Preparing for TOEFL: A Comprehensive Strategy

Melchior Antoine
Apr 21
7 min read

Updated: Apr 25

TOEFL stands for test of English as a foreign language. It is a test required to be taken by international students who are interested in undergoing higher education in the United States.

It focuses on using English in academic contexts, and judges all four academic skills in English:

Reading
Listening
Speaking
Writing

Why is TOEFL so important? Well, your score in TOEFL decides whether or not you are allowed entry into a US university if you are an international student who lives in a country where English isn’t recognized as a foreign language.

Some countries in the West don’t even care if English is an official language. They require students from specific countries where English is recognized as an official language to take the test to prove that their English is at a sufficiently good level to study English-based university courses.

So, if you are an international student who wants to study university courses or programs in English in the USA and other countries, you should care about TOEFL.

There are four steps to follow to make sure that you ace the test: 1. Familiarize with the format of the test; 2. Get a TOEFL tutor; 3. Learn test-taking strategies; 4. Do constant practice tests.

1. Familiarize yourself with the TOEFL test

The TOEFL iBT test is made up of reading, listening, speaking, and writing sections. The table below breaks down what goes into each section:

Section	Description	Estimated Time	Score Scale
Reading	Two 700-word passages Compare-Contrast Cause-Effect 10 questions each	35 min	0–30
Listening	Three lectures 3-5 mins long Six questions each Two conversations 3 mins long 5 questions each	36 min	0–30
Speaking	Four tasks One independent task expressing your opinion on a familiar topic Three integrated tasks based on what is read and heard	16 min	0–30
Writing	Two Tasks 120-min Integrated task based on what is read and heard 110-min writing task for an academic discussion task	29 min	0-30

As can be seen in the table above, the test in all is about three hours long. Each of the four sections are equally weighted with a score ranging from zero to thirty. This means that the highest score that can be attained in this test is 120.

2. Get a TOEFL tutor

You need a TOEFL tutor to help you with this test. This exam can be quite expensive to take. Plus, there is no guarantee that you will pass. Therefore, proper preparation is crucial.

This includes a tutor who can help you prepare for the test. This tutor should have a number of attributes that you should look for:

They should have knowledge of academic writing principles
They should be familiar with the TOEFL test format
They should have credible experience teaching TOEFL test preparation
They should have credible experience teaching academic writing

There are some cultures in foreign countries who focus on the wrong thing when it comes to hiring TOEFL tutors. For example, some believe being a native speaker from the United States is the main requirement.

Some even go as far as discriminating against native English speakers from countries like Nigeria, Jamaica, or even Great Britain itself. This is obviously wrong.

However, these attitudes are reinforced by tutoring platforms that favor tutors who look a certain way or who are from certain countries over others.

The main requirement for being a TOEFL tutor is a competent teacher, who is preferably a native speaker or who has expert level English and knowledge of academic writing principles.

This is a specialist skill and knowledge. Being a native English speaker from the United States and looking a particular way will not cut it. Bear in mind this is an expensive and difficult test. You would want to spend your time and money only on those who are qualified.

3. Learn test-taking strategies

It is not enough to simply be knowledgeable about each of the four sections of the TOEFL test. You need to complete each section on time since there are time limits.

This means you should come up with strategies to make you more effective and efficient. Let's look at four of such strategies to do just that.

1. Learn to take notes. TOEFL allows you to listen to audio clips once before answering questions through speech or writing. This means you should learn how to sharpen your note-taking ability. You should begin practicing by beginning with easier English language passages and graduate slowly to more difficult passages that are on the same level as the academic English in TOEFL.

2. Read daily and widely. It is not a wise strategy to simply read English associated with the TOEFL tests. I mean it should not be the case that you only read English in TOEFL textbooks and practice tests. Instead, you should make reading English a daily practice. And you should try to recognize principles that you learn in your lessons in what you read.

Now this doesn’t mean you go about reading anything. Spending time reading Tweets and FB posts will likely not help improve your TOEFL skill. INstead, focus on publications such as:

BBC NEWS
CNN Magazine
Discovery
New York Times
New Yorker

This is the level of English that is used in TOEFL, and this is what you ought to be focusing on. These sources will educate both in vocabulary and cultural fluency in American matters.

This means you should be an active reader and consciously make a decision to search for and find academic writing principles when you read material like news or magazine articles in English.

Such a strategy can help you against surprises. By reading daily and widely, you might come across concepts and ideas that don’t show up on TOEFL textbooks but that show up on the day of the test!

3. Listen to podcasts. Podcasts are an excellent way to learn how to listen and mimic how native speakers speak in English. Again, with this activity, the goal should be active listening. It’s not enough to use these podcasts as background noise. You should pay special attention to how people on these shows speak. Lastly, you can always combine your note-taking skills with this activity.

4. Do constant practice tests

Practice tests are crucial to make sure that you are prepared. Most of these tests are past tests and are designed to predict or measure how skilled or prepared you are for TOEFL. A good skill in that regard is the Test Glider. They offer free tests.

When doing these practice tests, you should time yourself and treat them as if it were the real thing. Practice makes perfect. The more you familiarize yourself with these tests, the more you will be ready for the real thing.

The difference between TOEFL and IELTS

TOEFL and IELTS both have the same function: They help international students qualify to study English language programs abroad in countries like the United States and Great Britain. But what is the difference between the two standardized tests? We will try to answer that question here.

Both TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are standardized tests designed to assess English language proficiency for non-native speakers. They are typically required for university admissions, visas, and immigration. Here's a summary of how they differ from each other:

1. Test Format. TOEFL is mainly internet-based and is carried out wholly on a computer. The questions take the form of multiple choice options. On the other hand, IELTS is available in two formats: Academic and General Training. Furthermore, Listening, Reading, and Writing can be either in paper or computer formats. However, the Speaking section is always conducted in person.

2. Speaking Section. For TOEFL, the Speaking section is recorded using a microphone. Then, it is assessed using both AI and human raters. This contrasts with IELTS Speaking, where they rely on a live, face-to-face interview with a human examiner.

3. Duration. TOEFL takes approximately three hours to complete. On the other hand, IELTS takes about two hours and forty-five minutes.

4. Scoring System. TOEFL is scored out of a total of 120, and each of the four sections is worth 30 points. IELTS uses a band scoring system that ranges from 1.0 to 9.0 in 0.5 increments.

5. Preferred Regions. TOEFL is more commonly accepted in the United States and Canada. On the other hand, IELTS is typically associated with the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe.

6. Availability. Both tests have wide availability in common. They are available around the world and offer frequent and flexible test dates.

EminentEdit TOEFL tutoring services

EminentEdit offers TOEFL tutoring services that are comprehensive, reliable, and based on a fundamental understanding of how academic writing works. We are fully familiar with how TOEFL works and what you need to succeed.

As a result, we offer personalized tutoring services that are:

Affordable
Reliable
Taught by competent and experienced teachers

EminentEdit provides academic tutoring services that are:

Effective
Affordable
Reliable

We help you achieve your academic goals.

Get in touch for help in passing your TOEFL

Get In Touch

We know what you want to say. We help you say it better.

Our services include face-to-face tutoring online. You don’t have to go through annoying third-party platforms. You have direct access to a tutor who is reliable and flexible to your needs. TOEFL tutoring services include:

Prepping for Reading
Prepping for Listening
Prepping for Speaking
Prepping for Writing

In short, we have you covered for every section of the test. We do not limit ourselves to the confines of the test.

We aim to ensure that you become a competent academic writer and speaker, who can go on to do well at university or college. Get in touch, right now to learn more: Learn About or TOEFL Tutoring Services.