions
- Extended Writing
- 3 Emails + 3 Academic Discussions
- Speaking
- 8 Listen and Repeat sets + 8 Interview practices
- AI Tutor
- 20–30 minutes per study day
- Practice tests
- 1 final full-length practice test
On full-length practice test days, replace your regular daily exercises with the test. Use your following study session to review the results and identify the skills that need more work.
Your Daily TOEFL Study Schedule
Practise all four TOEFL sections every study day. Divide your time between answering questions, improving your Speaking and Writing skills, and reviewing mistakes with AI Tutor.
150 minutes of daily study
Example sessionReading25 min
Listening25 min
Speaking30 min
Writing40 min
AI Tutor and mistake review30 min
Your daily study time may vary depending on the length of your Speaking and Writing exercises. Spend additional time when necessary to review important mistakes.
Daily Practice Targets by Week
| Section | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 10–12 | 13–15 | 17–19 | 12–14 |
| Listening | 10–12 | 13–15 | 17–19 | 12–14 |
| Build a Sentence | 5–7 | 7–9 | 9–10 | 6–8 |
| Email or Academic Discussion | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Speaking | 2 practices | 2–3 practices | 3–4 practices | 2–3 practices |
| AI Tutor | 20–30 min | 20–30 min | 20–30 min | 20–30 min |
These targets apply to regular study days. Complete one Email or Academic Discussion response every day in addition to Build a Sentence. Alternate between Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview throughout the week.
Daily Writing Practice
| Day | Writing task |
|---|---|
| Monday | Write an Email |
| Tuesday | Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Wednesday | Write an Email |
| Thursday | Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Friday | Write an Email |
| Saturday | Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Sunday | Rest or optional review |
After each Writing response, review your AI feedback and complete targeted AI Tutor exercises to improve grammar, vocabulary, sentence variety, organization, and supporting details.
Remember: Practising every day is important, but improving from your mistakes matters just as much. Use AI Tutor to strengthen weak skills and apply what you've learned to new TOEFL questions.
6-Month TOEFL Study Plan
Best for students who want to strengthen their English proficiency while preparing for the new TOEFL test.
This six-month study plan gives you time to improve your English foundation before moving into intensive TOEFL preparation. You'll begin with vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, and pronunciation, then gradually spend more time on TOEFL question strategies, timed exercises, and full-length practice tests.
Your Six-Month Learning Roadmap
Practise all four TOEFL sections throughout the six months. In the early months, combine this practice with targeted AI Tutor lessons to strengthen your English foundation and correct weaknesses. Gradually increase the time you spend on timed TOEFL practice.
English Fundamentals vs. TOEFL Practice
English fundamentals TOEFL practice
Month 160% / 40%
Month 250% / 50%
Month 340% / 60%
Month 435% / 65%
Month 520% / 80%
Month 610% / 90%
Suggested study-time percentages. Adjust the balance based on your progress and practice test results.
Months 1–3: Practise, Identify Weaknesses, and Improve with AI Tutor
During the first three months, you'll follow the same learning process: practise all four TOEFL sections, identify your weaknesses, and use BestMyTest AI Tutor skills and lessons to improve. The main difference is how many questions you complete each study day.
Your First Three Months at a Glance
DAILY PRACTICE PROGRESSION
Month 1Build Your Foundation
15–20questions/day
Month 2Strengthen Your Skills
25–30questions/day
Month 3Increase Your Practice
35–45questions/day
Daily short-question targets, plus one Email or Academic Discussion response, Speaking practice, and AI Tutor lessons.
The Learning Process for All Three Months
Step 1. Practise All Four TOEFL Sections
Complete Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing exercises regularly. Work with different question types to develop your overall English proficiency and become familiar with the new TOEFL.
Step 2. Identify Your Weaknesses
Review your answers and AI feedback. Find out whether your difficulties come from vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, pronunciation, fluency, or TOEFL answering strategies.
Step 3. Improve with AI Tutor Skills and Lessons
Complete targeted AI Tutor exercises and English lessons based on your weaknesses. Focus on understanding your mistakes and developing the skills needed to avoid them.
Step 4. Apply What You've Learned
Complete new TOEFL questions to practise your improved skills. Check whether you're answering more accurately and continue working on areas that need improvement.
MONTH 01
Build Your English Foundation
Your goal: Become familiar with all four TOEFL sections while identifying and improving your weakest English skills.
Start with a full-length TOEFL practice test to understand your current English level. Each study day, complete a manageable number of TOEFL practice questions and spend additional time using AI Tutor skills and lessons to improve your grammar, vocabulary, comprehension, pronunciation, and fluency.
| Section | Daily practice |
|---|---|
| Reading | 5–7 questions |
| Listening | 5–7 questions |
| Build a Sentence | 5–6 questions |
| Extended Writing | 1 Email or Academic Discussion |
| Speaking | 1 Listen and Repeat set or Interview practice |
| AI Tutor | 20–30 minutes of targeted skills and lessons |
After completing your daily exercises, review your mistakes and focus on the AI Tutor skills that address your weaknesses. For example, if you struggle with Reading inference questions, practise the inference skill. If your Writing responses contain grammar mistakes, complete lessons on sentence structure, verb tenses, or clauses.
By the end of Month 1: You'll understand the new TOEFL format, recognize your main weaknesses, and begin developing stronger English skills through targeted practice.
MONTH 02
Strengthen Your English Skills
Your goal: Continue improving your English foundation while answering more TOEFL questions each day.
Follow the same four-step learning process from Month 1. Increase your daily question count and continue using AI Tutor lessons to improve the skills that are holding back your performance.
| Section | Daily practice |
|---|---|
| Reading | 9–11 questions |
| Listening | 9–11 questions |
| Build a Sentence | 7–8 questions |
| Extended Writing | 1 Email or Academic Discussion |
| Speaking | 1–2 Listen and Repeat sets or Interview practices |
| AI Tutor | 20–30 minutes of targeted skills and lessons |
Pay particular attention to recurring mistakes. For example, if you frequently miss Listening inference questions, complete AI Tutor inference exercises before moving on to more listening practice. Continue using AI feedback to improve the organization, grammar, vocabulary, and supporting details in your daily Writing responses.
By the end of Month 2: You'll have stronger comprehension, more accurate grammar, better speaking fluency, and greater confidence answering TOEFL questions.
MONTH 03
Increase Your TOEFL Practice
Your goal: Improve accuracy, speed, and consistency by completing more TOEFL practice while continuing to strengthen your weakest English skills.
Follow the same learning process from Months 1 and 2. With a stronger foundation and greater familiarity with TOEFL tasks, increase your daily practice volume.
| Section | Daily practice |
|---|---|
| Reading | 13–17 questions |
| Listening | 13–17 questions |
| Build a Sentence | 9–11 questions |
| Extended Writing | 1 Email or Academic Discussion |
| Speaking | 2 Listen and Repeat sets or Interview practices |
| AI Tutor | 20–30 minutes of targeted skills and lessons |
Gradually introduce more timed practice to develop your speed without sacrificing accuracy. Use your AI Tutor feedback to identify weaknesses that remain after repeated practice. Return to relevant lessons whenever you notice the same type of mistake. Take a full-length TOEFL practice test at the end of the month to measure your progress.
By the end of Month 3: You'll be completing more TOEFL questions confidently, improving your accuracy, and making fewer recurring mistakes across all four sections.
Daily Writing Practice for Months 1–3
Complete one extended Writing task every study day. Alternate between Write an Email and Write for an Academic Discussion to develop both practical communication and academic writing skills.
| Day | Writing task |
|---|---|
| Monday | Write an Email |
| Tuesday | Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Wednesday | Write an Email |
| Thursday | Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Friday | Write an Email |
| Saturday | Write for an Academic Discussion |
| Sunday | Rest or optional review |
After completing each Writing task, review your AI feedback and practise the recommended AI Tutor skills. Focus on improving grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, supporting details, and clarity.
Daily Practice Comparison
| Activity | Month 1 | Month 2 | Month 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading questions | 5–7 | 9–11 | 13–17 |
| Listening questions | 5–7 | 9–11 | 13–17 |
| Build a Sentence questions | 5–6 | 7–8 | 9–11 |
| Email or Academic Discussion | 1 daily | 1 daily | 1 daily |
| Speaking practice | 1 set | 1–2 sets | 2 sets |
| AI Tutor skills and lessons | 20–30 min | 20–30 min | 20–30 min |
| Timed practice | Occasional | Some | Regular |
These are recommended daily targets, not strict requirements. Full-length practice tests replace regular daily exercises, and longer tasks may require extra study time.
Remember: Completing more questions is only helpful when you learn from your mistakes. Throughout all three months, continue using BestMyTest AI Tutor to improve your English skills, not just to answer more questions.
MONTH 04
Improve Speed, Fluency, and Writing Quality
Your goal: Answer TOEFL questions accurately while working within the test's time limits.
Now that you understand the question types, begin increasing your speed. Continue practising all four sections, but pay special attention to the areas where you lose time or make mistakes.
| Section | What to improve |
|---|---|
| Reading | Recognize main ideas, paraphrases, inferences, and supporting details more quickly |
| Listening | Understand spoken English after one listen, including speaker purpose and implied meaning |
| Speaking | Repeat sentences accurately and give clear, fluent Interview answers |
| Writing | Construct accurate sentences quickly and write well-organized Emails and Academic Discussions |
For Speaking, practise individual English sounds, word stress, rhythm, and sentence repetition. Use pronunciation feedback to identify sounds that need improvement.
For Writing, focus on grammatical accuracy, sentence variety, supporting details, and appropriate email tone.
Take another full-length TOEFL practice test at the end of the month to evaluate your progress.
By the end of Month 4: You should be able to complete most familiar question types within the time limits while maintaining good accuracy.
MONTH 05
Intensive TOEFL Practice
Your goal: Improve your performance across complete TOEFL sections and full-length tests.
During this month, spend most of your study time completing timed exercises and reviewing mistakes. Focus on maintaining accuracy while moving between different question types.
| Week | Study focus |
|---|---|
| Week 17 | Timed Reading and Listening practice |
| Week 18 | Timed Speaking and Writing practice |
| Week 19 | Full-length practice test and targeted skill improvement |
| Week 20 | Full-length practice test and performance comparison |
After each practice test, identify the question types and skills that continue to cause problems.
For example, if you perform well on Read in Daily Life but struggle with inference questions in Academic Passages, spend more time on inference practice rather than repeating exercises you already find easy.
Use your remaining study time to strengthen these weak areas.
By the end of Month 5: Your practice test results should become more consistent, and you should be approaching your target TOEFL score.
MONTH 06
Final TOEFL Exam Preparation
Your goal: Build confidence and achieve consistent performance before test day.
Your final month focuses on practising under realistic test conditions, correcting recurring mistakes, and preparing mentally for the exam.
| Week | Study activities |
|---|---|
| Week 21 | Take a full-length practice test and carefully review your results |
| Week 22 | Complete intensive practice on your weakest question types and English skills |
| Week 23 | Take your final full-length practice test and review recurring mistakes |
| Week 24 | Complete light practice, review important vocabulary, practise speaking fluency, and prepare for test day |
Avoid trying to learn too many new strategies during the final week. Focus on the techniques you've already practised and the mistakes you know how to correct.
During the last one or two days before your test, keep your study sessions short and get enough rest.
By the end of Month 6: You should be familiar with the TOEFL format, confident in your test-taking strategies, and able to perform consistently near your target score.
How to Study for Each TOEFL Section in 2026
The best way to prepare is to practise Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing while improving the English skills that affect your performance. Use BestMyTest AI Tutor to identify weaknesses, complete targeted lessons, and apply what you learn to new questions.
How to Study TOEFL Vocabulary and Grammar
Vocabulary and grammar support every TOEFL section. Strong vocabulary helps you understand passages and conversations, while grammar helps you build accurate sentences, speak clearly, and write effectively.
- Learn vocabulary in context. Study how words work in sentences, including word forms, collocations, prefixes, and suffixes. Avoid memorizing isolated word lists only.
- Recognize synonyms and paraphrases. Practise identifying the same idea expressed in different words, especially in Reading and Listening questions.
- Study useful grammar structures. Review verb tenses, articles, prepositions, subject-verb agreement, relative clauses, noun clauses, and adverb clauses. These are especially useful for Build a Sentence.
- Use new vocabulary actively. Include recently learned words in your Interview answers, Emails, and Academic Discussion responses.
- Learn from AI Tutor feedback. If you repeatedly make the same grammar or vocabulary mistake, complete the relevant skill or lesson, then apply it to a new TOEFL exercise.
Focus on vocabulary you can recognize, understand, and use correctly rather than collecting difficult words without knowing how to use them.
How to Study TOEFL Reading
TOEFL Reading 2026 includes Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, and Read an Academic Passage. Practise all three task types because each requires a different approach.
- Use context in Complete the Words. Look at the surrounding sentence for vocabulary and grammar clues. Consider meaning, spelling, word forms, prefixes, and suffixes.
- Read everyday texts efficiently. Practise with emails, notices, schedules, and messages. Identify the writer’s purpose, important details, and reasonable inferences.
- Understand academic passage structure. Identify main ideas, supporting facts, paraphrases, relationships between ideas, and why an author includes particular details.
- Learn question-specific strategies. Use BestMyTest Reading lessons and AI Tutor skills for detail, gist and purpose, inference, rhetorical purpose, vocabulary, and other question types.
- Improve comprehension before speed. In difficult sentences, locate the subject, main verb, and object or complement to understand the core meaning.
- Review why answers are wrong. Return to the passage and locate evidence supporting the correct answer. Understand why each tempting incorrect choice fails.
If inference or another particular skill is consistently difficult, complete the matching AI Tutor exercise before attempting another set of questions.
How to Study TOEFL Listening
TOEFL Listening 2026 includes Listen and Choose a Response, Listen to a Conversation, Listen to an Announcement, and Listen to an Academic Talk. You need to understand both what speakers say and what they mean.
- Understand short spoken exchanges. For Choose a Response, focus on the speaker’s meaning, intention, and tone rather than matching individual words.
- Identify the purpose of conversations and announcements. Notice who is speaking, why they are speaking, and which information or next action matters.
- Follow ideas in academic talks. Recognize main ideas, supporting examples, comparisons, contrasts, and cause-and-effect relationships.
- Practise paraphrase recognition. The correct answer may communicate an idea using different wording from the audio.
- Listen at normal speed first. Answer under realistic conditions. Then replay challenging portions and compare them with the transcript.
- Use targeted AI Tutor listening skills. Practise gist, detail, inference, speaker purpose, and connecting-content skills when your feedback highlights them.
When reviewing mistakes, distinguish unfamiliar vocabulary from words you misheard and ideas you misunderstood. Regular English listening outside test practice also helps.
How to Study TOEFL Speaking
TOEFL Speaking 2026 includes Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. One focuses on accurate sentence repetition; the other focuses on clear and fluent responses.
- Practise Listen and Repeat daily. Repeat the entire sentence as accurately as possible. Pay attention to pronunciation, word stress, rhythm, and remembering longer sentences.
- Improve individual sounds. Use AI Tutor pronunciation and phoneme exercises to target difficult vowel and consonant sounds.
- Speak in meaningful thought groups. Group words into natural phrases instead of saying every word separately.
- Develop clear Interview answers. State a main idea, explain it, and give a relevant supporting detail or example. Do not memorize full answers.
- Build fluency and quick vocabulary recall. Practise expressing familiar ideas naturally without long pauses or reaching for unnecessarily difficult words.
- Record, review, and retry. Use AI feedback to improve pronunciation, grammar, fluency, vocabulary, and organization, then record another answer.
For Listen and Repeat, prioritize reproducing the sentence accurately. For Interview answers, prioritize clear communication and natural fluency.
How to Study TOEFL Writing
TOEFL Writing 2026 includes Build a Sentence, Write an Email, and Write for an Academic Discussion. Practise all three regularly because each develops a different aspect of writing.
- Practise Build a Sentence every day. Improve word order, agreement, verb forms, prepositions, and clause structure.
- Write one extended response each study day. Alternate between one Email and one Academic Discussion response, using the schedule in your study plan.
- Organize Email responses clearly. Identify the purpose, cover every required point, and choose appropriate wording and tone for the recipient.
- Develop meaningful Academic Discussion responses. State your position, explain your reasoning, and add a specific supporting detail or example.
- Improve grammar and sentence variety. Use AI Tutor grammar and sentence-variety skills to practise adjective, noun, and adverb clauses without making your writing unnecessarily complicated.
- Use AI feedback and rewrite. Review grammar, vocabulary, organization, clarity, and support. Complete recommended skills and revise weak sentences or paragraphs.
The aim is not to write the longest response. Write clearly, accurately, and effectively within the time available.
How to Use AI Tutor Throughout Your TOEFL Preparation
No matter which TOEFL section you are studying, use the same four-step improvement process:
Complete TOEFL Practice
Answer questions across all four sections to identify what you already do well and what you still need to improve.
Review Your Mistakes
Check your results and AI feedback. Find the English skill or answering strategy behind each recurring error.
Practise Targeted AI Tutor Skills
Complete lessons that address your vocabulary, grammar, comprehension, pronunciation, fluency, or writing weaknesses.
Apply Your Improved Skills
Try new TOEFL questions to check that you can use the skill successfully and avoid the same mistake.
Continue practising all four sections, but spend extra time on the skills where you need the most improvement. As your confidence increases, gradually add more timed practice.
Remember: Your goal is to improve your English, not just complete more questions. Learning why you make mistakes prepares you to handle unfamiliar questions on test day.
TOEFL 2026 Study Plans · 1-Month and 6-Month Preparation Guides