TOEIC Listening and Reading Test

The TOEIC examination is a standardized test for identifying the language proficiency a candidate has in English and is typically designed for non-native speakers of the language. This exam is designed particularly for the workspace unlike exams like TOEFL and IELTS which are taken prominently by students. This test deals with the ways in which the candidates will have to use English in both their day-to-day lives and their professional spaces.

It is recommended that candidates take the Listening and Reading Test along with the Speaking and Writing Test in order to understand the proficiency of the language they have. Candidates who have a lower or intermediate level of knowledge in the language will be able to take the TOEIC Bridge Test in order to know where they stand and improve accordingly.

Why Take the Listening and Reading Test?

The TOEIC Listening and Reading Test is taken by candidates who are planning to enter new workspaces or are getting promoted from their current positions. This is mainly done by candidates who are in either field related to hotel management, restaurants, or hospitals along with people who work in settings like conventions, events, and other business meetings.

Candidates who work in managerial positions, or sales departments, or are technical employees working in business, commerce, and industries will also be required to take the test due to the importance of English in their workspace.

Taking the exam lets the candidate and their employer verify their level of English knowledge. It also provides them with an opportunity to qualify for superior positions at their job by increasing their professional credentials. This examination is accepted in almost 160 countries around the world and in over 14,000 institutions spread across the globe providing the candidate with ample opportunities both within and outside their work atmosphere.

Where to take the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test?

The TOEIC Listening and Reading Test can be taken from anywhere in the world through either institutional testing or public testing. Most organizations, institutions, and corporations require their employees to take the test and hence arrange the tests for all employees. If this is not done by the organization the candidate works in, they will be able to contact their nearest EPN Office in order to know the details of public testing that will be available to them at the earliest and take the test accordingly.

Test Format for Listening and Reading Test

The Listening and Reading Test contains 200 questions all of which are in the multiple-choice format. This is divided equally into two sections.

TOEIC Listening Section

The listening section of the test is based on the understanding the candidate has in spoken English and is strictly without any said dialect of the language being involved. This section contains 100 questions which have to be completed in 45 minutes. The question types that are involved are-

• Photographs- 6 questions
• Question-Response- 25 questions
• Conversations- 39 questions from 13 conversations
• Talks- 30 questions from 10 talks

TOEIC Reading Section

This section contains 3 parts in all where the candidate will have to answer 100 questions in a total of 75 minutes. The question types for the section are-

• Incomplete Sentences- 30 questions
• Text Completion- 16 questions
• Reading Comprehension
  • Single Passages- 29 questions from 10 passages
  • Multiple Passages- 25 questions from 5 passages

Test Content for Listening and Reading Test

There is no specific content for the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test. But the content is taken from the following settings and situations in general.

• Corporate Development
• Dining Out
• Entertainment
• Finance and Budgeting
• General Business
• Health
• Housing/ Corporate Property
• Manufacturing
• Offices
• Personnel
• Purchasing
• Technical Areas
• Travel

Each of these settings can provide the content for the passages used in both the Listening and Reading sections of the test. It is to both familiarize the candidate with similar settings and make them use language they will have to use in such spaces.

Scoring in the Listening and Reading Test

TOEIC is not a pass-or-fail examination and hence does not have a passing grade for the same. The exam is based on score bands where different levels of proficiency in the language will provide the candidate with a different score band. This will be separate for both sections of the test. The score bands for both of the sections are as follows-

TOEIC Listening Section

The Listening section has three different score bands each of which shows a different level of knowledge in the English language. The highest band score is 400 whereas the lowest is 200 in this section. This changes from section to section. The level that is indicated by each score band is as follows-

Score Band	Proficiency Level
400	Expert level but weak with uncommon vocabulary and grammar
300	Understands and infers idea and purpose of content with difficulty
200	Understands short descriptions but not the central idea

TOEIC Reading Section

The Reading section has four score bands in all, and each band depicts a certain level of knowledge the candidate has in understanding the English language. The implication of each band level is as follows-

Score Band	Proficiency Level
450	Expert level but weak with uncommon vocabulary and grammar
350	Understands central idea but cannot connect the information
250	Makes simple inferences from test but not beyond two sentences
150	Processes only factual information that does not require understanding the text

ID Requirements for TOEIC Listening and Reading Test

On the test day, candidates are required to bring their ID which fulfills the following requirements-

• Acceptable and Valid ID with Signature.
• Should contain a recognizable photograph of the candidate.
• Should not have expired.
• Should be government-issued.

It is required that candidates use the same name that is present on the ID they have provided. The name should match the name that has been provided during registration. Misspellings of the name can be corrected before the examination, but name changes will not be made on the test day. It is also advisable that the candidate brings a secondary ID which will have to be submitted if the primary ID is not accepted by the test center administrator.

The IDs that are accepted for TOEIC are-

• Passport with photograph and signature
• Driver’s License with photograph and signature
• State Identification with photograph and signature
• National Identification with photograph and signature
• Military Identification with photograph and signature

Test Day Procedures for TOEIC Listening and Reading Test

Candidates who are taking the test are requested to follow the rules and regulations kept in place both by ETS and the test center. The regulations are applicable from the moment the candidate enters the test hall until they leave it after the duration of the test. The regulations are as follows-

• Candidates must dress to be comfortable at any temperature.
• Friends and Relatives cannot wait at the test center during the test.
• ID verification can include thumb printing, photographing, biometric confirmation, etc which has to be complied with to be the candidate. Refusing disqualifies them from taking the test.
• Personal items are not allowed in the test hall. They can be deposited in the spaces provided as instructed by the test center staff.
• The seat for every candidate will be assigned by the test administrator.
• Test takers will not be allowed to enter the test hall after the test materials have been provided.
• Paper of any kind is not permitted in the test hall.
• Candidate is not allowed to mark anything on the test book or make notes in the test book or answer sheet.