達特豪's TOEFL Writing Tips

TOEFL score 106 (R29 L28 S23 W26)

Update: I haven't followed the English test rules in a long time

so everything I shared before is based on my own experience from when I took the test

I took a quick look, and most of it still applies, but take the parts about question types with a grain of salt

Writing: Integrated + Independent 20 + 30 minutes

Prep tips:

• Integrated Writing 20min/150~225wds

As the name suggests, it combines reading, listening and writing. Both the passage and the lecture matter a lot, and you have to learn to catch the keywords so you can put them in your essay. With my template and lots of practice, you can usually write an essay of over 300 words and still have time to check it. What it really tests is your note-taking: the more you remember, the more you can write.

• Independent Writing 30min/300wds

Independent Writing is more like the argumentative essay we all know. You don't read a passage or listen to anything; you just start writing once you see the topic you're given. ETS has published sample essays for each score level, so go take a look. They're not just for practice: knowing what kind of essay direction they like matters too. Your content might be great but still not match what they're grading for.

The topics cover a wide range and are usually agree-or-disagree questions. I like to write five paragraphs: the first analyzes the prompt, and the second, third and fourth give examples. I didn't type very fast at first, but for the writing section I trained myself up to 500 words in 30 minutes. Of course more words isn't automatically better: your content needs critical thinking, real-life examples and reasoning to score high. For the last paragraph, just wrap up by restating your point in other words. (Same as before, if I share, there's a template for you to use as reference)

Overall:

The first paragraph is the key to the essay. Ever since writing essays in high school, I've made a habit of getting the first paragraph as close to perfect as possible: no dumb grammar mistakes, plenty of sentence patterns and transitions, because if graders see too many errors in the first paragraph, your score basically won't be very high. If you can, include a quote in every essay; it raises the quality of the writing.

Independent Writing is more like the argumentative essay we all know. You don't read a passage or listen to anything; you just start writing once you see the topic you're given. ETS has published sample essays for each score level, so go take a look. They're not just for practice: knowing what kind of essay direction they like matters too. Your content might be great but still not match what they're grading for.

What was the hardest part of the TOEFL?

For me the hardest part is how long the test is. Your energy drains fast, and staying focused is really hard. As for the rest, I think a solid month of preparation should be enough to get a handle on it. Best of luck to everyone still preparing for the TOEFL in getting your ticket to apply, because this is only a very, very small part of the application journey. The real challenges are still waiting for you.

What would you do better if you prepared again?

When I prepared for Speaking, I never listened to my own recordings. At most I just talked it through myself. I practiced a lot but never properly corrected myself, and I think that really hurt. If you can, writing out a transcript or recording yourself both help a lot. The point is to check whether you have filler words or go off topic. You might get carried away the more you talk and easily drift off topic or contradict yourself.

Near the end of Listening I zoned out and missed a question, so I had to guess QQ

Extra notes

MyBest score: not every school accepts it. Most required scores have to come from a single test sitting, so don't celebrate too early just because your combined best scores add up to over 100

Scores come out a week after the test

The test takes at least three hours, and you “can” eat in the middle. I usually skip food early in the morning, but during the break you can buy some small cookies to keep hunger off, which helps you think. (This seems to no longer be allowed)

The minimum gap before a retake is three days. If you're just a little short of your target score and confident you can get there by retaking three days later, I'd recommend taking it again while you're still in shape.