APTENYOTOEIC Reading Time Management: How to Split the 75 Minutes
Updated
The TOEIC Listening and Reading test has 200 questions. Half of them are in the Reading section, and you get 75 minutes for all 100. That is 45 seconds per question on average. But the parts are very different. A Part 5 question can take 15 seconds, while a Part 7 multiple-passage set asks you to read two or three texts first. Many test takers lose points not because the English is too hard, but because they run out of time.
The test at a glance
Know the format before you plan your time. These numbers come from the ETS test overview:
| Section | Parts | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening | 1–4 | 100 | ~45 min |
| Reading | 5–7 | 100 | 75 min |
| Total | 7 | 200 | ~2 hours |
- With the biographical questions you answer on the day, the whole session takes about 2.5 hours.
- Listening plays from a recording, so you cannot change its pace. Reading is the section where your time plan matters.
- Each section is scored from 5 to 495, for a total of 10 to 990.
- Your score is based on the number of questions you answer correctly. The ETS examinee handbook says there is no penalty for guessing.
Reading: a starting time plan
| Part | Task | Questions | Time | Per question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Incomplete sentences | 30 | 10 min | ~20 sec |
| 6 | Text completion | 16 (4 texts) | 8 min | ~2 min a text |
| 7 | Single passages | 29 | 27 min | ~55 sec |
| 7 | Multiple passages | 25 | 28 min | ~65 sec |
| — | Buffer | — | 2 min | Fill in blanks |
Checkpoints: where you should be by the clock
A plan only helps if you check it during the test. On the answer sheet, the Reading questions are numbered 101 to 200. Use the time left as your guide:
- 75 minutes left: start Part 5 (question 101).
- 65 minutes left: move to Part 6 (question 131).
- 57 minutes left: move to the Part 7 single passages (question 147).
- 30 minutes left: move to the Part 7 multiple passages (question 176).
- 2 minutes left: fill in an answer for every question you have not reached.
If you are behind at a checkpoint, don't try to win the time back on the hard question in front of you. Pick an answer, mark it and move on. The ETS handbook says you may not use note paper, so learn these five numbers before test day. Rules on watches differ by country, so check what your local test centre allows.
Adjust the plan to your target score
The same 75 minutes can be used differently, depending on the score you need.
- Target 725 or below: secure Parts 5 and 6 first. Not finishing Part 7 is common. Don't rush every question just to reach the end; use the last 2 minutes to fill in every blank.
- Target 730–855: keep Part 5 under 12 minutes. Finish the Part 7 single passages. The hardest one or two multiple-passage sets can wait until last.
- Target 860 and above: you need to finish everything. Keep Parts 5 and 6 under 16 minutes together, so Part 7 gets 55 minutes or more.
Part 5: decide fast
- Look at the four choices first. Decide whether the question tests word form, tense, prepositions or vocabulary. Word-form questions can often be answered from the words right before and after the blank.
- If you don't know a key word in a vocabulary question, choose your best answer and move on. Spend no more than 30 seconds on any one question.
- Every minute you save in Part 5 becomes a minute for Part 7, where each passage takes longer to read.
Part 6: about 2 minutes per text
- Each text has 4 questions. Some questions ask you to choose a whole sentence for the blank. These need the context, so leave them until the end of that text.
- The other questions look like Part 5, but the answer often depends on the sentence before or after. Check the tense, and check what a pronoun refers to.
Part 7: work in order, or leave the hardest sets?
| Approach | Good for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|
| In order | Keeps the answer sheet in line | One slow set eats the time for the rest |
| Hard sets last | Collects the points you can get first | Check the question number when you mark |
The ETS handbook itself advises pacing yourself in Reading and coming back later to a question you can't answer. Either way, read the questions first, then look for the answers in the text. Questions often use different words from the passage. For example, the text says "postpone" and the question asks about a "delay".
Practise with a timer
- Practise Reading as one 75-minute block, not one question at a time.
- After each practice, write down how many minutes Part 5 took and how many Part 7 questions were left. After two or three sessions, you will see where your time goes.
- In APTENYO's full mock tests, the Reading section counts down from 75 minutes. You can skip a question for now, and before you submit, the app shows how many questions are still unanswered.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the TOEIC test, and how long is it?
There are 200 multiple-choice questions: 100 in Listening (about 45 minutes) and 100 in Reading (75 minutes). That is about 2 hours of testing, or about 2.5 hours in total with the biographical questions.
Should I guess if I run out of time?
Yes. Your score is based on correct answers, and there is no penalty for guessing. A blank is always zero, so fill in every question before time is up.
When should I mark the answer sheet?
As you go. Mark each answer on the answer sheet, not in the test book. If you leave all the marking to the end, you may not have time to finish it.
How long does it take to get the timing right?
It depends on the person. A practical way is to practise the full 75 minutes each time and compare your time for each part, until you finish on plan a few times in a row.