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TOEFL iBT · Listening · L2

TOEFL iBT Listening: Listen to a Conversation

Listen to a Conversation is a TOEFL iBT Listening task where you hear a short dialogue between two people, often in a campus or everyday setting, and then answer two multiple-choice questions. Questions cover the main idea, key details, why someone speaks, what they imply and what they will probably do next.

Items
10 in total
Questions per conversation
2, shown after the audio ends
Speakers
Two
Audio
Heard once; notes allowed; no transcript
Focus
Main idea, detail, purpose, inference, prediction

How it works

  1. 1A picture of the two speakers appears and the conversation plays once.
  2. 2You can take notes while you listen.
  3. 3When the audio ends, the first question appears, followed by the second.
  4. 4You choose one answer each time; the conversation cannot be replayed.

Sample question

Original sample · not from an official test

Transcript (you only hear this in the test): Student: Hi, I got an email saying my housing application is incomplete? Staff member: Let me check. You're missing the emergency contact form. You can upload it online, but the deadline is Friday at noon. Student: Oh, OK. My lab ends at three today, so I'll do it right after. What will the student probably do next?

  1. AUpload the form this afternoon
  2. BAsk for a deadline extension
  3. CBring a paper form to the office on Friday
  4. DSkip her lab to finish the application
Show answer

Answer: Upload the form this afternoon

She says her lab ends at three and she will do it right after, and the staff member said the form can be uploaded online. Nothing suggests an extension or a paper form.

Tips that work

  • In the first few seconds, identify who the speakers are and why they are talking. Most main-idea questions depend on that.
  • Note decisions and changes of plan. "Actually, let's..." often signals the answer to a prediction question.
  • Write short notes by speaker (S: / P:) so you can separate what each person wants.
  • Listen for reasons after words like because, since and so; detail questions often ask why.

Common mistakes

  • Choosing an option that one speaker suggested but the other rejected.
  • Writing full sentences in notes and missing the next line.

Questions candidates ask

How many questions follow each conversation?

Two. The 2026 blueprint sets 10 conversation items in total, with exactly two questions after each dialogue.

Can I see the questions before the audio?

No. Questions appear one at a time after the conversation finishes, so notes are your main support.

Are the conversations always about university life?

Many are set on campus, but they can involve everyday situations too. Accents can include U.S., Canadian, British, Australian and New Zealand English.

Other TOEFL iBT Listening tasks

TOEFL iBT overviewTOEFL iBT Listening: all partsTOEFL iBT full mock testsTOEFL iBT articles on the blog