Test of English as a Foreign Language, popularly known as TOEFL, is an internationally accepted entrance exam, recognized by more than 7500 colleges, universities and agencies in more than 130 countries. The test is conducted to acquire higher education in English speaking country. It measures the ability of the candidate to use and understand English, at the university level. TOEFL is conducted in two formats - paper-based and internet-based, known as TOEFL PBT and TOEFL IBT, respectively.
Candidates appearing for TOEFL IBT should be fully prepared well in advance. You must acquire writing and reading skills of the language. You should be thorough with the type of questions asked in each of the sections. If you are not well versed with the language, it is advisable to use the language as much as possible, on a daily basis. Try to use English language while reading, listening, writing, speaking etc.
Reading books can help you a lot in preparing for TOEFL IBT Test. You may read good English books, such as novels of renowned authors, their biographies and auto-biographies etc. Reading magazines is also a good idea to improve your English vocabulary. Apart from reading story books, novels and magazines, you can also make use of TOEFL guide books. ‘The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test’ is considered as one of the most important books to prepare for TOEFL IBT Test. Apart from this, you can also read ‘TOEFL Practice Online - Complete Practice Test’, which consists of real testing experience.
To get an actual idea of TOEFL IBT test, you can practice sample question papers of the entrance exam. They can certainly help you to understand the test’s format as well as the types of questions generally asked in the test. By practicing sample question papers, you can improve your thinking and writing speed that would certainly help you in doing well in the test. You can practice sample question papers for TOEFL IBT Test, either from the official website of ETS or from other websites.
TOEFL IBT Test Preparation Tips
- Probably the best way to prepare for the test is to use English language every day. Set a timetable each day to communicate only in English and use every moment of listening, reading, speaking and writing in English.
- Try to write in English as much as possible. For example, send e-mails, write an article on any topic that you are interested by using new words and common expressions. This will help you in improving your sentence structure skill and vocabulary.
- Listening anything in English can provide good preparation for TOEFL IBT test. You can listen to music, online broadcasts, radio, TV and movies in English. Try to listen to words more closely to understand vocabulary and expressions.
- If you want to improve your vocabulary, then reading is perhaps the best option to prepare for TOEFL Test. You can use various reading materials that include newspapers, magazines, books and even informative websites.
- Try as much as possible to use a Standard English language (QWERTY) computer keyboard. It will help you to increase typing speed and get familiar with the keys and layout.
- Try to speak loudly and clearly with proper pronunciation and intonation. Speaking in group discussion will help to come out with new ideas. Also, add emotion and feeling to what you are saying.
- Another good mode of preparation is to keep a journal handy. You can write down things that you are doing, such as your preparations for any event in daily life. This can help you in organizing different thoughts and practice writing in English.
