ScoreFluentTOEFL Reading, task by task.
Three task types, 30 minutes, two-stage adaptive. 100% rule-based — no AI touches Reading anywhere. Here is what each task actually asks, and how ScoreFluent scores and coaches it.
Section 1, 2-stage adaptive.
Order
1 of 4
Adaptivity
Two-stage MST — router then Lower/Upper module
Items presented
50
Items scored
35 (+ up to 15 unscored tryout)
Time
30 minutes
Scoring
100% rule-based
Three formats, one section.
| Task | What it asks |
|---|---|
| Complete the Words | C-test: the first sentence of an authentic paragraph stays intact, then the second half of every second word is deleted — 10 gaps to fill in. |
| Read in Daily Life | A short non-academic text — poster, menu, text-message chain, form, notice — with a 2- or 3-item multiple-choice set depending on length. |
| Read an Academic Passage | A roughly 200-word expository passage, typically 5 questions, across six subject areas (history, art and music, business and economics, life science, physical science, social science). No background knowledge required, and the text stays visible throughout. |
Deterministic checks, weak-area detection.
Every Reading task is exact-match scored, mirroring ETS’s own rule-based design — nothing here is an AI approximation. Quick scores are free every day. Cross-attempt analysis surfaces the specific passage types or item formats that keep costing you marks, and links each one to a targeted drill. Full detail on the machine-scored/AI-scored split across the whole exam is on the scoring page.
Reading questions, answered.
What task types are in the new TOEFL Reading section?
Three: Complete the Words (a C-test of authentic text), Read in Daily Life (short non-academic texts like posters or menus), and Read an Academic Passage (a short expository passage across six subject areas). None of these three carried these names before the 2026 redesign.
Is TOEFL Reading adaptive?
Yes — Reading is two-stage adaptive (MST). Everyone sits a router section first; how you do on it decides whether the second stage is the Lower or Upper module. Reading presents 50 items but only 35 are scored — the rest are unscored tryout items mixed in, so never judge the section by percent correct on what you saw.
How is TOEFL Reading scored?
One point per correct answer, no negative marking, and 100% rule-based — no AI or model is involved anywhere in Reading. ETS states that reported scores are not a linear transform of raw percentage, so there is no public raw-to-band conversion.
How long is the TOEFL Reading section?
30 minutes, and it runs first in the exam order — before Listening, Writing and Speaking.
What is Complete the Words (the TOEFL C-test)?
A C-test format: an authentic paragraph where the first sentence is left whole, and after that the second half of every second word is deleted. You supply the missing letters for exactly 10 gaps. It’s the closest thing to a vocabulary-in-context stress test the redesign includes.
ScoreFluent is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS. Figures on this page come from ETS’s TOEFL iBT test content page and its TOEFL iBT Technical Manual (RR-25-12).
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