TOEFL 2026 Reading
This page is written by our TOEFL experts and has all the information and details you need to know to fully understand how the new TOEFL 2026 Reading tasks work, what they test, and how to approach them. It is highly recommended for students to read through this page before starting practice, and to use it as a reference whenever they encounter a question type that feels unfamiliar.
Approx. time
30 min
Approx. items
50
Task types
3
Overview
The 3 Reading Tasks
The current TOEFL Reading section consists of 3 different task types: Fill in the letters, understanding daily life reading materials and academic passage reading comprehension
The format has become much more comprehensive, testing a wider range of student abilities, whereas the old format focused solely on reading comprehension of academic passages.
Format
Section structure and navigation
The Reading section is organized into two modules in an adaptive format. Your performance in Module 1 determines whether you receive the easier or harder version of Module 2.
Module 1
Module 1 contains 35 questions across three task types:
- 1.2 Fill in the Letters items, each with 10 blanks (20 questions in total)
- 2.2 Daily Life Reading materials—one with 2 questions and one with 3 questions (5 questions in total)
- 3.2 Academic Text passages, each followed by 5 questions (10 questions in total)
Module 2
Module 2 contains 15 questions. Every student completes one Fill in the Letters item with 10 blanks (10 questions). The remaining items depend on your Module 1 performance:
- 1.Easier path: 2 Daily Life Reading materials with 2 and 3 questions respectively (5 questions in total)
- 2.Harder path: 1 Academic Text passage with 5 questions
Navigation and pacing
- 1.You may work through questions at your own pace within the section time limit.
- 2.Once you advance to Module 2, you cannot return to Module 1.
- 3.You are not required to select an answer before moving to the next question, although answering every item is strongly recommended.
1. Fill in the Letters
Students are given a short academic paragraph in which some words have missing letters. They are required to complete the words using contextual and spelling clues. Below is an example of a Fill in the Letters task:
During the experiment, the research team noticed that student motivation increased when feedback was given immediately. Several partici____ also repo____ that cl___ instructions ma__ the ta___ feel le__ stressful a__ more manag_____. As a res___, the gr___ completed the activities more efficiently and showed stronger concentration during the final stage of testing. The researchers concluded that timely support can improve both academic performance and long-term engagement in difficult learning environments. Their report recommends that teachers provide frequent, targeted feedback so that students can adjust their strategies before frustration begins to affect progress.
Answers
1. participants
2. reported
3. clear
4. made
5. tasks
6. less
7. and
8. manageable
9. result
10. group
Format
- 1.Each presented paragraph has exactly 10 masked words
- 2.Only the second half of a word will be masked
- 3.Paragraphs are usually 5 sentences long
- 4.The first, fourth and fifth sentences are usually complete, mainly for providing contexts
- 5.Starting from the second word of the second sentence, every other word should be masked, although this is only a general rule
Strategies for tackling Fill in the Letters tasks
- 1.Read the start and end of the paragraph first to get the topic and tone, then use that understanding to predict the missing words in the middle.
- 2.Look for context clues around the masked words. The words before and after often provides logical connections and relationships that can help you guess the missing word.
- 3.Pay attention to grammar as well as meaning. The missing word must fit the sentence both in terms of its part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) and its meaning.
- 4.Pay attention to common word patterns as many words follow predictable spelling rules with prefixes, suffixes and roots.
Daily Life Reading
Students read practical materials from university life, such as notices, emails, announcements, posters, and other short real-world texts. They are required to answer questions that test their ability to understand the purpose, details, and implications of these materials. Below is an example of a Daily Reading Task:
From: Student Services
Subject: Library Access Update
Dear Students,
The university library will close at 6:00 p.m. this Friday for a system upgrade. During this time, students will not be able to borrow books, print documents, or use the study rooms.
Online resources, including journal databases and e-books, will remain available through the student portal. Normal library hours will resume on Saturday morning.
Thank you for your understanding.
Suggested Questions
1. What is the email mainly about?
2. According to the email, which of the following services will NOT be available on Friday evening?
3. When will the library close for the system upgrade?
Format
- 1.Each presented material will have 2 to 3 questions
- 2.Text length can be very short, sometimes closer to scanning than deep reading
- 3.Questions often test purpose, detail, inference, and next-step understanding
Strategies for tackling Daily Life Reading tasks
- 1.Start by identifying the document type, people involved, and purpose. In short real-world texts, those three clues often provide you with a strong guidance in answering the questions.
- 2.Scan for action words, dates, restrictions, and changes in service because Daily Life questions often target what students must do next or what is unavailable. These are the most important details to find.
Academic Text
Students read academic passages on different topics and themes such as science, history, social science, and humanities. They are required to answer questions that test their ability to understand the main idea, details, vocabulary, inferences, and overall structure of the passages. Below is an example of an Academic Text task:
Urban areas are often warmer than nearby rural regions, a pattern known as the urban heat island effect. This difference appears because cities contain large surfaces of concrete, asphalt, and glass, which absorb heat during the day and release it slowly at night. Buildings also reduce airflow, making it harder for heat to escape. As a result, nighttime temperatures in cities may remain unusually high even after sunset. Researchers have found that this extra heat can affect energy use, public health, and overall comfort, especially during the summer months.
One method for reducing urban heat is to increase the number of trees and other forms of vegetation. Trees provide shade, which lowers surface temperatures, and they also release moisture into the air through a process called transpiration. This process can help cool the surrounding environment. However, the effect of urban trees is not identical in every location. In neighborhoods with limited space, for example, planting large numbers of trees may be difficult. Even so, city planners often view vegetation as a practical tool because it can moderate temperatures while also improving air quality and making public spaces more attractive.
Suggested Questions
1. According to the passage, why do cities often remain warm at night?
2. The word “moderate” in the passage is closest in meaning to which of the following?
3. What does the word “they” in the second paragraph refer to?
4. Why does the author mention neighborhoods with limited space?
5. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage about urban trees?
Format
- 1.About 200 words per passage
- 2.Each presented passage will have exactly 5 questions
- 3.Question types usually include main idea, detail, vocabulary, and inference
Strategies for tackling Academic Text tasks
- 1.Read the first paragraph for topic and direction, then track how each later paragraph adds evidence, contrast, or explanation.
- 2.When a question asks about a detail, return to the relevant lines and read a little before and after them instead of relying on memory.
- 3.Pay attention to transition words as these clues will help you understand the organization of the passage and how ideas are connected.
Practice
How to prepare for TOEFL well
Good TOEFL preparation is broader than reading one passage type again and again. Students usually improve faster when they build vocabulary, sharpen grammar, and practice reading in a structured routine over time.
Build academic vocabulary steadily
Knowing a wide range of vocabulary is crucial for understanding different passages, and even more so for completing the Fill in the Letters task, which requires exact spelling and does not award partial credit. Vocabulary is often developed through extensive reading, but this can be challenging for students who lack the necessary foundation or exposure. That is why MockGarden has carefully curated flashcards featuring high-frequency vocabulary that may appear on the TOEFL test, helping students learn words quickly and effectively through repeated exposure and approach reading tasks with greater confidence.
Strengthen grammar for accuracy
If vocabulary is the building blocks of language, then grammar is the structure that holds those blocks together. Grammar is just as important as vocabulary because it helps students understand how words relate to one another, how ideas are connected, and how meaning is shaped within a sentence. Grammar is specifically tested in the Fill in the Letters task, where students must choose a word that fits both the meaning and the grammatical structure of the sentence. That is why MockGarden provides daily grammar tests to help users improve their overall English proficiency and better understand reading passages, sentence structures, and grammatical patterns.
Practice reading with a purpose
Do not read every text in the same way. Practice scanning for practical information, reading for structure in academic passages, and checking context carefully when completing missing words. By extensively completing MockGarden’s mock tests, users can steadily improve their ability to locate key information, recognize common question patterns, manage their time more effectively, and choose answers with greater accuracy and confidence.
Want to learn more about TOEFL's grading system? Read how section scores and the overall band work
Next Step
Ready to practice Reading?
If the structure now feels clear, the next useful step is practice. Start with guided TOEFL work inside MockGarden and use this page as your reference when a task type feels unfamiliar.