The exams that take you abroad. Prepared properly.
SAT, GRE, GMAT, IELTS and the new 2026 TOEFL — which one you need, how each is built and scored,
how to approach every question type, then practice unit by unit and full timed mock tests. Every answer explained,
and every wrong option too.
5 Exams
36 Study units
— Practice questions
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Command of evidence — quantitative (a described table or graph)
Inferences
How to approach it
Answer from the text, not from what you know about the topic.
For 'most logically completes the text', find the claim the passage is building towards and pick the choice that finishes that exact line of reasoning.
For evidence questions, restate the claim in your own words first, then test each choice: does it support that claim, or just the same topic?
Craft and Structure
Words in context
Text structure and purpose
Cross-text connections
How to approach it
Words in context: cover the blank, predict your own word from the clues, then match.
Purpose questions ask what the author is doing (arguing, describing, challenging a view) — look at the verbs in the choices.
Cross-text: decide how the author of Text 2 would react to the specific claim in Text 1 — agree, qualify, or reject.
Expression of Ideas
Transitions
Rhetorical synthesis (using notes to meet a goal)
Rhetorical synthesis (two-part goals)
How to approach it
Transitions: name the relationship between the two sentences first — contrast, cause, example, addition, sequence — then choose the word.
Rhetorical synthesis: the goal in the question stem decides everything; the correct choice does exactly that goal using only the notes.
Read the whole sentence first; find the clue words and the signal (but, although, therefore, indeed).
Fill the blank with your own word before looking at the choices.
Multi-blank items: start with the blank that has the strongest clue, not the first blank.
Sentence Equivalence
Choosing the pair that gives equivalent sentences
Synonym traps (a pair that matches each other but not the sentence)
Tone and degree of words
How to approach it
The real test asks for two of six words; here each option is a pair, and the right pair must fit the sentence AND give it the same meaning.
Two words that are synonyms of each other but do not fit the clue are the classic trap.
Build vocabulary in families (laconic, terse, succinct) rather than word by word.
Reading Comprehension
Main idea and primary purpose
Specific detail
Inference
Author's attitude and tone
Function of a sentence or paragraph
Strengthen and weaken (paragraph arguments)
How to approach it
Read for structure: what is the author's point, and what view are they responding to?
Inference answers are the ones that MUST be true from the text — the smallest safe claim wins.
For argument paragraphs, name the conclusion and the gap between evidence and conclusion before you read the choices.
Quantitative Reasoning 5 units
Quantitative Comparison
Comparing algebraic quantities
Comparing numbers, fractions and exponents
Geometry comparisons
Testing special cases (0, 1, negatives, fractions)
How to approach it
The four answers are always the same: A greater, B greater, equal, or cannot be determined.
If the quantities involve only numbers, the answer is never 'cannot be determined'.
Plug in a positive, a negative, zero and a fraction — if the relationship flips, the answer is D.
Arithmetic
Integers, divisibility and primes
Fractions, decimals and percents
Exponents and roots
Ratio and proportion
Absolute value and number line
How to approach it
Prime-factorise to answer questions about factors, multiples, GCD and LCM.
Percent of a percent: multiply the factors, never add the percents.
Even/odd and positive/negative rules settle many questions without arithmetic.
Algebra
Linear equations and inequalities
Quadratics and factoring
Functions and coordinate geometry
Word problems: work, rate, mixture, interest
Sequences
How to approach it
Rate × time = work (or distance). Combined rates add.
Compound interest: P(1 + r/n)^(nt). Simple interest: P × r × t.
When choices are numbers, try back-solving from the middle choice.
Geometry
Lines and angles
Triangles, including special right triangles
Quadrilaterals and polygons
Circles
Three-dimensional figures
How to approach it
Figures are not necessarily drawn to scale — trust the given numbers, not your eye.
Know the 30-60-90 (1 : √3 : 2) and 45-45-90 (1 : 1 : √2) ratios.
Interior angles of an n-sided polygon add up to (n − 2) × 180°.
Data Analysis
Mean, median, mode, range
Standard deviation and quartiles
Reading described tables and graphs
Counting: permutations and combinations
Probability
How to approach it
Standard deviation measures spread: adding the same number to every value does not change it.
Order matters → permutation; order does not matter → combination.
P(A and B) = P(A) × P(B) only when A and B are independent.
Analytical Writing — "Analyze an Issue" (30 minutes, scored 0–6)
Take a clear position on the issue and hold it through the essay; acknowledging the other side makes it stronger, not weaker.
Each body paragraph: one reason, developed with a specific example — a historical case, a scientific finding, a real policy.
Scorers reward reasoning and organisation over length. Four to five well-built paragraphs is plenty.
Leave three minutes to reread for errors that change meaning.
GMAT · GMAT Focus Edition
— practice questions
Who takes it
MBA and business master's programmes worldwide.
Run by
GMAC
Length
2 hours 15 minutes
Scoring
205–805 total; each section 60–90. All three sections count equally.
Adaptive?
Quant and Verbal adapt question by question; Data Insights does not.
Section
What's in it
Time
Quantitative Reasoning
21 questions
45 minutes
Verbal Reasoning
23 questions
45 minutes
Data Insights
20 questions
45 minutes
No essay, no sentence correction and almost no geometry since the Focus Edition. A calculator is allowed only in Data Insights. You may review and change up to three answers per section.
No calculator here — choose numbers that make the arithmetic easy (100 for percents).
Weighted average sits closer to the group with more weight.
Work problems: add the rates (jobs per hour), not the times.
Algebra Problem Solving
Linear equations and systems
Quadratics
Inequalities and absolute value
Exponents
Functions and sequences
Word problems
How to approach it
Translate words to algebra one phrase at a time: 'is' is =, 'of' is ×.
Multiplying or dividing an inequality by a negative flips the sign.
If the choices contain variables, pick values for the variables and test each choice.
Verbal Reasoning 2 units
Critical Reasoning
Strengthen
Weaken
Assumption
Inference
Evaluate the argument
Explain a discrepancy
Boldface / role of a statement
How to approach it
Split every argument into premises, conclusion and the gap between them.
Assumption test (negation): negate the choice — if the argument falls apart, it was the assumption.
Discrepancy questions want a fact that lets both surprising statements be true.
Reading Comprehension
Main idea
Supporting detail
Inference
Application
Logical structure
Author's tone
How to approach it
Map each paragraph in five words as you read.
Right answers are usually paraphrases; exact words lifted from the passage are often traps.
Application questions ask you to carry the author's logic to a new case.
Data Insights 2 units
Data Sufficiency
Value questions
Yes/No questions
Number properties
Algebra and word problems
Statistics and ratios
How to approach it
The five answer choices never change — learn them by heart (the options here use the real wording).
You are judging whether the data is enough, not solving: stop as soon as you know.
For Yes/No questions, a consistent 'No' is sufficient.
Tables, Graphics and Two-Part Analysis
Table analysis
Graphics interpretation (described charts)
Two-part analysis
Multi-source reasoning
How to approach it
Read the column headings and units before any numbers.
Estimate before calculating — many choices are far apart.
In two-part analysis, both parts must satisfy the same condition together.
IELTS · IELTS Academic
— practice questions
Who takes it
Study in the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland and many US universities; also UK, Australian and Canadian visas (General Training is the migration version).
Run by
British Council · IDP · Cambridge
Length
2 hours 45 minutes
Scoring
Band 0–9 in half bands for each skill and overall. Most universities ask for 6.0–7.0 overall with no band below 5.5–6.5.
Adaptive?
Not adaptive. Listening and Reading are marked out of 40 and converted to a band.
Section
What's in it
Time
Listening
40 questions, 4 recordings
about 30 minutes
Reading (Academic)
40 questions, 3 long passages
60 minutes
Writing
Task 1 (describe a graph/diagram, 150+ words) and Task 2 (essay, 250+ words)
60 minutes
Speaking
Interview in 3 parts, face to face
11–14 minutes
Spelling counts in Listening and Reading answers. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1.
Always write an overview: the two or three biggest features, with no numbers.
Do not give opinions or reasons in Task 1 — describe only what the chart shows.
Group information; do not list every number.
Writing Task 2 and Speaking — language for bands 7+
Answering every part of the question (task response)
Paragraphing and cohesion
Linking words used accurately
Collocation and word choice
Grammar range and accuracy
Speaking: extending answers and fluency
How to approach it
Band 7 needs a clear position throughout and each paragraph built around one main idea.
Linking words used too often or wrongly lower the Coherence score — accuracy beats quantity.
In Speaking, extend with a reason and an example; one-word answers cap your band.
Writing Task 1 & 2 and Speaking (examiner-marked on four criteria each)
Writing is marked on Task Achievement/Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy — equally.
Task 1: overview first, then grouped detail with accurate figures, 150+ words, about 20 minutes.
Task 2: answer every part of the question, one clear position, a main idea per paragraph, 250+ words, about 40 minutes.
Speaking is marked on Fluency & Coherence, Lexical Resource, Grammar, and Pronunciation. Extend answers with a reason and an example; it is fine to pause and self-correct.
TOEFL · TOEFL iBT (2026 format)
— practice questions
Who takes it
Undergraduate and graduate admission in the USA and Canada; widely accepted in the UK, Australia and Europe.
Run by
ETS
Length
about 1 hour 30 minutes of test time (plan for about 2 hours in all)
Scoring
Since 21 January 2026: each section and the overall score on a 1–6 band scale in half bands (overall = average of the four). Until January 2028 the score report also shows a comparable 0–120 score.
Adaptive?
Reading and Listening are multistage adaptive — later tasks depend on how you did earlier.
Section
What's in it
Time
Reading
Complete the Words · Read in Daily Life · Read an Academic Passage
about 30 minutes
Listening
Listen and Choose a Response · Conversation · Announcement · Academic Talk
about 29 minutes
Writing
Build a Sentence · Write an Email · Write for an Academic Discussion
about 23 minutes
Speaking
Listen and Repeat · Take an Interview
about 8 minutes
The old tasks (Insert Text, Sentence Simplification, the integrated essay) were retired in January 2026 — practise the new ones.
Completing a word from its first half in an academic paragraph
Word forms (noun, verb, adjective, adverb endings)
Function words (articles, prepositions, conjunctions)
Academic vocabulary in context
How to approach it
The real task gives the first half of a word; you type the rest. Here you choose the complete word.
Grammar narrows it first: what part of speech does the gap need?
Then meaning: which word fits the topic of the paragraph?
Read in Daily Life
Emails and messages
Notices and announcements
Schedules, menus and forms
Purpose of a text
Inferring what someone should do next
How to approach it
Identify who wrote it, to whom, and why — most questions follow from that.
Details such as dates, prices and conditions are where the traps are.
An 'implied' answer must be supported by the text, not by common sense alone.
Read an Academic Passage
Main idea
Factual information
Negative factual (NOT / EXCEPT)
Vocabulary in context
Inference
Author's purpose for a detail
How to approach it
Passages are shorter in 2026 — read the whole thing once for the main idea.
For NOT/EXCEPT questions, find three choices in the text; the one left over is the answer.
Purpose questions ask WHY the author mentions something — usually to give an example, a contrast or evidence.
Listening (transcript practice) 3 units
Listen and Choose a Response
Responding to questions
Responding to requests and offers
Responding to statements and complaints
Indirect answers
How to approach it
You hear one sentence and choose the most natural reply.
The best reply often answers indirectly ('Has the bus left?' — 'I just saw it pull away.').
Replies that repeat a word from the prompt but miss its meaning are usually traps.
Conversations and Announcements
Campus and daily-life conversations
Announcements
Speaker's purpose
Details and next steps
Speaker's attitude
How to approach it
Ask: why is this person speaking, and what problem are they trying to solve?
Tone words (actually, I suppose, to be honest) reveal attitude.
Here you read the transcript; press Listen to hear it first and answer before reading.
Academic Talks
Main topic of a talk
Key details and examples
How the speaker organises information
Inference from a lecture
How to approach it
Lecturers signal structure — 'there are two reasons', 'let's contrast that with' — note these.
Examples are there to support a point; questions ask which point.
Take short notes: topic, points, examples.
Writing and Speaking language 2 units
Build a Sentence
Question word order
Reported speech and embedded questions
Auxiliaries and negatives
Phrasal verbs and prepositions
Relative clauses
How to approach it
You read one sentence and arrange jumbled words into a reply; every word must be in place to score.
Embedded questions keep statement order: 'Do you know where the library is?' — not 'where is the library'.
Find the subject and main verb first, then attach the rest.
Write an Email and Academic Discussion
Register — formal vs informal
Covering every point the task asks for
Stating and supporting an opinion
Responding to other students' posts
Speaking: Listen and Repeat and the interview
How to approach it
The email task lists what to include — cover every point, in order.
Academic Discussion: state your view, give a reason and an example, and add something new rather than repeating a classmate.
Match the register: to a professor, polite and direct; to a friend, relaxed but still clear.
Write an Email, Academic Discussion and Speaking (scored by trained raters and automated scoring)
Write an Email: cover every point the task lists, in order, in the right register — polite and direct for a professor.
Academic Discussion: state your view in the first sentence, support it with a reason and an example, and add a point your classmates did not make.
Listen and Repeat: repeat exactly what you hear — every word, in order, with natural stress. Accuracy beats speed.
Take an Interview: answer the question asked, then extend with one detail or example; about 45 seconds of clear speech per answer is the aim.
Questions students ask
Are these real past papers?
No. Every question here is written for LLOS in the style and at the level of the current exam, with a reason for every option. Official practice tests from College Board, ETS and GMAC are free or low-cost — take at least one before test day to see the real interface and scaled scores.
How close are the mock tests to the real exam?
Question counts, section order and time limits follow the real tests. The real SAT, GRE, GMAT and TOEFL are adaptive and report scaled scores; our papers are fixed and scored in marks, and each mock card says what differs.
How does listening practice work without audio files?
Press Listen and your browser reads the script aloud; the text stays hidden until you choose to see it. It trains the skill — catching details and corrections — but the real test uses recorded speakers with different accents, so also listen to podcasts and lectures in English.
Which TOEFL is this?
The TOEFL iBT format introduced on 21 January 2026: Complete the Words, Read in Daily Life, Read an Academic Passage; Listen and Choose a Response, conversations, announcements and academic talks; Build a Sentence, Write an Email and Academic Discussion; Listen and Repeat and Take an Interview. Scores are reported in bands 1–6.
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No. Your practice and mock results are kept on this device and in your LLOS record; sign in to keep them across devices.
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