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TOEFL is currently one of the most familiar certificates, especially for those who are planning to study in the US. However, do you know how to study TOEFL effectively? In the article below, let's refer to ETEST Study Abroad English right away. TOEFL IBT test preparation experience to prepare for the upcoming exam.
1. Experience TOEFL test preparation iBT effective
TOEFL is considered one of the most difficult certificates, with many new words and difficult structures. Therefore, to prepare effectively for the exam, you need to have TOEFL test preparation experience to do better on the test.
1.1 Set goals to achieve
Goals are one of the most important factors for you to get good results. Don't be vague or think that the higher the score, the better. Because if you think like that, the results will definitely be much lower than expected. Instead, give yourself a specific score that needs to be achieved.
For example, if you intend to study abroad at the undergraduate level, the minimum TOEFL iBT score required is 62, and at the graduate level, the minimum score required is 79. The higher the level of study and the more prestigious the school, the higher the TOEFL iBT score requirement, so you should check the required score on the school's official website in advance.
1.2 Make a specific review plan
A detailed study plan will help you study more effectively and limit wasting time on meaningless things. Here are some tips for planning from TOEFL iBT test preparation experience of previous candidates:
- Take a test before you start studying: Before starting the study process, you need to check your current level, from which you can have a specific study plan. If you are still weak in any skill, you need to spend more time practicing the basic foundation of that skill. The result of this test may be lower than your target, but do not worry too much about this issue.
- Specific review plan: Depending on the time you have, divide the plan into different stages. In the first stage, you should spend about 2 months reviewing basic skills. Then, when you have mastered these skills, we will start practicing, but we still have to review the skills regularly. Maintain about 1 test/day, combining reviewing each skill separately.
1.3 Self-motivation
- Paying the exam fee in advance: Paying the exam fee in advance is a pretty good motivational tip, because when there is a financial constraint, you will be more motivated to study for the exam, because the amount of money spent on this exam is not small.
- Avoid studying when you are tired: When you feel tired, do not force yourself to study, because studying at this time will not be effective. If you feel tired, rest, then make up for today's knowledge in the sessions when you feel really healthy.
- Find your focus time: Everyone has a time when they are most productive. Focus on studying during this time, turn off all distractions like Facebook, phone, email…
1.4 Use English every day as a habit
Don’t just consider English as a subject, but try to see it as a language you use every day. This will help you be more proactive in your learning and bring better results.
According to TOEFL iBT test preparation experience For difficult vocabulary, don't cram too much at one time, because you may forget what you learned. Dividing it into small groups to study each day is a good method.
1.5 Get familiar with the practice test
According to TOEFL iBT test preparation experience You should get used to the practice test because the TOEFL iBT test is conducted entirely on the computer, so practice with the practice test in advance to make sure you are not confused with this test format. In particular, getting used to writing English essays on the computer, practicing typing quickly and correctly is also extremely important, because you cannot go back and edit your essay after clicking submit.
2. TOEFL iBT test preparation experience for each skill
If you are wondering how to effectively prepare for the TOEFL test, here are some tips. TOEFL iBT test preparation experience from students who have taken the exam before:
2.1 Memorize vocabulary
TOEFL is a difficult exam with a dense vocabulary and high difficulty. Therefore, you should focus on reviewing vocabulary every day. Memorizing vocabulary will be an effective method for you to confidently complete all skills, but do not study by cramming.
You can try different vocabulary learning tips such as learning with notes, learning with flashcards, learning with illustrations... to remember vocabulary faster. You can refer to the Memrise application or Notefull documents, which will be very beneficial for your new vocabulary learning process.
2.2 Review Reading section
With Reading skills, the most important thing is that you must analyze the reading, combined with grasping the main ideas. Therefore, after starting for about 1-2 minutes, try to quickly summarize the structure and main content of each text.
Don’t wait until you get to each sentence to look up information about that sentence, this is a waste of time. You can write down the main keywords of each paragraph on a piece of scrap paper. This way you can remember what the text is trying to mention.
Summary questions are the easiest to lose points because of confusion in information retrieval. For this question, find the main keyword, then only search for the passages that contain this keyword to retrieve information. This will limit the loss of information or misunderstanding of what the question is trying to express.
2.3 Practice Listening section
One of the TOEFL iBT test preparation experience The Listening part is to know how to take notes. Whether your answer is correct or not, how many points you get depends a lot on how you organize your ideas as well as the details you provide in the test. For more information on this skill, please refer to Notefull.
TOEFL iBT listening passages often contain many new words and strange lectures, making it difficult for those with weak listening skills to understand. In this case, use the listening and dictation method:
- Just spend about 15-20 minutes each day, and gradually you will get used to the organization of ideas and the structure of the listening passage.
- Refer to listening materials on some sites like TED or Coursera…
For Listening skills, regularity is an extremely important factor. You should spend at least 30 minutes every day listening, whether you are doing the test or not, so as not to feel strange. Besides, be more strict with yourself, by only listening to all the lessons once. The first time is always the most correct, the next times are almost meaningless.
2.4 Practice Speaking
Speaking is considered the most difficult skill for many candidates, because you not only need to have a large vocabulary and speak fluently, but also have to speak within the time limit. Therefore, from the very first times you practice speaking, time yourself according to the time limit for every answer.
One TOEFL iBT test preparation experience For the speaking part, record your answers, listen to them and evaluate yourself. If you feel bored or want someone to comment on your speaking, try studying in a group. This will help you review a wider range of topics, and have someone to study with to increase your interest. Don’t forget to take notes of the main ideas in the test to review when necessary.
2.5 Practice Writing section
For Writing skills, try to time yourself right from the start. Because time is an extremely important factor that affects your psychology, writing style as well as the number of words you can write. Forcing yourself into a time frame is an effective way to help you gradually get used to the pressure.
Normally, a TOEFL iBT essay requires only about 300 words, but you need to write close to 500 to get a high score. If possible, add a little more academic vocabulary to your essay. This will make the examiner more sympathetic to your work.
3. TOEFL iBT test preparation resources
To prepare for the TOEFL effectively, in addition to the above methods, you also need to pay attention to exam preparation resources. Choose authentic, quality textbooks to quickly improve your ability and level:
3.1. Book documents
- Longman and Delta's Key are the books you can review. Longman is highly rated for the 4 skills while Delta's Key is more popular for the exam section.
- Barron’s is also a book you should refer to. The skills in this are written in great detail, so you can use it as a textbook. However, make sure it is really suitable for you.
- Regarding the exam, you can refer to the TPO section, which includes 30 tests. This section has content quite similar to the exam, helping to improve your score in the final months. Barron's set of 7 questions can also be referred to, but it is quite difficult and does not match the main structure of the exam.
- If you want to refer to tips when taking the TOEFL IBT test, Notefull will be a good document you can refer to. It is quite useful for you when you actually start taking the test.
In short, regarding materials and books, don't practice too widely. Choose one main book to use as a study guide, and use the other books only as supplements. Using a wide range of materials will make you feel tired.
3.2. Other support tools
- Google Calendar: This tool will help you arrange your schedule reasonably, is free and sends regular notifications to your pre-registered phone and gmail.
- Voice Recorder: A tool available on the phone, can be used to record speech, very convenient to check your pronunciation.
- Stopwatch: When doing the test, a stopwatch will be an extremely important and useful item. You can use an online timer or buy yourself a small one.
- Memrise: An application used to learn new words in the form of Flashcards. This application can be downloaded for free on both IOS and Android or used directly on the web. There is a list of 400 common vocabulary words, with illustrations and pronunciations for easy memorization.
4. Should I practice TOEFL iBT at home or at a center?
Whether you study for the TOEFL iBT at home or at a center depends largely on your habits, interests, and daily study methods. If you are highly self-taught, like to study alone, and can force yourself to work hard, studying at home will be a reasonable method, both saving money and training independence - a very necessary virtue for your future study abroad process.
However, not everyone is able to study effectively on their own, especially with difficult certificates like TOEFL iBT. If you are in this case, studying at a center will be more suitable for you. Coming to large centers, you will be taught the TOEFL iBT test preparation experience effective, and at the same time create learning paths suitable for each different subject.
See also: TOEFL what is the abbreviation of? Information you need to know about the TOEFL test
Here are some TOEFL iBT test preparation experience effective that you can refer to and apply. Hopefully this article has brought interesting and useful information, helping you have a better orientation, and achieve the desired results in the upcoming TOEFL iBT exam.
