TOEFL Listen to an Academic Talk
One of the 4 task types in the Listening section. 57 practice questions in the bank, across 13 sets.
Listen to an Academic Talk plays a short lecture and asks about the claim and the evidence behind it. The four-to-six-minute lectures of the retired format are gone — these are short, which changes note-taking from transcription to tracking a single line of argument.
What it looks like
A real item from the practice bank:
What does the professor say happens after a couple of hours?
- AThe dolphin wakes up completely.
- BThe two halves of the brain switch roles.correct
- CThe dolphin's open eye closes.
- DThe dolphin stops swimming and floats.
*Explanations in the PrepScore bank are written for a Chinese-speaking audience, so the reasoning on this page is ours rather than a translation of the bank’s.*
How to approach it
- Note the claim, then each piece of support, in two or three words each.
- Listen for the turn: “but”, “however”, “what actually happens” usually marks the point being tested.
- Do not transcribe. At this length, writing costs you the argument.
How much practice there is
The bank holds 57 questions of this type across 13 sets, 57 of them with audio. 61% sit in the basic layer and the rest in the advanced layer, which unlocks once your basic-layer accuracy passes 60% — the same two-stage shape the real test uses in Reading and Listening.
Practise Listen to an Academic Talk free
Ten questions a day at no cost, with the reasoning on every answer.
Frequently asked questions
How long are TOEFL lectures now?
Short. The long TPO-style lectures belonged to the retired format; the 2026 Academic Talk is a brief lecture.
How should I take notes?
Sparsely — the claim and its support. Structured note-taking was built for long lectures and does not fit these.
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