How To Prepare For The TOEFL

TOEFL – Test Of English as a Foreign Language, has been formulated by the US based ETS, to test a candidate’s proficiency in English, so as to enable application to a university in an English speaking nation. The TOEFL is compulsory to apply to a university, but it does not guarantee admission, which is based on other equally important factors. 

The TOEFL score is accepted by more than 2000 universities in more than 130 countries worldwide. Anyone is eligible to appear for the test. It has two formats – Internet Based Test (iBT) and Paper Based Test (PBT). The test can be taken anytime during the year. It is the most flexible test regarding when it can be given, how often it can be taken, and where. 

Registration for TOEFL is open 24×7, but you should try getting registered at least three months prior to the preferred test date as seats get filled up. The registration closes officially three business days before the test. In case you wish to reschedule or cancel the test, it has to be done three business days in advance. Online registration is the best option, though you can also register on phone, by mail or fax. 

The TOEFL paper is made up of four segments – Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. The total time taken for the test is roughly four and a half hours. You cannot skip a question in the iBT format as the next question will appear only when the previous has been answered. There are different sets and difficulty levels of the exam. When you have answered a question, the next question will be on the basis of the level of difficulty of that question and your ability to handle difficult questions. Thus different candidates attempt different questions based on their proficiency level. 

The Reading Section is a 60-100 minute long section. It has between 36-70 questions, which include 3-5 passages from academic texts that are approximately 200 words long each. Each passage will have 12-14 questions. The score for this section ranges from 0-30. 

The Listening Section is 60-9- minute long, with 34-51 questions. It comprises of two parts. The first part comprises of 4-6 lectures each of 3-5 minutes, with 6 questions each. Some of these lectures may be classroom discussions. The second part consists of 2-3 conversations, each around 3 minutes long, and having 5 questions each. This segment has a score range of 0-30.

Speaking Section, which is a 20 minute segment, includes 6 tasks. Two tasks will ask you to express your opinion on a familiar topic. The rest four tasks are based on what has been read and listened to. The score is between 0-4, which is later brought to scale. 

Writing Section having 2 tasks, is a 50 minute section. The first task is to write an essay on what has been read and listened to; the second is to write in support of an opinion on a given topic. Score range is 0-5, brought to scale later on. 

The total score of TOEFL is out of 120. You will be sent four scores – the total score, the score of Listening Section, score of Reading Section, and the score of Speaking and Writing Section. Ideally the score sheet reaches you within a period of 2-4 weeks. 

Your scores will be sent to four universities by ETS, which should be specified before the test. And the test score is valid up to a period of two years after the test has been attempted. 

There are a huge number of training institutes and courses available to help in preparation for TOEFL. You can get enrolled in one of them. Also the ETS specifically provides test preparation material. This includes free sample question papers, practices tests, interactive skill building programs, detailed information and tips to crack the TOEFL, information to understand the test, its format and how to answer effectively, time management. This official material form the official source is the best for preparation. It is essential to understand the format wholly to avoid confusion on the test day and maximize scores. 

TOEFL is an exam format that grants opportunity to students to study in an English speaking nation which include the much sort after destinations like USA, Canada, UK. Because it is flexible and open to all, and is accepted by the best universities across the globe, it has a huge enrollment.