TOEIC time management — the hidden skill
Most candidates who score below their ability level don't fail because of English — they fail because of time. The TOEIC Listening & Reading test gives you 75 minutes for 100 reading questions. That's 45 seconds per question. Knowing where to spend time and where to save it is worth 50-100 points.
Listening section — 45 minutes, 100 questions
Parts 1-2 (Photos + Question-Response): Quick decisions
You hear each question only once. If you're unsure, pick your best guess immediately and move on. Never dwell on a listening question — it's gone.
Parts 3-4 (Conversations + Talks): Read ahead
While the audio plays the instructions for each set, read the next questions. You'll know what to listen for before the conversation starts. This is the single biggest time-saver.
Reading section — 75 minutes, 100 questions
Parts 5-6 (Sentence completion + Text completion): 15 minutes maximum
These are grammar/vocabulary questions. You either know the answer or you don't. Spend 15-20 seconds each. If unsure, mark your best guess and move on. Save your time for Part 7.
Part 7 (Reading comprehension): 55-60 minutes
This is where your time goes. Single passages: 2-3 min each. Double passages: 3-4 min. Triple passages: 4-5 min. Start from the beginning — don't skip to double passages.
The 750+ strategy
For a 750+ score, you need roughly 80% correct. That means you can afford to get ~40 questions wrong. Don't waste 3 minutes on one hard question when you could answer 3 easy ones in the same time. Guess, mark, move on.
Common mistake
French speakers spend too long on Parts 5-6 because they want to "understand" the grammar rule before answering. On the TOEIC, you don't need to understand — you need to recognise the correct pattern. If "has been" sounds right after "since 2019," pick it. Analyse later.