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You are dreaming of hitting the highest TOEFL score and feel like you could use a little overview of every section? Let’s talk about the Listening part!

In this article, you will:

  • Learn more about the Listening skills that are evaluated in the TOEFL exam;
  • Be able to get a first look at the type exercises and test;
  • Discover how GlobalExam can help you get your dream score on your test.

Ready? Let’s dive right in!

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What Listening Skills Are Evaluated in the TOEFL Exam?

More specifically, the Listening portion of the TOEFL iBT test measures your ability to listen, understand and analyze academic discussions.

This test, which varies between 41 and 57 minutes, will assess your ability to understand conversations between 2 or more people or conferences through 5 exercises. Beyond the understanding itself, it will be about demonstrating your ability to synthesize and reformulate what you have heard.

You will have to listen to conversations between a student and a professor, a lecture from a professor with interventions from students and finally a lecture only from a professor. Then you will have to answer questions related to the audio.

This article will be focusing on the Listening Section of the TOEFL. However, if you wish to practice for the other sections, you can refer to the following articles:

girl studying with headphones on

Practice Exercises and Tests for the TOEFL Listening Section

Below you will find some sample TOEFL listening questions. If you wish to get acces to more in-depth information, you can take a look at our article on TOEFL practice tests and questions for all the sections.

Exercise 1 – University Life Conversations

What is the student speaking about with the professor?

  1. Her trip to New Haven.
  2. Her new book.
  3. Her wish to go to New York.
  4. Her wish to fix a meeting with him.

What is the purpose of the student’s visit to the office?

  1. To book a trip.
  2. Getting information on a trip.
  3. Getting information on discounts.
  4. Getting information on financial aid.

Why is the student visiting the Student Council?

  1. Because she needs to check her flight times for the trip to France.
  2. Because she wants to book the trip to France.
  3. Because she needs to pay for her trip.
  4. Because she wants to check her budget.

One can infer that the student is visiting the:

  1. Student Council office.
  2. Registration office.
  3. Administration office.
  4. Lodging office.

Why is the student visiting the office?

  1. To take a class.
  2. To buy a pass.
  3. To pay tuition.
  4. To play sports.

Why did the professor want to see the student?

  1. To discuss the habitat of bull sharks.
  2. To address a problem with a class assignment.
  3. To threaten the student with expulsion.
  4. To explain a poor grade on the student’s paper.

What is the purpose of the student’s visit to the office?

  1. The student needs information about campus lodging.
  2. The student needs information about financial aid.
  3. The student needs information about applications.
  4. The student needs information about courses.

Why did the student want to see his professor?

  1. To plan a meeting.
  2. To know when the film would be projected.
  3. To get advice for the final exam.
  4. Because he is having problems with his class.

Why is the student visiting the professor?

  1. Because she has failed her exam.
  2. Because she wants to work alone on the group work.
  3. Because she has not finished her work.
  4. Because she has not at all participated in the group assignment.

What is the purpose of this conversation?

  1. To assess the student’s course work.
  2. To take advantage of the dean.
  3. To guarantee the student’s graduation.
  4. To decide the student’s course requirements.

Why does the professor say this: “Remember what I said at the beginning of the term, the only bad question is the one that stays in your brain. Right?”

  1. She wants to test the student’s memory.
  2. She wants to discourage the student from asking a question.
  3. She is trying to make the student feel more comfortable.
  4. She is attempting to intimidate the student.

What is Lola worried about?

  1. The price of the train tickets to New York.
  2. Booking the hotel for the trip.
  3. The organization of the trip.
  4. The price of the whole visit.

What office is the student visiting?

  1. The parking office.
  2. The Student Council.
  3. The registration office.
  4. The student card office.

Why did the student initiate this conversation?

  1. To protest an opinion.
  2. To state a position.
  3. To clarify a statement.
  4. To take a different viewpoint.

Why did the professor want to meet with the student?

  1. Because he wanted the student to become his assistant.
  2. Because he was concerned about the student.
  3. Because he wanted to compliment the student on his work.
  4. Because he wanted to introduce the student to Mr. Kroster.

man talking on the phone with headphones on

Exercise 2 – Classroom Discussion

Down below you will find types of questions for the second type of exercises of this section. Keep in mind that in order to train effectively for the test, you must make sure you take TOEFL mock tests regularly; and that you take a look at various TOEFL sample tests.

What aspect of marine food chains does the professor mainly discuss?

  1. Food webs.
  2. Energy transfer.
  3. Trophic relationships.
  4. Seafood harvesting.

What is this lecture mainly about?

  1. The history of coffee.
  2. The benefits of drinking coffee.
  3. The negative health influences of coffee.
  4. The etymology of coffee.

What is the main topic of the discussion?

  1. Harmful televisions.
  2. A landfill concern.
  3. Computer equipment.
  4. Recycling films.

What aspect of kitsch does the professor mainly discuss?

  1. Its history.
  2. Its production.
  3. Its meaning.
  4. Its appeal.

What are turtles?

  1. Reptiles.
  2. Crustaceans.
  3. Mammals.
  4. Albumen.

What is the lecture mainly about?

  1. The chronology of the construction of Stonehenge.
  2. The reason for the construction of Stonehenge.
  3. The history of Stonehenge.
  4. The theories that surround Stonehenge.

What can be inferred about American and Canadian Football?

  1. These sports came from the earlier version of rugby.
  2. These sports are derived from soccer.
  3. These sports are very different.
  4. These sports are very popular in Europe.

What aspect of Fourier’s life is the professor mainly discussing?

  1. His philosophy.
  2. His personality.
  3. His genealogy.
  4. His historical impact.

Who created the Red Cross?

  1. Henri Dunant.
  2. Henri Nobel.
  3. Louis Appia.
  4. Clara Barton.

What is this lecture mainly about?

  1. Bach’s success.
  2. Bach’s life.
  3. Bach’s career.
  4. Bach’s organ.

What is this lecture mainly about?

  1. The fauna in the Sahara.
  2. The geographical aspects of the Sahara.
  3. The geological aspects of the Sahara.
  4. The people living in the Sahara.

How has the professor constructed her conference?

  1. By theme.
  2. By geographical zone.
  3. Chronologically.
  4. By main idea.

What is this lecture mainly about?

  1. Neil Armstrong.
  2. The first trip to the Moon.
  3. The American competition with the Soviet Union.
  4. Kennedy’s obsession with sending a man to the Moon.

What is this lecture mainly about?

  1. The differences between nations.
  2. The history of nationhood.
  3. The definitions of a nation.
  4. The future of nationhood.

According to the lecture, which of these statements is NOT true?

  1. Chaucer was from a wealthy family.
  2. Richard II spoke English.
  3. 50% of Chaucer’s words were from Romance languages.
  4. Chaucer was born in 1400.

Exercise 3 – Lecture

How is this lecture organized?

  1. By main idea and historical milestone.
  2. In chronological order.
  3. By area of activity of the UN.
  4. By official chapter.

What is the conference mainly about?

  1. The activities of the Camorra.
  2. The creation of the Camorra.
  3. The evolution of the Camorra.
  4. Violence within the Camorra.

What is this lecture mainly about?

  1. A new theory that was published concerning the impact of a comet on Earth.
  2. The history of a meteorite.
  3. The different theories concerning the planet.
  4. The different theories concerning the universe.

What is the main subject of this lecture?

  1. Polynesian culture.
  2. The discovery of the Polynesian archipelago.
  3. The art of tattooing in Polynesia.
  4. The French invasion of Polynesia.

What accelerated the development of Oxford University?

  1. Henry XII banning English students from going to the University of Paris.
  2. Henry II banning English students from going to the University of Paris.
  3. Henry II creating a French course at Oxford.
  4. Henry II stating that Oxford was the most prestigious school in the countryside.

What is this lecture mainly about?

  1. Armstrong’s life.
  2. Armstrong’s career.
  3. The sportsman’s achievements.
  4. The sportsman’s career and life.

How has the professor organized her lecture?

  1. In chronological order.
  2. By group of thought.
  3. By main idea.
  4. By weakness or strong point of the Big Bang theory.

What can be said about the British involvement in India in the 18th century?

  1. It lasted the whole century.
  2. There were two phases, one in the first half of the century and the other in the second part of the century.
  3. There were two phases, one finishing at the beginning of the century and the other starting in the mid-18th century.
  4. The involvement can be broken down into three parts.

When did the Summer Olympic Games begin?

  1. The 18th century.
  2. 1924.
  3. 1994.
  4. 1896.

How has the professor organized her conference?

  1. By main ideas.
  2. In chronological order.
  3. By musical style.
  4. By recording.

What is the main aspect of Dickens that is discussed in this lecture?

  1. His life.
  2. His influences.
  3. His literary career.
  4. His style.

What is this text mainly about?

  1. The history of chemical freezing.
  2. The history of food freezing.
  3. The invention of freeze-drying.
  4. The history and use of freeze-drying for food conservation.

How could one best describe this lecture?

  1. A presentation of the human brain and its specificities.
  2. A presentation of the components of the human brain.
  3. A presentation of the use of the human brain.
  4. A presentation of the characteristics of the human brain.

Who officially wrote Alice in Wonderland?

  1. Lewis Carroll.
  2. Charles Dodgson.
  3. Charles Lutwidge.
  4. Lutwidge Carroll.

How has the professor organized the conference?

  1. By main idea.
  2. Chronologically.
  3. By group of thought.
  4. By key element.

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