Start from the current test, not a guess
Before choosing materials, check that they cover the test introduced on January 21, 2026. Take a current-format diagnostic and record performance across Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking, as well as the task types that felt unfamiliar or difficult. Set your target from the requirements of the institution receiving your scores.
A flexible four-week routine
This is an independent example, not an official ETS schedule. Adjust the pace to your starting level, available time and deadline. A shorter plan can focus on the highest-impact weaknesses; a longer plan can add spaced review and more full-format practice.
One way to organize preparation. Practice frequency and duration are examples, not test requirements.
Week | Main focus | End-of-week check |
|---|---|---|
1 — Map | Take a diagnostic; learn all task types; note skill and time gaps. | Write a short baseline and a target for each section. |
2 — Build | Rotate Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking practice; review errors. | Repeat the weakest task types with fresh material. |
3 — Combine | Use mixed practice and timed sections; refine note-taking and response planning. | Compare accuracy and clarity with the baseline. |
4 — Rehearse | Complete current-format practice under realistic conditions; keep light skill review. | Check logistics, score recipient rules and test-day readiness. |
Use a review loop that changes what you do next
After a practice set, write down the task, the error, why it happened, and one adjustment for the next attempt. For Reading, this may be a missed context clue. For Listening, it may be losing the speaker’s purpose. For Writing, it may be an incomplete response. For Speaking, it may be unclear repetition or an answer that wandered away from the question.
Keep an error log short enough that you will actually use it.
Do targeted practice before repeating a full test.
Record Speaking answers and review intelligibility and relevance, not only grammar.
Check progress against the exact program requirement rather than an unrelated online score estimate.
Use official preparation materials as an anchor
ETS provides TOEFL preparation resources, including the TestReady portal. Availability and included features can change. Use official material to learn the current directions and task types, then supplement it with practice that targets the skills you identified. No study plan can guarantee a particular result.
If a resource teaches task formats that ETS no longer lists for the current test, treat it as general English practice only, not as a current-format mock test.