TOEFL ITP Exam Flashcards

Q: Is the TOEFL ITP pass/fail?

No. ETS reports scaled section and total scores, not a pass/fail result. Each institution sets its own score requirements for placement, progress, exit, or admissions decisions.

Q: What is a good TOEFL ITP score?

There is no universal benchmark. Level 1 totals range 310-677 and Level 2 range 200-500; a good score is whatever meets your institution's required band, so confirm their target before testing.

Q: What sections are on the TOEFL ITP and how long is it?

Level 1 has 140 questions in 115 minutes: Listening Comprehension, Structure & Written Expression, and Reading Comprehension. Level 2 has 95 questions in 70 minutes with Reading and Vocabulary instead.

Q: How are TOEFL ITP scores used?

Institutions use scores for class placement, progress monitoring, exit testing, program or pathway admissions, and scholarships. Score reports are valid for two years from the test date.

Q: Can you retake the TOEFL ITP?

Yes. ETS sets no universal retake waiting period; the administering institution or ETS Preferred Network office schedules retakes and decides how repeat scores are used, so confirm local policy.

Question 1

The three TOEFL ITP Level 1 sections

Accepted Answer

Level 1 has Listening Comprehension (50 Q / 35 min), Structure & Written Expression (40 Q / 25 min), and Reading Comprehension (50 Q / 55 min), 140 questions in 115 minutes. All items are four-option multiple choice with no penalty for guessing, so never leave a blank.

Question 2

Level 1 vs. Level 2: what changes

Accepted Answer

Level 1 targets intermediate-to-advanced learners (140 Q, score 310-677); Level 2 targets high-beginner-to-intermediate learners (95 Q, score 200-500). Both share Listening and Structure & Written Expression, but Level 1 has Reading Comprehension while Level 2 has Reading and Vocabulary.

Question 3

Interpreting a TOEFL ITP score

Accepted Answer

ETS reports scaled section scores plus a total score; there is no universal passing mark. Each institution sets its own placement, progress, exit, or admissions cut score, and reports stay valid for two years. Know your target institution's required band before you test.

Question 4

Two question formats in Structure & Written Expression

Accepted Answer

Sentence-completion items give an incomplete sentence with one blank and four choices, testing the right structure to insert. Error-identification items underline four parts of a complete sentence and ask which one is wrong. Recognize which format you face before you read the choices.

Question 5

Strategy: completion items, read the whole sentence first

Accepted Answer

On sentence-completion items, identify the grammatical role of the blank (subject, verb, modifier, connector) before scanning the four choices. Most distractors are grammatically impossible in that slot, so locating the needed part of speech eliminates them quickly.

Question 6

Strategy: error-ID items, check high-frequency error types first

Accepted Answer

In error-identification items, scan the four underlined parts for the classic traps: subject-verb agreement, verb form/tense, word form, parallelism, pronoun reference, and singular/plural nouns. The error is grammatical, not stylistic, so you are choosing the one part that breaks a rule.

Question 7

Every sentence needs a subject and a main verb

Accepted Answer

A common Structure trap is a clause with no main verb (only a participle or infinitive) or no subject. If the choice or underlined part leaves the sentence without a true subject-verb core, it is wrong. Verify the independent clause has both.

Question 8

Subject-verb agreement: find the real subject

Accepted Answer

The verb agrees with the head noun of the subject, not with a noun in a phrase between them. In 'The box of nails is heavy,' the verb matches 'box' (singular), not 'nails.' TOEFL ITP inserts prepositional phrases to hide the true subject.

Question 9

Agreement with 'each,' 'every,' 'everyone,' 'neither'

Accepted Answer

Indefinite pronouns like each, every, everyone, everybody, neither, and either are singular and take a singular verb: 'Each of the students has a book.' Error-ID items pair these with plural verbs to test you.

Question 10

Agreement with 'there is/there are' and inverted subjects

Accepted Answer

When a sentence starts with 'there' or with an inverted structure, the verb agrees with the noun that follows it: 'There are several reasons.' Watch for the verb appearing before its real subject, a frequent agreement trap.

Question 11

Collective and quantity subjects

Accepted Answer

Expressions like 'the number of' take a singular verb, while 'a number of' takes plural. 'The majority/percent of + plural noun' usually takes a plural verb. TOEFL ITP tests whether you match the verb to the controlling quantity word.

Question 12

Past vs. present perfect

Accepted Answer

Use the simple past for a finished action at a definite time ('in 1990') and the present perfect for an action linked to now or with 'since/for/already/yet.' 'Since' signals present perfect; a finished time marker signals simple past. ITP uses time words to test this choice.

Question 13

Time clauses use present, not future

Accepted Answer

After 'when, before, after, until, as soon as, by the time,' use the present tense even for future meaning: 'When she arrives, we will start.' Putting 'will' inside the time clause is a tested error.

Question 14

Verb form after modals and 'to'

Accepted Answer

Modals (can, will, should, must, might) are followed by the base verb with no 'to' and no -s: 'She must go.' An infinitive uses 'to + base verb.' A choice that adds an ending or 'to' after a modal is wrong.

Question 15

Passive voice structure

Accepted Answer

The passive is formed with be + past participle ('was written,' 'is being built'). Error-ID items drop the past participle ending, swap in the base form, or omit 'be.' Confirm both the correct form of 'be' and the participle are present.

Question 16

Conditional sentence patterns

Accepted Answer

Real future: 'If it rains, we will stay.' Unreal present: 'If I had time, I would help' (past + would). Unreal past: 'If she had known, she would have called' (past perfect + would have). Mismatched verb forms across the clauses are the tested error.

Question 17

Word form: choose the right part of speech

Accepted Answer

Many errors swap an adjective for an adverb, a noun for a verb, or a noun for an adjective: use 'economic growth' (adjective + noun), not 'economy growth.' Determine what part of speech the slot needs, then check the suffix (-tion, -ly, -ous, -ment).

Question 18

Adjective vs. adverb

Accepted Answer

Adjectives modify nouns ('a careful driver'); adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs ('drives carefully'). After linking verbs (be, seem, become, taste, feel) use an adjective: 'The soup tastes good,' not 'tastes well.'

Question 19

Parallel structure in lists and pairs

Accepted Answer

Items joined by 'and, or, but' must share the same grammatical form: 'reading, writing, and speaking,' not 'reading, writing, and to speak.' Faulty parallelism is a high-frequency error-ID trap, especially in three-item lists.

Question 20

Parallelism with correlative conjunctions

Accepted Answer

Paired conjunctions (both...and, either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also) must connect the same kind of structure: 'not only fast but also accurate.' The error is usually a noun on one side and a verb phrase on the other.

Question 21

Comparative vs. superlative

Accepted Answer

Use the comparative (-er/more) for two things and the superlative (-est/most) for three or more: 'the taller of the two,' 'the tallest of all.' Never combine forms ('more taller'). 'Than' signals a comparative; 'the...est' signals a superlative.

Question 22

Comparative structures: 'as...as' and 'the same as'

Accepted Answer

Equality uses 'as + adjective + as' ('as tall as') and 'the same + noun + as' ('the same height as'). Dropping the second 'as,' or mixing 'than' with 'as,' is a tested structure error.

Question 23

Articles: a/an vs. the

Accepted Answer

Use 'a/an' for a non-specific singular count noun and 'the' for something specific or already mentioned. 'A/an' depends on sound: 'an hour,' 'a university.' Singular count nouns cannot stand alone with no article, a common ITP error.

Question 24

Count vs. noncount determiners

Accepted Answer

Use 'many, few, fewer, number of' with count nouns and 'much, little, less, amount of' with noncount nouns: 'fewer cars,' 'less traffic.' 'Less items' for 'fewer items' is a classic tested mistake.

Question 25

Prepositions in fixed time/place expressions

Accepted Answer

Use 'in' for months, years, and longer periods ('in July'), 'on' for days and dates ('on Monday'), and 'at' for clock times ('at 3:00'). For place: 'in' an enclosed area, 'on' a surface, 'at' a point. Wrong prepositions in these fixed phrases are tested.

Question 26

Dependent prepositions after verbs and adjectives

Accepted Answer

Many words require a specific preposition: 'depend on,' 'consist of,' 'interested in,' 'capable of,' 'responsible for.' These collocations have no logical rule, so memorize common pairs; an unexpected preposition is the underlined error.

Question 27

Relative clauses: who, which, that, whose

Accepted Answer

Use 'who' for people, 'which' for things, 'that' for either in defining clauses, and 'whose' for possession. The relative pronoun replaces a noun, so the clause should not also repeat that noun ('the man who he came' is wrong).

Question 28

Noun clauses and word order

Accepted Answer

A noun clause introduced by 'what, that, whether, how, why' uses statement word order, not question order: 'I know where she lives,' not 'where does she live.' Reversed subject-verb order inside an embedded clause is a tested error.

Question 29

Conjunctions vs. prepositions of contrast/cause

Accepted Answer

'Because' + clause vs. 'because of' + noun; 'although' + clause vs. 'despite/in spite of' + noun. ITP tests whether you follow the connector with the correct structure: a full clause after the conjunction, a noun phrase after the preposition.

Question 30

Avoiding double subjects and double connectors

Accepted Answer

English uses one subject per clause and one connector per link. 'My brother he is a doctor' (double subject) and 'Because she was late, so we left' (because + so) are both tested errors. Delete the redundant word.

Question 31

Reduced and participial modifiers

Accepted Answer

A reduced clause uses a participle: 'The man standing there is my uncle.' Use the present participle (-ing) for active meaning and the past participle for passive ('the book written by her'). Choosing the wrong participle voice is a frequent structure error.

Question 32

Dangling and misplaced modifiers

Accepted Answer

An introductory -ing or -ed phrase must describe the subject right after the comma: 'Walking home, I saw the moon' (I was walking). 'Walking home, the moon was bright' is wrong because the moon was not walking. Match the modifier to the correct subject.

Question 33

Gerund vs. infinitive after a verb

Accepted Answer

Some verbs take a gerund (enjoy, avoid, finish, suggest, consider), others an infinitive (want, decide, hope, agree, plan). 'After a preposition, always use a gerund' ('good at swimming'). Choosing the wrong complement form is a tested error.

Question 34

Pronoun reference and agreement

Accepted Answer

A pronoun must agree with its noun in number and gender and refer to a clear antecedent: 'Each student brought his or her book.' Error-ID items mismatch a singular noun with 'they/their' or leave the reference ambiguous.

Question 35

Word order: adjectives, adverbs, and frequency

Accepted Answer

Adjectives precede the noun ('a large old house'); adverbs of frequency (always, often, never) go before the main verb but after 'be': 'She always works'; 'She is always late.' Misplaced frequency adverbs are tested in both sections.

Question 36

Listening: short conversations test inference and idiom

Accepted Answer

In the short-conversation part, the answer often restates or infers the second speaker's meaning rather than repeating words you heard. Listen for idioms, tone, and implied conclusions; the choice with matching vocabulary is usually a trap.

Question 37

Listening: speaker purpose and attitude

Accepted Answer

Some items ask why a speaker says something or how they feel. Use intonation and stress cues, not just the literal words, to detect surprise, doubt, agreement, or sarcasm. Decide the purpose before choosing among similar-sounding options.

Question 38

Listening: longer talks and 'what happens next'

Accepted Answer

In academic talks and longer dialogues, track the main idea, supporting details, and the speakers' likely next action. Note signposting words ('first, however, as a result') that mark structure, and predict the answer before reading choices.

Question 39

Listening: beware sound-alike distractors

Accepted Answer

Wrong choices frequently reuse words that sound like what was said or repeat a word out of context. Match the meaning of the conversation, not a single recognizable word; a choice that echoes the audio is often the planted distractor.

Question 40

Reading: locate the main idea

Accepted Answer

Main-idea questions ask for the passage's central point, which is broader than any single detail. Read the first and last sentences of each paragraph; reject choices that are true but too narrow or that mention information not in the passage.

Question 41

Reading: detail and 'NOT/EXCEPT' questions

Accepted Answer

Detail questions are answerable directly from the text, so scan for keywords. Negative-factual items ('Which is NOT mentioned?') flip the logic: three choices appear in the passage and the correct answer is the one that does not. Check each option against the text.

Question 42

Reading: inference questions

Accepted Answer

Inference items ask what is implied, not stated. The right answer must be supported by the passage with a small logical step and never contradict it. Avoid choices that go too far beyond the text or rely on your outside knowledge of the topic.

Question 43

Reading: reference questions (what a pronoun refers to)

Accepted Answer

Reference items ask which noun a word like 'it, they, this, such' points to. Substitute each candidate noun into the sentence and pick the one that keeps the meaning grammatical and sensible. The antecedent is usually the nearest matching noun.

Question 44

Reading: rhetorical purpose and organization

Accepted Answer

Some questions ask why the author included an example, or how the passage is organized (cause-effect, comparison, chronology, problem-solution). Identify the function of a sentence within the argument, not just its content, to answer purpose questions.

Question 45

Vocabulary in context: substitution test

Accepted Answer

When a question asks the meaning of a word as used in the passage, replace it with each option and check whether the sentence keeps the same meaning. The correct synonym fits this specific context, even if the word has other dictionary meanings.

Question 46

Vocabulary in context: use surrounding clues

Accepted Answer

If a word is unfamiliar, infer meaning from definitions, examples, contrast words ('but, unlike'), or cause-effect signals near it. The passage usually contains enough context to narrow the choices without prior knowledge of the term.

Question 47

Reading strategy: answer from the passage only

Accepted Answer

Every reading answer must be grounded in the text, not in what you already know about the topic. A choice can be factually true in the real world yet wrong because the passage does not support it. Verify each answer against a specific line.

Question 48

Reading strategy: pacing across passages

Accepted Answer

Level 1 gives 55 minutes for 50 reading questions, so spend roughly a minute per item. Skim the passage for structure first, then answer; do not over-read. Because there is no guessing penalty, fill every answer even when time runs short.

Question 49

Level 2 Reading and Vocabulary focus

Accepted Answer

Level 2 replaces Level 1's Reading Comprehension with Reading and Vocabulary (40 Q / 31 min), emphasizing word meaning from context and shorter, simpler campus and academic texts. Expect more sentence-level vocabulary items and fewer dense academic passages.

Question 50

Overall test-taking strategy for TOEFL ITP

Accepted Answer

Work steadily, eliminate impossible choices, and never leave blanks because guessing carries no penalty. For Structure, find the needed part of speech; for Listening, focus on meaning over sound; for Reading, ground every answer in the text. Track your error patterns by section while studying.

Free TOEFL ITP Exam Flashcards

Filter by Topic

Jump to Card

About These TOEFL ITP Flashcards

Topics Covered

Frequently Asked Questions

TOEFL ITP

Explore More TOEFL

TOEFL Essentials

TOEFL iBT

TOEFL iBT Listening

TOEFL iBT Reading

TOEFL iBT Speaking

TOEFL iBT Writing