TOEFL Listening Practice Test 2 (2026 Format)
TOEFL iBT Listening in the January 2026 format, with audio: Listen and Choose a Response, conversations, announcements and academic talks, in two modules. 36 questions.
How this practice matches real TOEFL iBT use
Audio uses your browser's built-in voices. In timed mode each recording plays once and its questions appear when it ends, as in the real test. Listening is adaptive in the real test; these use fixed modules.
How to use this practice set
1. Attempt seriously
Use realistic timing, avoid random guessing, and finish the set as one focused session.
2. Review by skill gap
Separate vocabulary gaps, concentration errors, weak task strategy, and careless mistakes instead of looking only at score.
3. Repeat with purpose
After review, move to the next related TOEFL iBT section or repeat weak-question types until your accuracy becomes stable.
Listening (2026 format)
Before you start
- Questions
- 36
- Time
- 30 minutes
- Parts
- 10
- Timed mode plays the recording once, straight through all 10 parts, as in the real test. Practice mode lets you play, pause and replay each part. Turn your sound on.
- Use the numbered navigator to move between questions, and flag any you want to come back to.
- For typed answers, keep within the word limit. Answers over the limit are marked wrong, as in the real test.
- You can submit early. Your score, the correct answers and explanations appear straight away.
TOEFL Listening Practice Test 2 (2026 Format): all 36 questions with answers
Prefer to work through the test on paper? Answer the questions, then open “Show answer” to check.
M1 · Responses: transcript
Narrator:Listen and choose the best response.
Narrator:Number 1.
Woman:Excuse me, is this seat taken?
Narrator:Number 2.
Man:When is the essay due?
Narrator:Number 3.
Woman:Can you help me move this table?
Narrator:Number 4.
Man:I didn't see you at the meeting yesterday.
Narrator:Number 5.
Woman:Which bus goes to the stadium?
Narrator:Number 6.
Man:Why is the cafeteria so crowded today?
Narrator:Number 7.
Woman:Have you decided on your major yet?
Narrator:Number 8.
Man:Let me know if you need a ride to the airport.
You will hear a person speak. Choose the best response. The spoken lines appear in the transcript after you submit.
Q1.Choose the best response.
- A.I took the bus.
- B.It's a comfortable seat.
- C.No, go ahead.
- D.Yes, I'll take it.
Show answer
Answer: C. No, go ahead.
The speaker said: "Excuse me, is this seat taken?" It tells her she can sit there.
Q2.Choose the best response.
- A.It's about history.
- B.I'm due to leave.
- C.About two thousand words.
- D.Next Monday, by noon.
Show answer
Answer: D. Next Monday, by noon.
The speaker said: "When is the essay due?" It answers 'when'.
Q3.Choose the best response.
- A.Sure. Which end should I take?
- B.The table is wooden.
- C.I moved house last year.
- D.It's on the table.
Show answer
Answer: A. Sure. Which end should I take?
The speaker said: "Can you help me move this table?" It agrees to help.
Q4.Choose the best response.
- A.The meeting room is upstairs.
- B.I had a doctor's appointment.
- C.I'll see you there.
- D.It was yesterday afternoon.
Show answer
Answer: B. I had a doctor's appointment.
The speaker said: "I didn't see you at the meeting yesterday." It explains the absence.
Q5.Choose the best response.
- A.The stadium is very large.
- B.I prefer trains.
- C.The number twelve, from the stop outside.
- D.It went yesterday.
Show answer
Answer: C. The number twelve, from the stop outside.
The speaker said: "Which bus goes to the stadium?" It names the bus.
Q6.Choose the best response.
- A.The cafeteria serves pasta.
- B.I'm not hungry.
- C.It's on the first floor.
- D.There's a free lunch for new students.
Show answer
Answer: D. There's a free lunch for new students.
The speaker said: "Why is the cafeteria so crowded today?" It gives a reason.
Q7.Choose the best response.
- A.I'm still choosing between economics and history.
- B.Major roads are busy.
- C.Yes, I decided to go home.
- D.It was a major decision.
Show answer
Answer: A. I'm still choosing between economics and history.
The speaker said: "Have you decided on your major yet?" It answers about choosing a subject.
Q8.Choose the best response.
- A.The airport is new.
- B.Thanks. My flight is at six on Friday.
- C.I rode my bike.
- D.I need a new suitcase.
Show answer
Answer: B. Thanks. My flight is at six on Friday.
The speaker said: "Let me know if you need a ride to the airport." It accepts the offer and gives useful detail.
M1 · Conversation 1: transcript
Narrator:Listen to a conversation between a student and an officer at the financial aid office.
Officer:Financial aid office, how can I help?
Student:Hi. I applied for a travel grant to attend a conference in March, but I haven't heard anything back.
Officer:Let me look. Your application is here, but it's missing a letter from your supervisor. We can't review it without that.
Student:Oh, I didn't know that was required. When's the deadline?
Officer:Applications close this Friday, so if you upload the letter by then, it will be considered.
Choose the best answer.
Q9.Why hasn't the student's application been reviewed?
- A.He applied too late.
- B.A letter from his supervisor is missing.
- C.The conference was cancelled.
- D.All the grants have been given out.
Show answer
Answer: B. A letter from his supervisor is missing.
'it's missing a letter from your supervisor. We can't review it without that.'
Q10.What must the student do by Friday?
- A.Submit a new application
- B.Register for the conference
- C.Upload his supervisor's letter
- D.Meet the officer
Show answer
Answer: C. Upload his supervisor's letter
'if you upload the letter by then, it will be considered'.
M1 · Conversation 2: transcript
Narrator:Listen to a conversation between two students.
Ana:Are you joining the photography club this year?
Ben:I want to, but the membership fee went up to forty dollars.
Ana:True, but it includes free use of the club's cameras and lenses, so you won't need to buy your own lens.
Ben:Oh, I didn't know that. That actually makes it cheaper for me.
Choose the best answer.
Q11.What is Ben's concern?
- A.The meeting times
- B.His photography skills
- C.The cost of membership
- D.The club's location
Show answer
Answer: C. The cost of membership
'the membership fee went up to forty dollars'.
Q12.What changes Ben's mind?
- A.A student discount
- B.His friend is joining
- C.The fee was reduced
- D.Members can use the club's equipment
Show answer
Answer: D. Members can use the club's equipment
Membership 'includes free use of the club's cameras and lenses'.
M1 · Announcement: transcript
Narrator:Listen to an announcement on campus.
Announcer:Attention, all students. Because of road works on College Avenue, the campus shuttle bus will not stop outside the student union from Monday to Wednesday next week. The temporary stop will be on Park Street, opposite the sports centre. Buses will run every fifteen minutes instead of every ten, so please allow extra time.
Choose the best answer.
Q13.Where will the temporary bus stop be?
- A.On Park Street
- B.Outside the student union
- C.At the sports centre entrance
- D.On College Avenue
Show answer
Answer: A. On Park Street
'The temporary stop will be on Park Street, opposite the sports centre.'
Q14.What change will students notice?
- A.Free tickets
- B.Buses running less often
- C.A new route to town
- D.A late-night service
Show answer
Answer: B. Buses running less often
'every fifteen minutes instead of every ten'.
M1 · Academic Talk: transcript
Narrator:Listen to part of a talk in an urban planning class.
Professor:Many cities around the world have streets laid out in a regular grid. This idea is very old. Archaeologists have found grid plans in cities in the Indus Valley that are more than four thousand years old, and the ancient Greek planner Hippodamus is often credited with promoting grids in the fifth century BCE.
Professor:Grids have practical advantages. They make it easy to divide land into equal plots for sale, and they make navigation simple: if you know the street numbers, you can find your way. That's one reason grids were popular in fast-growing North American cities in the nineteenth century.
Professor:But grids aren't perfect. A strict grid ignores the natural landscape, so streets can run straight up steep hills, as they famously do in San Francisco. Some planners also argue that long, straight streets encourage drivers to go faster, making them less safe for pedestrians.
Choose the best answer.
Q15.What is the talk mainly about?
- A.How to design safe roads
- B.The archaeology of the Indus Valley
- C.The history and the strengths and weaknesses of grid street plans
- D.Why San Francisco is hilly
Show answer
Answer: C. The history and the strengths and weaknesses of grid street plans
It covers where grids come from, their advantages and their problems.
Q16.Why does the professor mention the Indus Valley?
- A.To describe a modern city
- B.To discuss river transport
- C.To compare climates
- D.To show that grid plans are a very old idea
Show answer
Answer: D. To show that grid plans are a very old idea
Grid plans there are 'more than four thousand years old'.
Q17.What is one advantage of a grid?
- A.It makes land easy to divide into equal plots.
- B.It avoids steep hills.
- C.It reduces traffic.
- D.It makes buildings cheaper.
Show answer
Answer: A. It makes land easy to divide into equal plots.
'They make it easy to divide land into equal plots for sale.'
Q18.Why does the professor mention San Francisco?
- A.As a city without a grid
- B.As an example of a grid that ignores the landscape
- C.As a city that is safe for pedestrians
- D.As the first city to use a grid
Show answer
Answer: B. As an example of a grid that ignores the landscape
Streets there 'run straight up steep hills'.
M2 · Responses: transcript
Narrator:Listen and choose the best response.
Narrator:Number 19.
Woman:Are you still using the stapler?
Narrator:Number 20.
Man:How did your interview go?
Narrator:Number 21.
Woman:Did you remember to book the study room?
Narrator:Number 22.
Man:Wasn't the deadline extended?
Narrator:Number 23.
Woman:I think I left my umbrella in the lecture hall.
Narrator:Number 24.
Man:Do you mind if I record the lecture?
Narrator:Number 25.
Woman:How long have you been learning Spanish?
Narrator:Number 26.
Man:The vending machine took my money again.
You will hear a person speak. Choose the best response. The spoken lines appear in the transcript after you submit.
Q19.Choose the best response.
- A.I stapled my report.
- B.It's a red stapler.
- C.Yes, I still live here.
- D.No, you can take it.
Show answer
Answer: D. No, you can take it.
The speaker said: "Are you still using the stapler?" It answers whether she can have it.
Q20.Choose the best response.
- A.Better than I expected, I think.
- B.It was at three o'clock.
- C.I'll interview you next.
- D.I went by train.
Show answer
Answer: A. Better than I expected, I think.
The speaker said: "How did your interview go?" 'How did it go?' asks about the result.
Q21.Choose the best response.
- A.The room has six chairs.
- B.Oh no, I completely forgot.
- C.I'll remember you.
- D.I booked a flight.
Show answer
Answer: B. Oh no, I completely forgot.
The speaker said: "Did you remember to book the study room?" It answers whether he booked it.
Q22.Choose the best response.
- A.The line was very long.
- B.Yes, it's dead.
- C.Only for students in the evening class.
- D.I extended my visa.
Show answer
Answer: C. Only for students in the evening class.
The speaker said: "Wasn't the deadline extended?" It clarifies who the extension applies to.
Q23.Choose the best response.
- A.It's raining hard.
- B.The lecture was long.
- C.I left early too.
- D.Let's check the lost and found.
Show answer
Answer: D. Let's check the lost and found.
The speaker said: "I think I left my umbrella in the lecture hall." It helps solve the problem.
Q24.Choose the best response.
- A.Go ahead, as long as it's for your own use.
- B.The record is broken.
- C.I don't mind the lecture.
- D.It lasts an hour.
Show answer
Answer: A. Go ahead, as long as it's for your own use.
The speaker said: "Do you mind if I record the lecture?" It gives permission.
Q25.Choose the best response.
- A.Since it's long.
- B.About two years now.
- C.In Spain.
- D.For my trip next month.
Show answer
Answer: B. About two years now.
The speaker said: "How long have you been learning Spanish?" 'How long' asks about a period of time.
Q26.Choose the best response.
- A.I'd like a snack.
- B.It's a new machine.
- C.You should report it at the front desk.
- D.Money is tight.
Show answer
Answer: C. You should report it at the front desk.
The speaker said: "The vending machine took my money again." It suggests what to do.
M2 · Conversation 1: transcript
Narrator:Listen to a conversation between a student and a librarian.
Librarian:Can I help you find something?
Student:Yes, I need a book for my sociology class, but the catalogue says all three copies are checked out.
Librarian:Let's see. There's an electronic version available. You can read it online with your student login, though you can't download it.
Student:That's fine. Can I print pages from it?
Librarian:Up to twenty pages, yes.
Choose the best answer.
Q27.What is the student's problem?
- A.He has lost a library book.
- B.He forgot his student login.
- C.The library is closing.
- D.All printed copies of a book are on loan.
Show answer
Answer: D. All printed copies of a book are on loan.
'all three copies are checked out'.
Q28.What is true about the electronic version?
- A.It can be read online but not downloaded.
- B.It can be downloaded.
- C.It costs money.
- D.It can only be read in the library.
Show answer
Answer: A. It can be read online but not downloaded.
'You can read it online ... though you can't download it.'
M2 · Conversation 2: transcript
Narrator:Listen to a conversation between two students.
Kim:Are you going on the geology field trip on Saturday?
Raj:Yes, but I'm worried about the weather. The forecast says rain.
Kim:The professor said it'll go ahead unless there's a storm warning. Just bring waterproof boots and a jacket.
Raj:Good to know. What time does the bus leave?
Kim:Seven thirty, from the main gate.
Choose the best answer.
Q29.What is Raj worried about?
- A.The weather
- B.The cost of the trip
- C.Missing the bus
- D.His geology grade
Show answer
Answer: A. The weather
'I'm worried about the weather. The forecast says rain.'
Q30.When would the trip be cancelled?
- A.If it rains
- B.If there is a storm warning
- C.If fewer than ten students go
- D.If the bus is late
Show answer
Answer: B. If there is a storm warning
'it'll go ahead unless there's a storm warning'.
M2 · Announcement: transcript
Narrator:Listen to an announcement about the Writing Centre.
Announcer:Hello, everyone. The Writing Centre is now offering online appointments in addition to in-person sessions. Appointments last thirty minutes, and you can book up to two per week through the student portal. Please upload your draft at least one day before your appointment, so the tutor can read it in advance.
Choose the best answer.
Q31.What is new at the Writing Centre?
- A.Longer appointments
- B.Online appointments
- C.Weekend opening
- D.Group workshops
Show answer
Answer: B. Online appointments
'now offering online appointments in addition to in-person sessions'.
Q32.What should students do before an appointment?
- A.Pay a booking fee
- B.Email the tutor
- C.Upload their draft at least a day before
- D.Print their essay
Show answer
Answer: C. Upload their draft at least a day before
'upload your draft at least one day before your appointment'.
M2 · Academic Talk: transcript
Narrator:Listen to part of a talk in a biology class.
Professor:Every autumn, the leaves of many trees turn yellow, orange and red. To understand why, we need to start with chlorophyll, the green pigment that plants use to capture energy from sunlight. During the growing season, leaves produce so much chlorophyll that its green colour hides the other pigments.
Professor:As days get shorter and cooler, trees stop producing chlorophyll, and what's left breaks down. The yellow and orange pigments, called carotenoids, were there all along. They simply become visible once the green fades.
Professor:Red is different. Red pigments, called anthocyanins, are actually produced in autumn. Scientists think they may protect leaves from sunlight damage while the tree recovers nutrients from them before they fall. Sunny days and cool nights tend to produce the brightest reds, which is why the colours vary from year to year.
Choose the best answer.
Q33.What is the talk mainly about?
- A.How trees grow new leaves
- B.How plants capture sunlight
- C.Why some trees keep their leaves
- D.Why leaves change colour in autumn
Show answer
Answer: D. Why leaves change colour in autumn
The talk explains the pigments behind autumn colours.
Q34.What happens to the yellow and orange pigments in autumn?
- A.They become visible when the green fades.
- B.They are produced for the first time.
- C.They break down quickly.
- D.They turn red.
Show answer
Answer: A. They become visible when the green fades.
They 'were there all along. They simply become visible once the green fades.'
Q35.What is different about red pigments?
- A.They are present all year.
- B.They are produced in autumn.
- C.They capture sunlight for energy.
- D.They appear only in evergreen trees.
Show answer
Answer: B. They are produced in autumn.
'Red pigments ... are actually produced in autumn.'
Q36.Why do autumn colours vary from year to year?
- A.Because trees get older
- B.Because of differences in soil
- C.Because of the weather, such as sunny days and cool nights
- D.Because of the amount of rain in spring
Show answer
Answer: C. Because of the weather, such as sunny days and cool nights
'Sunny days and cool nights tend to produce the brightest reds.'