TOEFL Preparation

TOEFL  Preparation & Information

I just completed my TOEFL registration—but how do I prep for my test? Don’t panic; We can point you toward a variety of helpful resources for TOEFL preparation.

First things first: Before you start your TOEFL preparation, be sure to understand what the basic goals of the TOEFL are. The TOEFL test stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language. It’s administered worldwide by the U.S.-based company ETS (Educational Testing Service). The TOEFL is designed to help schools, colleges, and universities accurately gauge your ESL (English as a second language) skills in terms of four categories:

·         Reading

·         Listening

·         Speaking (iBT only)

·         Writing

Referenced above, the iBT (Internet-based test) is the newest and most prevalent version of the TOEFL test. The innovative iBT test is different from the other versions (computer-based “CBT” and paper-based “PBT”) because it incorporates a speaking section into the exam. The speaking section centers on a phone call that lasts approximately 20 minutes. The test begins with reading and listening, and then breaks for ten minutes before the speaking and writing portions. To help with your TOEFL preparation, let’s go into all of the sections of the test in detail right now:

·         Reading
In this section, you read a passage and are then asked to answer multiple-choice questions about the passage.

·         Listening
In this section, you listen to a conversation between two people, and also to a lecture, and then answer multiple-choice questions about each segment.

·         Speaking (iBT only)
In this verbal skills portion, you will listen to brief lectures/passages and also answer three questions. Some questions are based on your own personal experiences, while others refer to the lecture you listened to.

·         Writing
This section requires you to write about the relationship between a lecture that you listen to and then a passage that you read. Answers tend to be 150–225 words long.