What Happened to Integrated Writing in TOEFL 2026?

If you have been preparing for the TOEFL by practicing the Integrated Essay, here is the news: it is gone. The Independent Essay is also gone. The entire writing section has been rebuilt from scratch with three new tasks that test different skills in different ways. And if you are still using prep books from before 2026, every practice essay you write is for a test that no longer exists.

This article explains exactly what replaced the old writing tasks, how each new task works, how they are scored, and what you need to do differently to prepare.

What the Old Writing Section Looked Like

The previous TOEFL iBT writing section had two tasks:

Integrated Essay (20 minutes): You read a short academic passage (about 250 words), then listened to a lecture that challenged or supported the reading. You wrote an essay explaining how the lecture related to the reading. The expected length was 150-225 words.

Independent Essay (30 minutes): You received a prompt asking for your opinion on a topic (e.g., "Do you agree or disagree that technology has made our lives easier?"). You wrote an essay with your position and supporting arguments. The expected length was 300+ words.

Both tasks were scored by a combination of human raters and e-rater (an automated scoring system) on a scale of 0-5, which was then converted to the 0-30 section score.

What Replaced It: Three New Tasks

The TOEFL iBT 2026 writing section has three tasks instead of two:

Let us examine each one in detail.

Task 1: Build a Sentence (10 Questions)

How It Works

Build a Sentence gives you a set of words in scrambled order. Your job is to arrange them into a grammatically correct, meaningful sentence. There are 10 questions.

For example, you might see the words: "the / students / submitted / have / their / all / assignments"

The correct answer: "All the students have submitted their assignments."

Some questions may have more words or more complex structures. You might encounter sentences with relative clauses, passive voice, conditional structures, or compound-complex forms.

What It Tests

Build a Sentence tests your knowledge of English grammar and syntax at a structural level:

• Word order rules: Subject-verb-object, adjective placement, adverb positioning.
• Grammatical morphology: Can you identify which form of a word fits (have submitted vs. has submitted)?
• Clause structure: Can you correctly order main clauses, subordinate clauses, and relative clauses?
• Function words: Can you place articles, prepositions, and conjunctions correctly?

How It Is Scored

Build a Sentence is auto-scored, meaning a computer algorithm checks whether your arrangement matches the correct sentence structure. There is no human or AI evaluation of your writing quality. It is either correct or incorrect.

This makes Build a Sentence the most objective part of the writing section. There is no partial credit for being "close" to the right answer. The sentence is either grammatically correct in the expected structure, or it is not.

How to Prepare for Build a Sentence

Study sentence patterns systematically. Learn the major English sentence patterns:

• Simple: S + V + O ("She reads books.")
• Compound: S + V + O, conj. + S + V + O ("She reads books, and he watches movies.")
• Complex: Subordinator + S + V, S + V + O ("Although she was tired, she finished the report.")
• Compound-complex: Combinations of the above.

Practice sentence unscrambling exercises. These are available in many grammar textbooks and online resources. Start with simple sentences and work up to complex ones with multiple clauses.

Pay attention to function words. The trickiest part of Build a Sentence is often placing articles (a, an, the), prepositions (in, on, at, for), and conjunctions (and, but, although, because) correctly. These small words determine sentence structure.

Learn common collocations. Some word combinations are fixed in English: "make a decision" (not "do a decision"), "take advantage of" (not "take advantage from"). Knowing these helps you arrange words into natural sentences quickly.

Task 2: Write an Email (7 Minutes)

How It Works

You read a short prompt of 35 to 55 words describing a situation. The prompt specifies three required details you must address in your email. You also see an email header with the recipient (emailTo) and subject line (emailSubject).

You then write an email responding to the situation. You have 7 minutes.

The Prompt Structure

A typical prompt follows a pattern:

1. A situation is described: "You recently purchased a laptop from an online store, and it arrived with a cracked screen."
2. Three required details are listed:
   • Describe the problem you experienced.
   • Explain what you would like the company to do.
   • Mention when you need the issue resolved.
3. Instructions: Write as much as you can and in complete sentences.

The email header tells you who you are writing to (which determines formality) and what the email is about.

Register Matters

One of the most important aspects of Write an Email is register, the level of formality appropriate for the situation. The prompt signals the expected register:

• Formal register: Writing to a company, a professor, an institution, or an unknown recipient. The emailTo field shows an email address (e.g., "[email protected]"). Use formal salutations, complete sentences, no contractions, polite request language.
• Informal register: Writing to a friend, classmate, or someone you know well. The emailTo field shows a first name (e.g., "Sarah"). Use casual tone, contractions are acceptable, friendly closings.

Mismatching register is a significant scoring issue. Writing a casual email to a company ("Hey guys, my laptop is busted") or an overly formal email to a friend ("Dear Ms. Johnson, I am writing to inquire...") both demonstrate weak register awareness.

Scoring (AI-Graded, 0-5)

Write an Email is graded by AI on a 0-5 scale. The scoring considers:

• Task completion: Did you address all three required details?
• Organization: Is the email structured logically with a clear opening, body, and closing?
• Language use: Grammar accuracy, vocabulary range, sentence variety.
• Register appropriateness: Does the tone match the situation?
• Coherence: Does the email flow naturally from one point to the next?

A score of 5 means you addressed all three details thoroughly, used appropriate register throughout, demonstrated strong grammar and vocabulary, and organized the email effectively. A score of 3 means you addressed the details but with some gaps, used acceptable but limited language, or had noticeable register inconsistencies.

How to Prepare for Write an Email

Practice writing emails under strict time limits. Seven minutes is not much time. Practice with a timer to develop speed. You should aim for 150-220 words, which is achievable in 7 minutes with practice.

Learn email conventions. Different types of emails have different conventions:

• Complaint emails: State the problem, explain the impact, request a specific resolution.
• Request emails: Explain your situation, make a clear request, provide relevant details.
• Informational emails: Share the information, explain why it matters, indicate any action needed.
• Thank you/follow-up emails: Reference the previous interaction, express appreciation, mention next steps.

Master formal and informal openings and closings:

• Formal: "Dear [Name/Title]," ... "Sincerely," / "Best regards,"
• Informal: "Hi [Name]," ... "Thanks!" / "Talk soon,"

Practice addressing exactly three details. The prompt always specifies three things to address. Practice the discipline of covering all three without spending too much time on any one. A good strategy: one paragraph per detail, or weave all three into 2-3 well-organized paragraphs.

Build vocabulary for common email situations. Complaints, requests, apologies, and explanations each have specific vocabulary and phrases. Build your repertoire:

• Complaints: "I was disappointed to find..." / "This has caused significant inconvenience..."
• Requests: "I would appreciate it if you could..." / "Would it be possible to..."
• Apologies: "I sincerely apologize for..." / "I take full responsibility for..."

Task 3: Academic Discussion (10 Minutes)

How It Works

You see a discussion thread with three posts:

1. The professor's question (50-80 words): The professor introduces a topic, provides context, and poses a question. The question often ends with "What do you think? Why or why not?" or a similar prompt for discussion.

2. Student A's response (30-55 words): A short post taking one position and giving a brief reason.

3. Student B's response (30-55 words): A short post taking a different position and giving a brief reason.

Your task: Write your own contribution to the discussion. You must write at least 100 words. You have 10 minutes.

The Discussion Prompt Structure

A typical Academic Discussion looks like this:

Professor: "In our economics class, we have been discussing the impact of automation on employment. Some economists argue that automation creates more jobs than it eliminates, while others warn of widespread job displacement. What do you think about the long-term impact of automation on the job market? Why or why not?"

Student A (Alex): "I think automation will mostly benefit the economy. History shows that new technologies always create new types of jobs. When ATMs were introduced, people thought bank tellers would disappear, but the number of bank branches actually increased."

Student B (Maria): "I am concerned that this time is different. AI and automation can now do cognitive tasks, not just physical ones. Many middle-skill jobs like data entry and basic accounting are already being replaced with no clear alternatives."

Your response: Take a position, engage with the existing posts, and support your argument.

What Makes a Strong Response

The highest-scoring responses share several characteristics:

Engagement with existing posts. Do not write as if Alex and Maria do not exist. Reference their arguments. "While Alex makes a valid point about historical patterns..." or "Maria raises an important concern about cognitive automation..." This shows you can participate in academic discourse, not just deliver a monologue.

A clear position. State where you stand. You can agree with one student, disagree with both, or synthesize elements from both positions. But your stance must be clear.

At least one new argument. Do not simply repeat what Alex or Maria said. Introduce a new perspective, a new example, or a new angle. This is what "contributing to the discussion" means.

Supporting evidence. Give a specific example, cite a logical argument, or reference a real-world situation. "In my country, the manufacturing sector lost 30% of jobs to automation, but the tech sector has grown significantly" is stronger than "I think automation has both good and bad effects."

Adequate length. The minimum is 100 words, but scores of 5 typically come from responses of 120-160 words. Longer than 160 words risks running out of time and introducing errors.

Scoring (AI-Graded, 0-5)

Academic Discussion is graded by AI on a 0-5 scale:

• Score 5: Clear position, engages with other students, introduces new argument with specific support, strong grammar and vocabulary, well-organized.
• Score 4: Clear position with good support but may have minor language errors or slightly less engagement with other posts.
• Score 3: Position stated but support is generic or thin, may not engage with other students, noticeable language errors, may fall short of 100 words.
• Score 2: Unclear position, minimal support, significant language errors, poor organization.
• Score 1: Barely addresses the topic, severe language errors.

How to Prepare for Academic Discussion

Practice the 3-post reading + response format. This format is specific to the TOEFL 2026. You need to read a professor's question and two student responses, then write your own contribution. Practice this exact sequence under timed conditions.

Build your ability to take a position quickly. You do not have time to deliberate for 3 minutes. Read the posts, decide your position within the first minute, and start writing. Practice making quick decisions on academic topics.

Learn to reference other speakers by name. Using the students' names (e.g., "I agree with Maria's concern about...") is a natural part of academic discussion. Practice this phrasing so it comes naturally under time pressure.

Develop a bank of academic discussion phrases:

• Agreeing: "I share Alex's view that..." / "Building on Maria's point..."
• Disagreeing: "While I understand Alex's argument, I believe..." / "Maria overlooks the fact that..."
• Adding nuance: "Both students make valid points, but I think the key issue is..." / "The situation is more complex than either student suggests..."
• Introducing new arguments: "Another factor worth considering is..." / "From a different perspective..."

Practice writing 120-160 words in 10 minutes. This pace allows time for reading (2 minutes), planning (1 minute), writing (6 minutes), and reviewing (1 minute). Practice this time allocation until it becomes natural.

Study common academic discussion topics. The professor's questions tend to cover topics from social sciences, education policy, technology, environment, economics, and culture. Read widely on these topics so you have examples and arguments ready.

How the New Writing Section Compares to the Old

The Skills That Transfer and the Skills That Do Not

Skills That Transfer from Old TOEFL Prep

• Grammar knowledge still matters for all three tasks.
• Vocabulary range helps with Write an Email and Academic Discussion.
• Coherent argumentation applies to Academic Discussion.
• Writing under time pressure is still essential.

Skills That Do Not Transfer

• Summarizing a lecture in writing is no longer tested.
• Writing 300+ word essays is not required (and not possible in the time limits).
• The 5-paragraph essay structure is too long for any of the new tasks.
• Integrated reading-listening-writing skills are not directly tested in writing (though they appear in other sections).

New Skills You Need

• Email writing conventions including register matching.
• Sentence construction from word pools (Build a Sentence).
• Engaging with others' arguments in writing (Academic Discussion).
• Concise, focused writing in short time windows (7 and 10 minutes).

Common Mistakes in Preparing for the New Writing Section

Mistake 1: Writing Practice Essays

If you are writing 300-word essays in 30 minutes, you are not preparing for any task on the 2026 TOEFL. The longest writing task (Academic Discussion) expects 120-160 words in 10 minutes. Practice shorter, more focused writing.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Build a Sentence

Some test-takers view Build a Sentence as "just grammar" and skip it in their preparation. With 10 questions, it is a significant portion of the writing score. And sentence construction is a skill that benefits your Email and Academic Discussion writing as well.

Mistake 3: Not Practicing Register Switching

Many English learners write in one register for everything. The Email task specifically tests whether you can match your writing to the situation. Practice writing formal and informal versions of the same message to build register flexibility.

Mistake 4: Writing Academic Discussion Responses That Ignore the Other Students

A response that reads like a standalone paragraph, without referencing Alex, Maria, or their arguments, misses a core element of the task. The task is to contribute to a discussion, not to deliver a solo opinion.

Practice All Three 2026 Writing Tasks

Ace120 offers the complete TOEFL iBT 2026 writing section: Build a Sentence (10 questions, auto-scored), Write an Email (7 minutes, AI-graded 0-5), and Academic Discussion (10 minutes, AI-graded 0-5). The platform provides AI grading with detailed feedback, model essays at different score levels, writing guides with brainstorming prompts, and scoring rubric breakdowns for every question. Practice the writing tasks you will actually face and understand exactly what the AI grader is looking for at Ace120.