In this article we will talk about the structure of one of the TOEIC Bridge sections. The TOEIC Bridge (Test of English for International Communication) listening section takes approximately 25 minutes to do. During the listening section, a test taker is asked to respond to descriptions, questions, conversations and short talks in English. There are 50 questions that are divided into four sections, based on question type and format.
- Four Pictures (6 questions)
- Question-Response (20 questions)
- Conversations (10 sets of questions)
- Shorts Talks (14 questions)
Read on and find out how GlobalExam can guarantee you a high score on your TOEIC Bridge!
Four pictures
In this section, you will see a picture. Then you will hear four statements. You need to choose the statement that best describes the picture. Below is an example with the words showing, but on an actual test, you don’t see the words; you only hear them and choose A, B, C or D.
Here’s an example.
- A. The people are at a hospital.
- B. The people are at a school.
- C. The people are in an office.
- D. The people are at a canteen.
The best answer would be A. The people are at a hospital.
Question-Response
In this part, you will hear a question about a common event or action, and then you will hear four options for the answer. You don’t see the question or answers; you only hear them and you must choose the letter (A, B, C or D) that corresponds to the best answer to the question. Here is an example with the question and answers showing.
Question: What time does the train arrive?
- A. The bathroom is on the left.
- B. The ticket cost ten Euros.
- C. It gets here at 10:30.
- D. Lunch is at 12:00.
The best answer is C. ‘It gets here…’ is another way of saying ‘It arrives…”
Conversations
In this section, you will hear people talking. For each short conversation, there are multiple choice questions. You don’t see the script for the conversation, but you do see the answers. Let’s take a look at an example with the script and answers.
Script:
Woman 1: Did you see that classes are going to be starting at 8 AM next month?
Woman 2: I did! It does not make sense to me. Why do they want classes to start earlier?
Woman 1: I heard it is because they will be sending the students home earlier by starting earlier.
Answers:
What time will the classes start?
- A. 8 PM
- B. 8 AM
- C. 9 AM
- D. 9 PM
The correct answer is B 8 AM since it is the time mentioned in the conversation. This part of TOEIC Bridge is intended to assess your ability to follow a short, simple conversation on everyday topics; don’t worry, no one will be discussing nuclear physics.
Short Talks
For this section, you will hear ten short talks i.e. one person is talking about a topic for about 25-40 seconds. For each talk, there are three multiple choice questions. You don’t see the script for the talk, but you do see the answers. Let’s take a look at an example.
Script: (Woman) Good morning everyone. Our exhibit for this month’s artist, Gabriel Montana, begins here in the west wing. As we go through his work, you will see a progression from his early years until his most recent work. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Answers:
Where is the speaker?
- A. At the airport.
- B. At an art museum.
- C. At a hotel.
- D. At an art supply store.
The best answer would be B At an art museum since the speaker mentions an artist, exhibit and ‘west wing;’ a wing is part of an art gallery or other building.
Tips
- Focus your Practice
You will be listening to conversations, short talks, descriptions of pictures and question-responses, so listen to these things in order to prepare properly. Often students will simply listen to anything, believing that it will lead to a good score.
- Pay Attention
Listening, but not paying attention doesn’t help. It’s not like listening to music for relaxation. You need to pay attention and notice key words, the structure of conversation and talks or sounds that give you trouble.
- Plan your Studying
Don’t just randomly study for four hours one day and then thirty minutes the next day. Study for set periods of time at a time of day when you are alert and ready to think. Study for similar lengths of time each day. Time will pass quickly, so you need to have a plan; otherwise, your test day will arrive, and you won’t be prepared
A lot of studying or cramming just before the exam isn’t an effective way to improve your listening. Listening improvement requires time for your brain to make the connections.
- Avoid Distractions
The modern world is full of distractions. You need self-discipline and ignore these things while you study. The idea that you can multi-task: listen to music, text and study effectively is a myth not supported by psychology studies.
Training with GlobalExam
At GlobalExam, we prepare people for language tests; it’s our purpose. We use authentic, current materials and utilize multi-media to provide an effective preparation experience.
GlobalExam’s materials and practice tests are based on the actual questions that you will encounter. Feel confident that what you do with us will prepare you properly for TOEIC Bridge.
We don’t just give you a bunch of materials to download. We have progress metrics that are tailored to the individual student along with targeted feedback and encouraging messages to keep you on track. Studying alone can be difficult and students often lose hope, but with our support this won’t happen to you.
With online studies, you have flexibility, and you are able to study when and where you want, especially with our multi-device option.
With each of GlobalExam’s TOEIC Bridge plans, you will have access to the following:
- 60 sample exercises and access to 15 hours of training and 1500 questions with answers.
- 3 practice tests, which are timed in order to replicate real-life exam conditions.
- A study plan for you that is tailored to your test date.
- Study sheets, grammar and vocabulary study materials, giving you the chance for review of key exam topics, thus removing the necessity for you to figure out what to study.
- Any device that you choose to use. You can use your laptop, your tablet or your phone at any time of day and anywhere you wish.
If you are not sure whether you want to purchase a premium plan, then try our free materials first: two sample exercises and vocabulary and grammar study materials.
Discover the other sections of the TOEIC Bridge:
