I only got 23 on TOEFL writing. What went wrong?

#Free TOEFL open class details at the end

Hi everyone,

I'm Rosa from SK2, and today I'd like to talk about mindset in writing.

Recently some students asked whether they could try a writing class for free. You're welcome to apply for SK2's free trial class,

and learn the key secrets to staying on topic in writing right away: the Golden Circle and the Word Bank.

Just fill out the form to apply.

A student named Edward asked me: “My essays always get a perfect 5 when my teacher grades them, but my score just came out and I only got 23 in writing. What went wrong?”

I'm sure many of you have been in the same situation: you practice writing diligently and your teacher grades you highly, but your test score comes out lower than expected.

How should you think about it? I think the following four points can help you build a healthier mindset and find your direction.

1. Review what happened on test day carefully

First, think back to how the test went. Did you read the prompt carefully and make sure your topic sentence and examples were on topic? Did your examples wander or lack detail? How was your timing on the examples? Did you watch for small grammar mistakes? I also often remind students to reconstruct the independent writing task and the first speaking task on the day of the test, while the memory is fresh, so they can review properly. I think that for most students whose scores fall short of expectations, there really are things they could have done better: maybe they missed the purpose of the prompt under test conditions, ran out of time and didn't finish, or didn't proofread.

Recommended reading: What to do on the day you take the TOEFL

2. Consider requesting a rescore

Next, if after reviewing and thinking it over you still feel your level can't be just 23, you can consider requesting a rescore. But a rescore won't necessarily raise your score. More often the score doesn't change, and in a few cases it actually goes down. The most outrageous case I've heard recently was a student who requested a speaking rescore and dropped from 24 to 20, losing 4 points at once. So I think you should be clear about why you want a rescore. If you've already passed 100 and met your schools' minimums, a score that's good enough is good enough, and you may not need a rescore. And if you do decide to request one, be ready to accept that you may pay for it and still get a score below your expectations, or even a lower one.

3. Don't let your TOEFL score define you

Now let's talk about mindset. The student I mentioned whose speaking score dropped after the rescore was crushed when they saw the new score. That's only human; if it were me, I'd definitely find it hard not to be affected. But I want to remind you not to let your TOEFL score define you. After all, TOEFL raters are human too. They've been through ETS's standard rater training and understand the scoring criteria, but anyone who is human finds it hard to be completely objective. Just as my partner Chris and I don't give exactly the same scores when we grade essays, I think raters have some subjectivity too: some are strict and some are lenient, and raters have good days and bad days. So even if your TOEFL writing score this time isn't as good as you hoped, as long as you know how to adjust, don't let the score affect you too much. Especially if your essays usually get a 5 and you keep improving with the 1:10 rule (write one essay, read ten), I think you should definitely believe in yourself. Deep down, you have to firmly believe your writing is at a 29 or 30 level! “Sometimes your writing may be well beyond what the TOEFL can measure.” “Sometimes the TOEFL's style of writing just doesn't suit you very well.” After all, once you're abroad, the people around you won't define your English by your TOEFL score, and you certainly won't either. People usually judge your English by how you use it day to day: How are your essays? Can you express your ideas fluently? Can you catch the main points of what others say? Can you quickly grasp the gist of an article? I think these everyday skills, which you need to study abroad, matter far more than your TOEFL score.

Recommended reading: Don't let a score define you

4. Understand that writing is a lifelong thing

Finally, I think what matters most in writing is whether you keep using writing techniques and improving your writing. Many students who took the class write to me: “Thank you for the writing logic you taught at SK2. It gave me the basic concepts I needed in grad school, and over those two years I really felt my writing improve.” Indeed, we don't teach writing structure and concepts only for the TOEFL; we want to give students some basic writing concepts and a direction so they can keep improving in daily life. Personally, I think writing is a lifelong thing. While preparing for the TOEFL, did you become more confident about writing? Do you have more direction when planning and writing? Most important of all, did it change how you think about and picture writing, so that you enjoy it more? These, I think, are what matter most in the long run. Don't break up with writing the moment you finish the TOEFL! You can buy writing books that interest you, study new writing techniques, or now and then write an English diary or letters, and try to make writing part of your everyday life.

I hope you all find your own connection with writing and raise your TOEFL writing scores!

Warm Regards,

SK2 Rosa ^_____^

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Time: 19:00 - 21:00

Topics:

1. Is the TOEFL getting a major overhaul next January? What's changing? Should I take it soon, or wait until next year?

2. At this point, can I use ChatGPT to help me prepare?

3. How should I practice speaking and writing? How do high-scoring recordings and essays differ from low-scoring ones?

4. Any tips for writing the SOP & CV every application needs? What should I be preparing at this point? (shared by Jason)

In this master class, SK2 TOEFL's two co-founders, Rosa and David, and OfferLand co-founder Jason will answer these questions! Two hours, packed with essentials every minute. Bring friends who are also thinking about going abroad or preparing for study-abroad exams!

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