TOEIC® L&R update

ETS announced an update to the TOEIC L&R test in 2017. The changes are now in effect.

“To ensure that the TOEIC test reflects current language use and measures the language skills that individuals need, ETS has updated sections of the TOEIC Listening and Reading test.”
                Dr. Feng Yu, Executive Director of the TOEIC Program

1. *Flyer overview of the changes for candidates
   

2. *New Examinee Handbook for candidates
   

3. *Press Release (Australia, NZ, Fiji)
   

4. *Detailed description with sample items
   (also Listening questions 7-9, and questions 16-18)
   
   

Overview:

Language use: As the use of English evolves and changes, so must tests and test questions, to ensure that we are measuring the language skills that individuals need.

Multiple sources: The updates will make greater use of multiple sources - for example using both what is seen in a visual image and what is heard in a conversation.

Candidates will be assessed on understanding intended meaning in context and across text sources, understanding non-linear exchanges in online-chat messages, and understanding conversations with more than 2 speakers. This assessment will be closer to real life situations, but the difficulty will remain the same.

Update to balance of items:

Listening:

Part 1: 10 photograph items        → 6 items
Part 2: 30 question-response items  → 25 items
Part 3: 10 conversation items      → 13 items
Part 4: 10 short talk items        → Unchanged.

Reading:

Part 5: 40 incomplete sentence items   → 30 items
Part 6: 12 text completion items        → 16 items
Part 7a: 28 single reading passage items   → 29 items
Part 7b: 20 double reading passage items   → 25 items

New Ability Reported:

For schools using the ability subsections, the score report will add an additional Listening Ability.

“Can understand a speaker’s purpose or implied meaning in a phrase or sentence”.

More information:

1. ★ETS’s information page
   

2. ★TOEIC Japan’s Q&A in English
   

3. ★TOEIC Japan’s information page (in Japanese)
   

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