The TOEIC 4-Skills test
Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing assessed in a single session of roughly 2 hours 20 minutes, across 109 questions. It is the only TOEIC format that produces a complete picture of your English in one certificate — and the only one that always uses the adaptive versions of Listening and Reading.
Listening
25 minutes · 45 questions
Multistage Adaptive. Unit 1 has 25 questions, Unit 2 has 20 — and how you perform on Unit 1 decides which questions you get in Unit 2.
Practise ListeningReading
37 minutes · 45 questions
Also Multistage Adaptive, same 25 + 20 split. You control your own pace across the unit, so budget roughly 45 seconds per question.
Practise ReadingSpeaking
20 minutes · 11 tasks
Recorded responses to 11 prompts, from reading a text aloud to defending an opinion. Preparation time is short and strictly enforced.
Writing
60 minutes · 8 tasks
Five picture sentences, two written responses to a request, and one opinion essay. Half the section's clock belongs to the essay alone.
Only sitting Speaking & Writing? ETS also sells the Speaking and Writing Tests as their own standalone exam, separate from this 4-Skills bundle and from the linear Listening & Reading test. It uses the exact same 11 Speaking tasks and 8 Writing tasks, with identical timings and scoring — so the Speaking and Writing sections below are exactly what you need, whether you sit them alone or as part of the full 4-Skills test.
How the adaptive format works
Multistage Adaptive — the part most candidates misunderstand
Two units, not one long section
Listening and Reading each split into Unit 1 (25 questions) and Unit 2 (20 questions). Your performance on Unit 1 decides which set of questions you receive in Unit 2, which is how the test reaches an accurate score in far less time than the 100-question linear version.
What that means for your strategy
Do not treat the opening questions as a warm-up. Arrive already focused, because Unit 1 is where the test forms its first estimate of your level. And if Unit 2 suddenly feels harder, that is usually a good sign, not a bad one.
The four parts are independent
How you do in one section has no bearing on the others. A weak Speaking performance cannot drag down your Listening score.
There is no penalty for a wrong answer
Nothing is deducted for guessing, so never leave a Listening or Reading question blank. An unanswered question is a guaranteed zero.
Unit 1 sets the difficulty of Unit 2
In the adaptive sections, your Unit 1 performance determines the questions you receive in Unit 2. The opening questions carry real weight — settle in fast.
You answer in order, against a clock
The system requires answers in sequence and by the deadline. You can change an answer while it is on screen by clicking a different option, but you cannot roam freely across the section.
Keyboard shortcuts are disabled in Writing
Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V will not work. Use the on-screen Cut, Copy, Paste, Undo and Redo buttons above the text box, and note that text cannot be moved between tasks.
The keyboard layout may not be yours
Depending on the centre's equipment you may be given an AZERTY or a QWERTY keyboard. If you type on one layout daily, confirm which you will get before booking.
Speaking section
11 tasks · 20 minutes · scored 0–200
Every response is recorded and scored by trained raters. The evaluation criteria are cumulative: tasks 1–2 are judged on delivery alone, and each later group adds another layer on top of everything before it.
Q1–2 · Read a text aloud
45s to prepare · 45s to readContent is not marked here — only delivery. Use the preparation time to mark where you will pause and which words carry the stress, then read at a calm, even pace rather than racing to the end.
Q3–4 · Describe a picture
45s to prepare · 30s to speakThirty seconds is short. Open with where the scene is and who is in it, then describe what the main people are doing in the present continuous, and finish with one background detail. Keep talking until you are stopped.
Q5–7 · Respond to questions
3s to prepare each · 15s for Q5–6 · 30s for Q7Three seconds is not planning time, so answer on instinct. Question 7 is worth double the time of the previous two — expand it with a reason or an example instead of stopping early.
Q8–10 · Respond to questions using information provided
45s to read the information · 3s to prepare · 15s for Q8–9 · 30s for Q10You are given a schedule, agenda or itinerary to read first. Spend the 45 seconds locating times, names and locations, since the questions almost always ask for those. Question 10 is played twice.
Q11 · Express an opinion
15s to prepare · 60s to speakThe longest response on the test. State your position in the first sentence, then give two reasons with a concrete example each. A clear, well-supported position scores better than a balanced one you never resolve.
Speaking practice
Each drill runs on the real preparation and response timings. Record yourself if you want to hear the gap between what you meant to say and what came out — the audio never leaves your browser.
Writing section
8 tasks · 60 minutes · scored 0–200
Tasks 1–5 share a single 8-minute block, so you can move back and forth between them. Tasks 6, 7 and 8 are timed individually and cannot be revisited once you move on.
Q1–5 · Write a sentence based on a picture
8 minutes for all fiveYou are given a picture and two words that must both appear in your sentence. You may change their form and use them in any order. One accurate sentence beats an ambitious one that breaks — this task marks grammar, not creativity. That is roughly 90 seconds each.
Q6–7 · Respond to a written request
10 minutes eachUsually an email. The directions state exactly what your reply must contain — often three specific things — and every one of them has to appear. Read the directions twice, cover each point in its own short paragraph, and keep the register polite.
Q8 · Write an opinion essay
30 minutes to plan, write and reviseHalf the section in one task. Spend about 5 minutes planning, 20 writing and 5 checking. Aim for an introduction that states your position, two or three body paragraphs each carrying one supported reason, and a short conclusion. Around 300 words is a solid target.
Writing practice
Timed to the real task lengths, with a live word count. Submit to compare your answer against the marking criteria and a strong sample response.
How the 4-Skills test is scored
Four independent scores, not one aggregate
| Section | Scale | Reported as |
|---|---|---|
| Listening | 5–495 | Combined with Reading into a total of 10–990 |
| Reading | 5–495 | Combined with Listening into a total of 10–990 |
| Speaking | 0–200 | Its own score, with a CEFR level |
| Writing | 0–200 | Its own score, with a CEFR level |
Your score report also maps each skill to a CEFR level (A1 to C1) and lists the abilities typical of candidates at your score. Because the four sections are marked independently, a strong Listening score cannot compensate for a weak Writing one — which is exactly why employers ask for the 4-Skills format.
Read the official rules before test day
ETS publishes an Examinee Handbook covering everything this page does not: accepted identity documents, the equipment and connection requirements for remote proctoring, what counts as a testing irregularity, and how to request a score review. It is revised regularly, so always read the current version rather than a saved copy.
Official TOEIC handbook at ETS GlobalGo deeper on each section
The 4-Skills format
Why the adaptive version changes your pacing, and what the opening questions really cost.
Read guideSpeaking tasks 1–11
What each task group is actually marked on, and how to fill the time you are given.
Read guideWriting tasks 1–8
Budgeting 60 minutes across eight tasks when one essay takes half the clock.
Read guideListening and Reading are still 90 of the 109 questions. Drill them with 700+ practice questions, or rehearse the two-unit adaptive format against the real clock.