TOEIC Test Updated in June: Teachers Get Ready

If you teach TOEIC preparation classes, here’s your heads up. The TOEIC test will be updated in June 2018.  Read on for details about the changes and how it will affect you as a TOEIC preparation teacher.

This multiple-choice Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), designed to measure workplace English proficiency in listening and reading,  was first launched in 1979,  and last revised in 2006.

Before I get into the details of the changes,  I’d like to reassure you that this is only an ‘updated’ test.  The vocabulary, grammar structures tested and business situations used are the same. You’ll prepare your students in the same way,  but you will need to change a couple of strategies and replace those practice tests (see my practice test book suggestions below).

First of all “What’s the same w ith the new TOEIC?”

No change to combined score:   a scale from 10 to 990 points

No change to level of difficulty

No change to number of questions 200

No change to test length, still two grueling hours

Prefer to watch a 12m video about the updates?   Or scroll down to continue reading. 

Listening Part 1 Changes:  A reduced number of photographs 6 compared to 10.

When the test was last revised in 2006, there was already a reduction from 20 photos to 10.

Advantage:  Clearly this is the easiest part of the test so taking off a few photos won’t hurt everyone.

Disadvantage:  Lower levels will be disappointed.  They loved this part.

Part 2 Changes: a reduced number of  questions down from 30 to 25

Advantage:  Fewer number of questions for those test takers who have difficulty concentrating on just listening and rely on a written support to catch the meaning.

Disadvantage: Fewer number of super easy questions for those test takers who have excellent listening and concentration skills and who are fluent enough to answer rapid-fire questions.

Listening Part 3 Changes:  An increased number of conversations 13 now instead of 10 with sometimes more than 2 people.

• There are still three questions per conversation but there could be more than 2 people in the conversation now.  The conversations have shorter ‘turns’ and more exchanges as well since there are more people involved in the conversation.
• For the first time, conversations will include elisions (going to =  gonna) and incomplete sentences/fragments (Yes, in a minute; Down the hall; Could you?)
• There could be a graphic included on the test sheet and students will have to compare what is being heard in the conversation and what is seen in the graphic.
• There will be new question types asking about the ‘implied meaning’ of the speakers in the context of the conversation.

Advantages:  More ‘real work-life’ dialogues.

Disadvantages:  The addition of a graphic to analyze increases the difficulty of choosing the right answer. Extra analysis and comprehension will be needed to catch that possible implied meaning.

Here’s an example of a conversation taken from the sample test tapescript.   Test takers will hear the narrator introducing the conversation involving a British woman and a man from Canada.

Here are the 3 questions and graphics related to the conversation above which are written in the test book.

Listening Part 4 Changes: New types of questions to test connections between what is heard in the talk and what is seen in a graphic

Part 4 still has 10 talks which could be a radio advertisement, weather report, or an announcement of some kind.  Only one speaker will be heard.  There will be three questions per talk.

• As in Part 3, now there could be a graphic included on the test sheet and students will have to compare what is being heard in the talk and what is seen in the graphic.
• There will be new question types now, as in Part 3,  asking about the ‘implied meaning’ of the speakers in the context of the talk.

Advantages: none that I can see.

Disadvantages:  Same as in Part 3. The addition of a graphic to analyze increases the difficulty of choosing the right answer.  Extra analysis and comprehension are needed to catch that possible implied meaning.

Here’s the tapescript of a sample talk (announcement) given by a British woman.

Here are the three questions and the related graphic.

Reading Part 5 Changes: There are only 30 incomplete sentences to answer compared to 40 in the last version.

Advantage:  This will make it a little easier for those students a bit weak in grammar. This section can be very time consuming and laborious.

Disadvantage:  Those students who are strong in grammar and vocabulary and count on a high reading score to compensate for a lower listening score will surely be disappointed.

Reading Part 6 Changes: 16 questions up from 12.

Advantage:  Grammar and vocabulary questions are in a context that could make it easier to decide on the correct answer.

Disadvantage:  Test takers will need to ‘read between the lines’ for the intended message, like in N°134 below.

Reading Part 7 Changes:  54 questions now compared to 48.  One to three related documents to read before answering.

Advantages:  These are pure reading comprehension questions so the answer is right there under your nose if you just read it.  There is much less guesswork here than in Parts 5 or 6 where you know the answer or you don’t know it.

Disadvantages:  Reading multiple documents takes time and most students can’t finish the reading test in the allotted 75 minutes anyway, so adding 5 more questions will make the test even more difficult to finish.  I finished the test with 10 minutes to spare but I’m a native speaker and was well versed in the design of the exam and the strategies needed beforehand.

Lastly, all those TOEIC practice tests you’ve been guarding safely will need to be replaced

Beware when you order new practice tests!  Make sure the cover specifies ‘new updated version’  and was published no later than 2017.   I found only three books online at Amazon which contain the updated practice tests.

I’m afraid that I can’t vouch for any of them really since I haven’t flipped through them or listened to the audio files.  I’ve never used Kaplan, but I have used Hachette and Barron’s.

If you’re new to teaching TOEIC preparation, the explanations given in the answer section can be very useful so the Hachette French version may not be the best choice even though it claims to be ‘the only official practice test’.    I’d go with Barron’s despite the fact that earlier versions of their preparation books were tedious and boring for my students.

You can read more here: Official Links

Free Webinars for TOEIC teachers from ETS.org

Official Press release of upcoming changes

TOEIC User’s Guide for teachers, HR managers, language school directors

Updated Test Takers’ Handbook

Here are some 2018 online mini-tests I’ve found

Give your students this link to take the official ETS mini-test online.    Read about other websites that offer free mini-tests online and learn how to recognize a 2018 version quickly in this post. 

Free TOEIC Preparation Games

You may also like these free TOEIC preparation games to download on linking words and business phrasal verbs.  There’s a game + crossword puzzle + quiz.  Have fun preparing your students for the exam.

4 Compelling Phrasal Verb Games to Print and Use in your Business English Class

Teaching TOEIC Linking Words the Fun Way

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