How To Get A High Score On TOEFL

The score that you get for the TOEFL exam is quite important for universities. Usually, international students and universities want information regarding language proficiency and fluency.

It is a mandatory test for all international students, as most of the universities require them to submit the scores. It is like an eligibility test if a student aspires to study in the USA university. Even people who just want to evaluate their command over language skills can give it a go.

11 TIPS for TOEFL SPEAKING

When it comes to TOEFL speaking make sure that you understand the structure of the exam so that you are aware of what to expect. Make sure you remember all of the instructions well. This is going to help you in being more confident and is going to save you a lot of time and energy while understanding the rules.

Here we provide you some important tips that are going to help you with TOEFL speaking section:

Be confident:

This is very important when you are taking the speaking section. It might seem like the scariest section of the exam, but don’t panic. One of the studies shows that for every eighty students around 2 out of the 3 had found that they were able to score better marks than they had expected to get in the section.

Even though it is perfectly normal to feel the jitters before any examination, especially when it involves speaking in front of an expert, but confidence is the key here. Even though the examiner might ask for something you aren’t prepared for, nervousness will only make things worse.

Use vocabulary that you know well: Surely this is not the right time to experiment with the new words or expressions that you are new to. Always try to keep it simple, it is obvious that the examiners are going to give extra marks to students that have a better vocabulary but still, it's better to stick to the information you are well acquainted with.

Have clear spoken English:

This goes without saying, as it is a speaking test make sure that you articulate and take your time while talking. Fumbling will severely affect your score negatively and will have a huge impact on the chances of your admission to a prestigious University.

Structure your ideas well:

No matter how prepared you are for a test, if you don’t know how to organize the information you have learned and the ideas that come to your mind, all your preparations will go in vain and you won’t be able to achieve your desired score. Try to make a vocabulary list that is based on the exercises and questions. Try to learn about different ways in which you introduce a topic.

Organize your thoughts in a few points. Try to develop examples and announce your views. These structures when learned properly are going to help you to prepare clear and logical answers in the limited amount of time that you get.

Focus:

Only once for each exercise, you are going to listen to the audio track. Although they are shorter than the listening section but still may be of two minutes. You are going to listen to a lot of information that has to be remembered so make sure you are focused throughout the listening section.

Use Draft paper:

When it comes to attempting the speaking section it is going to be the key element. Use the draft paper to structure the answers while you are in exercise 1 and 2. Remember you are going to have just fifteen seconds for it so don’t try to write everything on the draft paper. It is important that you always note down the connecting words, this will make your answer more consistent.

For the next two exercises that are 3 and 4, you are going to be given forty-five seconds and you will have to read a text. The general theme should be noted down along with a few keywords and vocabulary.

The same thing must be followed for the audio recordings when you prepare the structure of the answer must be written of the draft paper by using the ideas that you had written down previously.

For exercise 5, note down the type of problem given in a few words on the draft paper with a few solutions that you recommend and consider. For exercise 6 that's in the academic text, make sure you note down the theme, concept definition, the explanation given by the professors their main ideas, and the examples that are important.

Prepare well:

The only option that you have before the exam is to practice well. First, make sure you get into the habit of taking notes. Secondly, practice preparing an answer by listing your ideas and structuring your thoughts, make sure you are quick and you must not take more time than 15 to 30 seconds.

Finally, focus on practicing your ideas and expressing them well in a very short amount of time 45 seconds to 1 minute. There are so many online platforms that can help you to improve as they help you to get trained efficiently under real examination conditions.

While Preparing:

When you are preparing list out all of the information in a structured and logical way. The vocabulary and the expressions to be used must be noted down. Constantly keep in mind your thoughts on how you are going to organize your answer.

For example, you do need an introduction, a sentence on the topic, your point of view, and an explanation of it. Also, make sure to include an example and a sentence for an argument on the topic.

Timing is everything:

Make sure you just stop writing when you have 5 to 10 seconds left before the countdown, just wait and focus on the first sentence that you are going to start your answer with.

Practice Well

One of the surest ways to score good marks in Toefl is immense practice. Only when you practice appearing for the test beforehand you have chances of performing well in the examination. In order to boost your skills, you need to practice exercises that involve questions of all four sections.

Full-length practice tests are required to attain the desired level of expertise. There are plenty of practice tests or mock tests available online that help you maximize the effectiveness of your study time.

Sufficient practice will avoid any elements of surprise that might occur if you are not sufficiently prepared. When you look at the computer screen, everything should seem familiar. As soon as you see the questions, the methodology to answer correctly should immediately strike you and you should know how much you need to score to get into the school of your choice.

Develop Note-taking Skills

Learning how to take good notes is something that will not only help you achieve a good score in TOEFL but will also be beneficial in the long run when you take admission to a University. After all, it is not possible to listen to the clip more than once!

Note-taking does not mean you try to write down everything. Be mindful of the fact that it is not a dictation. Even the time constraint won't permit you to do the same. All you can do is note down the points that cover the gist of only the essential information.

Using symbols and shorthand notations goes a long way. Everyone uses a different approach to this. Use what suits you the most and stick to it. Initially, start practicing note-taking with clips that are of a shorter duration. When you have finished making your notes, compare it to the original script to get a clearer idea.

Tips for TOEFL writing:

Before you take the exam, get familiarized with the TOEFL writing section. So that you are well informed about what to expect. Make sure you have learned well about all the instructions so that there are absolutely no surprises that you might have to face. Here we give you some important points that you should keep in mind while preparing for and attempting the writing section of the exam.

QWERTY keyboard:

You are going to give the exam on a qwerty keyboard if by any chance you are used to any other kind of a keyboard like azerty one make sure to switch it up. Use a qwerty keyboard laptop and practice on it well. This will create the real exam conditions and you are going to save your valuable time as you won’t be looking out for the keys.

Pay attention to vocabulary:

While you are preparing for the exam try to read as much as you can so that you learn more about the vocabulary and increase it. But during the exam refrain from using the words and phrases that you are not sure about. When you start writing use language that is simple but words and sentences that you are well aware of.

Work on idea organization:

According to the questions and exercises create a vocabulary list. For example, you must try to learn more about the introduction of a topic, give three to four points on your thoughts on the topic, give a few examples. Working according to this structure and organization will help you to write logical and clear essays.

Draft paper use:

This cannot be stressed enough. In exercise 1 of audio recording, make use of the draft paper to have a structured answer. Keep writing down the vocabulary and the keywords you want to use in your answer.

Proofreading:

Always make sure that you do have some extra time in hand to revise your essays. Practice at home for writing essays that are long. By practicing this and making it a habit, you will increase your writing speed. Ideally one must be able to finish the essay at least four or five minutes before the exam ends so that you have enough time to proofread your essay.

At home try to finish the first essay in around 15 minutes and the second one in about 25 minutes. There are so many online platforms that are going to help you to revise this kind of exercises in real exam conditions and can be very helpful in increasing your score in the future, make sure you use all the help that you can find.

Time management:

This becomes the key element while attempting the writing section. The thing is after the listening section most of the students are tired and start to lose important time in the writing section.

To be successful in this particular section-time management is the key. Keep your attention on the essay writing and most importantly save time to revise all that you have written.

Focus on the track:

During the time you will be attempting the first exercise, although the recording is going to be shorter you get to listen to it just once and this should be kept in mind. In those two minutes, you will be provided with a lot of information.

Make sure you are attentive and focus while you are in the listening section. This is important to mention as towards the end of the exam you will be feeling tired and might lose focus.

Try to use the maximum time given:

When you are so fast that you finish your first exercise in less than twenty minutes it is absolutely of no use. Make use of this time to proofread and go thoroughly through each line. Follow the same steps in the second exercise as well, even if you feel this to be tiring. Remember that there is always going to be a mistake or a two that you can catch by doing so.

What if you don’t have the time?

Even after months of preparation and practice, circumstances or situations might still go against you. In the writing section, there is a chance that you are running out of time and feeling that you might not be able to finish the essay give.

In such conditions instead of writing a long but incomplete essay, stick to writing a shorter but well-organized essay that has quality usage of vocabulary. The examiners are smart enough to catch if any part of the essay had been written in rush and the marking is going to be done accordingly.

In conclusion, without a doubt, TOEFL is considered as one of the ideal tests for checking proficiency in the English language. If you do want to study abroad make sure you are well acquainted with the university admission procedure.

Most of the Universities have made the TOEFL exam mandatory and clearing the exam is proof that you have all the required skills in the English language that is going to help survive the competition and will communicate the ideas in an effective and efficient manner.