LISTENING & READING

User Guide
L I S T E N I N G & R E A D I N G
The TOEIC ® Test —
Know English. Know Success.

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Table of Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Release of Test Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Passing the TOEIC Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Interpreting Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The TOEIC® Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Repeat Test Takers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Educational Testing Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Rescore Requests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Development of the TOEIC Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Test Score Data Retention. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Who Takes the TOEIC Test?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Score Cancellation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Why Take the TOEIC Test? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Use of the TOEIC Scores . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
TOEIC Test Content and Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Test Fairness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Test Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Policies and Guidelines for the Use of TOEIC Scores . . . 11
Test Format. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Preparing to Take the TOEIC Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Administration of the TOEIC Test . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Where is the Test Offered? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Normally Appropriate Use of TOEIC Scores . . . . . . . . . 12
How Often Can the TOEIC Test Be Taken? . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Appropriate Uses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Test Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Statistical Characteristics of the TOEIC Test . . 13
Test Center Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Population Defined . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Dismissal from Test Session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Intercorrelations Among Scores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Identification Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Reliability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Standard Error of Measurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Testing Irregularities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
TOEIC Test Results. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Mapping TOEIC Scores to the Common
Scoring Procedures & Reports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
European Framework (CEF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Scanning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Validity Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Reporting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Score Roster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Score Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Certificate of Achievement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Contacting the TOEIC Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
For more information, visit us on the web at www.ets.org/toeic or contact your local ETS Preferred Vendor.
A list of local ETS Preferred Vendors can be found on the web at www.ets.org/toeic.
If there is no ETS Preferred Vendor in your country, please contact us at:
Mail:
TOEIC Program
Educational Testing Service
Rosedale Road
Princeton, NJ 08541
Phone: 1-609-771-7170
Fax: 1-609-771-7111
E-mail: TOEIC@ets.org
Copyright © 2007 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved.
EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE, ETS, the ETS logo, TEST OF ENGLISH FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION, TOEIC, and the
TOEIC logo are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service.
TOEIC User Guide—Listening & Reading
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Foreword
The TOEIC User Guide was prepared for testing centers, companies, schools, TOEIC ETS Preferred Vendors, and others who have
an interest in the TOEIC test. This User Guide describes the uses of the TOEIC test and explains how it is administered1. TOEIC
program staff located around the world are available to explain how to use the TOEIC test most effectively, whether it is to help
develop language assessment, training and recruiting policies, or simply to answer questions that arise after reading this guide.
Companies around the world have come to recognize that English-language proficiency is a key to global competitiveness. The
TOEIC® (Test of English for International Communication™) test is a valuable management tool that enables organizations to eval-
uate English-language competence almost anywhere in the world. As with other competencies, “If you can measure it, you can
manage it.”
For further information or to make testing arrangements, please contact an ETS Preferred Vendor. A list of ETS Preferred
Vendors can be found on the web at www.ets.org/toeic.

1 Please note this manual does not provide in-depth technical information about the TOEIC test. For such information, please
consult the TOEIC Technical Manual.
TOEIC User Guide—Listening & Reading
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Overview
The TOEIC® Test
Development of the TOEIC Test
The TOEIC® (Test of English for International
In 1979, representatives of the Japanese Ministry of
Communication™) test is an English language proficiency
International Trade and Industry (MITI) approached ETS
test for people whose native language is not English. It mea-
with a request for a full-range test of English proficiency.
sures the everyday English skills of people working in an
The primary purpose of the test was to determine the profi-
international environment. TOEIC test scores indicate how
ciency levels of employees, or potential employees, for
well people can communicate in English with others in the
human resource planning and development in the contexts
global workplace. The test does not require specialized
of business, industry, and commerce. In addition, the test
knowledge or vocabulary; it measures only the kind of
designers focused neither on “American English” nor “British
English used in everyday work activities.
English,” but rather on “international English,” the language
The TOEIC test is the world’s leading test of English-
used by nonnative speakers of English communicating in
language proficiency in a workplace context. Thousands of
English both with native speakers and with other nonnative
corporations throughout the world use the TOEIC test and
speakers of English. The test had to be reliable and afford-
more than 5 million people take the test every year.
able on a per-candidate basis, and easy to administer and
score to ensure the broadest possible application.
Educational Testing Service
At MITI’s request, ETS sent a team of language special-
At ETS, our mission is to advance quality and equity in
ists to Japan to study the English ability of international
education for all people worldwide.
business people. Charged with the task of ascertaining the
language that business people used in everyday work situa-
We help teachers teach, students learn, and parents
tions, the team observed the English employed in a variety
measure the educational and intellectual progress of their
of settings.
children. We do this by:
The studies were revealing. One important finding was
Listening to educators, parents, and critics
that the language of nonnative speakers clearly focuses on
Learning what students and their institutions need
communication and is delivered with relatively few embel-
lishments. For example, the least proficient person present
Leading in the development of new and innovative
products and services
out of necessity invariably determines the level of English
used in meetings. Nonnative English speakers use fewer idi-
Our Mission: To advance quality and equity in education
omatic expressions. They employ technical terminology only
by providing fair and valid assessments, research, and related
when necessary. Furthermore, they tend to use fewer com-
services. Our products and services measure knowledge and
plex grammatical structures, even though the more capable
skills, promote learning and educational performance, and
speakers in the studies were capable of speaking quite
support education and professional development for all
impressively.
people worldwide.
The language specialists also noted that the business
Our Vision: To be recognized as the global leader in
people seldom need to read very long narratives. Instead,
providing fair and valid assessments, research, and related
the international business community receives much of
products and services to help individuals, parents, teachers,
its English-language exposure from letters, and memoranda,
educational institutions, businesses, governments, countries,
and other short texts.
states, and school districts, as well as measurement
specialists and researchers.
The language used on the TOEIC® Listening and
Reading test reflects these findings. Both the Listening and
Our Values : Social responsibility, equity, opportunity,
Reading sections of the TOEIC L&R test incorporate stimu-
and quality; we practice these values by listening to educa-
lus material found in the business world. The test avoids
tors, parents, and critics. We learn what students and the
esoteric, low-frequency, and highly technical vocabulary.
institutions they attend need. We lead in the development
While the vocabulary and structures found in the Reading
of products and services to help teachers teach, students
section of the TOEIC test are more difficult than the vocab-
learn, and parents measure the intellectual progress of their
ulary and structures found in the Listening section, it should
children.
be noted that when low-frequency vocabulary or structures
do appear, they are typical of the international workplace.
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TOEIC Overview

www.ets.org/toeic

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Overview (continued)
Following several years of ETS research, the TOEIC
tration and the same range of difficulty as the previous form
L&R test was redesigned in 2006. The new test features the
of the test. The score scale is also the same, and scores can
same testing time (2 hours, 45 minutes for Listening and 75
be compared across both versions of the test. The following
minutes for Reading), the same paper-and-pencil adminis-
charts outline the major test changes with the 2006 redesign:
TOEIC TEST
NEW TOEIC TEST
Listening Comprehension: 100 items
Listening Comprehension: 100 items
Photographs: 20 questions
Photographs: 10 questions
Question-Response: 30 questions
Question-Response: 30 questions
Short Conversations: 30 questions;
Conversations: 30 questions;
30 conversations with 1 question each
10 conversations with 3 questions each
Talks: 20 questions
Short Talks: 30 questions;
10 talks with 3 questions each
TOEIC TEST
NEW TOEIC TEST
Reading Comprehension: 100 items
Reading Comprehension: 100 items
Incomplete Sentences: 40 questions
Incomplete Sentences: 40 questions
Error Recognition: 20 questions
Text Completion: 12 questions
Reading Comprehension: 40 questions
Single Passages: 28 questions;
7–10 reading texts with 2–5 questions each
Double Passages: 20 questions;
4 pairs of reading texts with 5 questions per pair
Who Takes the TOEIC Test?
Why Take the TOEIC Test?
The TOEIC test is the choice of nearly five million test takers
Personnel who use English in real-life work settings such
as businesses, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, international
a year and is recognized by thousands of corporations
meetings, conventions, and sports events
around the world. As a fair and objective measure of English
proficiency, the TOEIC test will help test takers:
Managerial, sales, and technical employees in international
business, commerce, and industry who require English to
verify current English proficiency levels
communicate in their workplace
qualify for a new position and/or promotion in a company
Individuals preparing to enter the workplace
enhance professional credentials
monitor progress in English
set individual learning goals
involve employers in advancing their employees’ English
ability
TOEIC User Guide—Listening & Reading
TOEIC Overview
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TOEIC Test Content and Format
Test Content
Test Format
The TOEIC test was developed to meet the needs of the
The TOEIC test is a two-hour, paper-and-pencil, multiple-
working world. The test questions are developed from sam-
choice test that consists of 200 questions divided into two
ples of spoken and written language collected from various
separately timed sections.
countries around the world where English is used in the
workplace.
Section I: Listening Test
This section consists of 100 questions and has an audio
Test questions incorporate many different settings and
component. The test section is divided into four parts. Test
situations, such as:
takers listen to a variety of statements, questions, conversa-
Corporate development—research, product development
tions, and talks recorded in English, then answer questions
Dining out—business and informal lunches, banquets,
based on the listening segments. The Listening section takes
receptions, restaurant reservations
approximately 45 minutes.
Entertainment—cinema, theatre, music, art, exhibitions,
Part I: Photographs – 10 questions
museums, media
Part II: Question–Response – 30 questions
Finance and budgeting—banking, investments, taxes,
Part III: Conversations – 30 questions; 10
accounting, billing
conversations with 3 questions each
General business—contracts, negotiations, mergers,
Part IV: Talks – 30 questions; 10 talks with 3 questions
marketing, sales, warranties, business planning,
each
conferences, labor relations
Health—medical insurance, visiting doctors, dentists,
Section II: Reading Test
clinics, hospitals
This section consists of 100 questions presented in written

format in the test booklet. Test takers read a variety of mate-
Housing/corporate property—construction, specifications,
rials and respond to questions based on the item content.
buying and renting, electric and gas services
The Reading section takes 75 minutes.
Manufacturing—plant management, assembly lines,
quality control
Part V: Incomplete Sentences – 40 questions
Offices—board meetings, committees, letters,
Part VI: Text Completion – 12 questions
memoranda, telephone, fax and e–mail messages, office
Part VII: Single Passages – 28 questions; 7–10 reading
equipment and furniture, office procedures

texts with 2–5 questions each
Personnel—recruiting, hiring, retiring, salaries,


Double Passages – 20 questions; 4 pairs of
promotions, job applications, job advertisements,

reading texts with 5 questions each
pensions, awards
Test takers respond to each test question by marking
Purchasing—shopping, ordering supplies, shipping,
the letter (A), (B), (C), or (D) on a separate answer sheet.
invoices
Although the actual testing time is approximately two

hours, additional time is needed to allow test takers to com-
Technical areas—electronics, technology, computers,
plete the biographical questions on the answer sheet and to
laboratories and related equipment, technical
respond to a brief questionnaire about their educational and
specifications
work history. Therefore, approximately 2 1/2 hours should
Travel—trains, airplanes, taxis, buses, ships, ferries,
be allowed to take the test.
tickets, schedules, station and airport announcements, car
rentals, hotels, reservations, delays and cancellations
These settings provide only the context for TOEIC test
questions—test takers are not required to have business
experience or to understand specialized vocabulary. The
TOEIC test is suitable for use in all environments where
English is used by native speakers of other languages.
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TOEIC Test Content and Format

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TOEIC Test Content and Format (continued)
provides information about the test and familiarizes test
Preparing to Take the TOEIC Test
takers with the content and format of the test so that they
The TOEIC test is not based on the content of any particu-
will be more at ease when taking the test. In addition, test
lar English course, but rather on the test taker’s
takers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the lan-
proficiency—the overall ability to use English. Improvement
guage as frequently and in as many ways as possible if it has
in proficiency may take some time and is generally achieved
been some time since they have had contact with English.
through a combination of practice and study. Before taking
Reading, watching TV and videos, listening to tapes, taking
the TOEIC test, it is important to become familiar with the
an English course, and speaking with friends and colleagues
test format and how to mark the answers on the answer
are some ways to practice English.
sheet. Attention can then be focused on the questions them-
selves, rather than on the format. The Examinee Handbook
Administration of the TOEIC Test
Where is the Test Offered?
Test Center Procedures
The TOEIC test is available throughout the world. Testing
The following procedures and regulations apply during the
can be arranged through corporations or other organizations
entire test session, which begins when test takers are admitted
that ask employees or job applicants to take the TOEIC test.
to the test center and ends when they leave the test center.
In addition, many language-training programs and schools
No test taker will be admitted after test materials have
offer TOEIC testing. If testing is not available through a
been distributed.
particular organization, contact the local ETS Preferred
Vendor to find out when and where to take the test.
Books, dictionaries, papers, notes, rulers, calculators,
watch alarms, mobile phones, listening devices, recording
How Often Can the TOEIC Test Be Taken?
or photographic equipment, highlighters or aids of any
kind are not allowed in the testing room.
Twenty-eight days should lapse before a test taker retakes the
TOEIC test. If a test taker takes the test more than once in
Paper of any kind is not permitted in the testing room.
28 days, the test will not be scored and a refund will not be
Test takers may not mark or underline words in the test
offered. Test takers must pay again to take the test once 28
book or make notes in the test book or on the answer
days have passed.
sheet.
Test takers must have the supervisor’s permission to leave
Test Security
the testing room. Any lost time cannot be made up.
In administering a worldwide testing program, the TOEIC
There is no scheduled break during the TOEIC test. If
program and its local ETS Preferred Vendors consider the
a test taker must leave the testing room, s/he is required
maintenance of security at testing centers to be of utmost
to give the supervisor identification document(s) before
importance. To offer score users the most valid and reliable
leaving the room. It will not be possible to make up the
measurements of English-language proficiency available, the
time lost. At the conclusion of the test, the test taker will
TOEIC program continuously reviews and refines proce-
be required to return the test book and answer sheet to
dures to increase the security of the test before, during, and
the test supervisor.
after administrations.
TOEIC User Guide—Listening & Reading
Administration of the TOEIC Test
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Administration of the TOEIC Test (continued)
The local ETS Preferred Vendor reserves the right to take
Dismissal from Test Session
all action—including, but not limited to, barring the test
A test administrator/supervisor is authorized to dismiss a
taker from future testing and/or canceling scores—for failure
test taker from a test session, or scores may be canceled, due
to comply with test administration regulations or the test
to violations such as, but not limited to, the following:
administrator/supervisor’s directions. If scores are canceled,
attempting to take the test for someone else or having
they will not be reported, and test fees will not be refunded.
someone else take the test on the test taker’s behalf
failing to provide acceptable identification
Identification Requirements
obtaining improper access to the test, a part of the test, or
All test takers must read Part 1. Depending on whether the
information about the test
testing is within or outside the test taker’s country of citi-
using a telephone or cell phone during the test session or
zenship, s/he must also read either Part 2 or Part 3, as
during breaks
appropriate.
using any aids in connection with the test, such as
Part 1: Information for All Test Takers
mechanical pencils, pens, pagers, beepers, calculators,
watch calculators, books, pamphlets, notes, rulers,
Test takers must have acceptable and valid ID with a
highlighter pens, stereos or radios with headphones, cell
signature and photograph to be admitted to a test center.
phones, watch alarms (including those with flashing lights
Identification requirements are strictly enforced. It is
or alarm sounds), stopwatches, dictionaries, translators
the test taker’s responsibility to read and understand the
and any handheld electronic or photographic devices
instructions and requirements.
creating a disturbance (disruptive behavior in any form
Test takers who arrive at the test center without the
will not be tolerated; the test administrator/supervisor has
required identification will not be admitted by the test
sole discretion in determining what constitutes disruptive
administrator, cannot take the test, and will forfeit their
behavior)
test fee.
attempting to give or receive assistance, or otherwise
When registering for the test, test takers must use
communicate in any manner with another person about
exactly the same name that appears on the primary iden-
the content of the test during the administration, during
tification document they will present at the test center.
breaks, or before dismissal of the test session
They must provide their entire first (given name) and entire
removing or attempting to remove test content, scratch
surname (family name). They MUST NOT register under a
paper, or notes relating to the test content from the test
nickname. If the name shown on a test taker’s primary
center. Under no circumstances may test content or
identification does not match the name used at registration,
any part of the test content be removed, reproduced,
that test taker will not be permitted to take the test.
and/or disclosed by any means (e.g., hard copy, verbally,
electronically) to any person or entity
Only misspellings of a test taker’s name can be corrected
using scratch paper during the test session
at check-in—NAME CHANGES WILL NOT BE

MADE. If a test taker’s name has changed for any reason,
tampering with a computer
including marriage, s/he must still present primary
taking a weapon or firearm into the test center
identification in the name under which s/he registered, or
taking food, drink, or tobacco into the testing room
the test taker will not be permitted to take the test.
leaving the test center vicinity during the test session or
If the test center administrator questions the ID a test
during breaks
taker presents, that individual will be required to present
leaving the testing room without permission
additional proof of identity.
taking excessive or extended unscheduled breaks during
If positive confirmation cannot be made, the test taker
the test session (Test center administrators are required to
may be refused admission to the test center and forfeit
strictly monitor unscheduled breaks and report test takers
the test fee. Admittance to the test center does not imply
who take excessive or extended breaks.)
that a test taker’s form of identification is valid or that the
referring to, looking through, or working on any test or
test taker’s scores will be reported.
test section when not authorized to do so, or working
Test center personnel will check each test taker’s identifi-
after time has been called
cation before assigning seats at the test center. The
failing to follow any of the test administration regulations
administrator will also check the signature to verify that the
in this user guide, given by the test administrator/
test taker is the person in the photo identification.
supervisor, or specified in any test materials
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Administration of the TOEIC Test

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