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TOEIC Listening and Reading Practice Test: A Three-Second Decision in Part 2

Part 2 gives you 25 question-response items with no printed options, so speed comes from recognising the shape of the question. A three-second decision rule, the seven question forms, a distractor taxonomy, nine worked items and a twenty-item drill you mark yourself - then how to fold it into a full toeic listening and reading practice test.

By HiBay Exam EditorialPublished Nov 2, 2026Updated Nov 2, 20266 min read
Flat editorial illustration of a loudspeaker on a desk with sound arcs reaching three blank answer panels, one panel highlighted in teal
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Part 2 gives one question and three replies, nothing printed but the item number, and no second hearing, so speed means recognising the shape. Format facts come from ETS's published examinee handbook and sample test form, read on 2 November 2026.

What Part 2 Tests

Part 2 is 25 of the Listening section's 100 questions in about 45 minutes: one question or statement and three replies, none printed. Part 1 is six photographs, Part 3 has 39, Part 4 has 30.

In Part 1 you name an action; in Part 2 you name the shape of a sentence heard once, so a miss here is usually a shape miss.

Seven Question Forms and the Shape Each Expects

FormWhat you hearThe shape of a correct reply
Yes/noAre you driving to the meeting?agreement, or an indirect yes
Wh- informationWhere's the new fax machine?the missing detail
DegreeHow well does he play the violin?an evaluation
ChoiceMeet on Tuesday or Wednesday?one of the two, or a third
Request or offerCould you send me the file?agreement or a refusal
Tag questionYou've booked the room, haven't you?agreement or a correction
StatementMariko announced that she's retiring.a reaction

IMAGE 1: flat editorial illustration of seven panels above one wide answer panel, teal and sand palette

Why the Repeated Word Is Usually Wrong

Wrong replies are built: four families cover most.

  1. Echo: Where's the new fax machine? answered by I'll send a fax tomorrow. borrows fax and answers nothing.
  2. Slot shift: a fluent reply to another question word, like a place question met with a time.
  3. True but unresponsive: accurate but not an answer, like commenting on an invoice when the question was who sent it.
  4. Sound-alike: market for moving; with no spelling, the ear finishes it.

The Three-Second Decision Rule

After the third reply comes one short pause, then the next question.

  1. First second: name the form, one row of the table.
  2. Second second: name the shape you expect, not the words.
  3. Third second: commit: first reply that fits, mark it, stop.

If nothing fits, take the reply that answers the right question word and move; an unmarked item costs twice.

Traps: Why-Questions, Tags and Statements

Why did the shipment arrive late? wants a cause: By Thursday. answers when, Yes, it arrived. answers yes/no.

A tag turns the reply onto the statement: You've booked the room, haven't you? is settled by Not yet, this morning.

A statement asks nothing, and after a negative question a bare yes reverses.

A Twenty-Item Drill With Nine Worked Items

Items 1 to 9 are deconstructed line by line: key word, shape and the trap in each distractor. Items 1 to 5 are ETS published samples; 6 to 9 are built here.

  1. Where is the meeting room? (A) To meet the new director. (B) It's the first room on the right. (C) Yes, at two o'clock. → B; Where → a place; A why, C yes/no.
  2. Where's the new fax machine? (A) Next to the water fountain. (B) I'll send a fax tomorrow. (C) By Wednesday. → A; B echoes fax, C answers when.
  3. How well does Thomas play the violin? (A) Sure, I really like it. (B) Oh, he's a professional. (C) I'll turn down the volume. → B; degree → evaluation; A yes/no, C noise.
  4. Martin, are you driving to the meeting? (A) Oh, would you like a ride? (B) Nice to meet you, too. (C) I thought it went well! → A; B answers the name, C hears a report.
  5. Mariko announced that she's retiring in April. (A) How many did you count? (B) I'm not tired at all. (C) Right, she's been here twenty-five years. → C; a statement → a reaction; B chases retiring.
  6. You've booked the room, haven't you? (A) Not yet, this morning. (B) Yes, floor two. (C) It has two windows. → A; B echo, C comment only.
  7. Would you rather present first or second? (A) Yes, it went well. (B) Either is fine. (C) In the hall. → B; a choice → one of two; A yes/no, C where.
  8. Why did the delivery arrive late? (A) By Thursday. (B) Yes, it arrived. (C) Held at customs. → C; A answers when, B echoes arrived.
  9. Mr. Okada is moving to Singapore. (A) Where is the office market? (B) I'll book your flight. (C) Right, he told me. → C; A chases moving, B invents an action.
  1. Could you send the schedule? (A) It changed last week. (B) Sure, this afternoon. (C) Room four. → B; A dodges; C where.
  2. Where's the delivery receipt? (A) Yesterday. (B) Yes, delivered. (C) Top drawer. → C; A when; B echo.
  3. How long will the audit take? (A) Three weeks. (B) Because records are old. (C) At head office. → A; B why; C where.
  4. What time does training start? (A) In the big room. (B) Yes, today. (C) At nine, coffee at 8.30. → C; A where; B yes/no.
  5. Lunch for the team or the visitors? (A) Yes, at noon. (B) Just the visitors. (C) They arrived early. → B; A yes; C echo.
  6. How was the client's reaction? (A) Better than expected. (B) At ten this morning. (C) Yes, I proposed it. → A; B when; C echo.
  7. Who runs the trade show booth? (A) In hall B. (B) Yes, a big show. (C) The sales team. → C; A where; B echo.
  8. You don't have the numbers, do you? (A) No, they're at my desk. (B) Yes, I'll ship it. (C) They're big. → A; B echoes ship; C echoes numbers.
  9. Please copy Ms. Alvarez on this. (A) She's on floor four. (B) Certainly, now. (C) Yes, I read it. → B; A where; C reports reading.
  10. Have you finished the figures? (A) One more day. (B) The quarters are downstairs. (C) On page four. → A; B chases quarters; C echo.
  11. Would you like to join the call? (A) I'd like that. (B) Yes, the caller is waiting. (C) No, I called him. → A; B echoes caller; C echoes called.

IMAGE 2: flat editorial illustration of numbered cards meeting one marked card, teal and sand palette

Folding Part 2 Into a Full TOEIC Listening and Reading Practice Test

Give Part 2 ten minutes first.

  1. Four minutes: twenty items, marked without replay.
  2. Six minutes: one line per miss, then the rows they point at.
  3. Then the real work: a toeic listening and reading practice test, part by part, with Part 2 in place.

Four weeks of log, one line a week: the form you misread most, the trap that cost most, your score out of 25.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I practise TOEIC listening questions and vocabulary online for free?

ETS publishes the examinee handbook and the sample test form free on its preparation page; the course listed there is paid, through a local EPN office. Use it for format and any transcripted recording for volume, and learn words in the sentences that beat you.

How many question-response items are in TOEIC Listening Part 2?

Twenty-five, between Part 1's six photographs and Part 3's 39 questions, so these items run 7 to 31; only the number is printed, since the replies are heard.

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