TOEFL Speaking 2026 – Interview Task
When preparing for the new 2026 TOEFL Speaking interview task, many students feel unsure about how to study. One of the first questions I often hear is, “Is it true that there’s no preparation time?”
Yes, that’s correct. In the new interview task, you’ll answer four independent questions, and for each one, you’ll have 45 seconds to speak—without any preparation time. You can’t jot down notes or organize your ideas in advance, which makes practice even more important. Without structured preparation, many students either freeze up or start rambling.
Interview response: Argument
So, what exactly does ETS expect in these interview responses?
ETS wants a complete response, not a few disconnected sentences. For each question, you should:
Answer the question directly by clearly stating your position.
Give at least one reason to support that position.
Add some details or a short example to explain your reason.
Together, these three parts—your position, your reason, and your support—form what’s called an argument. Don’t let that word sound intimidating. A simple argument is perfectly fine. The key is to be clear, logical, and developed.
Let’s go through a step-by-step example. Imagine the question is:
Do you prefer living in the city or in the countryside?
If you prefer the city, your main reason might be convenience. Then ask yourself: What makes city life convenient? You could mention public transportation, or the fact that stores and services are nearby. Those are your supporting details. To strengthen your argument, make an inference—for example, that being close to services also makes it easier to meet people and make friends. Then you can end with a broader observation, such as the idea that city life is well suited for all age groups.
A well-developed response might sound like this:
“I’d rather live in the city than in the countryside because it’s much more convenient. In rural areas, you usually need a car to go anywhere, and if it breaks down, it can even be difficult to buy groceries since stores are far away. In contrast, cities have well-developed public transportation, so it’s easy to get around without driving. Since shops, cafés, and entertainment venues are close to where people live, this adds another layer of convenience. Furthermore, this proximity means more chances to meet people and make friends. Because of this convenience, city life works well for people of all ages.”
Notice how this explanation develops the topic through comparison and inference. That’s what gives it persuasive power—and persuasion lies at the core of both TOEFL Speaking and Writing.
Common mistakes: bad templates
Now, what are the most common mistakes students make? One big one is wasting time with filler phrases like:
“Let me see… I’ve never thought about this question…If I must choose a side…”
By the time those speakers finally state a position, 20 seconds have passed, and there’s barely time left to develop the answer.
These fillers often come from poorly adapted templates, sometimes even taught by well-meaning native speakers who underestimate how slowly non-native speakers may need to talk. The result? Weak topic development and lower scores. In my own classes, helping students remove these fillers and replace them with clear reasoning has raised many scores from the low 20s to 27 or higher.
Good templates: organizational phrases
Now, not all templates are bad! In fact, concise structure phrases can help organize your ideas. Phrases like:
“I prefer X to Y,”
“My reason is that…,”
“For example…”
create an argument flow. But avoid listing ideas like bullet points—“Cities are exciting. There are buses. There are students.” That’s not development; that’s rambling.
Topic development directly affects your Speaking score, even if your pronunciation and grammar are strong. Always check:
Did I answer the question?
Did I give a reason?
Did my example actually support my reason?
Delivery and language use
Now let’s move on to delivery—elements like pronunciation, rhythm, fluency, and grammar.
All of them matter for a high score, but you don’t need to use “big” academic words. Clear, precise vocabulary that expresses your idea naturally is far more effective. ETS does not require any specific accent. The key factor is intelligibility—your speech must be easy to understand. Every accent is fine as long as the listener follows you effortlessly.
However, some pronunciation issues can interfere with understanding. For example, substituting “z” for “th” can make words like this or that confusing. Korean and Japanese speakers often mix r and l, while Spanish speakers might mix j and y. Understanding your language’s typical pronunciation patterns will help you improve clarity.
You’ll also want to focus on prosody—the rhythm and stress of English speech. English is a stress-timed language; syllables are not all given equal time. This creates a certain rhythm pattern that’s essential for listener comprehension. Without it, your speech may sound mechanical or hard to follow, even if every word is pronounced correctly.
Fluency refers to speaking smoothly, linking words in natural thought groups, and avoiding unnecessary pauses. On TOEFL, fluency strongly correlates with total word count and overall rhythm. Practicing with timed 45-second responses is the best way to improve this aspect.
Now, about grammar. Not every grammar mistake lowers your score. Focus on the kinds of errors that native speakers almost never make, such as subject–verb agreement (She goes, not She go) and verb tense (She went yesterday, not She goes yesterday). Consistency here shows control.
ETS rubric
Let’s turn to scoring. Under the new 2026 TOEFL Speaking rubric, scores are now reported from 1 to 6, aligned with CEFR levels.
Level 6 (C2) – about 28–30 on the old scale – means a fully successful response: fluent, persuasive, and very well developed.
Level 5–5.5 (C1) – 25–27 on the old scale – is a strong, effective performance that’s fluent and spontaneous, though not quite as persuasive as a C2.
Level 4–4.5 (B2) – 20–24 range – describes speech that’s intelligible and reasonably developed but may hesitate or contain recurring pronunciation or grammar issues.
Level 3–3.5 (B1) – around 16–19 – signals basic communication ability but weak development and frequent pauses.
2026 TOEFL Speaking Score Conversion
Most students plateau at B2, and breaking into C1 requires three core upgrades:
Stronger topic development. Don’t just say why something is good; explain why it matters and what it leads to.
Improved delivery. Reduce pauses by practicing full 45-second answers.
Wider and more precise language use. Learn phrases and logic markers to connect your ideas smoothly.
Notice that none of these involve memorizing fancy words. The leap from B2 to C1 isn’t about harder vocabulary—it’s about clarity, coherence, and control under pressure. Focused interview practice with expert feedback is the fastest way to achieve that.
That’s exactly what Dr. Byrnes’ TOEFL Speaking course provides: structured arguments for all common interview topics, personalized feedback on pronunciation, rhythm, and delivery, and targeted exercises that push you toward C1 and C2 scores.
Every lesson strengthens the three key pillars ETS measures—topic development, delivery, and language use—so that you can respond confidently and precisely under any time pressure.
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| 2026 TOEFL Speaking Top Score Criteria |