Create Your Own TOEFL Question Bank with Google Sheets

Managing your TOEFL preparation can get overwhelming when resources are scattered across books, websites, and apps. What if you could bring everything into one place—organised, searchable, and customised to your learning style? Google Sheets can help you do exactly that. A personal TOEFL question bank not only saves time but also helps you revise smarter. You can track your mistakes, monitor your progress, and focus on weak areas without jumping between different platforms.

Let’s explore how to create your own TOEFL question bank using Google Sheets and make your study routine more effective and personalised.

Why Use Google Sheets for a TOEFL Question Bank?

Here’s why Google Sheets is a great tool for organising your TOEFL preparation:

• Free and accessible: You can use it on any device with internet access.
  
  
• Customisable: Tailor it to your specific learning goals and test sections.
  
  
• Trackable: Monitor your performance over time with filters, formulas, and charts.
  
  
• Collaborative: Share with a study partner or tutor for feedback.
  
  
• Centralised: Keep all your TOEFL practice content in one structured location.

It’s ideal for anyone looking for a low-tech but highly efficient way to stay on top of their TOEFL prep.

Key Sections to Include in Your Question Bank

Let’s walk through how to structure your question bank sheet. Each tab can focus on a specific TOEFL section (Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing), or you can use one master sheet with filters.

Here are the recommended columns for each row of data:

You can colour-code each section or use filters to revise only the questions you struggled with.

How to Start Building Your Question Bank

Here’s a step-by-step approach to building your TOEFL question bank using Google Sheets:

1. Create a New Sheet

Go to Google Drive → Click “+ New” → Select “Google Sheets”.
Title it something like: TOEFL Practice Bank – 2025.

2. Add Tabs for Each Section

Create 4 separate tabs: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. This helps you stay organised by skill area.

3. Input Practice Questions

Start adding questions from your books, PDFs, or online sources. Don’t forget to cite the source for future reference.

Tip: Only input 5–10 questions per session. This makes it manageable and ensures you review quality content, not just quantity.

4. Track Your Answers and Feedback

As you practise, fill in your answers and notes. Mark whether you got the question correct or what kind of mistake you made.

Example:

• Grammar error
  
  
• Misread the question
  
  
• Missed a keyword in listening
  
  

This section helps you identify patterns and focus areas for improvement.

Using Formulas and Filters to Study Smarter

Google Sheets allows basic automation to make your review process easier.

Examples:

• =COUNTIF(range, "To Review") → Count how many questions still need review
  
  
• Use conditional formatting to highlight mistakes
  
  
• Filter by "Subsection" to focus on one type of question
  
  
• Use data validation drop-downs for consistency in “Review Status”
  
  

These features turn your sheet into a smart, dynamic study tool.

Creating a Speaking & Writing Tracker

Unlike Reading and Listening, Speaking and Writing responses need feedback. Here’s how to use Sheets for these sections:

For Speaking:

For Writing:

This helps you track writing development over time and self-analyse speaking fluency.

Tips to Maintain Your TOEFL Question Bank

To keep your question bank useful and updated, follow these tips:

• Update weekly: Spend 15 minutes once a week entering new questions or reviewing past ones.
  
  
• Mark completion: Use “Reviewed” or “Mastered” status to know where you stand.
  
  
• Tag by difficulty: Add a column for difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard) and filter as needed.
  
  
• Practice active recall: Don’t just reread—test yourself using the questions you input.
  
  
• Back it up: Occasionally download your sheet or link it to Google Drive for safe access.
  
  

The consistency of updating this question bank is what makes it truly powerful.

Sample Template Structure

Here’s a simple table format you can replicate in your Google Sheet:

You can expand this over time with hundreds of practice questions.

I hope this blog on creating your own TOEFL question bank with Google Sheets helped you understand the value of structured self-study. With this system, you can keep your practice consistent, your mistakes visible, and your progress measurable. Take control of your prep—and turn your spreadsheet into a powerful TOEFL companion.