WHAT IS THE TOEIC**
The TOEIC** is a test of International English that is taken every year by 4.5 million students and business professionals in different countries around the world.* The two-hour test includes 200 multiple-choice questions and is divided into two sections: Listening and Reading. There are 100 questions on each section.
Listening (45 minutes)
- Part 1 Picture Identification
- Part 2 Question/Response
- Part 3 Short conversations
- Part 4 Short talks
You will find a description of each part of the test below, followed by a box with specific strategies that will help you to maximize your score.
*For more information consult the TOEIC web page at www.toeic.com.
The Listening Test
This section of the test has four separate parts and lasts 45 minutes.
Part 1 Picture Identification (10 questions)
In Part 1 you will see a selection of ten black-and-white photographs and you will hear a series of ten recordings. For each photograph you will hear four descriptive statements. You must listen to the one statement that best describes what you can see in the picture.
- Always look closely at each photo and ask yourself the following questions:
- Who is in the photo?
- What are the objects visible?
- What was the photo taken?
- What are the professions of the people?
- What actions are being performed?
- Make sure that you listen to the complete statement.
- Some statements may be only partially true.
- Watch out for homonyms and similar-sounding words that have different meanings.
Part 2 Question/Response (30 questions)
The questions that you will hear will be of different types. Try to determine what type of question is being asked and what the purpose of the question is. Some questions ask for information but others may be invitations, suggestions or comments.
- Listen carefully to the beginning of the question, especially for question words such as who, where, what, etc.
- Do not expect the answer to a question to contain the same verb and tense as the question.
Part 3 Short conversations (30 questions)
Part 3 features ten four-part conversations between two people. After listening to each conversation, you will have to answer three comprehension questions. Each question has four multiple-choice answers, only one of which is correct.
- Always read the questions before you hear the recording. This will help you to focus on what is said and you may even be able to guess the meaning of words that you do not understand.
- While you are listening to the conversation, try to identify who the speakers are, where the conversation takes place and what they are talking about.
