Introduction
Hi, I'm Duc! Today I want to share an important strategy I've used to manage my time across the 2-hour TOEIC exam. Effective time management doesn't just help you finish the test — it also lets you focus more energy on the difficult questions.
Table of Contents
TOEIC Exam Overview
The TOEIC consists of 200 questions divided into two sections: Listening and Reading. The total test time is 2 hours — 45 minutes for Listening and 75 minutes for Reading. Specifically:
- Listening: 100 questions
- Reading: 100 questions
I've found that organizing and allocating your time wisely across each section is essential for achieving the best possible result.
Time Allocation for Each Section
Listening Section (45 minutes)
I break the Listening section into its 4 Parts:
- Part 1: 6 photograph description questions — 5 minutes
- Part 2: 25 question-response items — 15 minutes
- Part 3: 39 conversation questions — 15 minutes
- Part 4: 30 talk questions — 10 minutes
Total: 45 minutes. I learned the hard way that spending too long on Parts 3 and 4 left me without enough time for Parts 1 and 2. So I made a conscious effort to trim time from those later parts to ensure I could get through every question.
Reading Section (75 minutes)
The Reading section is divided into 3 Parts:
- Part 5: 30 incomplete sentence questions — 20 minutes
- Part 6: 16 text completion questions — 15 minutes
- Part 7: 54 reading comprehension questions — 40 minutes
I used to rush through Parts 5 and 6, but I quickly realized that performing poorly on those sections makes it very hard to score well overall. Part 7 also demands serious attention since it has the largest number of questions. I recommend setting aside at least 40 minutes for it so you have enough time to read carefully and answer each question thoughtfully.
