The TOEIC writing test is the second half of the TOEIC Speaking & Writing Test. The TOEIC writing test is 1 hour long and is composed of 8 writing prompts. The writing segment has a low score of 0 points and a high score of 200 points. The TOEIC writing test cannot be taken without also taking the TOEIC speaking test during the same test session. The TOEIC Listening and Reading test is separate and can be taken during the same test session or during a different test session.
You take the TOEIC writing assessment on a computer, not on paper. You will read the prompts, then you must type your answer. Your answers are saved and transmitted to ETS for scoring. Your TOEIC writing score will be based on how precisely and accurately you use written English to communicate.
The TOEIC writing test is made up of 3 parts which you must complete in order:
Part 1 of the TOEIC writing test asks students to look at a picture and then write a sentence based on that picture that uses two words or phrases supplied by the TOEIC test makers. There are 5 pictures, each with 2 words supplied. You have 8 minutes to write all 5 sentences and can move forward and backward through this part of the TOEIC writing section during those 8 minutes. You get a score between 0 and 3 on each sentence based on grammatical accuracy and usage of the supplied words. This is questions 1 to 5.
Part 2 of the TOEIC writing test gives students an e-mail and they must write a response. There are two tasks of this type and you will have 10 minutes for each one. The instructions will ask you’re your response meet certain criteria, for example, it might tell you to you ask at least two questions. It is important to read and follow those instructions. You cannot go back to the first writing task once you have moved on to the second one. Your scores will be on a scale of 0 to 4 for each question, and will be based not only on the quality of your English writing but also on the organization of the message. This is questions 6 and 7.
Part 3 of the TOEIC writing test will ask you to write an opinion essay on a supplied topic. The topic does not require any specialized knowledge. You have 30 minutes to prepare, write, and revise your essay. Your score on the essay is on a scale of 0 to 5 based on the clarity of your argument, your English grammar and vocabulary, and the structure of your essay. This is question 8.
If you do not answer one of the questions on the TOEIC writing section or if you answer in your own language, it is counted as a zero, so it is always better to write something in English, even if you are not sure of the answer or your answer may be incomplete. You might still manage to get a point or two. Remember that you will need to be able to type your answers in English on the TOEIC writing test, so learning to type quickly on an QWERTY keyboard is important to avoid wasting time.