TOEFL iBT® · Reading · 2026
TOEFL Read an Academic Passage: how the task works
Read an Academic Passage is the most familiar of the three Reading task types in the 2026 TOEFL iBT® test — a short academic passage with multiple-choice questions. Here's the format, a worked example, and how to prepare — then try it in a free full-length mock.
What the task is
The task presents a short expository passage — the kind you'd meet in secondary or higher education — of about 200 words. Crucially, it's designed so that no background knowledge is required: everything you need to answer is in the passage itself, which stays on screen while you work.
Each passage is followed by about five multiple-choice questions, which can cover:
- factual information stated in the text;
- vocabulary in context — the meaning of a word as it's used here;
- inference — meaning that is implied but not stated outright;
- how ideas relate from one sentence or paragraph to another;
- where a sentence best fits — the point in the passage where a given sentence belongs; and
- the purpose of part or all of the text.
What the passages are about
Passages range across the curriculum — the natural and social sciences, history, business and economics, and the arts — but never in a way that assumes you've studied the subject.
A worked example
This is our own illustration of the format (not an official test item). The passage below is shorter than a real one (~150 words) and shows three of the question types.
Urban Heat Islands
Cities are often several degrees warmer than the countryside around them — a difference scientists call the urban heat island effect. The main cause is the materials cities are built from. Concrete, brick and asphalt absorb heat from the sun during the day and release it slowly at night, so urban areas cool down far less than open fields. Tall buildings add to the effect by trapping warm air in narrow streets, while a shortage of trees means less shade and less cooling from evaporation.
The consequences are not trivial. Higher city temperatures raise energy use, worsen air quality and can be dangerous during heat waves. Many cities now respond by planting trees, adding parks, and fitting pale, reflective roofs that bounce sunlight back into the sky rather than storing it.
Factual information
1. According to the passage, why do cities cool down less at night than open fields?
- A. because there are more people generating heat
- B. because building materials release absorbed heat slowly ✓ correct
- C. because narrow streets block the wind
- D. because there are fewer clouds over cities
Vocabulary in context
2. In the passage, "trivial" is closest in meaning to —
- A. unimportant ✓ correct
- B. surprising
- C. temporary
- D. expensive
Inference
3. It can be inferred that pale, reflective roofs help because they —
- A. keep rainwater off the building
- B. reflect sunlight instead of absorbing and storing it ✓ correct
- C. are cheaper than other materials
- D. provide shade for the streets below
A real passage adds a couple more — typically an idea-relationship question and a purpose question — for about five in total.
How many items, and how it's scored
- 5–15 items — the Reading section includes 5 to 15 Read an Academic Passage questions (out of 50 Reading items overall), at about five questions per passage.
- Machine-scored multiple choice.
- CEFR B1–C2 — this task reaches the highest levels of the Reading section.
- It sits in the Reading section, which comes first, takes about 30 minutes, and is two-stage adaptive. The passage stays visible while you answer.
How to prepare
- Read for structure first. A quick pass for the main idea and how the paragraphs relate makes the detail questions faster.
- Answer from the text, not from what you know. No background knowledge is needed — and outside knowledge can mislead you.
- For vocabulary-in-context, use the sentence. The surrounding words define the intended meaning, even for a word you know.
- Separate stated from implied. Factual questions point to a line in the text; inference questions ask what must be true given the text.
- Build academic vocabulary and get used to complex sentence structures — that's what these passages test.
- Practise under timing. A free full-length mock includes Read an Academic Passage in the 2026 format.
Practise Read an Academic Passage free
Take a full-length practice mock built to the 2026 TOEFL iBT® format — including Read an Academic Passage — and get a predicted 1–6 band. No card required.
Avermond Test Prep is an independent preparation service. TOEFL® is a registered trademark of ETS. This product is not endorsed or approved by ETS. Task descriptions and item counts reflect ETS's published January-2026 TOEFL iBT test specifications and may be subject to minor revision before launch.