How long is an announcement?

Short and single-speaker. Because there is no second voice to repeat the point, one unfamiliar word can cost the detail — which is what makes this vocabulary worth pre-learning.

What kind of announcements appear?

Campus and everyday contexts: schedule changes, facility notices, procedures and requirements.

Listening: Listen to an Announcement

Listening: Listen to an Announcement belongs to the Listening component of TOEFL iBT. The task gives you 2 questions and 2 minutes. Your result counts the questions you answer correctly.

Questions: 2
Time: 2 minutes
Prompts here: 48 published

Learn the vocabulary of notices and announcements — changes, deadlines, requirements and instructions — which is where the answerable detail in this task always sits.

An announcement exists to change what you do. Listen for the words that mark a change, a condition or a deadline; those are the ones the question asks about.

TOEFL iBT · Listening

Announcement — Printing system

From a bank of 48 prompts · free to read, no account needed

Listen to an announcement in a university library.

What the recording says

On test day the recording plays one time only; here you can read it at your own pace.

Librarian: Good afternoon, everyone. A quick note about printing. From Monday the library is moving to a new print system, and the old printing credit will not transfer automatically. If you have money left on your account, come to the help desk before Friday and we'll move it across for you. After Friday the balance stays on the old system, and the old system is being switched off at the end of the month. The new printers will also require you to tap your student card at the machine — sending a job from your laptop won't be enough on its own. There will be someone at the desk all week if you'd like to try it before term gets busy.

Questions & answer key2 questions

Your Listening result comes from how many questions you get right. Each recording plays one time, so what is really tested is how much detail you can hold while the next line is already playing.

1What is the main purpose of the announcement?
1. ATo explain that printing will no longer be free.
2. ✓To warn that unused credit must be transferred before a deadline.
3. CTo announce that the library will close at the end of the month.
4. DTo ask students to print less during busy periods.
Answer
B
The central instruction is to visit the help desk before Friday so the balance moves across.
2What will students need to do differently at the new printers?
1. ASend jobs only from library computers.
2. BPay at the help desk each time.
3. ✓Tap their student card at the machine.
4. DCollect printouts within the same day.
Answer
C
The speaker says sending a job from a laptop is not enough on its own — the card must be tapped at the machine.

Try one yourself, under the clock

This page shows the key. Practice under the timer shows which kinds of question you keep missing — and that is the part worth fixing.

Start with a free account

Practise on questions built like the 2026 test, have your Writing and Speaking scored out of 5 by AI, and see an estimated band on the 1–6 scale.

Create your free account →

See pricing

Common questions

How long is an announcement?: Short and single-speaker. Because there is no second voice to repeat the point, one unfamiliar word can cost the detail — which is what makes this vocabulary worth pre-learning.
What kind of announcements appear?: Campus and everyday contexts: schedule changes, facility notices, procedures and requirements.

47 more Announcement prompts in the bank7 free

·Announcement — a student services event (Test 1, Q13–14)
·Announcement — a student services event (Test 2, Q13–14)
·Announcement — the International Student Office (Test 3, Q13–14)
·Announcement — the campus bookstore (Test 4, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement at Career Services (Test 5, Q13–14)
·Announcement — a campus-wide announcement (Test 6, Q13–14)
·Announcement — the Wellness Center (Test 7, Q13–14)
·Announcement — a campus-wide announcement (Test 8, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the campus Red Cross chapter (Test 9, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Student Health Center (Test 10, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Genetics Department (Test 1, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Robotics Club (Test 2, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Nutrition Science Department (Test 3, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Entomology Department (Test 4, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Demography Research Center (Test 5, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Ecology Department (Test 6, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Virology Department (Test 7, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Kinesiology Department (Test 8, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Ornithology Department (Test 9, Q13–14)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Astrophysics Department (Test 10, Q13–14)
·Announcement — a residence hall meeting (Test 1, Q15–16)
·Announcement — a residence hall meeting (Test 2, Q15–16)
·Announcement — the recreation center (Test 3, Q15–16)
·Announcement — the Counseling Center (Test 4, Q15–16)
·Announcement — a campus-wide announcement (Test 5, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Business Department (Test 6, Q15–16)
·Announcement — a campus-wide announcement (Test 7, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Academic Integrity Office (Test 8, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Criminology Department (Test 9, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Geography Department (Test 10, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Urban Planning Department (Test 1, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Mock Trial Team (Test 2, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the campus newspaper (Test 3, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Forensic Science Department (Test 4, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Agricultural Science Department (Test 5, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Robotics Club (Test 6, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Materials Science Department (Test 7, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Cartography Department (Test 8, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Volcanology Department (Test 9, Q15–16)
·Announcement — an announcement from the Mycology Department (Test 10, Q15–16)

← All Listening practice Announcement vocabulary →TOEFL iBT Listening format →Full mock exams →