TOEIC Exam Flashcards

Q: Is there a passing score on the TOEIC test?

No. TOEIC Listening & Reading reports a proficiency score from 10 to 990 (5-495 per section) rather than a pass/fail result. Each organization that requests your TOEIC score — an employer, school, or agency — sets its own minimum requirement.

Q: How many questions are on the TOEIC Listening & Reading test, and how is the time split?

The test has 200 multiple-choice questions: 100 Listening questions completed in 45 minutes and 100 Reading questions completed in 75 minutes, for about 2.5 hours total including biographical/answer-sheet questions.

Q: How soon can I retake the TOEIC test for a higher score?

ETS's Examinee Handbook states that if you take the TOEIC test more than once every 28 days, the retaken test will not be scored and no refund will be issued. There is no cap on total attempts and no escalating wait after multiple attempts — just the flat 28-day minimum between sittings for public paper-delivered sessions; confirm the rule for your specific country and delivery mode.

Q: What are the hardest TOEIC question types?

Test-takers most often struggle with Part 7 multiple-passage cross-reference questions (locating a detail that spans two linked documents), Part 6 sentence-insertion items (requiring paragraph-level logic), and Part 5 word-form questions (choosing the correct noun, adjective, or adverb form of a root word).

Q: Does guessing hurt my TOEIC score?

No. TOEIC does not subtract points for wrong answers, so you should always select an answer for every question, even a guess, rather than leaving anything blank.

Q: How does the TOEIC score map to CEFR levels?

ETS publishes minimum score bands linking TOEIC to the CEFR: roughly 275 in each section aligns with B1, and about 400 Listening/385 Reading aligns with B2. Many employers and schools reference these bands instead of requiring a single passing score.

Question 1

TOEIC Part 1 format: what do you see and how many items?

Accepted Answer

Part 1 shows a photograph with four spoken statements; you choose the statement that best describes the picture. There are 6 photograph items on the Listening test.

Question 2

In TOEIC Part 1, what is the 'right object, wrong action' trap?

Accepted Answer

A statement correctly names an object or person in the photo but describes an action that is not happening (for example, 'lifting' when the person is actually carrying). Confirm the verb matches the real action, not just that the noun is visible.

Question 3

TOEIC Part 2 format

Accepted Answer

You hear a question or statement followed by three spoken responses (no photo or printed text) and choose the best response. There are 25 items in this part.

Question 4

Someone asks, 'Could you send me the report by Friday?' — what response type is expected?

Accepted Answer

This is a request/offer question, so the correct response is typically an agreement, refusal, or condition ('Sure, I'll email it this afternoon'), not a factual statement about the date Friday falls on.

Question 5

Why must you catch the very first word of a Part 2 question?

Accepted Answer

The first word (Who/What/When/Where/Why/How, or an auxiliary verb) sets the entire answer category — missing it means you cannot judge whether a response actually answers the question.

Question 6

What is a 'sound-alike' distractor in Part 2?

Accepted Answer

A wrong response contains a word that sounds similar to a word in the question (like 'flower' for 'flour') but answers a completely different question. Listen for meaning, not just familiar sounds.

Question 7

A Part 2 question begins, 'Isn't the meeting at 3pm?' — what response type fits?

Accepted Answer

Negative questions still expect a direct confirmation about the fact asked ('No, it's at 4pm' or 'Yes, it is'), not a response to the surface negative wording.

Question 8

Tag question example: 'You've finished the proposal, haven't you?' — best response pattern?

Accepted Answer

Answer the core statement directly and ignore the tag ('Yes, I sent it this morning'). Tag questions test whether you can isolate the real question from an added confirmation phrase.

Question 9

TOEIC Part 3 format

Accepted Answer

13 short conversations between two or three speakers, each followed by 3 questions (39 items total). Some conversations include a graphic — a chart, schedule, or receipt — you must match to spoken details.

Question 10

Best strategy before a Part 3 conversation starts?

Accepted Answer

Preview all three printed questions (and answer choices) during the brief pause, so you already know which details to listen for once the conversation plays.

Question 11

A Part 3 question asks, 'What is the problem?' — what should you listen for?

Accepted Answer

Listen for a complaint, delay, error, or obstacle mentioned early in the conversation — problem questions are usually answered in the first exchange, not the resolution.

Question 12

A Part 3 question asks, 'What will the woman probably do next?'

Accepted Answer

This asks you to infer a future action from context clues (such as 'I'll call the supplier now'); the answer is often stated near the end of the conversation rather than the beginning.

Question 13

How do graphic-based Part 3 questions work?

Accepted Answer

You see a chart, schedule, or receipt printed on the page; the conversation gives a spoken detail (a date, name, or price) that you must match to the correct row or item in the graphic, not just repeat aloud.

Question 14

What does a Part 3 'implied meaning' question ask for?

Accepted Answer

It asks what a speaker means by a specific statement (for example, 'What does the man imply when he says...'), requiring you to infer intent or attitude rather than recall a literal fact.

Question 15

Why do three-person conversations appear in Part 3?

Accepted Answer

Multi-speaker conversations test your ability to track who said what and attribute details — opinions, requests, problems — to the correct speaker among three voices.

Question 16

How do you answer Part 3 questions about 'where' a conversation takes place?

Accepted Answer

Combine context clues — job titles, objects mentioned, workplace vocabulary — rather than expecting an explicit location statement; infer the setting from the whole exchange.

Question 17

How many times does TOEIC audio play for each Part 3 or Part 4 item?

Accepted Answer

Only once. There is no replay, so previewing questions beforehand is the only way to compensate for missing a spoken detail.

Question 18

A Part 3 question asks about a speaker's 'reason' for something — what should you track?

Accepted Answer

Listen for cause/explanation language such as 'because,' 'due to,' or 'since' — reason questions are common, and the explanation often follows right after a stated problem.

Question 19

TOEIC Part 4 format

Accepted Answer

10 short talks by a single speaker — announcements, ads, voicemails, tours, and similar — each followed by 3 questions (30 items total).

Question 20

How can you recognize common Part 4 talk types from the opening line?

Accepted Answer

Announcements often open with 'Attention all passengers...', ads with 'Are you looking for...', voicemails with 'Hi, this is...', and guided tours with 'Welcome to...' — each signals a different purpose and question focus.

Question 21

Part 4 question: 'What is the purpose of the talk?'

Accepted Answer

Usually answered by the opening sentence or two — the speaker states why they are talking (announcing a delay, promoting a product, requesting a callback) right away.

Question 22

Part 4 question: 'Who is the audience?'

Accepted Answer

Inferred from vocabulary and context (such as 'employees,' 'passengers,' or 'customers') rather than stated directly — listen for who the speaker addresses or what they are expected to do.

Question 23

Part 4 question: 'What does the speaker mean when she says...'

Accepted Answer

This is an implied-meaning question — the literal words carry a secondary meaning (a warning, sarcasm, or an indirect request) that you must infer from tone and context.

Question 24

How should you use the pause before each Part 4 talk begins?

Accepted Answer

Read all three questions and answer choices in advance so you know exactly which details — times, names, next steps — to listen for during the single audio playback.

Question 25

What does a Part 4 'what will happen next' question test?

Accepted Answer

Whether you caught the closing instruction or next step the speaker mentions (for example, 'please call the office by Friday') — these details appear near the end of the talk.

Question 26

Why do graphics sometimes appear with Part 4 talks?

Accepted Answer

As in Part 3, a schedule, map, or list may be printed; you match a spoken detail from the talk — a time, price, or location — to the correct part of the graphic.

Question 27

TOEIC Part 5 format

Accepted Answer

30 sentences, each with one blank and four answer choices; plan about 20 seconds per item since no listening or extended reading is involved.

Question 28

What is the first strategy step for any Part 5 blank?

Accepted Answer

Identify the blank's grammatical role — noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or preposition — from its position in the sentence BEFORE evaluating the meaning of the answer choices.

Question 29

Word-form trap: 'The company announced a significant ___ in revenue.' (increase / increasing / increased / increasingly)

Accepted Answer

The blank follows an article and needs a noun, so 'increase' is correct. Word-form questions test recognizing noun, adjective, and adverb suffixes — not vocabulary meaning.

Question 30

Which part of speech do suffixes like -tion, -ment, and -ance typically signal?

Accepted Answer

Noun forms. Spotting these endings lets you eliminate verb, adjective, and adverb choices instantly on Part 5 word-form questions.

Question 31

Which part of speech do suffixes like -ive, -al, and -ous typically signal?

Accepted Answer

Adjective forms — expect the blank to sit directly before a noun or right after a linking verb such as 'be' or 'seem.'

Question 32

Subject-verb agreement trap: 'The list of items ___ (is / are) attached.'

Accepted Answer

The verb agrees with the true subject 'list' (singular), not the nearby plural noun 'items' — a classic TOEIC agreement distractor places a plural noun right before the verb.

Question 33

Preposition pattern: 'The workshop is scheduled ___ Monday ___ 9 a.m.'

Accepted Answer

Use 'on' for a specific day and 'at' for a specific clock time ('on Monday at 9 a.m.') — TOEIC frequently tests these fixed time-preposition pairs.

Question 34

TOEIC Part 6 format

Accepted Answer

4 short passages — emails, memos, notices — each with 4 blanks, for 16 items total. One blank per passage is often a full missing sentence rather than a single word.

Question 35

Why can't you answer a Part 6 blank in isolation the way you do in Part 5?

Accepted Answer

Part 6 blanks depend on the surrounding paragraph's logic and cohesion — pronoun reference, verb tense continuity, transition words — so you must read before and after the blank, not just the sentence containing it.

Question 36

What is the Part 6 'insert a sentence' question type?

Accepted Answer

One blank per passage asks you to choose the full sentence that best fits the paragraph's flow; check that it logically connects to both the sentence before it and the sentence after it.

Question 37

Transition-word trap in Part 6: 'However' vs. 'Therefore' vs. 'In addition'

Accepted Answer

These signal contrast, result, and addition respectively — picking the wrong transition breaks the logical relationship between sentences even when the grammar is otherwise correct.

Question 38

TOEIC Part 7 single-passage format

Accepted Answer

10 single passages — emails, ads, notices, articles — with 2 to 4 questions each, totaling 29 items.

Question 39

TOEIC Part 7 multiple-passage format

Accepted Answer

5 sets of two or three linked documents (for example, an email plus a reply, or an ad plus an order form), with 5 questions per set, totaling 25 items. At least one question per set requires cross-referencing both documents.

Question 40

What is the best first step before reading a Part 7 passage in detail?

Accepted Answer

Skim the document type and purpose first — is it an email, invoice, or notice, and why was it written? — so you can locate details faster once you read the questions.

Question 41

What does a Part 7 'main idea' question test?

Accepted Answer

The overall purpose of the document, not a single detail — usually confirmed by the opening lines or subject line of an email or memo.

Question 42

What does a Part 7 'detail' question test?

Accepted Answer

Locating one specific fact — a date, price, or name — stated explicitly in the passage. Scan for the keyword from the question rather than rereading the whole text.

Question 43

What does a Part 7 'inference' question ask for?

Accepted Answer

The answer is not stated directly; you combine two or more clues in the passage to draw a logical conclusion the writer did not spell out.

Question 44

Part 7 vocabulary-in-context question: 'The word X is closest in meaning to...'

Accepted Answer

Answer using how the word functions in that specific sentence, not its most common dictionary definition — TOEIC often tests a secondary or business-specific meaning.

Question 45

Part 7 negative-worded question: 'All of the following are true EXCEPT...'

Accepted Answer

Check each answer choice against the passage individually; three choices will be confirmed true, and the correct answer is the one detail that is false, unmentioned, or contradicted.

Question 46

What is the cross-reference trap in multiple-passage sets?

Accepted Answer

A detail may appear in one document, but the question asks how it relates to information found only in the OTHER document — track which document each fact comes from.

Question 47

What is a reasonable time budget for a Part 7 double or triple passage set?

Accepted Answer

Roughly 4 minutes per set — skim all documents for purpose first, then answer detail questions, and save the cross-reference question for last.

Question 48

What workplace document types are commonly tested in Part 7?

Accepted Answer

Emails, memos, notices, advertisements, schedules, invoices, and short articles — each has a typical structure (subject/purpose, body detail, closing action) worth recognizing quickly.

Question 49

Business vocabulary distinction: 'quote' vs. 'invoice' vs. 'receipt'

Accepted Answer

A quote estimates a price before a sale, an invoice requests payment after goods or services are provided, and a receipt confirms payment already made — Part 7 questions often hinge on this sequence.

Question 50

Why should you never leave a TOEIC answer blank, including in Part 7?

Accepted Answer

TOEIC does not subtract points for wrong answers, so an unanswered question guarantees zero credit while a guess has a chance of being correct — always mark an answer before time runs out.

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