About the TOEFL and Start Preparation for the TOEFL

If one wants to study in a foreign university, especially in a one that is in North America, one should take the TOEFL test. This test is only for non-natives and not for everybody as the university admission committee would want to check how good the non-native English speakers would communicate in English. It is also mandatory for studies in other countries and for job qualifications.

While it is true that the TOEFL is slightly a challenging examination, there are a number of resources that students can use to prepare for the test. Luckily the Internet has an ever expanding treasure trove of study materials, books and practice tests. Most of these websites require registration and payment for download but there are many sites that provide the material for free.

What is the TOEFL?

Before starting preparation, one must know what the test is and how to do well on the test. Understanding tips and tricks will make preparation and writing better. The Internet based test is easy to write too.

How to Start Preparation for the TOEFL

What one needs more than the language skills for this exam is the test taking strategy. One needs speed and efficiency to perform well on the exam. To perform well on the test, one should take a lot of practice tests and understand the preparation tips. Gathering all the test material, one can check how much time one needs for preparation by taking a diagnostic test at least 6 months before the test date. The TOEFL is just like most standardized tests has a particular format but also some traps that could mislead you into making mistakes. So, keeping them in mind, one should avoid the common mistakes to get a great score. The writing section of the TOEFL is challenging, but by practicing writing many essays on varied topics one can score well too.

The TOEFL iBT Test has 4 sections

Section 1: Listening

Section 2: Reading

Section 3: Speaking

Section 4: Writing

1. Listening Comprehension:

Measures the ESL student’s ability to understand North American English especially the kind of conversations that are spoken in academic settings like in colleges or universities.

2. Structure & Written Expression

Measures the ESL student’s ability to recognize language and write essays that have good grammar, a wide range of vocabulary and proper sentence structure.

3. Vocabulary & Reading Comprehension

Measures the ESL student’s ability to understand non-technical reading material. One need not have explicit knowledge in the topics that may be asked in the reading comprehension section. They may be general passages that would contain topics that are related to arts, sciences, literature and social sciences.

4. Essay Writing

Measures the ESL student’s ability to express ideas in standard written English. Grammar and vocabulary is measured in this section.