Enhanced TOEFL Speaking 2026: Everything You Need to Know
The TOEFL iBT® Speaking section is undergoing its most significant update in years. In fact, TOEFL boss Omar Chihane calls it the most significant update in 60 years (video).
In this post, I'll explain the new format of the Speaking section for 2026, the implications for prep, and how My Speaking Score is pivoting to help you prepare for TOEFL Speaking in 2026.
So, beginning January 21, 2026, ETS is rolling out a revamped version of the Speaking section designed to better reflect real-world communication skills. If you're preparing for the TOEFL in 2026 or advising students who are, this is your definitive guide.
Overview of Changes
The 2026 TOEFL iBT Speaking section introduces two brand-new task types and discards the old task format entirely. It's a complete overhaul of the Speaking section.
Key changes:
- The classic Task 1 (Independent Opinion), Task 2 (Campus Situation), Task 3 (Academic Reading + Listening), and Task 4 (Academic Lecture) are gone.
- In their place are two modules:
- Listen and Repeat
- Take an Interview
- There’s no preparation time for either task! Now, the Speaking section really is a measure of your spontaneous spoken English.
- Each new task is designed to reflect more real-world speaking demands, such as conversational fluency and verbal recall.
New Speaking Task Types
1. Listen and Repeat (read more here)
- Task: You hear sentences and repeat each one exactly.
- Structure: You will hear a series of 7 progressively difficult short utterances (e.g., directions, descriptions, or explanations) and must repeat each one after a single listen.
- each sentence is connected to a visual (e.g. a map).
- Goal: Tests your memory, pronunciation, rhythm, and precision under pressure.
- Example Prompt (from p. 34):
Trainer: “Please, no outside food or drinks, and do not feed the animals.”
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You must repeat this back exactly, with no prep time.
2. Take an Interview (read more here)
- Task: You engage in a simulated interview, responding to questions on a familiar topic.
- Structure: The interviewer asks 3–4 follow-up questions based on a short introduction.
- Goal: Tests your ability to speak fluently and clearly, expand on ideas, and manage natural language in a structured conversation.
- Example Prompt (from p. 34 of TOEFL iBT Full Length Practice Test 1):
Interviewer: “Now, do you currently live in a big city, a small town, or a village?”
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Task-by-Task Breakdown
Scoring
ETS now uses two distinct scoring rubrics and they are totally different from the previous Delivery-Language Use-Topic Development rubrics that have been the standard for decades.
Listen and Repeat Scoring Rubric (0–5 scale) (video)
Key features evaluated:
- Exactness of repetition
- Intelligibility
- Minor grammar or word changes are acceptable for a 4
- Severe distortion or incomplete sentences lead to lower scores
Score 5 (Perfect): Fully intelligible, exact repetition
Score 4: Minor deviations but preserves meaning
Score 2–3: Missing content or changed meaning
Score 0–1: Largely unintelligible or blank
Take an Interview Scoring Rubric (0–5 scale) (video)
Key features evaluated:
- Fluency
- Coherence and elaboration
- Accuracy of grammar and vocabulary
- Intonation, rhythm, and pronunciation
Score 5: Fluent, clear, on-topic, well-organized
Score 4: Clear and relevant, but may lack connectors
Score 3: Choppy pace or limited development
Score 0–1: Unintelligible or minimally responsive
The Scoring System Explained
The new TOEFL Speaking scoring system has three layers:
- Rubric scoring per task (/5)
- Raw score (/50)
- Band score (/6), CEFR aligned
Each of these layers plays a specific role in determining your final result.
A. Rubric Scoring (0–5)
Each Speaking task (whether Interview or Repeat) is scored from 0 to 5 using a fixed rubric.
There are 11 total items:
- 7 Listen and Repeat
- 4 Take an Interview
These individual scores are summed to calculate a raw score out of 50.
B. Raw Score (0–50)
This number represents the total score you earned across all 11 items. ETS does not display this number on your report, but it is used internally to calculate your Speaking band score.
C. Band Score (1.0 to 6.0)
Once your raw score is calculated, it is converted to a band score between 1.0 and 6.0, in 0.5 increments. This is the number that appears on your official score report.
It is the number that most schools and institutions use when setting score requirements.
D. CEFR Mapping
Each TOEFL Speaking band score is aligned with a CEFR level:
Test-Taking Implications
Here’s how this redesign will affect your strategy and preparation:
Say goodbye to templates
Rehearsed, memorized templates won’t help. Especially for “Listen and Repeat,” where accuracy trumps creativity, and for “Take an Interview,” where fluency must be real and adaptable. This is a "lurch-move" away from my old "structure-content-speed" formula. Response frameworks will still help somewhat, but I suspect these will be replaced by response strategies (e.g. how do you answer this "type" of question, and how do you keep speaking continuously for 45 seconds?
Speed and recall matter more
Especially in the Listen and Repeat task, your short-term memory and pronunciation under time pressure are essential. I'm sure there will be an explosion of Note-taking strategies for this one. Could be stressful.
Focus shifts to fluency over structure
In the old format, structure could carry you. Now, you must sound like a real human, not a script-reciting test-taker. This has strong implications for how we're adapting our platform and how we'll continue to help test-takers into the future (more on this as our development roadmap is built).
Read more about the new tasks
See my detailed explanation of the Listen and Repeat task and Interview task for more information.
FAQ
When do the new TOEFL Speaking changes start?
January 21, 2026.
Will the old Speaking tasks (Tasks 1–4) still be tested?
No. ETS has removed the previous Speaking task types. Only the two new formats — Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview — will be tested from 2026 onward.
Is preparation time still provided?
No. Neither task includes prep time. You must speak spontaneously and naturally.
Will My Speaking Score support the new format?
Yes. My Speaking Score will launch full support for the new TOEFL Speaking format by October 1, 2025. At that time, users will be able to prepare for the 2025 test format, the 2026 test format, or both).
This includes:
- Free Practice Tests aligned to the new format
- Automated Score Prediction & Feedback powered by ETS
- The most robust scoring engine available online, offering real-time feedback, percentile comparisons, and actionable improvement suggestions
Which skills should I focus on?
- For Listen and Repeat: pronunciation, memory, repetition accuracy
- For Take an Interview: fluency, elaboration, idea development, clarity
Does My Speaking Score still use SpeechRater?
Yes — for the 2025 TOEFL iBT. For the 2026 TOEFL, My Speaking Score will continue to work with ETS's automated scoring technology to give you accurate score prediction and feeback.
✅ Final Thoughts: The New TOEFL Speaking Era
I'm super excited about these new changes. The 2026 update pushes test-takers toward authentic, real-time communication — closer than ever to the demands of a real academic or professional setting.
If you're preparing now:
- Train your auditory memory and repetition speed.
- Practice spontaneous, topic-based mini-interviews.
- Use My Speaking Score for realistic practice and precision feedback.
This is the start of a new TOEFL era — and My Speaking Score is already building the tools you’ll need to succeed in it.
Note: effective July 14, 2025, My Speaking Score is offering unlimited daily Accent Reduction classes for all Elite users -- fluency and pronunciation training to help test-takers start to build the skills that they'll need for the new "enhanced" TOEFL Speaking section.