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Hello everyone! I am actually wondering whether the TOEFL IBT - At-Home edition is applicable for Masters Graduate programs in USA for fall 2022. I have seen some university sites where it was shown they do not accept At-Home editions of the same and that we should give the test at the allotted centres only from ETS. Also there are some uni sites where it is not explicitly mentioned anything about accepting the At-Home edition or the regular one. There are also some sites where they have given both options. Thats why I am confused as to what I should choose- At-Home edition or the regular centre driven test. Also there are two options for TOEFL - IBT and ESSENTIALS. I have seen a lot of forums differentiating these too as well it is given on the ETS website. But I am not able to understand well. If I want to pursue MS in USA should I give IBT or ESSENTIAL? I know these questions seem to be simplest but I just cannot understand these and thus I am writing this post. I would really appreciate your replies! Thank you.

Hey all, We've put together some videos to help students study important TOEFL vocabulary. We hope these are useful! Good luck! Common TOEFL Vocabulary: Advanced TOEFL Vocabulary:

Hello I am Anan Afrida. I am from Bangladesh. I am thinking of preparing for the TOEFL exam. I am going to apply for US colleges this fall 2020 to the undergraduate programs. So I will be needing this test. Just to introduce myself. I am happy to join this community and would love some help on TOEFL:)

Hello, We are BestMyTest and we will be posting a series of useful TOEFL lessons and practice content for everyone to enjoy. Stay Tuned!

TOEFL Independent Writing Task: Q: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Children over the age of 15 should be allowed to vote. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Response: Research has proven that the human generation is growing smarter. Statistics from several IQ tests has shown an increase of about 4-6 points per human generation. Despite the increase in IQ levels which depict human intelligence, there is no evidence of increase in maturity levels. I firmly disagree with the statement that children over the age of 15 should be allowed to vote. Majority of children gain the knowledge, experience and the ability to make decisions after they are seventeen or eighteen years old. Though children are gaining more knowledge at an early age nowadays, that knowledge is more in the fields of physical sciences. Because of the Internet, they know a lot more about topics and subjects taught in their schools. However, they may fail to possess the wisdom required in the field of Politics. For example, most of my friends didn't even know about all the political parties extant in my country before eleventh grade. How can they be expected to reach a valid conclusion without possessing sufficient information? Having had no prior experience, a few children can recognize the work done by political parties at a very young age. It’s true that even children who vote for the first time when they are eighteen years old have no prior experience. However, by that time, they may have learned more about the political parties and their work from their parents. This sort of gives them a secondhand experience. It’s utmost necessary to know about the past work done by the elected parties and their impacts. Coming to ability of making decisions, majority of children make major decisions after eleventh or twelfth grade, when they need to choose their college. There is a vast difference between deciding the outfit to be worn on a date and choosing a National Leader, who usually stays in rule for five years in most of the countries. Kids can be easily swayed by small incentives like 'Free Wi-Fi’, concessions in Movie Tickets et al, thereby missing out on major issues like Foreign Policies or GDP improvisation. To conclude, children should be allowed to vote after seventeen or eighteen years as by that time, they would have gained sufficient knowledge about political parties, would have become better at making decisions and would have gained some secondary experience of elections. Words: 385 Thanks

Hey folks, I have planned to take up TOEFL test on Aug 29,2015 and GRE in the month of October. Currently, I'm working for an IT Company . I have just started my preparation. The resources that i have are ETS official book for GRE and TOEFL. Also, I have ordered for Manhattan's 5 lb GRE practice problems. I understand that I have a short span of time and amidst my work, its little hard for me to prepare. I'm looking for European Universities and hence I have decided to take TOEFL first and then GRE. Im interested to pursue MS in Embedded Systems/ MS in Electrical in a good European University with full scholarship. Suggest me some good study plans and help me to crack these exams to pursue my dream. Looking forward for your tips guys. :)

Hi everyone! I am in my final graduate class at CSU and I am working on an Instructional Design project. I would like to design a TOEFL workshop where small groups can work together to achieve higher scores. This is a very important project to me. I have been tutoring the TOEFL in both face to face and online venues for 7 years now, and I see how much monies are spent taking the test multiple times (not to mention the anxiety). I would like to design a workshop that helps develop the skills necessary for target scores. Right now, I am writing my needs assessment and would really appreciate help from this TOEFL community. The link below is for a survey on Survey Monkey. It is totally anonymous. I am not trying to sell anything, but rather see if a need exists for TOEFL instruction that helps learners achieve at a fair price. Again, this is my final graduate project and I would really appreciate your help. I value your opinions! Chris K Any and all comments or questions are welcome! TOEFL survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/KXKBY8B

1) Don't practice speaking in a quiet room free of distractions! If you want realistic TOEFL Speaking practice, then get your laptop or recording device and sit in a busy room with lots of audio distractions, and practice making your responses with plenty of distractions around you. Why? It's simple. On test day, TOEFL test takers are all speaking their responses at the same time in one big hall or classroom. You may be very distracted by the other students making their responses on all sides of you, if you are not prepared for this. Some people are literally paralyzed by it! Instead of complaining about distractions at the exam center (which so many people do), why not prepare for it, and make your practice Speaking responses in a busy room instead of a quiet place? Being able to filter your intake of information is actually agreat skill for TOEFL and beyond! 2) Don't write out your TOEFL Speaking Section answers - EVER. Just begin practicing for the Speaking Section with real, natural spoken responses. Remember - REALISTIC pracitce is best. Practice using the 15, 20, or 30 seconds to prepare, along with the real 45 or 60 second response time. 3) Never give yourself a few extra seconds to prepare a TOEFL Speaking response. This takes discipline. It's honest and realistic preparation that pays off, not cheating and bending the rules during practice. Keep to the letter of the time limits in all sections of the TOEFL. 4) Never think about the Speaking questions before beginning preparation. Realistic practice means getting the topic and then starting your preparation time immediately, just like on the real TOEFL. (Specific to Questions 1 & 2) 5) Don't select the questions you like from a list of practice TOEFL Speaking questions. If you have such a list, then cover it up, and only uncover one question at a time. MAKE YOURSELF answer each one, and do not select the ones you like. This gives you real practice, since the TOEFL Speaking questions will hit you as they are, and you will not have the option to choose this one or that one. (Specific to Questions 1 & 2)

TOEFL is an abbreviated form of Test of English as a foreign language. It is conducted to measure the proficiency of the students to use and understand standard American English used at college level .It is conducted especially for the candidates who belongs to non English speaking country and is willing to take up higher studies at American or English speaking colleges or Universities. There are many colleges as well as government institutions and scholarship programs which prefer students with good TOEFL score. It has been launched by Educational Testing Service and they appoint several test centers to conduct the exams in various countries and the first test was administered in 1964. TOEFL test is a computer based test and mostly last for about four to four and a half hours. It is basically an adaptive test wherein the toughness of the next question depends on the correctness of the answer of the previous question and is followed for listening and structure section while reading comprehension and essay writing is not computer based. The test basically consists of four sections- LISTENING SECTION This section adjudges the student’s ability to listen to lecture or conversation between two people and then answers the questions and the questions are mainly who and what types. It lasts for about 45-70 minutes. STRUCTURE SECTION It helps in judging the knowledge of English grammar of the students. The questions are either like fill up the blanks using appropriate word or identify the incorrect word in the sentence and lasts for about 15-20 minutes. READING COMPREHENSION AND WRITING This section helps to evaluate the vocabulary skills of the candidate. They have to answer the questions based on the passages provided to them. This test lasts for about 90 minutes. ESSAY WRITING It helps in assessing the writing skills and vocabulary of the students. They are required to write essays on some general topics and speak of certain topics provided to them and last for 30-50 minutes. The students who have passed out 10+2 exams from any Indian board can opt for this exam. “Speaking English fluently is an important criterion of the admission process and a candidate’s ability to master this ability brightens their chances of admissions to foreign Universities” Says one of the renowned personalities of ETS Global & Partnership. There are no other English tests than TOEFL which is most accessible and available and measures the accuracy based on more than one rater and opens the gateway of entrance of admission to some of the renowned Universities in US. If you found this article is useful, then plz comment on this thread. Also ask your queries!! Thank You URCH for provide such platform to students. All The Best Friend's!!!:tup:

I am worried that 1 month is not good enough. I need to take my exam on March 30. :(

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should encourage their students to question everything. It is important to get the answer of the questions, so there would be no room for any doubt. I believe that mentors have to encourage their students to ask the question because it is the key for getting success to the students as well as the teachers. The main role of our teachers in our society is to educate, but giving knowledge is not enough because as the societies changing rapidly, people are also moving at the same pace. In addition, their views and opinions are also changing with the time. Some of students usually scare of asking question from their instructor, in this case teachers should be allowed to encourage students to ask everything. It is significant for teachers to understand issues related to the different students in a distinct way, so that they can motivate their students with the suitable technique. Teachers should ask themselves that why don’t students ask their quires? What makes them stop? How they can be motivated to clarify their question? All these questions would be able mentors to find the best methodology to inspire students to question, and this will shed the light on the dark area. Moreover, teachers would be satisfied by their own performance, they can lead the societies, and they can also bring good change in the society. The role of the mentor is not only restricted to only schools, colleges, and universities, but also they have to counsel everyone who needs their help. In this way, societies bring tremendous change, and lead the nation towards success. Therefore, teachers need to motivate their students to ask every concept, which they didn’t understand. The main motive of the teachers is to bring light over the dark side, which is unquestionable, and misinterpreted.

Hi Everyone. Posting a little bit late, this post contains TOEFL test day experience I had on 22 september 2012. I will be glad if it help you in anyway. The booking of TOEFL was done 15 days before . Actually I had a bad experience with my previous TOEFL attempt when I got 86 but the score was cancelled because the test centre was declared unfit.:( This time the test centre was Prometric. I used ETS's official TOEFL guide as my reference. This book is simple and straight to point.I went through all the sections once. Apart from one practical speaking session with one of this forum member,I didn't prepare much for speaking practically. I was overconfident to say the least. A day before exam, I was relaxed and went to an iStore (Apple's premium store in India) and was having a nice time using iPad, iPhone and MacBooks(Actually decided to buy it after coming from TOEFL exam). The point here is don't be too stressed a day or two before the exam. A little anxiety is good but too much stress levels will only lower your performance in the exam. On the exam day. Actually the test was scheduled at 10AM and I started well at 8:45 and was at the point at 9:15 only to discover that the test centre was not there and has been shifted somewhere else. The test centre was located there for many years and was present above some bank and the fact that this new location was near some bank confused me. By God's grace I met another person who, like me was confused about the test centre. He was in a taxi and was kind enough to help me reach the centre. It was 9:45 AM when I reached the test centre :) Phew. Had to undergo test centre formalities. After this little bit of adventure of address location, my stomach felt strange. I took some time, had a glass of water and reported myself to the lady there.I was located towards my desk. By then everyone in the hall started their test. Exam Seriously speaking, I never gave any mock tests before exam, knowing well that apart from taking time, if not performed well, it would create a negative mindset for the exam. Read the instructions and started the reading section. My mindset for this exam was to take one question at a time and not to panic after seeing the clock. At the same time making sure I am not lagging behind. In reading section, I never worried about reading the entire passage. As for the 3 mins given to read the passage, I utilized them fully and read initial sentences and sometimes rather than writing points, I read it to know what the passage wants me to understand. Overall this section was above average. At times I felt I was lagging behind the time, but I picked myself up rather than panicking. For Listening section, I knew that I need to note points and there was no way I am using the logic of just listening and then answering the questions. So I was hyperactive at this part of test. Focused entirely on what the person is saying and what the discussion is about. At the same time I was taking notes(Note: don't write full notes or sentence. I wrote single words then used arrows to link them. For me this way of notemaking was good as it consumed less time at the same time I had my focus on the speaker). Apart from one or two doubts, this section went pretty well. At the last question of last listening task, I had full 3.5 mins left. So instead of just answering the question. I marked it and then relaxed knowing fully that I had another 10 mins break apart from this time which I saved for myself. Had my break , washed my face, drank some water and relaxed. Told myself to focus on one question and one task at a time. Funny but I was remembering how to frame the speaking answers for this section in break time. Speaking section went average. For some tasks I couldn't complete my speaking in time . At some times I fumbled, at some times I was confident and gave some good points. Overall, this section was pretty much average. This section went passed quickly . Finally, the writing section. I didn't made the disappointment of speaking get over me.I consider myself as an average writer. I got some unexpected questions but I took time to understand the questions. Brainstormed some ideas and wrote the main words on paper. Later I used them in my essay. Overall this section was good but rather than finishing in limited words, I crossed the word limit. I would like to suggest you to take some time in the end so as to give finishing touches to your essay. By the time I finished my exam, I was the only one sitting in the hall. :) Fingers crossed, Waiting for my result In the end , I would like to share some points that might be useful for anyone who takes this test. 1. Be calm, utilise your time. No need to be in a hurry of finishing entire book or notes. Rather try to understand what you are doing. In other words, spend quality time rather than merely glancing questions and worrying. 2. If you have time to give mocks, then well and good but if you don't, then my personal opinion is to avoid them at the same time don't panic that you didn't give any mocks. 3. Be thorough about the test pattern, different time allotted for different sections and what different sections contain. Know them thoroughly. 4. Except if you have not even started studying for exam, I suggest not to be too tough on yourself a day or two before the exam. A casual glance on sections is enough. 5. Be cool on test day, make sure you know the test centre address and unlike me you can be at ease well before the exam. 6. If possible relieve yourself and have a glass of water. Stay calm and don't worry after seeing test takers there. Dont try to interact with any test takers. Their preparation plans etc might cause you lose your confidence in last moment. This is nearly fatal. Dont give a **** about anyone at the test centre and be calm and silent. 7. Manage your time well. Focus on task at hand. Dont worry about next questions which you dont know. And please for God's sake dont try to be in a hurry to finish the exam. TOEFL wont reward you extra score if you finish it early. Make full use of your time. Also manage your time well. Dont panic after seeing the clock. Be at pace with it and at the same time don't lag behind too much. 8. For those who know the test pattern, there are some sections for ex: listening section where you have 10 mins for 17 sections. If you are in 17 question in 7th minute. Rather than clicking next and finishing. Wait for the time to finish itself and rather calm yourself. Tell yourself that your are better than anyone else.Motivate yourself. Remember any one who motivates you. For me it was Steve Jobs, I remembered him, I got motivated. 9. Also don't forget to go through NoteFull's youtube videos. You can call him or ask him any queries. His videos are amazing. They helped me a lot, they might help you too. Once again make yourself at ease by knowing the pattern of the exam and the amount of time allocated to each of them. Make sure you are in pace with the clock and don't panic. You'll crack it I know that. Everyone has the potential. Just focus on task at hand :). Phew!! what a big post. Hope this can help you folks. Feel free to ask any query :) And yes after my TOEFL exam, I went and gifted myself a Macbook Pro. Cool laptop by the way :) Kind Regards

For Question #2 on the TOEFL iBT Speaking Section, you need to choose between one of two options, and support your choice with specific details, reasons, or examples. Question #2 is very similar to Question #1, in the following ways: You create the content, no paraphrasing other material. You use your own personal ideas and opinions for support. It is independent, you don't read or listen to anything before responding. You have 15 seconds to prepare, and 45 seconds to respond. The same type of introduction and language can be used (in general). However, Question #2 is a bit different from Question #1 in some ways: Your choice is limited to one of two ideas, possibly a combination of both, or neither of the two (in some cases). You need to use comparitive language (i.e. better, more convenient, etc.), whereas in question #1, you used superlative language (i.e. best, most convenient, etc.) You have an easy way to support your choice with two main ideas - the first one is the main reason you made your choice, and the second one can be a reason why you don't like the other choice. Based on this, we can use the same basic blueprint, or template, for question #2 with a few minor adjustments. 1) The Introduction “I prefer X over Y, because of two (or three) main reasons – A, B, [and C].” You may replace “I prefer X over Y…” with: “To me, X is better (more interesting, more important, etc.) than Y…” “I’d say that…” “In my opinion,…” “I believe…” 2) The Body “Regarding A, I’d say that it is/was ______ (comparative adjective, i.e. more important, easier, etc.) because… “As for B, then I believe…” “And finally, C is, to me, (more important, easier, less harmful)…” If you cannot think of support for your answer, here's a great tip: Support your choice in Question #2 with one reason in favor of your choice (the first reason that comes to mind), and one reason for not choosing the other choice! 3) The Conclusion “For these reasons, I feel that…” (Restate your original opinion in different words.) Remember to keep it simple and clear, connecting your ideas, using language you are comfortable with. Here is a sample of how the blueprint above can be used. Question: Do you prefer attending large classes or smaller ones? Use specific reasons to support your choice. Response: I prefer attending small classes over larger ones, for two main reasons - Access to the professor and the ability to focus. Access to course instructors, especially experts in their fields, is an invaluable part of the university experience. In small classes, you get many more opportunities to ask questions, and the professor can even help you with your specific research if he doesn't have 100 students expecting the same attention. Another reason I feel small classes are better is the ability to concentrate on the lectures more easily. In large classes, there are just too many people and too many distractions, like cellphones, chatting, and people entering and exiting. These are the reasons why I prefer small classes. I timed this response at exactly 45 seconds. The total time allowed for a response to this question type is exactly 45 seconds.

People attend college or university for many different reasons ( for example, new experiences, career preparation, increased knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. People have different reasons to attend college or university. From country to country, from family to family , and ultimately from individual to individual the incentives are various. Some people prefer to make friends at college. Others are looking for a life partner at the university. However, some people attend university or college to win a great scholarship. The majority of people need good friends, who always ready to help and give supportive advice in a difficult situation. It is impossible to find a good one in disco club, bar or casino, since those places just for fun and relaxing. The best places for making real friends are college and university, where many students intelligent, smart and helpful. Moreover, university and college is a wonderful place to find your life partner. Me and many of my friends found their husbands and wives there. In my opinion, it is not a surprise because most of the our student's time we spend in libraries with classmates or other students, who have the same interests and ideas. What could be more important in your life partner if not the same goals and plans for future? In addition, university and college gives to student a great opportunity to earn good money without working. Many people prefer studying at the university and win scholarships instead of doing a real job. Scholarships is a very good incentive for people to attend college. A lot of people prefer to attend university and college because it is a great place to find good friends and life partner. Furthermore, it is possible to earn money without working by winning scholarships at university.

Here is a helpful list of ten practical last-minute things you need to do on the day of your TOEFL exam and in the evening preceding it. 1. At the ETS website, choose the universities you want to automatically receive your score report. This is to be done by 10:00 p.m. the night before your test, if you did not do so when you registered. Simply log in, click on “View Orders”, and select your recipients from the list provided. Verify your first selected recipient and select a department, if applicable. Here, you can choose to “add another recipient.” If you add institutions after the 10:00 p.m. deadline, there will be a $17 fee for each score report. 2. Print your registration confirmation. Note any last minute changes in the test site, like a change in time or building. You need to bring your registration confirmation with you to the testing site. You will need your registration number to be admitted. As ETS states clearly, “The test cannot be taken without it.” 3. Be absolutely clear on the location of the TOEFL testing center, and how to get there from your area. You do not want the stress that comes with hunting for the center while you risk being late for the exam. 4. Clear your schedule on test day. The TOEFL test causes stress, in case you didn’t know! Don’t plan any other important meetings or activities for the same day. Treat yourself to a nice lunch afterwards, or plan a relaxing day to unwind. You deserve it for all the hard work you’ve put in! 5. Get a solid eight hours of sleep before the test. Plan to get a full night’s rest the night before the TOEFL. For overly anxious people, this may require waking up very early the day before the TOEFL, to become very tired the night before the TOEFL, and thus get to sleep more easily. 6. Enjoy a light, healthy meal before the TOEFL. Make sure you have a simple breakfast beforehand that will give you lots of energy without weighing heavily on you, giving you gas or indigestion, or causing you to need the bathroom. 7. Take a bottle of water and a nutritious snack. During the 10-minute break, you’ll need something that is easy to eat that will give you energy for the remainder of the test. Bananas are ideal. Use the break to relax, drink some water, and eat the snack. Don’t plan on finding a vending machine or ordering coffee during the short break. You don’t want to spend your only few minutes standing in line or waiting for service. 8. Bring at least one valid form of photo ID, like your: Your country's National ID card Local or international driver’s license passport As ETS says clearly, “Without the required documents, you will not be permitted to test and your test fee will be forfeited.” 9. Go the bathroom before the test. Quite simply stated, you don’t want bathroom needs to arise during the test. While you will be allowed to use the bathroom during the test if needed, the time limits tick away while you are gone! 10. Get to the test center early. Planning to arrive 30 minutes early is a safe move. Traffic in some places can be a mess, so better safe than sorry. For more information on what to expect on the test day, watch this 7-minute video from ETS and check out this PDF.

While experts recommend TOEFL test takers to be as creative as they can in their responses to the TOEFL Speaking Section questions (Types #1 and #2 specifically), there is sometimes a need to have fallback standard responses to the speaking questions, because sometimes: The test taker may not like the question. The test taker may not feel comfortable with the nature of the question. The test taker may be experiencing a mental block. The test taker may not have any “creative juices” flowing. For these reasons, there is a need for a “safety net”, or a basic, fallback set-up to use for the foundation of the response. The following blueprint could be used for the first question about significant people, places, events, or objects: 1) The Introduction “I thinkX is/was a _____ (adj.) thing/person/event, because of three basic reasons – A, B, and C.” You may replace “I think…” with: “To me,…” “I’d say that…” “In my opinion,…” “I believe…” 2) The Body “Regarding A, I’d say that it is/was so ______ (adj.) because… To me, that is really _______.” “As for B, then I believe…” “And finally, C is, to me,…” 3) The Conclusion “For these reasons, I feel that…” (Restate your original opinion in different words.) Remember to keep it simple and clear, connecting your ideas, using language you are comfortable with. Here is a sample of how the blueprint above can be used. Question: What is the best place to go for a vacation, and why? Response: To me, the best place to go for a vacation is Taif, Saudi Arabia, because of the attractions, the weather, and the low costs involved. Taif has many unique and exciting attractions, like the Hada cable cars that take you down through the mountains, and the beautiful parks in Shafa. As for the weather, the cool winds of Taif provide a much-needed break from the heat of most cities in Saudi Arabia. And finally, a vacation to Taif is not expensive. As many people in our current economic slowdown look for cheaper alternatives to international destinations, I feel that Taif provides a great local experience without the heavy expenses. These are the reasons why I think that Taif is the best vacation spot. I timed this response at exactly 43 seconds. The total time allowed for a response to this question type is 45 seconds.

(Experienced TOEFL tutors - please add your top reasons that I haven't mentioned here...) Many people stare at their low TOEFL scores in disbelief, "What happened? I was expecting more than this...!" Avoiding the following most common mistakes in TOEFL preparation will help you escape such a fate: 1. Reviewing English in general, without any attention to the specific setup and structure of the TOEFL test itself Brushing up on your English skills is great, but you need to know the specific question types that you will see on the TOEFL test. For example - Did you know that you will be asked to speak about your opinion for or against something in less than 45 seconds, with only 15 seconds to prepare? Do you know how to maximize that 15 seconds to prepare a quick outline for an organized and cohesive response that opens a topic, develops it, and brings it to a conclusion in just 45 seconds? This is not something you would be prepared for just because your level of English is generally good. Another example - Do you know the trick to answering the "black box" question on the Reading Section? If you are saying, "What is the black box question?" then you really need to pick up the ETS Official Guide to the TOEFL Test and go through it with a qualified TOEFL tutor! 2. Reviewing TOEFL test strategies exclusively, without enough language skills to perform well in general, or without enough general English review TOEFL is an English test, and you must be proficient in the four major uses of English (Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing) to do well on the TOEFL in general. You will need a good vocabulary and understanding of grammar, as well as some overall fluency in both written and spoken English. While knowing the best TOEFL test strategies and inside tips may improve your score by 10-20 points, you won't be able to jump from a 50 to a 90+ without solid language skills. 3. Using preparation materials that do not give you real TOEFL questions and time limits Some TOEFL preparation materials online offer "TOEFL quizzes" and other activities that have no focus on any specific TOEFL skill. They are just English activities that are not related to the specific skills needed for the TOEFL. For example, a "TOEFL Vocabulary quiz" that asks for synonyms (similar words) or antonyms (words with opposite meanings). This is simply not a TOEFL question! Another example would be a so-called TOEFL grammar tool that asks you to identify the parts of speech in a passage, by underlining the subject and circling the predicate, etc. TOEFL does not test your knowledge of grammar terms at all. Important note: Some great TOEFL preparation books, like Cambridge or Bruce Rogers, include these kinds of activities, yet they are done in a series of skill-building lessons that lead you into real TOEFL situations gradually. The bottom line: If you are not preparing for the TOEFL Reading Section by studying 700-word academic passages, answering 12-14 questions on them, including the same variety of questions that will come on the real TOEFL, in a 60 minute time limit for three passages together (or 80 minutes for four passages), then you are just not preparing for the TOEFL Reading Section properly. If you are not preparing for the TOEFL Listening Section by listening to short five minute clips of academic material and conversations about college life, and then answering five or six questions about each passage, including the same variety of questions that will come on the real TOEFL, then you are just not preparing for the TOEFL Listening Section properly. 4. Relying on a guarantee offered by a TOEFL tutor or preparation course OK - great! You've found a tutor or a program that guarantees that you will get at least an 85, or they will refund your money. So if you get a 70, you can get your money back! This may actually de-motivate you, putting the workload on the program itself or the instructor to improve your score. Realize that money-back guarantees are marketing gimmicks. No one can promise you certain results. A good, realistic teacher or language center will help you set a realistic goal for yourself based on diagnostic tests, but they will not promise you certain results. You need a solid TOEFL preparation program, an experienced teacher who knows the ins and outs of the TOEFL, and lots of personal hard work to get the score you need. And this is one time when a refund is really no consolation! You get your money back, and... OOPS - You're not going to college! Some people may rely on the reputation of the school or teacher that helps them prepare for the TOEFL. This is a similar trap. The best TOEFL program taught by the greatest experts will not help you, unless you work hard within that program. A certificate from a top language center that declares you absolutely 100% prepared for a 90 on the TOEFL iBT means nothing until you have that 90 on the ETS report! 5. Preparing for the TOEFL in one's native language Do not buy TOEFL preparation books written in your native language! Do not attend a class that teaches TOEFL strategies in your first language! It's really simple - At this level, you need to learn English in English. And you need to prepare for TOEFL in English. Language experts everywhere stress the necessity of learning a second language in that language itself, not basing it on the first language. You lose precious opportunities to improve your English fluency by studying in your native language. Sure, it seems easier! Sure, you may be able to understand some strategies more quickly, but - quite frankly - you are refusing to take your English to the next level this way. 6. Not practicing with the appropriate skills to prepare for the four TOEFL sections Some TOEFL preparation materials ask you to write out your entire spoken responses before you speak! HELLO! Its the Speaking Section, not the Writing Section! The sooner you start recording your 45 second and 60 second spoken responses to actual TOEFL questions, using ONLY the 15, 20, or 30 seconds given for each task, the better. ...You should not try to write out a full and complete answer. There will not be enough for you to do that, and raters want to know how well you can speak in response to a question, NOT how well you can read aloud from something you have written... - ETS Official Guide to the TOEFL Test (p.167) Another common mistake is reading scripts of listening passages to prepare for the TOEFL Listening Section! Once you read the script, because you were too lazy to get the CD and play it, or too cheap to buy the audio CDs that came with your course, you change the activity from listening to reading. So make sure you listen to listening passages when preparing for the listening section, and stay away from those transcripts. Sadly, the ETS Official Guide to the TOEFL Test (pp.127-139) actually makes the mistake of introducing listening tasks by asking students to read transcripts of lectures and conversations, without providing the actual audio files! Its really a no-brainer - Practice for the TOEFL Listening Section by LISTENING (not reading), and practice for the Speaking Section by SPEAKING (not writing)! ... To be continued... (maybe)