The Complete Guide To The TOEFL Test

xiiPreface

•Three Complete Practice Tests Practice tests provide one of the best ways to get ready for TOEFL because they draw together all the points you have studied. These tests duplicate the format, content, and level of difficulty of the actual exam. You may want to take one of these tests as a diagnostic when you begin your studies. To get the most out of these exams, follow the recommendations in the section titled ~bout Taking the Practice Tests. Scoring information is also included here.

Suggestions for Using This Book

The Complete Guide to the TOEFL Test: PBT Edition is designed to be used either as a textbook for TOEFL preparation classes or as a tool for individuals preparing for the exam by themselves. If you are working alone, you will need the audio program to accompany the textbook as well as the answer keys and audio scripts (available online).

Whether working alone or in a group, you should begin your preparation for TOEFL by reading the introductory chapters titled Getting Started. You can then work through the book in the order in which it is written or begin with the section in which you are weakest (or in which the majority of the students in a class are weakest.) Generally, you can make the fastest progress by working in your weakest area. You can determine which area is your weakest by looking at the scores from a previous test or by using one of the practice tests as a diagnostic test.

The amounts of time required to cover each segment of the Guide are given below. Keep in mind that these times are very approximate and do not include review sessions.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all who worked on the original second edition of the book and to Tom Jefferies and Daisy Sosa for their help in preparing this updated printing.

xvi Getting Started

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Questions and Answers about TOEFL

Q:What is TOEFL?

A:TOEFL stands for Test ofEnglish as a Foreign Language. It is a test designed to measure the English-language ability of people who do not speak English as their first language and who plan to study at colleges and universities in North America either as undergraduate or graduate students.

Educational Testing Service (ETS) of Princeton, New Jersey prepares and administers TOEFL. This organization produces many other standardized tests, such as the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC), the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Although there are other standardized tests of English, TOEFL is by far the most important in North America. ETS has offered this exam since 1965. Each year, over a million people take the TOEFL test at testing centers all over the world. Around 7,000 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada accept TOEFL scores from students from non-English speaking countries as part of their application process.

Q:What format does the Paper-based TOEFL (PBT) follow? How long does it take to complete?

A:All the questions on the PBT (except for the TWE Prompt) are multiple choice questions with four answer choices. The test is divided into three sections, each with its own time limit. These sections are always given in the same order.

Because of the time it takes to check identification, show people to their seats, give directions, and pass out and collect exams, you will actually be in the testing room for about two and a half hours.

Q:How is the Internet-Based TOEFL (iBT) different from the PBT?

A:The two versions of the test are quite different. Some of the most important differences are as follows:

•All the items on the PBT are multiple choice but there are some special computer-unique item types on the iBT.

•There is no Structure section on the iBT

•There is no Speaking section on the PBT but there are six speaking tasks on the iBT

•There is one Writing task on the PBT but two on the iBT

•There are several "integrated" tasks on the iBT which test several skills at once, such as Listening Reading, and Speaking, but the PBT tests all the skills independently.

•Note taking is allowed on the iBT but not on the PBT

xviii Getting Started

Q:How is the PBT scoring system different from the iBT scoring system?

A:The scores for the PBT range from 677 (the highest) to 310 (the lowest). This is also the scoring system used on the Institutional TOEFL test. The scores on the iBT range from 120 (the highest) to 0 (the lowest).

Use the chart below to compare scores on the iBT and the PBT.

Q: What is a passing score on the Paper-based TOEFL?

A: There isn't any. Each university has its own standards for admission, so you should check the catalogues of universities you are interested in, or contact their admissions offices. Most undergraduate programs require scores between 500 and 550, and most graduate programs ask for scores between 525 and 600. In recent years, there has been a tendency for universities to raise their minimum TOEFL requirements. Of course, the higher your score, the better your chance of admission.

On the Institutional TOEFL, acceptable scores are set by each institution.

Getting Started xix

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Q:How are universities informed of my sc~!es?

A:ETS reports your score to three institutions for free. For a charge, ETS will send your scores to additional institutions. Some universities will also accept photocopies of the test results that were mailed directly to you. Institutes that administer the institutional test are not allowed to send scores to universities.

Q:How can I get more information about the Paper-based TOEFL?

A: There is a lot more information about the Paper-based test on the ETS website at www.ets.org.

xx Getting Started

Twelve Keys to High Scores on TOEFL

Key #1: Increase your general knowledge of English.

There are two types of knowledge that will lead to high TOEFL scores:

•A knowledge of the tactics used by good test takers and of the "tricks" of the test (which you will learn by using this Guide)

•A general command of English (which must be built up over a long period)

Following a step-by-step TOEFL preparation program, such as that presented in The Complete Guide to the TOEFL Test, will familiarize you with the tactics you need to raise your scores. The practice tests in this book will help you polish these techniques.

The best way to increase your general knowledge of English is simply to use English as much as possible. Classes in English will be useful, and so will opportunities to speak, read, write, or listen to English.

Some people who are preparing for TOEFL think that conversation classes and practice are a waste of time because speaking skills are not tested on the exam. In fact, one of the best ways to get ready for the exam is to converse in English whenever you can. Not only will you improve your ability to listen to everyday English, but you'll also learn to think in English. If you are living in an English-speaking country, don't spend all your time with people from your own country. If you are living in your home country, try to arrange opportunities for conversations in English.

You can improve your listening comprehension skills by going to English-language lectures and movies. Listening to news and informational broadcasts on the radio is especially useful. Reading books, magazines, and newspapers in English can help you prepare for the Reading Comprehension part of the test.

One of your most important jobs is to systematically improve your vocabulary. Vocabulary building will help you, not just in the Reading test, but throughout the exam. You may want to keep a personal vocabulary list. When you come across an unfamiliar word, look it up in a dictionary and write the word and its definition in your personal vocabulary list. Keep this list with you and study it when riding buses, eating lunch, taking coffee breaks, or whenever else you have a free moment.

Key #2: Make the most of your preparation time.

You need to train for TOEFL just as you would train for any important competitive event. Obviously, the sooner you can start training, the better, but no matter when you begin, you need to get the most out of your preparation time.

Make a time-management chart. Draw up an hour-by-hour schedule of your week's activities. Block out those hours when you are busy with classes, work, social activities, and other responsibilities. Then pencil in times for TOEFL preparation. You will remember more of what you study if you schedule a few hours every day or several times weekly instead of scheduling all your study time in large blocks on weekends. After following this schedule for a week, make whatever adjustments are necessary. After that, try to keep to this schedule until the week before the testing date. During that last week, reduce your study time and begin to relax.

If possible, reserve a special place where you do nothing but work on TOEFL preparation, separate from where you do your regular homework or other work. This place should be as free of distractions as possible.

Agood method of studying for TOEFL is the "30-5-5" method:

•Study for thirty minutes.

•Take a five-minute break-leave your desk and do something completely different.

Getting Started xxi

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•When you return, take five minutes to review what you studied before the break and preview what you are going to study next.

Incidentally, it's an excellent idea to meet regularly with a small group of people who are also preparing for TOEFL. Research has shown that this study-group approach to test preparation is very effective.

Key #3: Be in good physical condition when you take the exam.

When you make out your time-management schedule, don't forget to leave time for physical activities-sports, aerobics, jogging, bicycling, or whatever else you prefer.

The most important physical concern is that you not become exhausted during your preparation time. If you aren't getting enough sleep, you'll need to reduce your study time or another activity. This is especially important in the last few days before the exam.

Key #4: Choose your test date carefully.

If you require PBT scores for admission to a university, you need to plan ahead. Most students at North American universities enter their programs in the fall term, with late classes beginning in August or September. The deadline for applying for the fall term is usually December of the previous year or January of that year. Therefore, you should take the test sometime in the spring or summer of the previous year. If your score on the test is not satisfactory, you will then have time to take the test again.

Of course, if you are taking a TOEFL preparation program, you should wait until you have completed or almost completed that course before you take the test so that the tactics and skills you have learned will be fresh in your mind.

l_ Key #5: Be familiar with the format and directions. l

You should have a clear map of the TOEFL test in your mind. Then, as you're taking the exam, you'll know exactly where you are and what's coming next. You can familiarize yourself with the basic TOEFL format by looking over the chart on page xvi.

The directions for each part of the TOEFL test are always the same; even the same examples are used. If you are familiar with the directions, you won't have to waste time reading them during the test. You can become familiar with these directions by studying the directions for the practice tests in this book.

xxii Getting Started

Key #6: Organize your pre-exam time.

You shouldn't try to "cram" (study intensively) during the last few days before the exam. Last-minute studying can leave you exhausted, and you need to be alert for the test. The night before the exam, don't study at all. Gtt together the materials you'll need in the morning, then go to a movie, take a long walk, or do something else to take your mind off the test. Go to bed when you usually do.

If the exam is in the morning, have breakfast before you leave. Wear comfortable clothes because you'll be sitting in the same position for a long time. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the test site, keeping in mind traffic, weather, and parking problems. If you have to rush, that will only add to your stress.

Key #7: Use time wisely during the test.

TOEFL would be a far easier test if you could spend an unlimited amount of time working on it. However, there are strict time limits. Doing well on TOEFL means that you must find a balance between speed and accuracy. You don't want to rush through any section, but you do want to finish each section before time is called. The ideal is to finish Sections 2 and 3 with a few minutes remaining so that you can go back to questions that you found difficult. (The timing on Section 1 is controlled by the audio and you can't go back and check your answers after completing this section.)

The questions on TOEFL are not equally difficult. Items can be classified as easy, medium, and difficult. The approximate distribution of items on a typical TOEFL are as follows: easy-30%; medium-40%; difficult-30%.

Easy items are usually found at the beginning of each part of the test, medium items are usually found in the middle of each part, and difficult items are usually found at the end of each part. You may be tempted to rush through the easy items to save time for the difficult ones at the end of each part. This is not a good strategy. Your goal is to get as many right answers as possible. Therefore, you want to concentrate on the items that give you the best chance of a correct answer-in other words, the easiest ones.

Hint: Remember, you don't get any extra points for answering difficult questions.

Work steadily. Never spend too much time on anyone problem. If you are unable to decide on an answer, guess and go on. Answer each question as you come to it, even if you are not sure of the answer. You can mark difficult items on your answer sheet with check marks (as shown in Key #8). Then, if you have time at the end of the section, you can return to these problems. Sometimes when you come back to an item, you will find it easier. (Be sure to erase all of these check marks before you hand in your answer sheet.)

The most important tool for timing yourself is a watch, preferably one with a "count down" feature that you can set at the beginning of Sections 2 and 3. (Watches with alarms are not permitted.)

Key #8: Know how to mark your answer sheet.

One of the worst surprises you can have during a test is to suddenly discover that the number of the item that you are working on doesn't correspond to the number of the answer you are marking for that item. You have to go back to find where you first got off track, then change all the answers after that number. You can avoid this problem by using the test book itself as a marker. Cover all the unanswered items in each column on your answer sheet. Then uncover one item at a time as you advance. Every five items or so, quickly glance at the number of the question that you are working on and the number of the answer to make sure they are the same.