Tips for the TOEFL iBT – How to Get the Score You Need
Are you gearing up for the “Test of English as a Foreign Language” (TOEFL) as part of your college admissions journey?
No matter what your career accomplishments or scholastic accolades may be, you won’t be accepted into a U.S. university unless you can demonstrate proficiency in English. Broadly speaking, 100 is the bare minimum you need to score on the internet-based test (iBT) to gain admission to top-tier schools like Harvard, Columbia or Stanford.
That means it’s essential to prepare for the TOEFL iBT as soon as possible. Here are some tips that can help you succeed:
- Familiarize Yourself with the Format
Everything is easier to handle when you’re comfortable with the format and know what to expect on test day. Understanding the sections of the test – Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing – and the types of questions you’ll encounter in each can help you feel more self-assured.
You should also take a few practice tests through the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to get the full experience – and a better idea of where you currently score. The practice tests available through ETS are actual TOEFLs from prior years, so the score you receive should be reflective of the score you can expect to rank on the real thing, just as long as you take it in a realistic testing environment.
- Get a Plan and Put Yourself on a Schedule
Once you have an idea of which English skills you need to hone the most to get a good score on the TOEFL, it’s time to make a plan. If your reading comprehension and writing skills are good but you struggle with the listening and speaking sections of the test, you should focus your study routine more heavily on those two areas.
Schedule at least an hour a day to practice your English skills, since proficiency comes with regular use. Ideally, you should expect to devote some study time every day for at least three to six months before the test to see real improvement in your score.
- Immerse Yourself as Much as Possible
Finally, the number one thing you can do to improve your TOEFL score and maximize the possibility that you’ll be able to attend your school of choice is to immerse yourself in the English language whenever you can.
Not all of your studies have to feel like work. The more you expose yourself to everyday English, especially outside of your studies, the more fluent you’ll become.
With that in mind:
- Watch movies, television shows and YouTube videos in English to improve your listening skills – or put on the subtitles so you can practice reading quickly.
- Listen to music in English and sing along with the words to practice both your listening and speaking skills.
- Pick up a book that interests you and read it out loud so that you can practice reading, comprehension and speaking all at once.
- Partner up with a friend or hire a native English-speaking tutor and talk about everything from the trivial details of your day to your passion projects to get comfortable with real-world listening and speaking.
Progress in a language can come in leaps and bounds. Once you begin to feel that you’ve made major improvements, take another practice test and see if your score is comfortably above 100. If it is, you can approach the actual TOEFL iBT with confidence. If it isn’t, you can revise your strategy to make the gains you need.