TOEFL iBT · Reading · R3
TOEFL iBT Reading: Read an Academic Passage
Read an Academic Passage is the longest Reading task on the 2026 TOEFL iBT. You read an original expository text of about 200 words on a subject such as history, art, business or science, then answer five multiple-choice questions on facts, vocabulary in context, inference, how ideas connect and the author's purpose.
- Passage length
- About 200 words
- Questions
- 5 multiple-choice questions per passage
- Items in the section
- About 5–15 (Reading is adaptive)
- Subjects
- History, art and music, business and economics, life, physical and social sciences
- Question focus
- Facts, vocabulary in context, inference, relationships between ideas, purpose
How it works
- 1The passage appears in full on one side of the screen.
- 2Questions appear one at a time, and the passage stays available while you answer.
- 3Each question has one correct answer.
- 4After five questions, the section continues with the next passage or task.
Sample question
Original sample · not from an official test
(Shortened excerpt) In the 1800s, many European cities drew drinking water from the same rivers that carried their waste. Outbreaks of cholera were common, yet most doctors blamed "bad air" rather than water. When a London physician mapped the homes of cholera victims around a single street pump in 1854, the pattern was striking: deaths clustered near the pump and fell away with distance. His map did not immediately change medical opinion, but it gave later reformers evidence that clean water systems could prevent disease. Why does the author mention the map of cholera victims?
- ATo show that doctors quickly accepted a new theory
- BTo give an example of evidence linking disease to water
- CTo explain how cities chose the location of pumps
- DTo argue that bad air caused most outbreaks
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Answer: To give an example of evidence linking disease to water
The map showed deaths clustering around one pump, which pointed to water. The passage says it did not immediately change opinion, so the first option contradicts the text, and "bad air" is the view the map challenged.
Tips that work
- Read the first two sentences carefully and note the main claim in a few words. Most purpose and inference questions depend on it.
- For vocabulary questions, replace the word with each option and reread the sentence. The right choice keeps the meaning, not just the grammar.
- For purpose questions, ask what the detail does for the paragraph: example, contrast, cause or evidence.
- Answer inference questions only from the text. If an option needs outside knowledge to be true, it is almost certainly wrong.
Common mistakes
- Picking an option that is true in the real world but not stated or implied in the passage.
- Rereading the whole passage for every question instead of going back to the relevant sentence.
Questions candidates ask
How long is a TOEFL academic passage now?
In the January 2026 format each passage is about 200 words, much shorter than the older test's long readings, and each one comes with five questions.
Do I need background knowledge of the subject?
No. Everything needed to answer is in the passage. Unfamiliar technical terms are either explained or not tested.
How can I practice academic passages?
EnglishHub offers exam-style academic passage practice with answer explanations, and the task is part of every full TOEFL mock test on the site.
Other TOEFL iBT Reading tasks
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