TOEIC Speaking and Writing Test

TOEIC test is provided by the ETS for candidates who are non-native speakers of English in order to prove their language proficiency level in English at their workspace. This exam is accepted in over 160 countries by over 14,000 organizations. They focus on the four aspects of language proficiency which are Speaking, Writing, Reading, and Listening but they conduct these tests separately so candidates can take the aspect they require most at their workspace instead of taking all four though it is recommended that candidates take all four for the best results.

The Speaking and Writing section of the test can be taken together and separately as per the interests of the candidate and is a method to show their potential or current employers the range of their communication skills in the language. There is also an option of taking a Bridge Test which is for candidates who are in the lower or intermediate levels of language learning in order to understand where they stand and improve themselves before, they attempt the other tests.

Why take the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Test?

Attempting the Speaking and Writing Section of the test provides the candidate with the opportunity to advance their careers whichever stage they are in by entering the global market of employment and showcasing their skills in the language. The Score Report of TOEIC lets the candidate stand apart from the general competition by demonstrating their ability to communicate in a global language which is often required for international organizations in fields like hotel management, hospitals, restaurants, and the like.

The Speaking part of the test focuses mainly on the aspects of effective presentation skills, face-to-face communications, meetings, videoconferencing, and teleconferencing. The Writing part of the test focuses on written business communications, unlike tests like TOEFL and IELTS which focus on communication skills required in academic spaces. They will be required to understand the art of writing persuasive emails and other forms of business correspondence in the written format. While proving the existence of these skills in the candidate, it will also help the candidate train themselves in these aspects making them well-trained for positions and promotions they apply for.

Registering for TOEIC Speaking and Writing Test

Candidates will be able to register for the test either through institutional testing or public testing. If their company offers the feature of taking the test through the company, they will have to contact their office administrator to apply for the test. But if the candidate chooses public testing, they will be able to register for the test by contacting their nearest EPN member through phone, email, mail, or their website.

If the candidate resides in the US, their EPN member can be contacted by mailing their request to AMIDEAST, 2025 M Street, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20036-4505 or by emailing the same to toeic@amideast.org . They will also be able to do the same by phone by contacting 1-866-383-9234 or 1-202-664-1854. This can also be done through the official website www.amideast.org/toeic.

The test takers from Canada will be able to register online by creating an official account on the ETS website and following the required procedures which will include entering their details, uploading a photograph, and paying the fee.

Test Format for TOEIC Speaking and Writing

The skills that are required to crack the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test involve skills that are used in the workspace and hence include settings and atmospheres that the candidates will have to encounter in the workspace. The sections for Speaking and Writing have different formats which are as follows-

TOEIC Speaking Section

This section contains 11 questions and a time frame of 20 minutes in all. Each question will contain specific instructions including the amount of time the candidate can use for each of the questions. Candidates are allowed to speak throughout the time duration including as much content as possible, but it is recommended that they try to speak clearly and answer the questions directly to prove their grasp of the language instead of speaking non-stop.

• Read a text aloud- This task will be provided with 45 seconds where the candidate will be required to read aloud the text provided on the screen.
• Describe a picture- This task will be provided with 45 seconds in which the candidate will be shown a picture on the screen based on which they will have to speak.
• Respond to Questions- There will be three questions in this task with each question receiving 3 seconds for preparation, 15 seconds for the first 2 questions, and 30 seconds for the last question.
• Respond to Questions using Information Provided- This task also includes 3 questions with the candidate receiving 45 seconds to read and process the information and 3 seconds to prepare for each response. They will be provided with 15 seconds for the first 2 questions and 30 seconds for the last question.
• Propose a Solution- This task contains one question with the candidate receiving 45 seconds to prepare their response and 60 seconds to speak. They will be required to both portray that they have recognized the problem and propose a solution to the problem.
• Express an Opinion- The candidate will be provided with an opinion on a problem and 30 seconds to prepare a response for the same. They will have 60 seconds to respond.

TOEIC Writing Section

This section will contain 8 questions in all with a total time duration of 60 minutes. The directions for each question will be provided within the question including the time allotted for each of the questions. The format for the section is as follows-

• Write a sentence based on a picture- This task will contain a picture and phrases or words the candidate will have to use to write the sentence based on it.
• Respond to a written request- This task will require the candidate to write a response to an email and will be allotted a total of 10 minutes to both read and answer each email. There will be two questions in this task.
• Write an opinion essay- Candidates will be provided with a question that will require them to state, explain, and support their opinion on an issue they provide. They must write an essay with a minimum of 300 words in all.

Scoring for TOEIC Speaking and Writing Test

The TOEIC Speaking and Writing section does not have a pass or fail grade and is instead provided with score bands that indicate where the candidate stands. The number of score bands vary according to the different sections of the test and candidates will be able to either attempt both the Speaking and Writing sections together or they will be able to attempt them separately and accordingly they will receive a combined score, a speaking score, or a writing score.

TOEIC Speaking Score

The total score of this section is calculated on a score scale of 0-200. Out of the total of 11 questions, the first 9 questions are scored on a scale of 0-3 and the last 2 questions are scored on a scale of 0-5. There are 8 proficiency levels or score bands for this section.

TOEIC Writing Score

This section is also scored on a scale of 0-200. There are a total of 8 questions in the section where the first 5 questions are scored on a scale of 0-3, the next 2 on a scale of 0-4, and the last question is scored on a scale of 0-5. The section contains 9 proficiency levels or score bands in all.

Things to Bring on Test Day

The only thing candidates are allowed to bring on the test day is 2 of their ID cards. The ID card should contain the candidate’s signature and recent photograph along with their full name as provided during the registration. The ID card should not have expired on or before the test date. The recommended IDs by the ETS are-

• Passport
• Driver’s License
• State ID
• National ID
• Military ID

Things NOT to Bring on Test Day

Candidates are not allowed to bring any personal belongings to the test center. If they do, they will have to leave it in the allocated space before entering the examination hall. The list of prohibited items includes-

• purses
• pocketbooks
• backpacks
• cell phones
• electronic devices
• calculators
• watch alarms
• listening devices.
• books
• dictionaries