TOEFL Write an Email: the 2026 format, how it is scored, and a model answer
TOEFL Write an Email in 2026: the scenario and three bullets, 7 minutes, how the 0 to 5 score works, a sample prompt with a model answer, and a 7-minute plan.
Updated 6 November 2026 · 8 min read
The short answer
Write an Email is the second Writing task on the 2026 TOEFL® iBT and one of the tasks that is new since January. You read a short scenario, then write an email that does three things listed as bullet points. The To and Subject lines are filled in for you; you write only the body. You have 7 minutes. The email is scored from 0 to 5 against the Writing scoring guide, and it is worth a quarter of the raw Writing score.
What you see on screen
On the left, the scenario in three or four sentences: who you are writing to, what happened, and why you are writing. Then "Write an email to [person]. In your email, do the following." with three bullets, and "Write as much as you can and in complete sentences." On the right, "Your Response:", with the To and Subject lines already filled in, and a writing box with a word count and Cut, Paste, Undo and Redo buttons.
The scenarios are social or academic: thanking a neighbour, reporting a problem to a landlord, giving feedback to an organiser, asking a professor for something, inviting a club leader. The three bullets each start with a verb, and together they ask for different kinds of language: usually something to describe or praise, a problem to explain, and a request or a suggestion.
How it is scored
A 5 on the Writing scoring guide is an email in which elaboration effectively supports the purpose, with a variety of sentence structures, precise and idiomatic words, social conventions used consistently, and almost no errors. The social conventions are the part most learners miss: a greeting and a sign-off, a register that fits the reader, and requests made politely ("Would it be possible to…?" rather than "Give me…").
A 3 does the task in part, with a moderate range of language and noticeable errors. A 1 has very little elaboration, telegraphic language or language copied from the prompt. The email is scored by an AI scoring engine, with human raters in the process, and the 0 to 5 score is then combined with your other Writing scores into a band from 1 to 6.
Try it
You signed up for a weekend photography workshop at your local community center. On the first day, the room was too small for the number of students, and half of the class could not see the instructor's screen. The organizer, Ms. Hughes, has asked participants for feedback.
Write an email to Ms. Hughes. In your email, do the following.
- Tell her what you enjoyed about the workshop.
- Describe the problem with the room.
- Suggest a way to solve it for the next session.
To: Ms. Hughes · Subject: Feedback on the workshop
Give yourself 7 minutes, then compare.
A model answer
Dear Ms. Hughes,
Thank you for asking for our feedback. I really enjoyed the first day of the workshop, especially the part where we practiced taking portraits in natural light. Your examples were clear, and I have already used two of your tips at home.
However, the room was too small for our group. About half of us were sitting behind a pillar, so we could not see your screen during the editing demonstration, and a few people had to stand at the back for most of the afternoon.
For the next session, would it be possible to move to the larger hall on the first floor? If that room is not available, you could also send us the slides by email before the class, so that everyone can follow along.
Best regards,
Daniel Brooks
About 140 words. What makes it a 5:
- Every bullet has its own paragraph, in the order given, so the reader never looks for anything.
- Each point is elaborated. Not "I enjoyed it", but which part and why; not "the room was small", but what that meant for the class.
- The register fits. It thanks before it complains, and the suggestion is a question with "would it be possible", then a second, softer option.
- The language varies without showing off: "especially the part where", "so we could not", "if that room is not available".
- Nothing is copied from the prompt except the unavoidable words. "Half of the class could not see the instructor's screen" becomes "half of us were sitting behind a pillar, so we could not see your screen".
A 7-minute plan
| Minutes | What to do |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1 | Read the scenario and the three bullets. Note who the reader is: that sets the register. |
| 1 to 6 | Write: a greeting, one short paragraph per bullet with a detail in each, a sign-off. |
| 6 to 7 | Check verb endings, articles and the greeting and sign-off. |
Aim for 100 to 150 words: that is what 7 minutes holds at a careful pace, and there is no minimum or maximum. Length on its own earns nothing: a detail that answers the bullet does.
Mistakes that cost marks
- Missing a bullet. Each bullet is part of the task. An email that skips one cannot be "fully successful".
- Copying the scenario. The scoring guide places responses that rely on the prompt's language at the lowest levels.
- The wrong register. "Hey" to a landlord, or a stiff, formal letter to a friend. Match the reader.
- A demand instead of a request. "You need to move us to another room" is clear, but it breaks the social conventions the scoring guide asks for.
- No sign-off, or no greeting. Two small lines that the guide counts.
See your Writing band before test day
The email is new for almost everyone, and seven minutes is less time than it sounds. Skorway's free mock is the full 2026 test, with the email on its real 7-minute clock, between Build a Sentence and the academic discussion. Your email is scored twice, independently, with a third pass when the two disagree, and comes back with a band for each criterion, your errors quoted with corrections, and the email rewritten one band higher. A few minutes after the mock you have a Writing band on the 1 to 6 scale and a band for every other section. The Writing practice sets have more email prompts, and the first two sets of every task type are free. No credit card.
How many words should a TOEFL email be?
There is no word count; the instruction is to write as much as you can in complete sentences. Aim for 100 to 150 words, enough to cover all three bullets with a detail each.
Do I write the subject line in the TOEFL email?
No. The To and Subject lines are filled in by the test. You write the body: greeting, paragraphs and sign-off.
Is Write an Email scored by a person?
It is scored by an AI scoring engine against the Writing scoring guide. The engine is trained on human ratings, and human raters provide oversight.
Correct for the TOEFL iBT as it runs on 6 November 2026. TOEFL® is a registered trademark of ETS. Skorway is not endorsed or approved by ETS.