The best TOEFL Books of 2020

There are a few good TOEFL books. There are a lot of bad TOEFL books. I hope that this article helps you pick the best ones. I’ll update and revise this list throughout the year as new books are released. At the end you can find a list of stuff I don’t like, and a list of stuff that will be published in the future.

Last Updated: July 12, 2020

Books Updated to Match the New TOEFL

Barron’s TOEFL iBT (17th Edition) was published on April 7, 2020. This is the first edition where the entire book and the practice tests match the new version of the test. This is by far the best book available from a major publisher, but it still has some issues so make sure to read my full review of the book before you use it. In short, it has fairly good reading and listening content, decent writing content, and weak speaking content. It also has a huge amount of practice questions. Audio content and practice tests are provided online (not on CD). For what it’s worth, a Superpack featuring this book (and a couple others) is also available.

Princeton Review’s TOEFL iBT Prep is the second best book this year. It has a lot of problems. The most obvious are in the chapters about the reading and speaking sections. You can read about all of them in my full review of the book. There is only one complete sample test (which can only be done on paper as there is no test software included), but there are additional practice questions throughout the book. The only part of this book I really recommend is the collection of skill building exercises found at the beginning. Note that this book used to be called “Cracking the TOEFL.” That was a stupid name.

Kaplan’s TOEFL iBT Prep Plus 2020-2021 is the worst of the three modern TOEFL books. It is not recommended at all. The sample questions in the book are not very accurate, especially the reading and writing questions. The questions in the sample tests (provided online) are also very inaccurate. They just don’t match the structure and organization of questions used on the real test. Moreover, there are only three practice tests provided online even though the cover of the book promises four tests. While the book suggests a ton of strategies, they are organized in such a way that many students will just feel confused and overwhelmed after reading them. For more information, you can also read my complete review.

Best Overview of the Test

The Official Guide to the TOEFL (5th Edition) is still probably the best overview of the test. I’ve been teaching for a decade and I still open it up now and then to check some specific detail of the test. Needless to say, it will teach you about all four sections of the test and the different types of questions. It is also illustrated with plenty of examples. Note, though, that it has not been updated to match the changes to the test that began in August of 2019. It also contains a few errors and inaccurate sample questions (particular in the chapter on integrated writing and the first practice test). ETS will publish a new version in August (see below).

The TOEFL Emergency Course from TST Prep is the best overview of the test that is actually updated for the new version. Just note that it is an online course, not an actual book. It includes a 12 page overview of the test provided via PDF, some sample questions and strategies. If you just want the overview, choose the “basic” version since it is cheapest. And if you use the coupon code “goodine10off” you can get a 10% discount.

Best Books for Practice Tests

The two Official TOEFL iBT Tests books are still the best source of practice tests. Each contains five complete practice tests. They are the closest you will get to the real test, since they are made by ETS. Note, though, that they are not updated to match the changes from 2019 so you will have to “modify” the tests by chopping out speaking questions 1 and 5. You must also remember that the the listening and reading sections are now shorter. There are two books you can get – Volume 1 (3rd edition) and Volume 2 (2nd Edition). They have different tests. ETS will publish new versions of these books in August (see below).

If you want some practice tests that are updated to match the new format, I recommend the ten test pack from TST Prep. These are the most accurate practice tests you will get from an unofficial source. They also include all of the modern independent writing prompt styles, so in some ways they are even better than the official materials. The price is pretty good, and if you use the coupon code “goodine10off” you will probably get a 10% discount. Note that these are provided online, and not in an actual book.

Best Book for TOEFL Reading

I recommend Kathy Spratt’s “Mastering the Reading Section for the TOEFL,” which is in its third edition. It is available only as an Amazon ebook, but remember that you don’t need a special device to read ebooks. You can just access them in your web browser if necessary.

Best “Book” for TOEFL Listening

There really aren’t any good TOEFL listening books. If you want some decent content, though, I recommend signing up at Magoosh TOEFL. They have some good reading and listening stuff, but note that their writing and speaking content is quite bad. You can also read my full review of Magoosh.

Best Book for TOEFL Speaking

I still really love “TOEFL Listening and Speaking Skills ” from Collins Cobuild. It is sort of old (it was published in 2012) but it still has the most accurate speaking sample questions of any printed textbook not from ETS. It also comes with some decent templates and very concise strategies to use on the test. And, heck, you get some listening stuff too. Audio files are provided online (though the company also sells a version with a CD). Note that the book has not been updated to match the most recent changes to the test, so you will just have to ignore the sections on speaking questions 1 and 5. That said, Collins has hinted (on Twitter) that this book will be updated in 2020 so just keep an eye out for a newer version.

Best Book for TOEFL Writing

Collins again! I really like their “TOEFL Reading and Writing Skills.” This book has really accurate question samples. Even the integrated questions, which almost everyone messes up. It also includes some decent templates and concise strategies. It isn’t bogged down with “information overload” like the Kaplan book mentioned above. The independent writing prompts are a bit weaker, though, as they don’t include all of the modern styles.

Best Books for Vocabulary

I don’t usually recommend TOEFL vocabulary books. I’m not entirely sure that studying vocabulary lists is totally helpful, as the odds that the words you study will actually show up on the test are somewhat low. Not only that, but the new TOEFL introduced in 2019 seems to de-emphasize vocabulary questions in the reading section. That said, you have a few options.

First up, “Essential Words for the TOEFL” from Barron’s is pretty good. I like the difficulty level of the words, and I like that it includes some realistic vocabulary questions as well.

An equally good book is McGraw Hill’s 400 Essential Words for the TOEFL. It includes helpful vocabulary, and has accurate practice reading questions of all types. That’s neat.

Meanwhile, if you just want a whole bunch of words for a really low price (2 bucks) I recommend Darakwon’s “1800 TOEFL Essential Vocabulary .” It’s an ebook.

Best Books for Grammar

I don’t recommend any “TOEFL Grammar” books. For now, I just suggest my students get the 5th edition of “English Grammar in Use” from Cambridge University press. This book has been around forever, and it is still the best source of grammar explanations and practice questions. After getting a copy, you can check out my list of recommended units to study. if you want even more content, Cambridge sells a supplementary book with more practice questions! For lower level students (writing scores below 20), I recommend getting something a bit easier like “Basic Grammar in Use.”

Upcoming TOEFL Books

A new Official Guide to the TOEFL will be published in August 2020
A new edition of the Official iBT Tests (Volume 1) will be published in August, 2020
A new edition of the Official iBT Tests (Volume 2) will be published in August 2020
A new edition of “4 Practice Tests” from Kaplan will be published in September 2020
A new edition of “TOEFL Practice Exercises” from Barrons will be published in October 2020
A new edition of “TOEFL iBT Prep” from Princeton Review will be published in February 2021
Smart Edition will publish their first TOEFL book in May 2021