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The TOEIC® Listening and Reading

test updates:What you need

to know

YOUR INFORMATION KIT

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The essential updates to keep up with the changing use

of English in the workplace

As the use of English evolves and changes, so must the TOEIC® tests and test questions.

Dr. Feng Yu, Executive Director of the TOEIC Programme - ETS.

The TOEIC® Listening and Reading test was first launched in 1979 to measure English-language proficiency in the

global workplace. The test was last revised in 2006.

Therefore, an updated version of the test will be introduced starting June 1st, 2018 to reflect the changing use of English and the ways in which

individuals commonly communicate in everyday social and work situations around the world.

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Reduced number of Photographand Question Response questions

Increased number of Conversationquestions

Conversations that include shorterturns and more exchanges

More than two speakers in someconversations

Conversations that include elisions (e.g., “gonna” instead of “going to”) and incomplete sentences/ fragments (“Yes, in a minute”; “Down the hall”; “Could you?”)

New question types testing the connec-tion of what is heard in a conversation or talk and what is seen in a graphic

New question types testing a speaker’s implied meaning in the context of a conversation or talk

QUESTION TYPE CURRENT VERSION UPDATED VERSION

Photographs 10 questions 6 questions

Question-Response 30 questions 25 questions

Conversations30 questions

• 10 conversations• 3 questions per conversation

39 questions

• 13 conversations• 3 questions per conversation

Talks30 questions

• 10 talks• 3 questions per talk

30 questions

• 10 talks• 3 questions per talk

Total number of questions 100 questions 100 questions

Duration 45 min 45 min

UPDATES DESCRIPTION:

UPDATES TO THE TOEIC® LISTENING AND READING TEST

Conversation, 3 speakers:

(M-Au) Have you two taken a look at the progress they’ve made upstairs on the office expansion? It looks great!(W-Am) I know! //I can’t believe it!// And the offices up there have amazing views of the city.(M-Cn) I wonder which division will move up there when it’s finished.(W-Am) I heard it’s the research department.(M-Au) Ah, because they have the most people.(W-Am) Probably. I’d love to have an office on that floor, though.(M-Cn) Yeah. Well, the company must be making good money if they’re adding that space!(M-Au) I think you’re right, there!

Talk, 1 speaker:

(W-Br) We’re happy to see you all at this seminar this afternoon—we have a lot of useful information to cover. But before we start, a few administrative details. There will be one break, half way through the afternoon. You can leave your laptops here if you leave the room-there will always be someone in here-but do keep your money and phones or … ah … other small electronic devices with you. Don’t leave them at the tables. And please note that there’s an error in your printed program: there will be a change-a switch-in times for the last two presenters. Ms. Ohta has to leave a little early today.

Current Question-type:

5. What is the conversation mainly about?(A) An enlargement of office space(B) A move into a new market(C) An increase in staff numbers(D) A change in company leadership

EXAMPLES OF UPDATES:

Updated Question-type:

6. Why does the woman say: “I can’t believe it”?(A) She strongly disagrees.(B) She would like an explanation.(C) She feels disappointed.(D) She is happily surprised.

Current Question-type:

9. What are listeners asked to do?(A) Stay seated during the break(B) Carry their valuables with them(C) Return any borrowed equipment(D) Share printed programs with others

PresenterT ime

Ms. Carbajal 1:00–1:50

Mr. Buteux 1:55–2:45

BREAK 2:45–3:00

Mr. Chambers 3:00–3:50

Ms. Ohta 3:55–4:45

Updated Question-type:

10. Look at the graphic. Who will be the final presenter?(A) Ms. Carbajal(B) Mr. Buteux

(C) Mr. Chambers(D) Ms. Ohta

rT

Listening Section

Programme

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Reading section

QUESTION TYPE CURRENT VERSION UPDATED VERSION

Incomplete Sentences 40 questions 30 questions

Text Completion 12 questions 16 questions

Set-Based QuestionsSingle Passage

28 questions

• 9 single passages• 2-5 questions per passage

29 questions

• 10 single passages• 2-4 questions per passage

Set-Based QuestionsMultiple Passages

20 questions

• 4 double passages• 5 questions per set

25 questions

• 2 Set-Based double passages• 3 Set-Based triple passages• 5 questions per set

Total number of questions 100 questions 100 questions

Duration 75 min 75 min

Reduced number of Incomplete Sentence questions

Two new question types testing unders-tanding of the overall organisation of passages: Text Completion questions that ask test takers to choose which new sentence fits best in the context of the overall passage Set-based questions that ask test takers to understand where in the passage a sentence belongs

Text messages, instant messages and/or online chat conversations with multiple writers

Questions testing the understanding of three related texts

A small increase in the number of single and multiple-passage questions

New questions about understanding the writer’s words in context

UPDATES DESCRIPTION:

Text completion:

189. Which color does Mr. Phan indicate that he likes?(A) Caspian Blue(B) Deep Sea Blue(C) Stormy Blue(D) Misty Gray(D) She is happily surprised.

Updated Question-type:

Updated Question-type:

Current Question-type:

Multiple Passages:

Choose which new sentence fits best in the context of the overall passage

To: All Employees

From: Camille Raynes

Date: December 14

Re: Performance bous

Dear Employees,

As you know, the past year was a great success for us. To reward you for your excellent performance, the Board of Directors has approved a bonus for all employees. This bonus will be________ in your next paycheck.

141. (A) involved (B) joined (C) composed (D) included

________, we are now calculating wage increases for the upcoming year. each employee’s performance

142. (A) Instead (B) In addition (C) Beforehnd (D) Otherwise

will be examined carefully as we determine the appropriate increase. All full-time employees are eligible for this increase. Your supervisor __________ you of the amount of your increase during the first week of January.

UPDATES TO THE TOEIC® LISTENING AND READING TEST EXAMPLES OF UPDATES:

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Why is ETS updating the TOEIC® Listening and Reading test? As the use of English evolves and changes, so must our tests and test questions. ETS wants to ensure that the TOEIC Listening and Reading test reflects current language use and measures the language skills that test takers need when they are placed in, or preparing for, positions in the real world. The TOEIC® Listening and Reading test updates will include communication approaches and methods that have been used more frequently in the last 10 years.

What is the benefit to score users?In order to adapt to the changing use of English and how individuals commonly communicate in the global workplace and everyday life, ETS is making updates to the TOEIC Listening and Reading test. Updates include tasks that reflect current English usage, such as understanding intended meaning in context and linking information across text sources, understanding non-linear exchanges in online-chat messages and understanding conversations in which there are more than two speakers. There is an increased likelihood that test takers who are preparing for the test will practice the skills necessary to carry out these tasks and will be well-prepared to succeed in the real world. By using the updated version of the TOEIC Listening and Reading test, organisations can be confident they are using a test measuring a range of skills necessary for success in global workplace communication.

Will the quality of the TOEIC Listening and Reading test be preserved? The TOEIC Listening and Reading test continues to be a fair, valid and reliable assessment of workplace and everyday English. Just like the current test, the updated test is held to ETS’s high quality of psychometric, test development and fairness standards. ETS assessment developers, psychometricians, and statisticians worked together to conduct a pilot test and two field studies. Six forms were administered overall to approximately 5,000 test takers. Team members performed in-depth analyses of the results to ensure the quality of the test was preserved. Following the launch of the test, ongoing psychometric analyses will be conducted to ensure the quality of the test.

Is the updated version of the TOEIC Listening and Reading test more difficult? No. The overall difficulty of the TOEIC Listening and Reading test will remain the same. The updates to the test have been designed and developed by expert test developers to ensure the same test difficulty, test length/duration, question number, reporting scale and quality. ETS suggests that test takers familiarise themselves with the new question types.

FAQWHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The overall quality, difficulty and total testing time will remain the same.The test continues to be a fair, valid and reliable assessment of everyday and workplace English. As the total number of questions and testing time will remain unchanged, there will be no changes in the administration of the test.

The score report will remain unchanged with the exception of one additional Listening Ability Measured: can understand a speaker’s purpose or implied meaning in a phrase or sentence. The score report provides additional information for test takers and test users. The addition of the new Ability Measured does not affect a test taker’s overall score. Scores will continue to be comparable across test form administrations and scores from the updated test are comparable to the scores from the current test. The TOEIC Listening and Reading test will remain aligned with the CEFR*.

* The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE TEST?

Starting from February 2018, the TOEIC Official Learning

and Preparation Course (official online preparation modules) will be released with updated content on

www.etsglobal.org.

For teachers, 1-day Propell® Teacher Workshops for TOEIC

Listening and Reading Test will be organised in Paris

from March 2018.

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NotesWill the TOEIC Listening and Reading test updates change how test scores can be compared across administrations?No. The updates to the existing test are not intended or expected to change the relationships between existing test scores. Scores will continue to be comparable across test form administrations and scores from the updated test are comparable to the scores from the current test.

Does the TOEIC Listening and Reading test’s alignment with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) change with the updates?No. The TOEIC Listening and Reading test will remain aligned with the CEFR as described on the ETS Global website. The TOEIC Listening and Reading test is correlated to the CEFR levels A1 to C1.

Are the TOEIC Listening and Reading test updates being launched in the Institutional Programme and Public Testing Programme at the same time?Yes, the TOEIC Listening and Reading test updates will be launched in both the Institutional Programme and Public Programme at the same time.

Will the TOEIC® Listening and Reading test evolve in the future? ETS periodically revisits its assessments to ensure that they continue to meet the needs of test takers and score users. The updates made to the TOEIC Listening and Reading test reflect current English language usage in everyday social and workplace situations around the world. ETS may make changes in the future if considered necessary.

FAQ

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For more information:

www.etsglobal.org

contact-emea@etsglobal.org

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