Research Release · May 2026

State of Learning at PrepEx

This report summarizes real product usage and scoring trends across reading, listening, speaking, and writing on PrepEx.

Published Data snapshot Updated

Quick findings

  • 90.8% of repeat test takers improved their practice-test total score.
  • Students have documented score gains of 35%+ after repeated PrepEx practice.
  • 97.1% of Listen and Repeat learners improved their best score.
  • 97.3% of Interview Speaking learners improved their best score.
  • 91.0% of writers improved their best score versus first attempt.
90.8%
Repeat test takers improved total score
35%+
Documented student score lift after repeat practice
97.1%
Listen and Repeat learners improved
97.3%
Interview Speaking learners improved
91.0%
Writers improved best score

Methodology

Data snapshot: May 11, 2026 (UTC)
  1. Data from anonymized event and submission logs in PrepEx Database; personal identifiers removed before analysis.
  2. Repeat-learner outcomes compare each learner's first score to their latest or best score.
  3. Paired before-after comparison per learner, aggregated across sessions.
  4. Headline metrics use learners with sustained repeated attempts in the same activity.
  5. Observational data; no controlled experiment or causal claims.

1. Outcomes

Academic Text Reading

99.5% average best score for repeat readers
75.3% of repeat readers reached the high-score band
The high-score rate nearly doubled from first attempt to best score.

Complete the Words

94.5% average best score for repeat learners
94.5% average best score with sustained repeat practice
Repeat learners turned sentence-level repetition into near-mastery.

Listen and Repeat

97.1% improved at best score
Repeat learners reached an 86.0% average best score
The highest-volume group showed the clearest gains in listening memory and spoken recall.

Full Practice Tests

90.8% improved total score
Documented score gains exceeded 35%
Repeated full-test benchmarking works best when learners keep cycling back into targeted drills.

2. Consistency and Score Growth

TOEFL 2026 rewards flexible skill transfer. Learners improved fastest when full-test benchmarks led back into targeted drills across reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

Single-skill start

31.4%
Improved total TOEFL 2026 practice score

Balanced prep

73.9%
Improved in at least two scored sections

Exam-ready loop

89.4%
Improved total score after test-to-drill cycles

Faster score movement

2.4x
Balanced learners were more likely to raise total score than single-skill learners.

Speaking transfer

18.7%
Average Listen and Repeat recall gain after pairing listening accuracy with spoken response drills.

Writing accuracy lift

71.3%
Balanced learners improved Build a Sentence or Email Writing accuracy by best attempt.

3. AI Coaching Outcomes

Petra Focus

Interview score growth

97.3%

Interview Speaking learners improved their best score.

Listen and Repeat growth

97.1%

Learners improved spoken recall and scoring at best attempt.

Writing score threshold shift

24.2% to 58.6%

Share of repeat writers reaching the high-score band moved up sharply from first to best score.

Writing growth

91.0%

Writers improved their best score versus first attempt.

Frequently asked questions

What does this report measure?
It measures before-after performance trends for repeat learners across reading, listening, speaking, and writing, plus usage breadth and AI coaching signals.
Is this a controlled experiment?
No. This is observational data from anonymized product usage logs and submissions. It reports correlations and trends, not causal proof.
Who is included in the data?
Free and Pro users are both included. The strongest headline metrics focus on learners with sustained repeated attempts.
How often is this report updated?
This release is based on a May 11, 2026 UTC snapshot. Future releases will publish new snapshot dates and revised trend metrics.

See how this maps to your plan

Free and Pro users both appear in this dataset. Pro unlocks higher practice volume, more Petra time, and unlimited AI feedback loops.

View TOEFL Pricing Try Practice Hub

State of Learning summary data

Repeat test takers improved total score: 90.8%.

Documented student score lift after repeated PrepEx practice: 35%+.

Listen and Repeat learners improved their best score: 97.1%.

Interview Speaking learners improved their best score: 97.3%.

Writers improved best score versus first attempt: 91.0%.

Method: anonymized repeat-learner before-after analysis, data snapshot May 11, 2026 UTC.