[Talk Series] Scoring High on the TOEFL | Prep Resources & Test-Taking Tips, Explained by an ETS Representative & Teacher Huang Li!

This article covers the highlights of the talk “[Study Abroad Talk] Scoring High on the TOEFL | TOEFL Prep & Test Updates, Explained by an ETS Representative & Teacher Huang Li!” Watch the recording 👉 https://reurl.cc/3X85b0

The TOEFL is more than a university admission requirement. It also helps students build academic English and adapt to academic environments abroad. To help test takers prepare better, ETS (Educational Testing Service) has launched a range of prep resources and made several rounds of changes to improve the test experience and efficiency.

Following our previous article on the new TOEFL format and its credibility, this one covers what ETS representative Ami and Teacher Huang Li of Wordgod (字神帝國) shared about prep resources and test-taking tips. We hope it helps anyone preparing for the TOEFL raise their score more efficiently!

TOEFL prep resources

To help test takers prepare better, ETS has launched a range of prep resources. The most notable is its new free prep platform, TestReady. The platform gives personalized feedback and suggestions, including a daily question, free practice tests and a personal study plan.

Ami said: “TestReady is a very comprehensive, easy-to-use platform that meets the needs of test takers at different stages. Whether you're just starting to prepare or already have a foundation, you can get the right kind of help from it.” She stressed that TestReady is not just a practice platform but a learning tool: it uses AI to offer personalized study suggestions so test takers can prepare in a more targeted way.

TestReady's main features:

1. Daily question: TestReady offers a daily practice question to help test takers improve their English step by step. The questions cover every section of the TOEFL: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing. This helps you keep a steady study rhythm and build your English gradually.

2. Free practice tests: Test takers can take free practice tests on TestReady to see where they stand and plan their prep around their target score. The practice tests also let them experience the real test flow and question types, which helps them handle the actual exam.

3. Personal study plan: Based on a test taker's target score and prep time, TestReady provides personalized suggestions and a study plan. Ami explained: “Every test taker's situation is different, so a personalized study plan is very important. TestReady gives targeted suggestions based on each test taker's actual situation and helps them prepare more effectively.”

Other prep resources:

Besides TestReady, test takers can use all kinds of free resources to improve their English, including podcasts, YouTube videos and other online platforms suited to test prep. Teacher Huang Li suggested: “Spending about 20 minutes a day with English and building your language skills gradually is the key to a high score. Listening to podcasts and watching YouTube videos both help improve your listening and speaking.”

Official ETS prep resources:

1. Official guides and materials: The official guides and materials from ETS are key prep resources. They are written by the people who design the TOEFL, so the content is accurate and credible. Ami stressed: “Using the official guides and materials helps test takers better understand the structure and requirements of the test, so they can prepare in a more targeted way.”

2. Online courses and talks: ETS also offers online courses and talks that go deeper into each section of the TOEFL. Attending them helps test takers pick up more test-taking techniques and get guidance from experienced teachers.

3. Practice question bank: The ETS practice question bank includes a large number of real TOEFL questions that test takers can use to check their progress. Practicing real questions is an effective way to raise your score: with repeated practice, you get familiar with the question types and learn how to solve them.

TOEFL test-taking tips

While preparing, test takers need to master some key techniques to raise their scores. Based on what Ami and Teacher Huang Li shared, we've put together the following tips:

Reading tips:

1. Read quickly: In the TOEFL Reading section, you need to read and understand two passages of about 700 words each in limited time. Practice reading quickly and learn to pick out the main idea and key details so you can answer efficiently in a short time.

2. Take notes: Taking notes while reading helps you record key information and gives you something to back up your answers. Teacher Huang Li pointed out: “Test takers should learn to take brief notes while reading, recording the passage's main points and important details for reference when answering questions.”

3. Search for keywords: When answering Reading questions, you can locate the relevant information by scanning for keywords. Ami stressed: “Getting familiar with the keywords in a passage and learning to find answers by searching for them is an effective way to raise your Reading score.”

Listening tips:

1. Listen actively: The Listening section asks you to understand information in lectures and conversations. Teacher Huang Li suggested: “Test takers should build a habit of active listening in their everyday practice, paying attention to the speaker's tone, views and key points. That way they can better understand the listening material.”

2. Take notes: Note-taking is very important in the Listening section. You should learn to jot down the speaker's main points and key information quickly. Ami pointed out: “Good notes give you something to refer to when answering Listening questions. Test takers should practice a lot to find the note-taking style that works best for them.”

3. Practice with listening material: You can improve your listening by listening to all kinds of English material, including news, lectures and podcasts. Teacher Huang Li suggested: “Listening to material on a variety of topics helps test takers adapt to different listening situations and improves their listening comprehension.”

Speaking tips:

1. Practice your pronunciation: Pronunciation is the foundation of the Speaking section, so practice it a lot and make sure it's clear and accurate. Good pronunciation makes your answers easier for raters to understand and earns higher marks!

2. Practice the Speaking question types: Get familiar with every question type in the TOEFL Speaking section and keep reinforcing the answer structure for each one in practice. Answering in an organized way is the key to a high Speaking score.

3. Simulate real conversations: Practicing simulated conversations helps improve your speaking. Try finding a study partner to practice with, act out real conversation scenarios and improve together. It also helps you get used to the test.

Writing tips:

1. Write with structure: In the Writing section, good structure is the key to a high score. Keeping your writing organized, with clear paragraphs, helps raters understand your points.

2. Practice the Writing question types: Get familiar with every question type in the TOEFL Writing section and keep reinforcing the structure for each one in practice. Knowing how to express your views in an organized way, however the prompt varies, helps you score better in Writing.

3. Critical thinking: Critical thinking is a key skill in TOEFL Writing. It's very important to learn to make persuasive arguments and back up your views with enough evidence. Teacher Huang Li pointed out: “Test takers should think more during their everyday practice and develop their critical thinking. That way they'll perform better in their writing.”

Other important tips:

1. Time management: Test time is limited, so learning to divide your time sensibly is one of the keys to a high score. Practicing time management under realistic test conditions is the most effective way to get better at it!

2. Mock tests: Mock tests are an important part of test prep. They let you get familiar with the test flow, find your weak spots and work on them. They also help you get used to the test in advance, so you're less nervous and can perform at your best on the day.

In short, the TOEFL is not only a stepping stone for students going abroad but also an important tool for improving their English and academic competitiveness. By making good use of prep resources and mastering key test-taking techniques, test takers can achieve excellent TOEFL scores and lay a solid foundation for their academic future.

With proper preparation, plus the help of these prep resources and test-taking tips, we believe you can approach the TOEFL with more confidence and improve your chances of an offer from your dream school!!!

To learn about the new TOEFL and its global credibility, see this article 👉 https://reurl.cc/5v72Xn

Want the full picture of what the speakers shared? Go watch the talk recording 👉 https://reurl.cc/3X85b0