Powerful Tips for TOEFL Exam Preparation
TOEFL, or Testing of English as a Foreign Language evaluates the English language skills of those who want to go abroad for higher studies or employment. For academic purposes, TOEFL iBT is recommended.
Acing the TOEFL exam requires strategic planning to achieve a competitive score. In this blog, we have discussed the important tips and strategic approaches to boost the TOEFL exam preparation.
- Overview of the TOEFL iBT Exam
- Overview of TOEFL iBT Sections
- Section-Wise TOEFL Exam Preparation Tips
- TOEFL iBT Reading Section
- Tips for TOEFL iBT Reading Section
- TOEFL iBT Listening Section
- TOEFL iBT Listening Section Tips
- TOEFL iBT Speaking Section
- TOEFL iBT Speaking Section Tips
- TOEFL iBT Writing Section
- Tips for TOEFL iBT Writing Section
- Key Takeaways by AdmitX
- FAQs
Overview of the TOEFL iBT Exam
The following is the overview of the TOEFL iBT exam, which will help test-takers understand its nature and basic structure.
| Official Website | https://www.ets.org/toefl.html |
| Duration | 2 Hours |
| Mode of Delivery | Internet-based test |
| Editions | TOEFL iBT Test TOEFL iBT (Home Edition) |
| Sections | Reading Writing Speaking Listening |
| Score | Between 0-120 (Total Score) Between 0-30 (Per Section) |
| Validity | 2 Years |
| Importance | Useful for university admissions and strengthening communication skills |
Overview of TOEFL iBT Sections
The TOEFL iBT pattern comprises 4 sections, which evaluate the ability to read, write, speak, and listen to the English language perfectly well, enough to meet the university’s academic and societal standards in English-speaking countries.
| Sections | Questions/Task | Time Duration | Score Range |
| Reading | 20 questions | 35 minutes | 0-30 |
| Listening | 28 questions | 36 minutes | 0-30 |
| Speaking | 4 tasks | 16 minutes | 0-30 |
| Writing | 2 tasks | 29 minutes | 0-30 |
| Total Questions: 48+6 Tasks | Total Duration: 116 Minutes | Total Score Range: 0-120 |
Section-Wise TOEFL Exam Preparation Tips
Based on the TOEFL iBT pattern and the sections tabulated above, we have provided important preparation tips and tricks for Indian students.
TOEFL iBT Reading Section
The reading section of the TOEFL iBT assesses the student’s ability to read and understand the materials in academic contexts.
- Main idea and purpose of the text
- Factual information
- Inferences
- Vocabulary
- Organisation and coherence of the text
- Key points of the passage
- Author’s tone
- Information from the text
- Arguments and explanations
Tips for TOEFL iBT Reading Section
- First, understand the structure of the reading section.
- Enhance your skills in reading comprehension, making inferences, and vocabulary.
- Develop a daily habit of reading newspapers, magazines, and editorials to improve vocabulary and comprehension. Some of the good reading resources are
- Indian Express
- The Hindu
- Reader’s Digest
- Economic Times
- Mint
- British Council Learn English
- While reading, make passage summaries, identify main ideas, and make key points to infer your opinion.
- Dedicate at least 3 hours per day to this practice to improve your reading skills.
- Download and use vocabulary apps such as Vocabulary Builder, Power Vocab, Duolingo, Word of the Day, Word with Friends, etc.
- Go through the official ETS guides for TOEFL exam preparation as they provide the real-test questions of the reading section.
- Join the English language study groups and study forums available locally.
- Solve the reading section’s practice and mock questions provided in the ETS guide within self-allocated time to prepare yourself mentally for the actual exam.
TOEFL iBT Listening Section
The TOEFL iBT listening section assesses the student’s ability to understand the verbal conversation that occurs routinely in the academic context. It evaluates the following skills.
- Student’s notes writing ability from the lectures and class discussions
- Ability to understand the speaker’s tone and intentions while listening
- Synthesising information from the different parts of the verbal texts
- Drawing conclusions and inferences from the verbal information provided.
TOEFL iBT Listening Section Tips
- Start engaging with family members, friends, colleagues, etc., in the English language.
- Listen to TED talks, podcasts, and news bulletins in English for about 1-1.5 hours daily. Some of the good sources are
- NDTV English
- The Economics Times Podcasts
- BBC News
- The Hindu Morning Brief
- English Across the Pond
- Luke’s English Podcast
- While listening to these, prepare notes that must include important information, such as names, dates, numbers, places, etc.
- Focus on noting down key details, main ideas, and transitions used by the speaker.
- Start practicing the ETS practice tests for the listening section on their official website.
- Learn different English accents, such as American, British, Australian, etc., by watching educational videos on YouTube.
TOEFL iBT Speaking Section
The speaking section of the TOEFL iBT evaluates the ability of the students to speak the English language effectively. It evaluates the student’s ability to
- Speak clearly with a logical flow of ideas
- Pronounce words clearly without stress
- Use proper grammar while speaking
- Use appropriate vocabulary for different situations
- Present opinions and ideas on lectures and discussions by providing examples
TOEFL iBT Speaking Section Tips
- Similar to the listening section, start engaging with your friends, family, and colleagues in the English language in everyday conversations.
- Join the online professional study groups where you can engage with natives of English-speaking countries to strengthen your pronunciation and intonation skills.
- Discuss current topics in your study circle to improve fluency and transition.
- Listen to English podcasts and news channels such as BBC News, ABC News, CNN, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, etc., and mimic the intonation, pronunciation, and rhythm of native English speakers.
- Integrate the above tips given for the reading and speaking section into your daily practice for the speaking section, which will save you time and enhance efficiency.
- While engaging with others, talk naturally and avoid memorised answers.
- Use the ETS TestReady tool to get improvised answers to diverse questions and tasks.
- Before speaking or responding, organise your ideas and responses into clear points by taking some time.
TOEFL iBT Writing Section
The writing section of the TOEFL iBT evaluates the following skills and abilities of a test taker.
- Written presentation of clear ideas and information in a logical and organised form.
- Ability to provide main ideas and supporting examples relevant to the topic or discussion.
- Knowledge of grammar, syntax, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
Tips for TOEFL iBT Writing Section
- Adopt the strategy provided for the reading section above. Read newspapers, magazines, and editorials and spend a few minutes before penning down your ideas or opinions.
- Outline your structure and present it in logical form (e.g., intro, body, and conclusion)
- You can also start writing blogs or articles on different topics by reading and understanding them. It will improve your reading comprehension and writing skills.
- Practice writing within a set time limit to simulate real test conditions
- Use transition words and phrases such as “furthermore,” “in addition,” “however,” “for example,” etc., while writing essays, blogs, or opinion notes to link your ideas easily.
- Do not repeat the same sentence throughout the essay. Instead, use complex and compound sentences that showcase your grammatical skills.
- Do not deviate from your flow and opinion. Stay on-topic and avoid adding irrelevant details.
- After finishing your response, proofread the essay to identify the grammatical errors, inconsistencies, illogical flow, etc. It will allow you to become self-aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Key Takeaways by AdmitX
Qualifying for the TOEFL iBT exam can open the doors to a wide range of opportunities for Indian students. Approximately 10,000 institutions in more than 150 countries are accepting this exam as TOEFL scores are utilised for granting study, work, and immigration permits to individuals from non-English speaking countries.
TOEFL exam preparation requires a consistent, strategic approach to stand out in a competitive applicant pool.
FAQs
How many days are required for TOEFL exam preparation?
Depending on the English language proficiency level of the test applicant and target score, it may take 3-6 months to prepare for appearing in the TOEFL exam.
What books should I read to prepare for the TOEFL iBT exam?
ETS TOEFL iBT guide is one of the most authentic books that you can refer to for TOEFL exam preparation because the content of the book is prepared under the guidance of experienced test takers and TOEFL invigilators who have significant exposure to the real test conditions.
How is the TOEFL score calculated?
The TOEFL score is calculated by combining the scores obtained in each individual section of the test.
How can I improve my vocabulary skills for TOEFL?
To improve vocabulary skills for TOEFL, read a lot of academic and non-academic materials such as newspapers, magazines, editorials, and scientific publications. Create and use flashcards to learn new words and their meaning, synonyms, and context in everyday life.
Which countries accept TOEFL?
Major English language speaking countries that accept TOEFL are the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland.
