TOEIC Listening & Reading: The 7 Parts Explained and How to Score 800+
A complete guide to the TOEIC Listening and Reading test: all 7 parts, how scoring works, time management and practical strategies to reach 800 or more.
The TOEIC Listening & Reading test is the workplace English test that employers ask for most often. It has 200 multiple-choice questions in about 2 hours, and every question is about real work situations: meetings, emails, travel, schedules, orders and announcements.
How the test is scored
Listening and Reading are each scored from 5 to 495, for a total between 10 and 990. There is no penalty for wrong answers — never leave a question blank.
Listening: 4 parts, 100 questions, about 45 minutes
| Part | Task | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Photographs | Choose the statement that best describes a photo | 6 |
| 2. Question–Response | Choose the best reply to a question or statement | 25 |
| 3. Conversations | Answer questions about short conversations (some with a graphic) | 39 |
| 4. Talks | Answer questions about short talks and announcements | 30 |
Listening strategies
- Part 1: beware of answers that use a word you can see in the photo but describe the wrong action.
- Part 2: the right answer often doesn’t repeat words from the question. “When is the meeting?” → “It’s been postponed.” is a correct, natural reply.
- Parts 3 and 4: read the three questions before the audio starts, so you know what to listen for.
Reading: 3 parts, 100 questions, 75 minutes
| Part | Task | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Incomplete sentences | Choose the word or phrase that completes the sentence | 30 |
| 6. Text completion | Complete short texts (words, phrases and whole sentences) | 16 |
| 7. Reading comprehension | Single, double and triple passages: emails, ads, articles, forms | 54 |
Reading strategies
- Time plan: about 10 minutes for Part 5, 8 minutes for Part 6, and the remaining ~55 minutes for Part 7.
- Part 5: look at the options first. If they are different forms of one word (decide, decision, decisive, decisively), it’s a grammar question — you may not need the whole sentence.
- Part 6: for sentence-insertion questions, read the sentences before and after the gap.
- Part 7: read the question first, then scan for the information. For multi-passage sets, expect at least one question that needs information from two texts.
Vocabulary that appears again and again
TOEIC focuses on business English. Make sure you know words like invoice, shipment, deadline, quarterly, reimbursement, itinerary, venue, merger, inventory, warranty, applicant, candidate, branch, headquarters and phrases like in charge of, on behalf of, due to, in advance, as of.
A plan to reach 800+
- Take a full timed mock test to get your baseline for Listening and Reading.
- Fix Part 5 grammar: word forms, prepositions, verb tenses, conjunctions — it’s the quickest place to gain points.
- Train Part 2 daily: 25 questions a day, focusing on natural, indirect answers.
- Build Part 7 speed: practise question-first scanning with a timer.
- Repeat a full mock test every two weeks and review every wrong answer.
Our TOEIC Listening & Reading course covers every part with strategies and real-style audio, and the TOEIC Mock Test Pack gives you nearly 200 questions per full test, scored on the official 10–990 scale.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the TOEIC Listening and Reading test?
About 2 hours: 45 minutes of Listening and 75 minutes of Reading, with 200 questions in total.
What is a good TOEIC score?
It depends on the employer or programme. Many companies ask for 600–750 for roles using English regularly, and 800+ for roles where English is used every day.
Is there a penalty for wrong answers on the TOEIC?
No. Your score is based on correct answers, so never leave a question blank — always guess if you run out of time.
How is the TOEIC scored?
Listening and Reading are each scored from 5 to 495, for a total from 10 to 990.