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TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) Syllabus
English proficiency test used by U.S. universities to assess international applicants.. The complete TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) outline — 7 subjects, 27 chapters and 102 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
3 chapters · 12 topics · 24 sub-topics
Reading Section4 chapters · 17 topics · 8 sub-topics
Listening Section4 chapters · 16 topics · 8 sub-topics
Speaking Section4 chapters · 14 topics · 13 sub-topics
Writing Section4 chapters · 15 topics · 9 sub-topics
English Language Foundations4 chapters · 15 topics · 9 sub-topics
Test-Taking Strategy and Preparation Plan4 chapters · 13 topics · 8 sub-topics
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) flashcard decks
354 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
How to work through the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Reading Section carries 17 topics while Test Overview, Format, and Scoring carries 12. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language).
The ~90 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) syllabus?
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) covers 7 subjects: Test Overview, Format, and Scoring, Reading Section, Listening Section, Speaking Section, Writing Section, English Language Foundations and Test-Taking Strategy and Preparation Plan. Together they contain 27 chapters and 102 named topics.
How big is the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) syllabus?
The full TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) outline breaks down into 27 chapters, 102 topics and 79 sub-topics. Reading Section is the largest single subject with 17 topics across 4 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) syllabus?
Roughly 90 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 4 weeks.
Are there TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) flashcards?
Yes — 354 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
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