TOEFL iBT · Speaking
TOEFL iBT Speaking: repeat and interview
See the difference between accurately repeating a sentence and developing your own spoken answer.
- ETS base time
- About 8 min
- Base item count
- 11
- Task families
- 2
The format, explained
Listen and Repeat
Hear a sentence and repeat it accurately and clearly. This task calls for preserving what you heard, not paraphrasing it.
Take an Interview
Answer questions in a simulated academic or campus interview. Communicate your experiences and opinions in your own words.
Different tasks, different preparation
Repetition practice develops accurate listening and production. Interview practice develops relevant answers and connected ideas. Give both a place in your study routine.
Where to start practising
- For repetition practice, work with short meaning groups and check small words as well as the main vocabulary.
- For interview practice, answer directly and then develop one reason or detail.
- Listen back to a recording for clarity. Re-record to improve a specific problem, not merely to speak faster.
Common questions
Is the interview a live conversation with an examiner?
ETS describes a simulated interview with recorded microphone responses, rather than the live examiner conversation used in IELTS.
Can I paraphrase in Listen and Repeat?
The task asks you to repeat the sentence you hear. Practise accurate repetition rather than substituting your own version.
Official format references
Format facts are based on these official sources. Check the provider’s current instructions before booking. The study advice is Professor Scott’s independent guidance.
Format reviewed:
Put the English into practice
Read & practise
Short lessons for related English foundations. These are not official exam questions or complete test simulations.
Join sentences with and, but and so
Choose a connector and use a comma between complete clauses.
Read & practiseHow to ask for clarification in English
Ask for repetition or an explanation, then confirm what you understood.
Read & practiseHow to agree partly and explain your concern
Name the point you accept, then explain the part you see differently.
Read & practiseKeep exploring
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