Do you desire to study or work in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, or Australia? To be considered, you must pass the TOEFL exam.
Here are a few unique strategies for How to prepare for TOEFL exam so that you can pursue your study abroad goals!
For most non-native English speakers, preparing for international English competency tests can be a difficult undertaking. However, completing exams like the IELTS and TOEFL are required if you want to study abroad or get a work visa in an English-speaking country. You’ve come to the right site if you want to learn how to prepare for the TOEFL in a way that ensures a high score.
Let’s look at the top five things you should know about How to prepare for the TOEFL exam. However, before diving into the technicalities, you should have a strong grasp of what the TOEFL exam is and who administers it.
What is TOEFL exam and how does it work?
One of the most generally regarded international proficiency examinations is the TOEFL, or Test of English as a Foreign Language. All Ivy League colleges around the world, as well as all other colleges and universities in English-speaking nations, recognise it. The Educational Testing Service (ETS), a non-profit organisation based in the United States, administers this exam. The ETS creates TOEFL question papers and even administers the TOEFL exams.
If you want to learn how to study for the TOEFL at home, you need first realise that there are two types of TOEFL exams: the TOEFL iBT and the TOEFL Essentials.
The TOEFL iBT is a premium exam that assesses your ability to communicate in academic English. It can be taken at home (online) or at any of the TOEFL testing centres worldwide (on paper).
What is good TOEFL score?
The TOEFL scoring method assigns a score to each candidate ranging from 0 to 120. A score of over 100 on the TOEFL is considered good. The chart below can help you determine how good your TOEFL scores are. This will give you an indication of your English as a foreign language proficiency.
|
TOEFL Score |
Competency |
|
118-120 |
Expert User |
|
110-117 |
Very Good User |
|
94-109 |
Good User |
|
60-93 |
Competent User |
|
35-59 |
Modest User |
Most Ivy League colleges demand a TOEFL score of 100 (Good user), with scores above 90 being considered by many more colleges and universities (Competent User).
“How long does it take to prepare for TOEFL?” is a question frequently asked by students hoping to gain admission to Ivy League universities. If you want to get a high score on this exam, you need prepare for it for at least 10 days. However, how many hours per day you are willing to devote to TOEFL preparation is also a factor.
If you plan on studying for at least 4 to 5 hours each day and have a good command of the English language, 10 days should be enough time to familiarise yourself with the question structure and reinforce your fundamentals.
Understand the TOEFL format
Knowing the question format is the first step in efficient TOEFL preparation. As previously established, there are two types of TOEFL exams, each with a different format and time limit.
You must complete four portions of the TOEFL iBT (internet-based test) online.
The ‘Reading Section’ consists of 36 to 56 questions for which you have 60 to 80 minutes to complete.
The ‘Listening Section’ is often challenging for candidates who don’t know how to prepare for the TOEFL exam. There will be 34 to 51 questions in this portion, and you will have 60 to 90 minutes to answer them.
After these two pieces, there is a 10-minute break. After that, the timer for the last two sections starts. As a result, you must pay strict attention to the timed clock.
The ‘Speaking Section’ contains six unique exercises that assess your ability to communicate verbally in English. You have a 20-minute time limit for this segment.
Finally, there are two essay-style questions in the ‘Writing Section’ that you must answer in 50 minutes.
The TOEFL exam’s paper-based version, on the other hand, features the following question structure-
The ‘Listening Section’ has 50 questions that must be answered in 30 to 40 minutes.
In approximately 25 minutes, you must answer 40 questions in the ‘Writing Section.’ This portion can be difficult if you don’t know how to successfully prepare for the TOEFL.
The ‘Reading Section’ consists of 50 questions with a time limit of 55 minutes to answer them. As a result, this section is regarded as one of the most difficult on the TOEFL exam.
Finally, the ‘TWE Test’ consists of only one essay-style question that can be answered in up to 30 minutes.
What is the best way to prepare for the TOEFL?
Once you’ve mastered the TOEFL exam’s question format, you’ll need to create a study schedule that allows you to tackle each portion of the exam paper separately. For many people, practising and improving their English speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills might be difficult. As a result, it’s best to build your preparation on a well-thought-out study strategy.
Two study strategies are provided below that you might consider based on your degree of experience-
A 2-week study plan to prepare for the TOEFL
1st week
It is suggested that you begin by taking a preliminary practise test on the first day of the first week.
There are numerous online resources (some of which are free to use) that can offer you with a great TOEFL exam simulation.
After you’ve completed this practise test, the schools will inform you where you stand in terms of English language proficiency.
This is critical since you will need to work on the areas of improvement suggested by this practise exam in the coming days.
You should use online classes or even physical textbooks to improve your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills for the rest of the first week.
2nd Week
The second week of TOEFL preparation should begin with a practise test, just like the first. This test will need you to apply everything you’ve studied throughout the week.
There are a plethora of applications and internet portals that can supply you with TOEFL sample examinations and even provide you with TOEFL preparation advice.
You’ll have a better understanding of your progress in the first week after the second practise exam. If your score on this practise test was between 60 and 90, you may need to study for an additional 4 to 5 days.
If your second practise test score is between 90 and 120, you may just need two more days of study.
A 4-week study strategy is also available to efficiently prepare for the TOEFL at home-
Week 1 – Mock Test + Weakest Section (Theory+Practice)
Assess and examine all portions of the TOEFL throughout the first week, and then create a study strategy that works best for you.
Try some of the sample question paper sets and mock tests available on numerous websites.
Attempting the questions ahead of time can assist you in identifying your strong and weak points.
As a result, you’ll be able to focus less on areas where you’re already strong and more on regions where you’re lacking.
Week 2 – Mock Test + Next Section (Theory+Practice) + Full-length exam
Advance to the Listening Section in the second week
Obtain audio files from the British Council and other sources, and then tackle the practise questions that accompany them.
Along with training the Listening Section, take full-length mock exams to obtain a sense of the kind of questions that could appear on the exam.
Week 3- Mock Test + Next Two Sections (Theory+Practice)
Advance to the Reading Section in the third week.
Under this part, try as many questions as you can. This will not only help you read faster, but it will also help you improve your comprehension skills.
After you’ve finished this section, move on to the Writing Section, where you’ll practise writing a range of essays that will help you breeze through the exam’s actual writing process.
Week 4: Mock test + final section (Theory+Practice) + full-length exam
Whether you took the TOEFL iBT or the TOEFL Essentials determines the section you wish to move on to in the fourth week.
You must prepare for the Speaking Test if you have taken the TOEFL iBT. You must prepare for the TWE Test if you have taken the TOEFL Essentials.
Both of these areas require distinct approaches to prepare.
Last but not least, take the practise tests to ensure that you are well prepared and confident for the real exam.
Keep an eye on your scores to see where you stand in terms of English proficiency. Improve your study strategy based on your results.
Relax before the exam
Because studying for the TOEFL examinations for two weeks can be exhausting, you should take a day off the day before the exam to rest. You should do something fun on this day so that your mind is calm and ready for the exam the next day. Avoid performing last-minute preparation because, as we all know, haste is sometimes wasted.
What comes next?
With good TOEFL scores, you can gain access to further education and work in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Australia. Aside from these nations, there are a few European countries that accept TOEFL and IELTS test scores as a measure of academic English communication skills.
Even if you want to pursue further education overseas, a solid TOEFL or IELTS score can help you gain admission to some of the best universities in your home country.
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