The best books for TOEFL IBT preparation

**aap** · 07-06-2007, 03:44 PM

Hi everyone
Please help me to find out the best books for Toefl Ibt preparation.

I have test on 4th of August.Right now i m looking for the best books for preparation

.I kindly request you all that please suggest me the best books so i can buy them.
I really appreciate your kind suggestion.

Thank u all.

**shalujacob** · 07-06-2007, 04:03 PM

Hi,
The official guide to the new toefl by McGraw-Hill is pretty good book.lot of people are refering this.Try this out. 'All the Best'

shalu

**mzalutski** · 07-09-2007, 05:13 AM

Hi, app

Here is my suggestions
1. Longman Preparation Course for the TOEFL® Test - Next Generation iBT
2. Delta's Key to the Next Generation TOEFL® Test

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3. The Official Guide To The New TOEFL® Test
4. Kaplan GRE Exam Comprehensive Program 2007 Edition

Ok. The first two books are the best. As far as I'm concerned Longman is a little better. It is closer of all to the actual test with a lot of practice tests. Some people prefer Delta, I don't know. There are equally good.

IMPORTANT THING. You have to buy Audio CD separately in order to use Listening, Writing and Speaking section of the book. They DO NOT go with the book.

Official Guide is Ok, but not many practice test.

Now, the fourth book has been receiving a lot of criticism. This is, in my point of view, because the book's material is a lot harder. Texts are longer. Thus, people feel frustrated when they use this book. But getting used to harder material can do you good => you will fell freer on the actual exam.

Good luck!

**kyr123** · 01-15-2008, 03:57 PM

ok how many practice tests are in the ETS official uide ,is it enough becuse a lot of people studied from this book.

**OilRedO** · 01-23-2008, 12:32 AM

I think ETS's TOEFL IBT book is a good start. I don't remember exactly how many practice sets there are, but I start with this book. I gave me quite a good overview of the test, especially Speaking part. They have example of high, mid and low level of answers in Speaking. So you will kinda know in what level you will be.

Anyway, I like Cambridge's book better. They have very good Reading practice sets which are as hard as the real test.

I think ETS book alone may not be enough. I borrowed other prep books from a library and tried almost all their tests.

Hope it helps.

**TOEFL Corey** · 01-23-2008, 09:36 PM

As a TOEFL teacher, I've used many iBT books, both in the classroom and through online private lessons.

The closest to the "real thing," according to many of my students would be:

1) The Official Guide to the New TOEFL (ETS) -- the only downside is that there are only two full sets of speaking tasks, integrated writing, etc.

2) "The Complete Guide to the TOEFL Test (iBT Edition)" by Bruce Rogers (Thomson-Heinle is the publisher) -- I feel this book is BY FAR THE BEST of all; unlike Longman, Delta, and BArron's the integrated writing and speaking actually MATCH the real TOEFL. In addition, this is the largest book, with 13 audio CDs and tons of practice in the most difficult areas (for example there are over 10 integrated writing samples)

3) The Delta book is pretty good, but most of the integrated writing doesn't match the real iBT and neither do many of the speaking tasks (for example, they'll give THREE suggestions on Task 5 instead of two, make Task 6 a four-part question, etc.)

4) The Barron's book (12th edition) is also pretty good, and two of my online students who took lessons with this book scored over 26. However, they were just studying speaking (the integrated writing is horrible, as 6 of the 7 don't match the iBT "pattern")

5) The Longman, in my opinion, is problematic in several areas (although it has a nice CD ROM to practice the reading and listening, which are quite authentic). Again, the integrated speaking and writing tasks are often completely different from what's on the test.

I hope this helps. Although I haven't taken the iBT myself, of course, I've spent 6-8 hours a day for more than two years studying this test and preparing students to score well on it.

**SD2007** · 01-24-2008, 06:01 AM

Originally Posted by TOEFL Corey

As a TOEFL teacher, I've used many iBT books, both in the classroom and through online private lessons.

The closest to the "real thing," according to many of my students would be:

1) The Official Guide to the New TOEFL (ETS) -- the only downside is that there are only two full sets of speaking tasks, integrated writing, etc.

2) "The Complete Guide to the TOEFL Test (iBT Edition)" by Bruce Rogers (Thomson-Heinle is the publisher) -- I feel this book is BY FAR THE BEST of all; unlike Longman, Delta, and BArron's the integrated writing and speaking actually MATCH the real TOEFL. In addition, this is the largest book, with 13 audio CDs and tons of practice in the most difficult areas (for example there are over 10 integrated writing samples)

3) The Delta book is pretty good, but most of the integrated writing doesn't match the real iBT and neither do many of the speaking tasks (for example, they'll give THREE suggestions on Task 5 instead of two, make Task 6 a four-part question, etc.)

4) The Barron's book (12th edition) is also pretty good, and two of my online students who took lessons with this book scored over 26. However, they were just studying speaking (the integrated writing is horrible, as 6 of the 7 don't match the iBT "pattern")

5) The Longman, in my opinion, is problematic in several areas (although it has a nice CD ROM to practice the reading and listening, which are quite authentic). Again, the integrated speaking and writing tasks are often completely different from what's on the test.

I hope this helps. Although I haven't taken the iBT myself, of course, I've spent 6-8 hours a day for more than two years studying this test and preparing students to score well on it.

I bought Thomson book from Amazon. But I find out that there are no answers and CD for that book. So, I only used CD-ROM. I don't know where I can get the answers and CD. It seems this book has lots of different versions.

**pega** · 01-25-2008, 08:21 PM

I just searched online for Complete guide to the Toefl test <ibt edition> but the only thing that comes with the book is the CD-ROM .The one with the cassette is the 2000th edition.
Do you have any idea where can I find what exactly you're talking about?
I do not see any of the 13 CDs online to come with the book.
By the way what do you think of Kaplan?
Thanks alot. It was realy helpful to me.

**SD2007** · 01-26-2008, 04:26 AM

I think I wasted 50 dollars for The Complete Guide book. I only can use CD-ROM.

**TOEFL Corey** · 01-26-2008, 04:13 PM

Hi Pega and SD2007,

Sorry about the inconvenience you've experienced. I've sent each of you a private message with a link to a site that has all the materials for that book. And believe me, as someone who uses a lot of different TOEFL books every day, you won't be disappointed once you have the book and the audio files that will allow you to practice listening, integrated writing, and integrated speaking. I don't think there's another iBT book out there that comes close to the "Complete Guide" by Bruce Rogers.

If anyone else needs a link (since Amazon, for some weird reason, only seems to have the textbook + CD ROM, but no audio CDs for sale), just send me an email or private message and I'll get the link to you.