New TOEFL Changes 2026 - New TOEFL Format Multistage Adaptive Testing Coming in 2026

The New TOEFL Changes 2026 have been officially unveiled, marking a transformative set of updates to the TOEFL iBT® exam, which represents a significant milestone in English language assessment. These updates aim to modernize the test experience, improve fairness, and better align with the needs of today’s global learners. The TOEFL Changes 2026 will introduce a multistage adaptive format for the Reading and Listening sections, tailoring question difficulty in real-time based on test-taker performance. This personalized structure ensures that every student receives a fair and accurate measurement of their English ability.

What is the New TOEFL Multistage Adaptive Format Testing?

The upcoming TOEFL reading and listening Multistage Adaptive Format is a method where the test adapts to the examinee's performance in real-time. In the context of the TOEFL iBT, this means that:

• Initial Stage: All test takers begin with a common set of questions.
• Subsequent Stages: Based on performance in the initial stage, the difficulty level of subsequent questions is adjusted. High-performing students receive more challenging questions, while those needing more support encounter questions that better match their proficiency level.

This approach aims to provide a more accurate measurement of a test taker's English proficiency by tailoring the test to their individual skill level.

Benefits of the Adaptive Format

• Personalized Assessment: By adjusting question difficulty in real-time, the test offers a more individualized evaluation of language skills.
• Enhanced Efficiency: Test takers may find the exam more engaging and less time-consuming, as the adaptive format can reduce the number of questions needed to assess proficiency accurately.
• Improved Fairness: The adaptive nature helps minimize cultural bias by focusing on relevant, real-world academic content, ensuring that all test takers, regardless of background, have an equitable testing experience.

These enhancements are part of ETS's commitment to evolving the TOEFL iBT to meet the needs of today's diverse and global student population.

How to Prepare for the New TOEFL Adaptive Test Format

With the introduction of the Reading and Listening sections' multistage adaptive format, the test will adjust question difficulty in real time based on your responses. To help you succeed under this new format, it’s essential to sharpen not only your core skills but also your ability to think critically and adapt to increasingly more challenging material.

At BestMyTest, we are already working on updating our content and practice tests to reflect these Changes. Closer to the official launch in January 2026, we will roll out fully adaptive versions of our Reading and Listening practice tests. These will mirror the multistage format of the new TOEFL, allowing you to experience the adaptive difficulty shifts firsthand and build the confidence needed for the real test.

To prepare effectively:

• Start by building a strong foundation with our current practice exercises.
• Focus on accuracy before speed—adaptive tests reward consistency.
• Use our performance analytics to identify weak areas and improve incrementally.
• As the adaptive content becomes available, practice under the new format to adjust your pacing and test-taking strategies.

By training with content that evolves just like the actual exam, you'll be fully prepared to meet the challenges of the new TOEFL with confidence. Stay tuned—our adaptive test prep tools will be available well before the 2026 rollout.

play_circle_outlineStart TOEFL Reading & Listening Sample Test

New Simplified TOEFL Scores: 1-6 Band Scale

Starting January 2026, TOEFL iBT scores will also be available on a simplified 1–6 band scale in addition to the traditional 0–120 scale. This dual-scale system will align more closely with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), making score interpretation easier for both institutions and students. ETS will offer training materials to help educators adapt to the new scoring system.

Faster TOEFL Score Delivery Within 72 Hours 

Additional improvements include faster score delivery within 72 hours, upgraded test center audio with custom-designed stereophones from Koss, the launch of new preparation resources in July, and a redesigned registration experience for easier access and navigation. Collectively, these changes represent ETS’s largest investment to date in enhancing the TOEFL iBT ecosystem.

ETS to Enhance Fairness and Accessibility

Another major aspect of the Major TOEFL Changes in 2026 is a renewed focus on academic authenticity and cultural neutrality. ETS plans to revamp test content to reflect real-world academic interactions better while minimizing cultural bias. These updates are designed to provide equitable opportunities for students of all backgrounds to succeed. With the TOEFL Changes 2026, ETS is emphasizing its commitment to delivering a globally fair, relevant, and accessible testing experience.

For more details, visit the official announcement: ETS Press Release

July 2023 TOEFL Changes - Archived

The new TOEFL format & the new TOEFL changes have made TOEFL much easier. In this article, you'll learn about several new TOEFL format changes for 2025 updates. A couple of them are quite significant in that it's making TOEFL significantly easier to achieve your target TOEFL score!

The first section of this article's research was found directly from ets TOEFL

New TOEFL Format Updates 2025 - Major changes in July 2023

We have exciting news for you! The new TOEFL format has made TOEFL easier. Over the last few years, TOEFL has seen a decline in the total number of tests taken per year, and it was concluded that TOEFL was TOO difficult. Now in order to help their students, ets implemented new TOEFL changes, which Shortened the test and gave test-takers more time to complete questions. The following is an excerpt taken directly from ets TOEFL, indicating exactly what changed.

New TOEFL Changes to the Reading, Listening, & Writing Sections

New TOEFL changes were implemented in July 2023 to help you achieve your target score. The changes include updates to the reading, listening, and writing sections. For your convenience, Let's look at a comparison table showing the new TOEFL changes made to each section.

Old TOEFL Format vs. New TOEFL Format

The below changes will help reduce fatigue and lower stress, helping you achieve higher scores in most sections.

Is there a 10-minute break in TOEFL?

No. The 10-minute break between the Listening and Speaking section in TOEFL has been removed.

How to Prepare for the New TOEFL Format?

The most asked question so far has been: "What do I need to do to practice for the new TOEFL changes?" The simple answer is NOT MUCH! No, seriously. You don't have to change much to prepare for these new TOEFL changes. Most of the question types are the same. These changes make the TOEFL easier. You can continue practicing for the new TOEFL changes with your old TOEFL preparation material, except for the new writing academic discussion question type. However, the new writing question type is much easier than the previous independent writing question, so let's focus on getting you familiar with that new TOEFL writing change. 

Before we begin, please remember that practicing with the new TOEFL writing format is vital for your TOEFL prep, so if you want to be fully prepared for your exam, you can check out a full writing academic discussion practice sample by clicking the button below!

play_circle_outlineStart TOEFL Writing Academic Discussion Sample Test

If you are new to BestMyTest, it's recommended you create an account in order to save your test results. You'll see a couple of signup free buttons on the test page after clicking the button above.

How to Prepare for the New TOEFL Changes in the Writing Section Coming in July 2023?

We'll update this section with more details as we develop our writing questions for the new 2023 TOEFL format changes. For now, you can see examples of the new writing question type here: ets TOEFL

August 2019 TOEFL Format Changes - Archived

Check out the previous changes made back in August 2019. Many of these changes are still being used.

How to Prepare for the New TOEFL Changes in the Speaking Section?

As you know from the comparison table, speaking task 1 and task 5 are now retired after the launch of the new TOEFL format. However, the great news is speaking task 1 is almost identical to speaking task 2, and speaking task 5 is basically the same as speaking task 3, with very slight differences. Because of this, you don't need to do anything differently, but it is still a good idea to practice with the new TOEFL format to have an idea of what to expect in your exam. TOEFL Speaking Practice Questions & TOEFL Speaking Sample Answers

These changes are great for everyone and will help you score higher, but what if you make a mistake significantly lowering your score in a single section? Well, with the new score report improvements, this situation is no longer as devastating as it once was.

New TOEFL Changes to Score Report Helps You Achieve a Higher Score!

To help you achieve your target score and forget about a single bad section that's costing you your admission into your program of choice,  the new TOEFL format has a new score report which includes an IBT MyBest™ score in the report.

The IBT MyBest™ score works like this: They select the best scores from each TOEFL section from your previous 2 years and combine them to create your best score possible.

For example, let's say you took the TOEFL 4 times in the last 2 years.

Now, on the score report, your program would see the following:

Many universities have requested this, but please be aware it is not guaranteed your program will accept it, so you’ll need to contact them and ask if they do.

The final section of this article was discovered by an exceptional TOEFL teacher named Michael Goodine. He has his own YouTube channel where you can find a ton of great information about TOEFL, including a video on the new TOEFL changes in 2018 & 2019 found here: TOEFLresources YouTube

New TOEFL Format for Independent Speaking Questions

Before we get into the new TOEFL changes in the speaking section, be aware that they're small changes, but it's something you need to look out for. The good news is you'll still answer them like we teach in our TOEFL speaking lessons.

TOEFL Change in Speaking #1: More words in multiple-choice questions

This may not seem like much, but having longer questions means more time reading and less time preparing. It also means more chance of misreading the question.

Let’s look at both TOEFL format versions before and after the most recent TOEFL changes.

Older TOEFL Speaking Multiple Choice Question Format

New TOEFL Speaking Multiple Choice Question Format

Again, answering these questions is the same, so don’t worry too much. What’s important here is to get used to reading a longer question. Understanding them shouldn’t be too difficult, if you want, you can practice a Newly Formatted TOEFL Speaking 1 Practice Question Now or continue reading on to the next TOEFL speaking change.

TOEFL Change in Speaking #2: Advantages/Disadvantages questions will TRY TO TRICK YOU!

Before, you would be given a simple scenario like:

Now let's see how they could deceive you. The question might mention two scenarios, but specifically, ask about only one. If not careful, you could end up answering the wrong scenario. Let’s add the TOEFL speaking changes to the previous standing desk question.

WASN’T THAT DECEITFUL!

Well...maybe not, but you can see there is more room for error with this new format. It's not 100% guaranteed you'll even get the new TOEFL format, but going in unprepared is why many people do not achieve their target TOEFL score. The good news is, preparing for the new format is a simple matter of practicing it, and that's it!

Final Thoughts on the New TOEFL Formats

As is the case with all our TOEFL prep suggestions, practice is key to preparing yourself for these new TOEFL changes. You can practice them right here at BestMyTest, some are even FREE!