TOEFL – About, Test Prep and Study Guide

Non-Native English speaker planning to study in USA, should take mandatory test to show English proficiency. One such test is TOEFL – Test of English as Foreign Language.

TOEFL is administered by ETS.

TOEFL iBT test measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level.

TOEFL iBT evaluates your ability to to listen, read, speak and write at university academic tasks.

There are two formats for the TOEFL test depending on the location of your test center.

• TOEFL iBT test (internet based test)
• Paper-based Test (PBT)

Who Takes the TOEFL iBT Test?

Each year, nearly a million individuals take TOEFL test to demonstrate their English-language proficiency. The average English skill level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced.

• Students planning to study at a higher education institution
• English-language learning program admissions and exit
• Scholarship and certification candidates
• English-language learners who want to track their progress
• Students and workers applying for visas

TOEFL iBT Test Sections

Section	Time Limit	Questions	Tasks
Reading*	60–100 minutes	36–70 questions	Read 3–5 passages from academic texts and answer questions.
Listening	60–90 minutes	34–51 questions	Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions.
Break	10 minutes	—	—
Speaking	20 minutes	6 tasks	Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks.
Writing	50 minutes	2 tasks	Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing.

TOEFL Test Prep

• TOEFL Test Takers Experience (learn top TOEFL strategies)

Test taking tips for TOEFL

• Practice speaking in a microphone before going to the TOEFL test. I could not do this and as a result of this my speaking section score suffered. As a result my overall score dropped a bit. I could only manage 106, although I could have easily obtained more than 110.
• Try to keep your focus. It’s difficult because others might be having speaking section when you are attempting the same section or some other section. It causes a lot of distraction. I had problems initially but adjusted later on.

Preparation tips for TOEFL

If you have already written your GRE and obtained good score then you are almost ready to take the TOEFL. It’s much easier and since the words are always in context, it’s easy to decipher its meaning.

Apart from this you should take the practice TOEFL test available online on ETS website, after you register for TOEFL. I could not take this entirely because I could not get time off from my work schedule and so was a bit low on confidence.

How I Scored 116 in TOEFL

As for TOEFL, I got 116. I  didn’t take coaching. I bought the TOEFL Barron’s a month before my exam but prepared for about a week, not with the best concentration. If you’re  basically comfortable with the language, scoring over 100 shouldn’t be a problem. I was dissatisfied with my test centre (buzzing headphones, disturbance in the room, etc.),  but in the end it all turned out well.

If possible, book a seat early at the Prometric standard test center. Preparing for TOEFL can be fun! Watch English movies  or sitcoms during study breaks(tell yourself it’s practice for the listening section, it partly is) The day before my exam, I settled down and watched a season of  ‘Friends’:)

You have many resources online if you can’t buy the book. The speaking section is important and is considered while awarding students teaching assistantships. It  requires practice, so spend more time on this section.

TOEFL Test Experiences

Following is the links to TOEFL test takers experience (as shared by test takers).

1. How to Score 114 in TOEFL iBT Without Preparation
2. See How Easily You Can Score 117 with this TOEFL Study Plan
3. Warning: Use These 4 TOEFL iBT Strategies at Your Own Risk
4. TOEFL at Kurnool – Test Center Change and Met a Lovely Girl
5. ETS: $60 Refund and Free TOEFL Test (and shabby emails)
6. TOEFL Preparation for the LAZY people
7. TOEFL iBT Score – 100
8. TOEFL Study Tips – I Scored 114 in TOEFL iBT
9. How I Scored 102 in TOEFL iBT
10. TOEFL Study Plan and Tips
11. 10 TOEFL Test Taking Strategies
12. How To Score 30/30 in TOEFL iBT Speaking Section
13. TOEFL Test Prep Tips to Score Above 90