How hard is the reading in this task?

ETS calibrates TOEFL reading with its TextEvaluator tool across roughly Flesch-Kincaid 7.4 to 20.0, so daily-life texts sit at the readable end of that range while academic passages sit at the top.

Do I need academic words here?

Less than in the academic passage task. This one rewards practical, high-frequency vocabulary: appointments, deadlines, permissions, directions.

Reading: Read in Daily Life

Reading: Read in Daily Life is part of the Reading section of the TOEFL Essentials test. You get 3 questions and 2 minutes. It is scored by the number of correct answers.

Questions: 3
Time: 2 minutes
Prompts here: 42 published

Build the everyday reading vocabulary the TOEFL iBT uses in notices, schedules, messages and other practical texts, so you can find the answer without re-reading the passage.

These texts are short and functional — a notice, an email, a timetable. The words that decide the answer are usually the ones carrying time, condition or instruction, so learn those first.

Questions & answer key3 questions

Reading is scored by the number of correct answers, so there is no rubric to satisfy — only the text in front of you. Every question below has its answer and an explanation of why the other options fail.

1What does Priya mean when she writes "Of course it is"?
1. AShe had already guessed the new day.
2. ✓She is frustrated that the new day clashes with her job.
3. CShe thinks Marc has the room wrong.
4. DShe agrees that Friday is a sensible choice.
Answer
B
"Of course" here is ironic — it marks the change as unlucky rather than expected. The next clause gives the reason: she works then.
2What should Priya most likely do next?
1. AGo to the lab on Thursday as originally planned.
2. BAsk Marc to share his notes afterwards.
3. ✓Contact Dr. Osei before Friday.
4. DAsk her employer to change her shift.
Answer
C
Marc says a recording is available to anyone who asks in advance, so the useful next step is to ask before the session.
3Why is the portal still showing Thursday?
1. ✓The change was announced by email and the portal has not caught up.
2. BThe change applies only to some students.
3. CPriya is looking at last term's timetable.
4. DDr. Osei cancelled the change.
Answer
A
Marc says the news came by email last night; nothing suggests the portal was updated.

Now do it yourself and find out where you land

You can check right and wrong on this page. What a page cannot do is tell you which question types you keep losing, under real timing.

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Questions people ask

How hard is the reading in this task?: ETS calibrates TOEFL reading with its TextEvaluator tool across roughly Flesch-Kincaid 7.4 to 20.0, so daily-life texts sit at the readable end of that range while academic passages sit at the top.
Do I need academic words here?: Less than in the academic passage task. This one rewards practical, high-frequency vocabulary: appointments, deadlines, permissions, directions.

The other 41 Daily Life prompts12 free

·Read in Daily Life — Test 1: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 2: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 3: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 4: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 5: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 6: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 7: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 8: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 9: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 10: email
·Read in Daily Life — Test 1: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 2: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 3: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 4: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 5: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 6: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 7: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 8: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 9: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Test 10: message exchange
·Read in Daily Life — Sports centre noticefree
·Read in Daily Life — Test 1: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 2: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 3: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 4: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 5: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 6: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 7: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 8: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 9: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Test 10: notice
·Read in Daily Life — Printer room noticefree
·Read in Daily Life — Conference funding emailfree
·Read in Daily Life — Bike co-op postfree
·Read in Daily Life — Laboratory access noticefree
·Read in Daily Life — Shuttle route changefree
·Read in Daily Life — Presentation slotsfree
·Read in Daily Life — Campus café menufree
·Read in Daily Life — Cleaning rota emailfree
·Read in Daily Life — Special Collections rulesfree

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