How TOEFL iBT Writing is assessed

The TOEFL iBT Writing section measures how well you write in English for academic and everyday university situations.

The current writing tasks

ETS updated the TOEFL iBT in January 2026. The Writing section now includes these task types:

• Build a Sentence. Arrange words and phrases into a correct, natural sentence.
• Write an Email. Write a short email for a realistic situation, covering each point you are asked to address in a suitable tone.
• Write for an Academic Discussion. Read a professor's question and two classmates' posts, then add your own contribution that states and supports a view.

Test formats and score scales change from time to time. Check the official ETS TOEFL website for the latest details before your test date.

What raters look for

In the longer writing tasks, responses are judged as a whole rather than sentence by sentence. Strong responses tend to have:

• Relevance. The response does exactly what the task asks and addresses every required point.
• Development. Ideas are explained and supported with reasons, examples or details, not just stated.
• A contribution of your own. In the academic discussion, the best posts add a new idea instead of repeating what classmates said.
• Language control. Varied, precise vocabulary and sentence structures, with few errors that affect meaning.
• Appropriate tone. An email to a professor reads differently from an email to a friend.

How to practise

1. Write under real time limits. Speed is part of the skill.
2. Plan for a minute before writing: your main point, one supporting reason, one example.
3. Reread for the errors you make most often, and keep a list of them.
4. Get feedback on each response and rewrite it once, focusing on a single weakness.

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