TOEFL Primary Practice Tests

Part 1 — Match Picture to Text (Questions 1–10)

Look at the picture. Read the words. Which words go with the picture?

1. 10 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Part 2 — Sentence Clues (Questions 11–20)

Read the sentences. Which word or words match what they describe?

1. You wear these on your feet. They keep your toes warm. (A) Gloves (B) Socks (C) Hats
2. This animal is very big and gray. It has a long nose called a trunk. (A) An elephant (B) A mouse (C) A giraffe
3. You use these to cut paper in art class. (A) Glue (B) Crayons (C) Scissors
4. This is a place with many books. You can take a book home and bring it back later. (A) A bakery (B) A library (C) A park
5. This person works at a school. This person helps children learn to read and write. (A) A doctor (B) A farmer (C) A teacher
6. It is yellow and very hot. You can see it in the sky in the daytime. (A) The sun (B) The moon (C) A cloud
7. You do this when you are tired. You close your eyes and lie in your bed. (A) Jump (B) Sleep (C) Cook
8. This is a fruit. It is long and yellow. Monkeys like to eat it. (A) An apple (B) A grape (C) A banana
9. This part of your body is on your face. You use it to smell flowers. (A) Your nose (B) Your ear (C) Your mouth
10. You use this when it rains. It keeps you dry when you walk outside. (A) A kite (B) A ball (C) An umbrella

Part 3 — Reading Sets (Questions 21–23)

Read the sign. Answer questions 21–23.

1. Where can you see this sign? (A) At a library (B) At a pool (C) At a bakery
2. What must people NOT do? (A) Swim with an adult (B) Walk slowly (C) Eat food near the pool
3. When does the pool close? (A) At 5:00 (B) At 9:00 (C) At 8:00

Part 3 — Reading Sets (Questions 24–26)

Read the menu. Answer questions 24–26.

1. How much is a fruit cup? (A) $1 (B) $2 (C) $3
2. Which food costs the most? (A) An egg sandwich (B) Pancakes (C) Milk
3. Leo has $3. What can he buy? (A) Pancakes and milk (B) An egg sandwich (C) A fruit cup and milk

Part 3 — Reading Sets (Questions 27–29)

Read the schedule. Answer questions 27–29.

1. What does Mia do on Tuesday? (A) Swimming (B) Piano (C) Soccer
2. When does Mia play the piano? (A) On Monday (B) On Wednesday (C) On Friday
3. What time is soccer? (A) At 3:00 (B) At 3:30 (C) At 4:00

Part 3 — Reading Sets (Questions 30–32)

Read the note. Answer questions 30–32.

1. Who wrote the note? (A) Owen (B) Pepper (C) Mia
2. How many puppies are there? (A) Three (B) Two (C) Five
3. What can the children do at Mia's house? (A) Go to the park (B) Play in the yard (C) Walk to school

Part 3 — Reading Sets (Questions 33–36)

Read the story. Answer questions 33–36.

1. What color is Speedy? (A) Black and white (B) Green and yellow (C) Green and brown
2. Where does Speedy live? (A) In a tank (B) In the yard (C) In a pond
3. What does Speedy like to do? (A) Swim in the bathtub (B) Sit on a rock (C) Sleep in Leo's bed
4. Why is "Speedy" a funny name for the turtle? (A) She is very small. (B) She is very slow. (C) She is very old.

Part 1 — Listen and Match (Questions 1–8)

Listen to the sentence. Look at the pictures. Choose the picture that matches what you hear.

1. 8 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Part 2 — Follow Directions (Questions 9–14)

Listen to the directions. Look at the pictures. Choose the picture that shows what the speaker told someone to do.

1. 6 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Part 3 — Short Conversations (Questions 15–18)

Listen to the conversation. You will hear it three times. Choose the conversation that makes sense.

1. 4 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Part 3 — Short Conversations (Questions 19–22)

Listen to the conversation. You will hear it three times. Choose the conversation that makes sense.

1. 4 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Part 4 — Conversations (Questions 23–29)

Listen to the conversation. Then answer the question.

1. What will Leo eat for lunch? (A) Soup (B) A sandwich (C) Rice
2. Where is Mia's pencil case? (A) Under her chair (B) In her backpack (C) In her desk
3. When is the class trip to the zoo? (A) On Thursday (B) On Monday (C) On Friday
4. What pet does Grace want? (A) A rabbit (B) A dog (C) A cat
5. How does Owen go to school? (A) He takes the bus. (B) He rides his bike. (C) He walks.
6. What does the girl want to read about? (A) Dogs (B) Horses (C) Birds
7. Why can't the boys go to the park today? (A) Ben is sick. (B) It is raining. (C) They lost their ball.

Part 5 — Messages and Announcements (Questions 30–36)

Listen to the message or announcement. Then answer the question.

1. What does Mom want Mia to do? (A) Buy some fish (B) Cook dinner (C) Clean her room
2. Where will the students play today? (A) Outside (B) In the gym (C) In the hallway
3. What did Owen call about? (A) A birthday party (B) A soccer game (C) A school trip
4. What should the students bring tomorrow? (A) Flowers (B) Their lunch (C) Old clothes
5. What did Grandpa find? (A) Her blue bag (B) Her blue jacket (C) Her green jacket
6. Why did the library call? (A) Leo's book is late. (B) The library is closed today. (C) A book is ready for Leo.
7. What does the man tell the swimmers to do? (A) Get out of the water (B) Swim for ten more minutes (C) Come back at noon

Part 1 — Sentence Clues (Questions 1–8)

Read the sentences. Which word or words match what they describe?

1. People use this tool to look at things that are too small to see with just their eyes, like the tiny parts of a leaf. (A) A compass (B) A calendar (C) A microscope
2. This person studies the stars, the planets, and other things in space. (A) An astronomer (B) An architect (C) An artist
3. This is a very dry place where it almost never rains. Only a few plants, such as cacti, can grow there. (A) A forest (B) A desert (C) An island
4. Many birds do this every fall. They fly a long way to a warmer place, and they come back in the spring. (A) Hibernate (B) Hatch (C) Migrate
5. You use this to find out how hot or cold something is, like the air outside or the water in a bath. (A) A ruler (B) A scale (C) A thermometer
6. This part of a plant grows under the ground. It holds the plant in place and takes in water from the soil. (A) The root (B) The stem (C) The petal
7. This is a drawing that shows where places are. It can show roads, rivers, parks, and towns. (A) A poem (B) A map (C) A ticket
8. This is how you feel when you are waiting for something fun to happen and you cannot stop thinking about it. (A) Bored (B) Lonely (C) Excited

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 9–11)

Read the schedule. Answer questions 9–11.

1. A boy who is 7 years old wants to take a class. Which class can he NOT take? (A) Beginner Chess (B) Clay Art (C) Nature Walk Club
2. Which class meets on the weekend? (A) Kids' Cooking (B) Clay Art (C) Nature Walk Club
3. Why should children sign up early for Kids' Cooking? (A) It starts before the other classes. (B) It meets in the morning. (C) Only ten children can join it.

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 12–13)

Read the notice. Answer questions 12–13.

1. How can a student get a ticket? (A) By bringing a book to swap (B) By reading three new books (C) By helping in the library
2. What will happen to the books that are left over? (A) They will go back to the students. (B) They will go to a hospital. (C) They will stay in the library.

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 14–15)

Read the text messages. Answer questions 14–15.

1. Why did soccer practice end early? (A) The coach had to go home. (B) The field was too muddy. (C) It started to get too dark.
2. Where will Mom pick Leo up? (A) At the soccer field (B) At her office downtown (C) At Grandpa's apartment

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 16–18)

Read the instructions. Answer questions 16–18.

1. What is the string used for? (A) Hanging the feeder (B) Holding the seeds on (C) Measuring the branch
2. What should you do right after you spread the sunflower seed butter? (A) Tie the string to the pine cone (B) Roll the pine cone in birdseed (C) Hang the feeder on a branch
3. According to the instructions, why do birds need help in winter? (A) They cannot build their nests. (B) They cannot find food easily. (C) They cannot fly in the cold.

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 19–20)

Read the paragraph. Answer questions 19–20.

1. What does Dad do before the game starts? (A) He makes popcorn. (B) He clears the table. (C) He picks the game.
2. What does Mia like most about game night? (A) Winning a word game (B) Eating lots of popcorn with Dad (C) Laughing with her family

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 21–24)

Read the e-mail. Answer questions 21–24.

1. Why did Grace write this e-mail? (A) To ask Grandma to buy her a trumpet (B) To thank Grandma for a present (C) To share news about joining the band
2. Why didn't Grace choose the drums? (A) She couldn't make a sound on them. (B) They are too loud for her home. (C) They were too hard to carry.
3. What can we learn about Grace's trumpet playing? (A) It is getting better with practice. (B) It is better than her classmates' playing. (C) It makes her want to quit the band.
4. What does Grace ask Grandma to do? (A) Teach her a new song (B) Call her band teacher (C) Come to her concert

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 25–28)

Read the article. Answer questions 25–28.

1. What is the article mostly about? (A) Surprising facts about the tallest trees (B) How to plant a tree near the ocean (C) Why fog forms over the ocean at night
2. In the article, what does “collect” mean? (A) Fall down quickly (B) Gather in one place (C) Change color
3. How does the thick bark help a redwood? (A) It keeps insects and fire away. (B) It catches water from the fog. (C) It helps the tree grow taller.
4. Why does the writer use the word “Amazingly” in the last sentence? (A) A huge tree comes from a tiny seed. (B) The seeds taste like tomatoes. (C) The trees are over 2,000 years old.

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 29–32)

Read the story. Answer questions 29–32.

1. Why did Mia and Owen want to sell lemonade? (A) To buy paint for a new sign (B) To help buy beds for shelter dogs (C) To earn money for a trip
2. In the story, what does “drizzle” mean? (A) A very light rain (B) A strong, cold wind (C) A dark cloud
3. How did Mia get the idea to sell hot cocoa? (A) Owen asked for a warm drink. (B) They ran out of lemons for lemonade. (C) She saw that people were cold.
4. What happened right after Owen changed the sign? (A) Mr. Walsh moved the table. (B) Mia asked her dad for help. (C) The cousins went to the shelter.

Part 2 — Reading Sets (Questions 33–36)

Read the article. Answer questions 33–36.

1. Where does a bee keep nectar before she flies back to the hive? (A) In a cell made of wax (B) In her honey stomach (C) In the end of her tongue
2. What do the bees do after they put the nectar into cells? (A) They chew it for a while. (B) They carry it to the flowers. (C) They fan it with their wings.
3. Why do bees make honey? (A) To build the walls of the hive (B) To have food in the winter (C) To help flowers make nectar
4. What does the writer mean by “every jar of honey is a true team project”? (A) People and bees fill the jars together. (B) Many bees work together to make it. (C) One bee can make a whole jar alone.

Part 1 — Follow Directions (Questions 1–6)

Listen to the directions. Look at the pictures. Choose the picture that shows what the speaker told someone to do.

1. 6 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Part 2 — Conversations (Questions 7–8)

Listen to the question. Then listen to the conversation and choose the best answer.

1. What will Mia bring to the class picnic? (A) Juice and napkins (B) A bowl of fruit salad (C) Paper plates
2. Why can't the boy take the book home? (A) It must stay in the library. (B) Someone else has borrowed it. (C) He forgot his library card.

Part 2 — Conversations (Questions 9–10)

Listen to the conversation. Then answer questions 9 and 10.

1. What will Leo do for the project? (A) Write the facts on cards (B) Draw the life cycle of a frog (C) Find books at the library
2. When will Mia and Leo meet? (A) On Wednesday (B) On Friday (C) On Thursday

Part 2 — Conversations (Questions 11–12)

Listen to the question. Then listen to the conversation and choose the best answer.

1. What does Grandma suggest? (A) Choosing a different animal (B) Writing key words on cards (C) Giving the speech next week
2. Where does Leo think his jacket is? (A) On a bench by the field (B) In the lost and found box (C) In his classroom

Part 2 — Conversations (Questions 13–14)

Listen to the conversation. Then answer questions 13 and 14.

1. What does the guide say about the meteorite? (A) It is too hot to touch. (B) It came from the Moon. (C) It is made mostly of iron.
2. What will the girl probably do next? (A) Go upstairs to see a show (B) Buy a rock at the gift shop (C) Look for more meteorites

Part 2 — Conversations (Questions 15–16)

Listen to the question. Then listen to the conversation and choose the best answer.

1. What was chosen for the display? (A) Leo's painting of a garden (B) Leo's painting of sailboats (C) Mia's drawing of flowers
2. Why are Mia and her father taking the bus? (A) The bus is faster than a car. (B) Their car has a flat tire. (C) The museum has no parking.

Part 3 — Messages and Announcements (Questions 17–24)

Listen to the message or announcement. Then answer the question.

1. Why will the library be closed on Thursday? (A) An author is visiting the gym. (B) It is getting a new carpet. (C) The librarian is on vacation.
2. What will Leo do with the book tomorrow? (A) Take it to his cousin's house (B) Give it back to Mia at school (C) Put it in Mia's mailbox
3. What does the coach ask the runners to bring? (A) Their own water bottles (B) Clean indoor shoes (C) Raincoats and umbrellas
4. Where does Mom want her daughter to wait? (A) Outside the school (B) In the art room (C) In the school office
5. What is the money for? (A) Buying blue school shirts (B) Planting trees in a park (C) A class trip to the park
6. Why do students need to bring a packed lunch? (A) The bus leaves before breakfast. (B) The farm is very muddy. (C) They cannot buy food at the farm.
7. What is true about the bubble show? (A) It is only for children under six. (B) It costs no money to see. (C) It is on the first floor.
8. Why did Owen call his grandfather? (A) To ask to go fishing with him (B) To invite him to the backyard (C) To ask him to buy some snacks

Part 4 — Science Talk (Questions 25–28)

Listen to the science talk. Then answer questions 25–28.

1. What is the talk mainly about? (A) Why insects fly into webs (B) How spiders make and use silk (C) Where spiders hide during the day
2. What happens when the silk comes out of the spinnerets? (A) It turns into a solid thread. (B) It turns into a liquid. (C) It changes to a bright color.
3. Why doesn't a spider get stuck in its own web? (A) It has sticky feet. (B) It walks on the dry threads. (C) It stays off the web at night.
4. Why do some spiders eat their old web? (A) Because they are hungry for insects (B) To make the new web stickier (C) So they can use the silk again

Part 4 — Story (Questions 29–32)

Listen to the story. Then answer questions 29–32.

1. What was the problem with Owen's first boat? (A) It sank to the bottom. (B) It was too small to race well. (C) It tipped over in the water.
2. How did Owen feel when his first boat did not work? (A) Proud and excited (B) Upset and annoyed (C) Sleepy and bored
3. What did Grandpa tell Owen? (A) He should make a taller sail. (B) He should ask Leo for help. (C) His boat should be low and light.
4. What will Owen probably do next year? (A) Enter the boat race again (B) Build a boat shaped like a leaf (C) Help Leo build his boat

Part 4 — Social Studies Talk (Questions 33–36)

Listen to the social studies talk. Then answer questions 33–36.

1. Why were lighthouses built? (A) To help people catch more fish (B) To show where cities were (C) To keep ships safe at night
2. What did the lighthouse in Alexandria use to make light? (A) A fire (B) An electric lamp (C) A glass lens
3. What was special about Fresnel's lens? (A) It made one strong beam of light. (B) It was one big piece of glass. (C) It turned the light on by itself.
4. Why don't most lighthouses need keepers today? (A) Ships don't sail at night now. (B) They are all museums now. (C) They work automatically.

Part 0 — Practice Question — Talk about you

This is a practice question. It is not scored. Listen to Mia and answer her question.

1. What is your favorite animal? Example: My favorite animal is the penguin. I like how it swims so fast.

Question 1 — Describe a picture

Look at the picture. Listen to Mia. Tell her what the monkeys are doing.

1. Tell me what the monkeys are doing in my picture. Example: One monkey is swinging on a rope. Another monkey is sitting on a rock and eating a banana. And the mother monkey is hugging her baby.

Question 2 — Choose and say why

Look at the three pictures. Listen to Leo. Choose one thing and tell him why you want it.

1. Which one do you want? Why? Example: I want the book about birds. I love reading, and I want to learn about parrots and owls.

Question 3 — Ask for something

Listen to Ms. Hughes. Then ask her if you can help.

1. Ask Ms. Hughes if you can help feed the giraffes. Example: Excuse me, Ms. Hughes. Can I help you feed the giraffes, please?

Question 4 — Ask three questions

Listen to Ms. Hughes. Ask her three questions about her job with the elephants.

1. Ask Ms. Hughes three questions about her job with the elephants. Example: What do the elephants eat? How many elephants do you take care of? When do you give them a bath?

Question 5 — Explain how to do something

Look at the pictures. They show how Mia feeds the goats. Tell Leo how to feed the goats. Use words like first, then, next and finally.

1. Tell Leo how to feed the goats. Example: First, put a coin in the machine and get a cup of food. Then, pour some food into your hand. Next, hold your hand flat and low, and the goat will eat the food. After that, put the empty cup in the trash can. Finally, wash your hands with soap.

Question 6 — Tell a story

Look at the pictures. They tell a story about Leo. Tell Mr. Walsh the story.

1. Tell Mr. Walsh the story. What happened? Example: Leo and Mia were watching the ducks at the pond. Then the wind blew Leo's cap off his head, and it fell into the water. Next, Ms. Hughes came with a long net and got the cap out. Finally, she gave it back to Leo, and he said, 'Thank you!'

Question 7 — Tell a story

Look at the pictures. They tell a story about lunch at the zoo. Tell Ms. Hughes the story.

1. Tell Ms. Hughes the story. What happened to the picnic? Example: Mia, Leo and Mr. Walsh were having a picnic on the grass. Then it started to rain, so they packed up their food and ran. They went into the reptile house and looked at a big turtle and a snake. When the rain stopped, they saw a rainbow and finished their lunch.

Task 1 — Write a Word

Look at the picture. Read the sentence. Write the missing word. Write one letter in each space.

Task 2 — Build a Sentence

Look at the picture. Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence.

1. — build the reply from the word tiles.
2. — build the reply from the word tiles.
3. — build the reply from the word tiles.
4. — build the reply from the word tiles.
5. — build the reply from the word tiles.

Task 3 — Edit a Text

Read the text. Choose the correct word or words for each space.

1. 4 questions heard only: use the interactive player to listen and choose the best answer.

Task 4 — Write a Story

Look at the four pictures. They tell a story about Owen and Grace at the zoo. Answer the questions about the pictures. Then write the whole story.