TOEFL iBT preparation changed materially on January 21, 2026. The updated test uses new task types, adaptive Reading and Listening, and a 1–6 scoring scale in half-point increments. Older books and mock tests built around four integrated Speaking questions and a 0–120-only report no longer represent the examination a candidate will take today.

This guide compares 15 distinct study resources and learning options, starting with ETS’s free official materials and then considering paid courses and supplementary English instruction. The choices are not an independently tested league table or an ETS endorsement of every third-party provider. Before paying, verify that the specific course actually teaches the post-January-2026 tasks and current score reporting.

Check the 2026 TOEFL task list first

The updated TOEFL iBT measures Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. ETS lists these task groups and approximate base times; Reading and Listening use a multistage adaptive design, so item counts and timing can vary. Allow approximately two hours overall, including directions and administration, rather than treating the sum of base times as a guaranteed appointment duration.

ETS’s current score report gives four section results and an overall 1–6 band, calculated by averaging and rounding to the nearest half band. For a two-year transition after January 2026, it also provides a comparable overall 0–120 number to help institutions interpret older requirements. The additional scale is not permission to assume a particular institution accepts any guessed score conversion.

Official ETS preparation resources

1. ETS Interactive Sample — preview the new tasks

Best for: understanding the kinds of questions you will encounter without paying first. ETS offers a free interactive sample for the updated TOEFL iBT. Try each task and inspect where you must read, type, listen or speak. The sample is not a full scored test, so use it for format orientation rather than a predicted admission score.

2. ETS Free Full-Length Practice Test 1 — baseline

Best for: establishing a structured diagnostic. ETS lists a free full-length practice test aligned with the current iBT. Take it in quiet conditions, note where the new speaking and writing tasks feel unfamiliar, and review responses for accuracy and control. Check the product’s own feedback type rather than assuming every free exercise supplies an official-equivalent scaled result.

3. ETS Free Full-Length Practice Test 2 — fresh checkpoint

Best for: testing whether corrections transfer to new material. ETS also provides a second free full-length practice test. Use it after targeted study instead of immediately retaking the first test and benefiting from remembered answers. Compare error patterns and timing, not only the total score display.

4. TOEFL TestReady — official practice portal

Best for: keeping ETS preparation products and feedback in one place. TOEFL TestReady offers a mixture of free and paid practice, guides and progress tools. Identify whether an individual TestReady exercise is aligned with the enhanced 2026 exam before relying on an older saved report or question bank. A portal label alone does not mean every archived question was rewritten.

5. Official TOEFL Test Prep with Study.com — partnered course

Best for: learners wanting a structured paid plan and diagnostics built specifically for the 2026 format. ETS announced in November 2025 that Study.com is an official TOEFL test-preparation partner for the enhanced exam, including adaptive practice and new sentence-building, email and interview-style tasks. The provider offers subscription options and AI-based feedback; those commercial practice results should still be understood as preparation estimates, not live ETS scores.

6. ETS eight-week TOEFL Test Prep Planner — structure

Best for: organising weekly goals and avoiding aimless review. ETS makes an eight-week study planner available free. Adapt its general reading, listening, speaking and writing habits to your diagnostic, and cross-check individual practice-task descriptions against the 2026 specifications. No learner is required to study exactly eight weeks.

7. ETS current test-content and score guides — authoritative reference

Best for: verifying the rules before purchasing any other resource. ETS’s current Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking guidance explains the actual task types and score interpretation. Use it to reject a course that still teaches a retired integrated essay or four old Speaking prompts as though they are on the 2026 test.

Other instruction and practice options

8. Preply tutors linked from ETS — human feedback

Best for: individual speaking, pronunciation, grammar or writing feedback. ETS’s preparation page links to independent Preply tutors with TOEFL-related training. A tutor can help diagnose whether you speak clearly during Listen and Repeat or respond appropriately in an interview scenario. Do not confuse tutoring with an official adaptive TOEFL score report.

9. Magoosh TOEFL — self-paced lessons and question practice

Best for: learners preferring video explanations, practice and flexible timing. Magoosh advertises preparation updated for the 2026 TOEFL. Review sample material for the new task labels and scoring before subscribing; individual plans and guarantees can change. It is a commercial course rather than an ETS-administered test.

10. TST Prep — targeted drills and strategy teaching

Best for: learners who like free sample explanations and step-by-step practice methods. TST Prep publishes material describing the 2026 TOEFL and current task requirements. Test a few exercises for accuracy and examine how feedback is delivered. Avoid memorising response templates without understanding what the prompt actually asks.

11. BestMyTest — larger independent practice bank

Best for: additional self-paced items and practice tracking after using official examples. BestMyTest offers TOEFL preparation with varied feedback and practice features, some available only on paid tiers. Check that the specific test set and any score chart use the post-2026 1–6 reporting model before relying on it to assess readiness.

12. TestGlider — frequent simulations and feedback

Best for: learners who want shorter checkpoints and additional computer-based practice. TestGlider markets TOEFL mock tests and performance analysis. Verify which packages simulate the adaptive 2026 Reading and Listening tasks and whether its speaking/writing feedback is automatic or reviewed by a teacher; neither form is equivalent to a live score.

13. E2Language — guided language instruction

Best for: candidates seeking instructor-led explanations and conversational practice. E2Language offers English-test preparation resources. Compare its live/current TOEFL material with ETS’s task list and confirm the scheduled course explicitly supports the January 2026 redesign. General academic English lessons may help proficiency while remaining different from a true-to-test simulation.

14. Kaplan TOEFL — structured lessons or book-based practice

Best for: learners considering a conventional course or a book-and-practice package. Kaplan currently markets TOEFL iBT preparation and a 2026-labelled Premium Plus book with practice tests. Because some provider pages still use old 0–120 score or integrated-task language, ask which edition and course modules genuinely cover the new Speaking, Writing and adaptive Reading/Listening tasks before paying. Inspect refund/guarantee terms rather than interpreting a slogan as assured improvement.

15. University language centres and academic writing support

Best for: strengthening general English where test-specific drills reveal a foundational gap. A university writing centre, instructor, academic-English course or conversation group can help with syntax, vocabulary, pronunciation and listening comprehension. These programmes are not standardised TOEFL practice providers and do not claim to estimate your ETS score; their usefulness lies in feedback on real language skills.

How to compare the options fairly

ETS can verify the official task list, but not every commercial provider’s continually changing question bank, prices or refund rules. Prefer a provider that shows you an up-to-date sample before charging. Be particularly cautious when a “2026 course” still recommends a 20-question two-passage Reading section, integrated speaking from a lecture, or an independent 300-word essay as a current task.

A practical four-skill preparation cycle

1. Understand the new test: read the current ETS content overview and try the free interactive sample.
2. Take an official baseline: complete a current ETS full-length practice test, noting task accuracy and any time-pressure points.
3. Classify weaknesses: separate Reading vocabulary/context from passage evidence, Listening response selection from lecture detail, Writing sentence-building from email/discussion coherence, and Speaking repetition from interview delivery.
4. Practise the specific weak skill: use official examples, a current independent question bank or qualified human feedback as appropriate.
5. Retest with fresh material: use another current full-length or targeted set without copying old answers or memorised scripts.
6. Recheck admissions rules: verify each receiving institution’s current accepted TOEFL scale, section minimums, validity policy and submission deadline.

How much should a TOEFL practice score influence the plan?

A practice score is evidence from a particular test or provider; it is not a promise that the live exam will return the same band. The TOEFL iBT reports separate Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking scores on its 1–6 scale, and the overall result is calculated from those components. A candidate with a weak Speaking band cannot assume a high Reading score automatically satisfies an institution’s separate Speaking minimum.

Older 0–120 practice scores may still help explain historical materials but cannot be treated as identical to the new adaptive test. During the two-year transition ETS reports a comparable 0–120 overall number; the receiving institution decides how to use that bridge. Choose your study target only after consulting the programme’s current acceptance rules.

Final resource selection

Use ETS’s current free materials as the reference point. Supplement them with Study.com’s partnered course, a clearly updated commercial practice bank, or individual language instruction only when the addition solves an observed weakness. Fifteen choices are not a ranking of guaranteed results; the useful preparation resource is the one that helps you respond accurately to a new 2026-format task without relying on a memorised answer.