Free TOEIC Part 1 Practice Questions (Photographs)

TOEIC Part 1 (Photographs) is only 6 questions out of 200, but it is the cheapest section on the test to get right: every item is a single photo with four short spoken statements, and only one describes what you can actually see. ETS puts it first for a reason — miss the pattern here and you carry the panic into Part 2.

Below are 10 practice items. Each photo is described in text so you can practise the decision without audio, followed by the correct answer and the specific trap in each distractor.

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Key Takeaways

• Part 1 is 6 questions of the 100 Listening questions; Listening runs 45 minutes in total (ETS).
• You hear four statements per photo and choose the one that describes it. Statements are not printed in the test book.
• Almost every wrong option fails on one of four things: wrong action, wrong object, wrong location, or a word that only sounds like something in the photo.
• Score the photo before the audio starts: name the people, the action in progress, and two objects. That is what the correct answer will mention.
• Part 1 and Part 2 together are 31 of 100 Listening questions — the two shortest parts carry nearly a third of the section.

How TOEIC Part 1 is built

Each item gives you one photograph and four spoken statements labelled (A) to (D). You choose the statement that best describes the photo. The statements appear only in the audio, so you cannot go back and re-read them.

Detail	Part 1
Number of questions	6
Options per question	4 (A–D), audio only
Part of	Listening section, 100 questions, 45 minutes
Score contribution	Listening section scaled 5–495

The four traps that produce every wrong answer

Trap	What it sounds like	How to catch it
Wrong action	The object is right but the verb is not happening: “She is putting on a coat” when she is already wearing one.	Watch for progressive verbs. “Putting on” is an action; “wearing” is a state.
Wrong object	The action is right but the noun is not in the photo at all.	Name two or three objects before the audio starts. If you did not name it, be suspicious.
Wrong location	Everything is present but the preposition moves it: “on the shelf” instead of “under the counter”.	Note where the main object sits relative to one other object.
Sound-alike word	A word that rhymes with or resembles something visible: “copy” / “coffee”, “walk” / “work”.	If a statement is suddenly easy to hear, check the meaning, not the sound.

10 Part 1 practice items with answers

Read the photo description, choose your answer, then check the explanation.

1. A man in an apron stands behind a counter holding a cup under a coffee machine

(A) He is repairing the machine. (B) He is pouring a drink. (C) He is washing some cups. (D) He is copying a document.

Answer: (B). (A) wrong action — nothing is being repaired. (C) wrong action, and the cups are not in a sink. (D) sound-alike: “copying” plays on “coffee”.

2. Two women sit at a table with open laptops and a printed chart between them

(A) They are looking at a document. (B) They are closing their laptops. (C) They are leaving the room. (D) They are standing near a window.

Answer: (A). (B) and (C) describe actions that are not happening. (D) wrong location and wrong posture — they are seated.

3. A parked bicycle leans against a lamp post on an empty pavement

(A) A man is riding a bicycle. (B) A bicycle has been left beside a post. (C) People are crossing the street. (D) A bicycle is being repaired.

Answer: (B). There is no person in the photo at all, which removes (A), (C) and (D) in one move. Photos with no people are common and the distractors almost always add one.

4. A woman in a hard hat points at a wall while a man writes on a clipboard

(A) They are painting a wall. (B) She is handing him a clipboard. (C) He is taking notes. (D) They are carrying equipment.

Answer: (C). (A) wrong action. (B) wrong action — he already holds it. (D) nothing is being carried.

5. Shelves in a shop stacked with boxes; no people visible

(A) Merchandise is displayed on shelves. (B) A clerk is stocking the shelves. (C) Customers are waiting in line. (D) The shelves are empty.

Answer: (A). (D) contradicts the photo directly — the fastest kind of wrong option to eliminate.

6. A man stands at an airport gate looking at a departure board

(A) He is boarding a plane. (B) He is checking a schedule. (C) He is buying a ticket. (D) He is walking toward the exit.

Answer: (B). “Checking a schedule” is a safe paraphrase of reading a board. Part 1 rewards general paraphrase over specific detail.

7. Diners seated at outdoor tables under umbrellas

(A) A waiter is setting a table. (B) People are dining outdoors. (C) The umbrellas are being folded. (D) The tables are unoccupied.

Answer: (B). (C) wrong action, (D) contradicts, (A) adds a person whose role you cannot confirm.

8. A woman hands a folder to a colleague across a desk

(A) She is filing some papers. (B) She is passing a folder to a man. (C) They are shaking hands. (D) He is opening a drawer.

Answer: (B). (A) is the classic near-miss: “filing” and “folder” share a field but not an action.

9. Cars stopped at a red traffic light on a city street

(A) Vehicles have stopped at an intersection. (B) A car is being towed. (C) Pedestrians are boarding a bus. (D) The street is under construction.

Answer: (A). Note the present perfect: “have stopped” describes a resulting state, which is often the correct form for a static photo.

10. A man in a suit speaks into a microphone in front of a seated audience

(A) He is adjusting a microphone. (B) He is addressing a group. (C) The audience is leaving. (D) He is writing on a board.

Answer: (B). (A) is the trap: the microphone is in the photo but “adjusting” is not the action.

A 3-step routine for the 5 seconds before each photo

1. Who — how many people, and are they seated, standing or absent?
2. What action — say one progressive verb to yourself: “typing”, “pointing”, “waiting”.
3. Two objects and one location — “laptop on the table”, “boxes on shelves”.

If a spoken statement does not match all three, it is wrong. This routine also protects you from the most expensive Part 1 mistake: hearing a familiar word and choosing on sound alone.

FAQ

How many questions are in TOEIC Part 1?

Six. Part 1 is the shortest of the four Listening parts; Listening as a whole has 100 questions and runs 45 minutes.

Are the answer choices printed in the test book for Part 1?

No. The four statements are spoken only. This is why naming the action and objects before the audio starts matters so much.

Is there a penalty for guessing in Part 1?

ETS does not publish a negative-marking rule for TOEIC Listening and Reading, so leaving a blank gains you nothing. Always mark an answer.

How much can Part 1 move my score?

Part 1 is 6 of the 100 Listening questions. Listening is reported on a scaled range of 5–495, so Part 1 alone will not decide your score — but it is the section where accurate marks are cheapest to collect.

Related practice resources

• TOEIC Test Format: All 7 Parts Explained
• How Long Are TOEIC Scores Valid For?
• How to Book a TOEIC Exam

Want to FINALLY Ace the TOEIC Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)