TOEIC Reading Sample Questions with Answers & Explanations

What the TOEIC Reading Test Looks Like

The TOEIC Listening & Reading test has two sections, each scored on a scale of 5 to 495, for a maximum total score of 990. The Reading section gives you 75 minutes to answer 100 multiple-choice questions across three parts, and every question has exactly four options (A, B, C, D). There is no penalty for wrong answers, so you should never leave a question blank.

The eight sample questions below — four for Part 5, two for Part 6, and two for Part 7 — are 100% original practice items written in the same style and difficulty range as the exam. TOEIC is a registered trademark of ETS, and this article is not affiliated with or endorsed by ETS. For the best result, answer each question yourself before reading the explanation.

TOEIC Sample Questions Part 5: Incomplete Sentences

Part 5 gives you one sentence with one blank and four options. It mixes grammar items (word forms, verb tenses, pronouns, connectors) with vocabulary items. Aim to answer each one in about 20–30 seconds so you can save time for Part 7.

Question 1. Ms. Alvarez handled the difficult contract negotiations -------, earning praise from senior management at both companies.

• A. diplomatic
• B. diplomacy
• C. diplomatically
• D. more diplomatic

Answer: C — The blank describes how she handled the negotiations, so you need an adverb to modify the verb "handled." "Diplomatic" (A) and "more diplomatic" (D) are adjectives, which describe nouns, and "diplomacy" (B) is a noun. When the four options are different forms of the same word family, identify what the blank modifies — this word-form pattern appears frequently in Part 5.

Question 2. New identification badges ------- to all warehouse employees by the end of next week.

• A. will issue
• B. will be issued
• C. have issued
• D. are issuing

Answer: B — Badges do not issue anything; they are issued by the company, so the sentence needs the passive voice (be + past participle). The time phrase "by the end of next week" also points to the future, which rules out the present perfect "have issued" (C). For verb questions, always ask: does the subject perform the action or receive it?

Question 3. The marketing department has proposed several ------- to raise brand awareness among younger consumers.

• A. initiatives
• B. installments
• C. intermissions
• D. inspections

Answer: A — An "initiative" is a new plan or program designed to achieve a goal, which fits the purpose clause "to raise brand awareness." "Installments" (B) are partial payments, "intermissions" (C) are breaks during a performance, and "inspections" (D) are official examinations. In vocabulary items the options often look similar, so match the meaning to the context clue — here, the phrase directly after the blank.

Question 4. ------- the shipment clears customs before noon, the warehouse team will deliver it to the store on the same day.

• A. Despite
• B. Provided that
• C. In spite of
• D. Whereas

Answer: B — "Provided that" means "if" and introduces a condition, matching the if-then logic of the sentence. "Despite" (A) and "in spite of" (C) must be followed by a noun phrase, not a full clause with a subject and verb, and "whereas" (D) signals contrast. For connector questions, check the grammar first (clause or noun phrase?) and then the meaning (condition, contrast, reason, or time).

TOEIC Sample Questions Part 6: Text Completion

Part 6 places four blanks inside a short text such as an email, memo, notice, or article. Unlike Part 5, the correct answer often depends on sentences before or after the blank — especially for verb tenses and connecting words — so always read the whole passage. Each sample below contains one blank.

Question 5 refers to the following memo. — To: All staff | From: Building Management | Subject: Elevator maintenance — Please be advised that the passenger elevators in Tower B will be out of service this Saturday, July 18, while our contractor performs scheduled maintenance. The work is expected to take approximately six hours. -------, we ask that you use the stairs or the elevators in Tower A. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Question 5. Choose the best word or phrase to fill the blank.

• A. For instance
• B. On the contrary
• C. Similarly
• D. In the meantime

Answer: D — The blank links the six-hour maintenance period to the instruction that follows: during that time, staff should use the stairs or the Tower A elevators. "In the meantime" means "during that period," which fits exactly. "For instance" introduces an example, "on the contrary" contradicts a previous statement, and "similarly" adds a comparable point — none of those relationships exists here. Connector blanks in Part 6 are usually solved by the sentence before the blank.

Question 6 refers to the following email. — Dear Ms. Cortez, Thank you for shopping with Lanna Office Supply. Your order #48291 ------- from our Chiang Mai warehouse on Monday, July 6. As soon as the package leaves our facility, we will send you an email with a tracking number. If you have any questions, simply reply to this message. — Customer Care Team

Question 6. Choose the best verb form to fill the blank.

• A. was shipped
• B. will be shipped
• C. has been shipped
• D. had been shipped

Answer: B — The next sentence says the tracking email will arrive "as soon as the package leaves our facility," which tells you the order has not left yet, so the shipping is a future event: "will be shipped." The simple past (A), present perfect (C), and past perfect (D) all describe shipping that has already happened, which contradicts that clue. Tense questions in Part 6 are almost always decided by a time clue in a neighboring sentence rather than by the blank's sentence alone.

TOEIC Sample Questions Part 7: Reading Comprehension

Part 7 is the longest part of the test: 54 questions based on realistic workplace texts such as notices, emails, advertisements, text-message chains, articles, and sets of two or three related documents. The most common question types ask about the main purpose, specific details, vocabulary in context, and what is implied. Here are two single-passage samples.

Question 7 refers to the following notice. — NOTICE, Riverside Fitness Center: Beginning Monday, August 3, the lap pool will open at 6:00 A.M. on weekdays — one hour earlier than the current opening time. Weekend hours will remain the same. Members who would like to join the new early-morning swim group should add their names to the sign-up sheet at the front desk by Friday, July 24.

Question 7. What is the main purpose of the notice?

• A. To announce earlier weekday opening hours for the pool
• B. To advertise a discount on annual memberships
• C. To explain a temporary closure of the fitness center
• D. To introduce a new swimming instructor

Answer: A — The first sentence carries the main point: from August 3, the pool opens one hour earlier on weekdays. Nothing in the notice mentions prices (B), a closure (C), or an instructor (D). For purpose questions, the opening sentence usually contains the answer; the sign-up detail at the end is supporting information. Watch out for wrong options that recycle words from the passage ("swim," "members") to look plausible.

Question 8 refers to the following email. — To: Daniel Reyes | From: Supaporn Chaiyasit | Subject: Thursday meeting — Dear Mr. Reyes, I am very sorry, but I must visit our Rayong plant on Thursday to resolve an urgent production issue, so I will not be able to attend our 2:00 P.M. meeting. Would it be possible to move the meeting to Friday at 10:00 A.M.? If that time is inconvenient, please suggest an alternative, and I will do my best to accommodate it. Kind regards, Supaporn Chaiyasit, Procurement Manager

Question 8. Why did Ms. Chaiyasit send the email?

• A. To cancel a purchase order
• B. To ask for a meeting to be rescheduled
• C. To confirm a visit to a client's office
• D. To report the results of a plant inspection

Answer: B — Ms. Chaiyasit explains that she cannot attend Thursday's meeting and asks, "Would it be possible to move the meeting to Friday at 10:00 A.M.?" — a clear request to reschedule. She mentions the Rayong plant only as the reason she is unavailable, which is how distractors (C) and (D) try to trap you. In Part 7 emails, the writer's key request usually appears right after the apology or background sentence.

How to Keep Practicing TOEIC Reading for Free

Eight questions show you the format, but real progress comes from steady volume with feedback. A routine that works for most learners is short, frequent sessions with a full review of every explanation:

• Practice in short bursts — five focused questions a day beats an occasional two-hour marathon.
• Read the explanation even when you answered correctly, to confirm you chose the answer for the right reason.
• Log your errors by type (word forms, tenses, connectors, vocabulary, purpose questions) and drill your weakest category first.
• Time yourself: about 20–30 seconds per Part 5 item and roughly one minute per Part 7 question.

If you want more questions in exactly this format, eng-test.com offers a free five-question sample right on its homepage — no sign-up required — drawn from a bank of more than 20,000 original TOEIC-style Reading questions, each with explanations in both English and Thai. The bank is organized into Vocabulary, Grammar, Incomplete Sentences (Part 5), Text Completion (Part 6), and Reading Comprehension (Part 7), so you can target the same skills you just practiced above.

On test day, remember that the TOEIC has no penalty for wrong answers. If time runs short in Part 7, eliminate the options you can and answer every remaining question — a blank can never be correct, but an educated guess can.