Tips by TOEFL Examiners

There is no specific syllabus for the TOEFL. The tests are generally designed to test comprehensive English communication skills across writing, listening, reading, and speaking skills. These skills serve to ensure non-native English speaking students successfully integrate into the various North American Universities. There are tips that have been put forward by examiners to guide prospective students in preparing and sitting for TOEFL tests. 

These tips cover all the sections of the test: 

Speaking section tips :- In preparation for the TOEFL tests, the students should familiarize themselves with the speaking tests. The students should understand the structure of the speaking questions. Guided by the structure, the students can be able to practice speaking clearly and logically about familiar subject matters guided by the structural guidelines of the tests.

The student must be able to provide the answers to questions. This entails that the students should understand the requirements of the questions before attempting to answer them. It is very critical that in attempting to answer questions, the students are comprehensible. Make sure that what you speak can be understood and is delivered clearly. This is only possible if you take time to practice speech prior to sitting for the exams.

In practicing and in an examination set up, the students must be fluent which relates to speaking without hesitation. They must pronounce sounds and words correctly and deliver grammatically correct answers all this while using accurate and contextual vocabulary.

For the students to deliver and pass their tests, they must avoid panicking as much as they can. Avoiding panic will enable the student to understand the question requirements and answer them correctly and in the time stipulated. Avoiding panic will aid in fluency and compressibility.

The students must also manage hesitation by use of flowing speech such as using interjects such as, ” what l was trying to say is that…” this will ensure that they answer the questions fluently and in a flowing manner that communicates their ability to speak.

Written section tips :- In the writing section, it is pivotal for the students to familiarize themselves with the structure of the test before attempting it. In addition to that knowledge, the student must read and understand the instructions to the section and religiously follow them.

Students are advised to adhere to familiar vocabulary. This is to avoid straying from intended meanings. There is a need to avoid unnecessary verbosity. In writing, the student needs to structure ideas for better delivery with contextual vocabulary.

Writing also calls for the students’ ability to listen. The students will only be allowed to listen to provided audio tracks once, therefore, there is a need for students to draft their answers and take notes before attempting to answer. The students must be able to manage their time wisely leaving themselves enough time to proofread their work.

Reading section tips :- This section is meant to measure the students’ ability to understand written academic work. To demonstrate the ability to read and understand, the student must be familiar with the test structure. They should read and understand the test and section-specific instructions and religiously adhere to them.

Time management is a very critical skill that is tested in TOEFL tests as the students are required to respond to questions after reading so as to demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter. The student must demonstrate that they have understood the read assignments. The students must, therefore, practice reading and comprehension in preparation for the tests.

Reading should be done in 5 minutes then the students should attempt the questions in 12 minutes assigning a minute to each question.

Listening section tips :- Like in any other section, the students are expected to familiarize themselves with the structure of the section. They should, likewise, read, understand, and adhere to the instructions provided to answer the listening section of the test.

In listening, it is important to note down key points in the lectures or discussions.  The students must have brief details of each subject matter. Careful listening should also be evident in the students’ ability to take up key points in the audio tracks provided.

The students are expected to listen to 4-6 lectures. These lectures have 6 questions each. The students will also listen to 2-3 conversations that carry 5 questions each. This stresses the need for the students to manage their time wisely and give questions specific answers to demonstrate their comprehension ability in terms of listening.