Everything you thought you knew about the TOEFL iBT Speaking section just got flipped on its head. If you are looking at prep materials from a couple of years ago, honestly, you're looking at a museum exhibit. Starting January 21, 2026, ETS officially retired the old format—those four familiar tasks involving reading a campus announcement or summarizing a biology lecture are gone. They've been replaced by a much faster, arguably more intense 8-minute sprint. It's basically a test of your raw, spontaneous reflexes now.
Most students are still trying to memorize complex templates for tasks that no longer exist. That's a massive mistake. You've got to pivot. The 2026 version is designed to stop you from sounding like a robot. If you show up trying to "template" your way through a simulated interview, you’re going to get penalized for lack of authenticity.
The New Reality of TOEFL iBT Speaking Practice
The updated section is split into two very distinct modules: Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. There is zero preparation time. You hear the prompt, and you speak immediately. It's meant to mimic real life, like when a professor catches you in the hallway or a classmate asks for directions.
The first module, Listen and Repeat, consists of seven sentences. You’ll see a simple image for context—maybe a map of a science museum or a picture of a student lounge—and you’ll hear a sentence. Then, you repeat it. Exactly. It sounds easy until the sentences start stretching to 20 words and include tricky academic jargon.
The second half is the Take an Interview task. You'll engage with a prerecorded interviewer who asks four questions. The difficulty ramps up as you go. It starts with personal stuff—like where you live—and ends with abstract debates about whether technology connects or isolates us. You get 45 seconds per response. No notes. No timers to stare at while you plan. Just you and the microphone.
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Why Your "Fluent" Friends Might Fail
I’ve seen people who speak great English bomb the speaking section because they ignore the scoring rubrics. TOEFL doesn't just want to hear that you can speak; they want to see "intelligibility" and "elaboration."
In the Listen and Repeat task, raters are looking for exactness. If the prompt says, "The interactive exhibits are located on the main floor," and you say, "The interactive exhibits are on the main floor," you just lost points. It’s a test of auditory memory and rhythm. You have to match the speaker’s stress patterns. If you stumble? Just keep moving. Don’t restart the sentence, because the clock is ticking, and a smooth "save" is better than a jagged restart.
For the interview, the "trap" is being too brief. If you answer a 45-second question in 15 seconds and sit there in silence, your score will tank. You need to elaborate. Use personal anecdotes. If the interviewer asks about outdoor sports, don't just say you like soccer. Talk about how your local club meets every Saturday despite the rain and how it helps you de-stress.
Strategies That Actually Work in 2026
Forget the old "firstly, secondly, moreover" formulaic approach. It sounds fake. Instead, focus on these tactical shifts during your TOEFL iBT speaking practice sessions:
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Master the "Shadowing" Technique
Since the new format relies so heavily on repetition, you should be shadowing native speakers daily. Find a podcast (like Science Friday or The Daily) and try to repeat sentences exactly two seconds after the speaker says them. Don't wait for them to finish. This builds the "auditory loop" in your brain that the Listen and Repeat task requires.
The "Lie if You Have To" Rule
In the interview section, the raters don't care about your truth; they care about your English. If you’re asked about your favorite childhood memory and your mind goes blank, make one up. Quickly. "I remember visiting a lighthouse with my grandfather" is a perfectly valid response, even if you’ve never seen a lighthouse. Speed is your friend.
Record and Critique (The Harsh Way)
Don't just record yourself and say, "Yeah, that sounded okay." Use a tool like My Speaking Score or SpeechRater—the same AI technology ETS uses—to get an objective number. Listen for your "filler" words. We all say "uhm" and "like," but if you do it more than three times in 45 seconds, it starts to eat into your fluency score.
Manage the "No-Prep" Anxiety
The lack of prep time is the biggest hurdle. You have to learn to start talking before your brain has fully finished the thought. A good trick is to paraphrase the question as your opening sentence. If the interviewer asks, "Do you prefer texting or voice calls?" start with, "That’s an interesting question; when it comes to staying in touch, I definitely find myself leaning toward voice calls because..." That gives you a three-second buffer to actually think of your reasons.
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Tools of the Trade
You can't just wing this with a mirror. You need specific 2026-ready resources.
- Official ETS TestReady: This is the gold standard. It’s the only place you’ll get the exact voice and pacing of the real exam.
- Magoosh 2026 Practice Tests: They’ve updated their platform to include the "Listen and Repeat" modules.
- Speechling: Great for targeted pronunciation feedback if you find you're struggling with specific phonemes or word endings like "-ed" or "-s."
Actionable Next Steps
Stop practicing with materials from 2024 or 2025. They are obsolete. Your first move should be to head to the official ETS website and take the free 2026 practice sampler. It’s short, but it will give you the "vibe" of the new spontaneous format.
Next, start a daily 10-minute recording habit. Pick a random topic—literally anything, like "why I prefer coffee over tea"—and force yourself to speak for 45 seconds without stopping. No notes. No pausing. If you can handle the awkwardness of a 45-second monologue about caffeine, the actual TOEFL interview will feel like a breeze.
Finally, focus on your rhythm. English is a stress-timed language. If you speak with a flat, robotic intonation, you won't hit the high-tier scores even if your grammar is perfect. Listen to the "music" of the prompts and try to sing along. Accuracy is key, but flow is what gets you to a 30.