How To Prepare For TOEFL To Get an 80+ Score

How to prepare for TOEFL? To know this understand the exam first. The TOEFL (Testing Of English as a Foreign Language) is an international test for checking your English language proficiency. It is one of the most preferred tests for the English language, just like IELTS and PTE. 

In my opinion, it is very easy to get good scores on the TOEFL exam, you just need to focus and follow some tips which I will be sharing with you. Because when I was preparing for the TOEFL exam, I searched a lot to get good scores in TOEFL. And I got many tips and strategies, with those tips, I got a 95 score on TOEFL. 

So, if you also want to prepare for the TOEFL exam, then I have shared my best tips and strategies on How to prepare for TOEFL that will help you to get good scores in TOEFL. Before knowing the tips and strategies, let’s learn about what is TOEFL exam.

What is the TOEFL exam?

The full form of the TOEFL exam is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. This test is for those candidates who want to go abroad country. 

The TOEFL test is conducted by ETS (Educational Testing Service). The TOEFL test was first launched in 1964, and since then, it has undergone many changes. 

Universities primarily use the score of the TOEFL exam as part of the admission process. 

It is mainly an online computer exam, but in some places, due to network issues, you can give a paper-based TOEFL exam. In this test, a candidate’s English level is measured from 0 to 120.

TOEFL is of mainly three types:

• TOEFL iBT (internet-based test)
• TOEFL at home (Home-based TOEFL test)
• TOEFL paper-delivered test 

11 Tips On How To Prepare For TOEFL To Get 80+ Score

• Understand the format of the exam
• Must Know Why You Want To Take This Exam
• Have a minimum TOEFL score in mind
• Create an ideal space to study
• Get support from friends and teachers
• Read notes for non-technical English
• Practice timed writing
• Watch And Listen To different types of Video Clips
• Read Every Day
• Take proper notes
• Practice speaking

1. Understand the format of the exam

This is the first and most important tip on how to prepare for TOEFL exam. 

It is very important for test takers to understand the format. It will help them in preparation as, after knowing the pattern, students can make their strategy according to that.

As we discussed, there are mainly two types of TOEFL exams.

• Paper-based TOEFL test
• IBT (Internet-based TOEFL test)

Here, you will see what both tests look like.

Paper-based TOEFL test

• Listening section: 30-40 minutes with 50 questions
• Writing section: 25 minutes with 40 questions
• Reading section: 55 minutes with 50 questions
• TWE test: 30 minutes with writing one essay

IBT (Internet-based TOEFL test)

• Reading section: 60-80 minutes with 36-56 questions
• Listening section: 60-90 minutes with 34-51 questions
• Short break: 10 minutes
• Speaking section: 20 minutes with 6 tasks
• Writing section: 50 minutes with 2 essays

After knowing both the formats of the TOEFL test, you should decide which type of test is good for you. Whether you want to give the TOEFL exam on paper or online on a computer. 

To find out about a good TOEFL score in the exam, read our other blog, “TOEFL Test Score and What Is a Good TOEFL Score Out Of 120?”

2. Must Know Why You Want To Take This Exam

TOEFL is accepted by over 8000+ colleges, universities, agencies, and institutions in over 130 countries. To be well prepared, it’s very important to know why you want to take the TOEFL exam. 

For example, you can take this exam:

• To find out the English level with an official exam
• Applying for a college/university
• To get a job or courses
• To apply for immigration requirements

After knowing the reason for taking the TOEFL exam will help you to focus on your study time. 

This is another must-follow tip on how to prepare for TOEFL exam if you aiming for an 80+ score. 

3. Have a minimum TOEFL score in mind.

You should have a target score in your mind. If you have a target score, then you can practice according to that. You can check your TOEFL level by giving some mock tests and practicing different types of questions.

You can check what the required TOEFL is for the institute you want to take admitted to. There you can set a target for yourself. This will motivate you to score well on your exam.

One more thing, choose a score that you are capable of getting. Don’t choose a score that is too high and impossible for you. For example, if your desired university requires a 75 score on the TOEFL, your target score should be 80 or 85.

4. Create an ideal space to study

To achieve a good or targeted score, it is important to have an ideal space for studying. You can follow these simple steps to create an ideal space for study.

• First of all, find the best location for studying. It can be your room, a cafe, a library, or any place.
• Create a quiet zone. You can choose a place where you won’t get any distractions.
• Always keep your study place organized and clean.
• Make a schedule with proper breaks, mealtime, and snack time.
• Relax your mind. Do meditation for relaxation. It will improve your concentration.

5. Get support from friends and teachers

If you want to clear the TOEFL exam and don’t know “How To Prepare For TOEFL?” Then a friend or a teacher can help you a lot. They can tell you your mistakes, which you must resolve to score better on the TOEFL exam. 

You can hire a teacher to help you with your practice. The benefit of hiring a highly qualified teacher is that they are experienced in their field and can explain the rules of grammar to you in a proper way. 

The other way, if you don’t want a tutor, is to get help from a friend who has a good command of the English language. You can also get help from someone who wants to take the TOEFL test. You can both help each other in improving your English language level.

6. Read notes for non-technical English

In the reading section of the TOEFL test, you will get passages and have to find the answers to questions at the end of the passage. These topics will be non-technical English topics so that everyone can understand them.

Here are some ways to prepare.

• You should read for at least 30 minutes daily with full focus.
• You can start by reading newspapers and magazines to boost your reading skills.
• Read aloud whenever you are reading.
• Read online articles in English.

7. Practice timed writing

This tip on how to prepare for TOEFL you can’t ignore if you want to achieve a good score in TOEFL writing.

This is the most important tip for improving your score on TOEFL writing. Most students can not finish their writing on time, and because of that, their band score gets deducted. To avoid that deduction, you must complete your writing tasks on time.

You can practice before the exam by doing timed writing. It will be beneficial for managing time. 

Always save 5 to 10 minutes at the end of the exam to do proofreading. It will help you to write fast and find out any mistakes you make.

So practice is the first and main step toward success, and you should keep practicing to score better in the TOEFL exam.

If you are confused about which is the best English language test for you read our blog, “IELTS vs PTE vs TOEFL vs DUOLINGO– Which one is best?”

8. Watch And Listen To different types of Video Clips

If you want to improve your TOEFL score, then these tips will help you a lot. You may know that many English-language talk radio online, such as comedy, BBC, news, and more. 

You should listen to the audio of whatever you like. For example, if you like comedy videos, you can watch comedy series like Friends. If you want to improve your listening skills and vocabulary, I suggest you watch friends. Because in this series, they used so many new vocabularies that will improve your vocabulary and listening skills. 

If you are having problems understanding what they are saying to each other in the video, then you can also use the subtitles. With this, you can easily understand the meaning of vocabulary and sentences.

9. Read Every Day

This is one of my favorite tips because when I was preparing for the TOEFL exam, I learned so much vocabulary because of reading books and newspapers. I read newspapers and novels every day, and I learned so much vocabulary from them. 

If you also want to improve your reading skills and new vocabulary, then you must read anything you want. In the beginning, you may not like to read something, but after 2 to 3 days, you will like it.

10. Take proper notes

You must make a habit of taking proper notes of whatever you are learning. For example, if you learn a new vocabulary, write it down in a separate section of your notebook where only new and unfamiliar words are written. You should write the word with proper meaning and with a minimum of 3 to 4 sentences in which you used the word. 

Also, when you find any new techniques for the exam, write them down too in your notebook and follow those techniques unless you get a positive outcome.

Always note down your mistakes and also try to improve those mistakes on day to day basis.

11. Practice speaking

This is the last and must-follow tip on how to prepare for TOEFL test. You need to follow this tip to improve one of the most difficult sections of the exam. 

To gain expertise in TOEFL speaking, you must practice your speaking regularly. If you are alone and don’t have anyone with whom you can practice, then you should record yourself while speaking. Later, you can listen to your recording and find out your mistakes. After finding those mistakes, work on correcting those mistakes.

You can also speak in front of the mirror, it will help you build self-confidence. Try to make eye contact with yourself while speaking in front of the mirror.

If you find it awkward to speak alone, then try to find someone who has a good hold of the English language. That person can help you to point out your mistakes and help you correct those mistakes.

How To Prepare For TOEFL: Some Important Tips

If you want to clear your TOEFL test on your first attempt, then you must follow these given tips. These tips will help you score 80 or more on the TOEFL exam. So without wasting any more time, let’s have a look at the tips on how to prepare for TOEFL exam.

• The most important tip is to give yourself proper time to prepare for the TOEFL exam. The TOEFL exam is not a cup of tea for everyone. Yes, some candidates may crack the exam in less than one month, but generally speaking, it takes around 3 months to prepare for the TOEFL exam. So give yourself proper time for preparation. 
• After that, the part comes where you need to start thinking. You have to start thinking and speaking in English. Whenever you get a chance, start talking in English. This will boost your confidence and improve your speaking skills.
• To improve your writing, start reading and writing in English. This will help you improve your grammar as well. You can make a habit of writing a diary or a blog daily in English. This helps a lot of students improve their scores in writing. And don’t forget to do proofreading the content or anything you write. Try to find your mistakes on your own after reading your writing again. You can also get help from your friend to find mistakes in your writing.

• The knowledge of exam structure is also very helpful in your TOEFL preparation. If you know the exam structure, then you can start your preparation according to that. You can find out which part is tough for you and which module of TOEFL you have to give more time to.

Conclusion

In this post, we have discussed how to prepare for TOEFL English language test. We have discussed the best and most important tips to prepare for the exam. To make you fully understand the TOEFL test, its proper definition and the different types of TOEFL tests are also explained.

We hope you have enjoyed reading this post about how to prepare for TOEFL.

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