TOEFL Experience : Preparation, Books, Study Tips to Score 108

Hey Guys..! First of all, I would like to thank HSB for having helped me so much in the TOEFL Preparation process.

When I first thought of taking TOEFL, all I did was to plunge into TOEFL experience posts @ HSB and each piece of information posted was very much useful.

Thanks a lot HSB..! So I thought, it would not be fair on my part if I don’t contribute to HSB in return: And here is my TOEFL Experience in India post!

The TOEFL is such an easy exam – but it does require some amount of preparation to get acquainted with the Exam Conditions as such.

Do give a Practice Test and learn where you stand for yourself.

I first gave a practice test and came to know that my range is around 100. I practiced for TOEFL by giving tests for around a month.

TOEFL Test Prep Books

I referred

• Kaplan TOEFL iBT
• Barron’s TOEFL
• Cambridge TOEFL tests

Let me tell you – Kaplan TOEFL iBT book reflects the real toughness of TOEFL test as such.

So give a Kaplan test periodically to know your progress throughout your preparation. Strategies don’t work as such. At the end, it is how well you are acquainted with English!

Here are my TOEFL test prep tips based on my TOEFL experience for each specific section

Reading

The passages given in TOEFL are easy but the sentence structures can sometimes trick you. So pay careful attention while reading a passage.

Also, the answer choices can seem so easy at first glance.

On scrutiny, you will discover the traps placed in them. So approach this section with utmost caution.

Read as much as possible. No strategies work because you can get a passage on any topic out there in the world.

Get involved yourself with the passage and enjoy it. You will be good to go!

Also, don’t take the summary questions lightly – they cost you anywhere between 2-3 points. So double check them before answering the options.

Listening

Well.. This section tests your note-taking skills.

The lectures are easy to follow, but if there seem to be lots of details in them, you need to be skillful in noting down the relevant points.

I missed some points and at the end, they costed me a lot.

The options also can be a bit tricky. So take as much notes as possible(only the relevant ones) [OR] develop a skill of retaining whatever you have heard and note down just the keywords.

All recordings which you get in this section count for your scoring process. Watching English movies helps only to an extent.

Listen to recordings like those from NPR and some American Lectures online. Write a transcript of what you hear and compare with the original transcript. These can push up your score.

Speaking

This is my favorite section which I initially dreaded a lot.

I practiced for it seriously by speaking on about 5 familiar topics everyday – recording my responses – hearing them again.

• How To Score 30/30 in TOEFL iBT Speaking Section

I even posted my responses in FB groups to get reviews. 🙂 Moreover, NoteFull tips came in handy to organize my speech in an effective manner. Also, please speak clearly in a manner that is intelligible.

I’ve experienced from the feedback and score that – the clarity matters a lot compared with content. After all, only if someone is able to understand what you speak, will they get your points! So please be clear.. Also it doesn’t matter if you speak slowly – but be clear first. Then you can gradually develop your speed.

Writing

If you are done with the GRE, TOEFL Writing section is going to be a cakewalk for you! Write as much relevant details as possible.

Include relevant transition words and organize your writing beautifully!

For the integrated writing task, the trick lies in connecting your lecture with writing.

• TOEFL Preparation for the LAZY people

Be sure to include points from both with more emphasis on the lecture. And for the independent writing, allow your thoughts to flow freely. But organize them in a structure and give a proper shape. Its great if you follow your own ‘unique’ Writing templates! You will rock the Writing section for sure!

You have to be ready to face any condition at the Test Center. For example, while I was in the initial sections, the noise of assembly which was going on outside was heard. Nevertheless, you must be prepared for the worst case and ‘just’ concentrate on your test!

The wait for TOEFL scores was really killing…! I could not resist the suspense.

Nearly, I kept checking for once in every hour during the date which they said my TOEFL score would be out. And my score is 108 with the following split-up

• Reading – 26
• Listening – 24
• Speaking – 29
• Writing – 29

Note from Raghu

This experience is shared by Vanan.

Wonderful experience and congrats on scoring 108 in TOEFL.

Looks like you didn’t get a chance to meet a lovely girl at TOEFL Test center

Update 1 from Vanan:

As you know, this is NOT a TOEFL season. So there was ONLY ONE GIRL who wrote TOEFL along with me. In such a center with 40 systems, I was really very comfortable with just 2 of them taking the test. I chose the Testing Center after reading your post Good TOEFL Test Centers.  The Test Center you mentioned in that post was EXCELLENT. I owe a lot to HSB. You ROCK!