The interface of current events and news materials to the content of the TOEIC tests
is considerable for one dimension of the test.
The wide range of language forms appearing in non-pedagogical texts sample a comparable domain of usage seen on the TOEIC reading/structure section.
The major difference is perhaps on the listening skill.
Since the input from current events materials is primarily visual, learners' experience with
listening tasks like those featured on the TOEIC test is probably most limited. The content
of discussions about current events may be conducive to improved fluency in oral
communication, but whether this is reflected on listening gain is a question for further
research.