Disclaimer: I am a non native English speaker who fared miserably in the GMAT wanting to make up in TOEFL (to build some confidence going into my gmat retake).
Test Date Reading Listening Speaking Writing Total
October 10, 2009 26 - 29 - 24 - 29 - 108Preparation materials and time -
Materials - Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test
And TOEFL website mock tests for Reading and listening sections.
Frankly, i found the materials on the TOEFL website the most representative of the real deal. If you have already prepared for GMAT, reading and writing sections need minimum or no prep. Focus on Listening and Speaking and one should be good to go!
Reading : I could not answer last two questions as i ran out of time. The RC nightmare from GMAT continued!
RC is much more simpler than GMAT. The questions are straight forward with hardly any tricky questions. Pay attention to the last question in each RC as it carries 2 points. Other carry just 1 point. Quickly read the whole para once, then jump straight to questions, scan for answers and you should be able to answer all the questions within the alloted time. As i screwed up RC in gmat, i wanted to pay extra attention to the RC in TOEFL. In doing so, i lost time in the 1st para. Then i recouped the time in the rest of the paras.
Listening: Something new to most test takers. I would just advice prospective test takers to familiarize yourself with the type of questions asked and practice some note taking. Questions are straight forward. If you have good memory power, this section will be a cake walk.
Speaking : It was ironical that i scored the lowest in the section! Maybe i spoke too fast! My English speaking skills are pretty good and i never expected such a low score. My guess is, it was a lack of practice and overconfidence that did me in. Just one advice. Speak Slowly and don't use fillers like "you know", "like" ...etc. Be Crisp. Dont worry if you run out of time while speaking. Try to get the main content in the first few seconds.
Writing : I just followed 555souls advice.
my-toefl-experience-84642.htmlBig thanks to him.
Writing comes naturally to me. I was banking on my 5.5 AWA to get me through and it did.
Final thoughts - TOEFL is a long test. Carry some food and water. After giving gmat, one tends to be complacent (like i did). Pls do not let your guard down and give it your best.
Also, register for the test as soon as possible as the later you register, TOEFL charges you $50 extra.
Pls let me know if you'd like any other questions/queries answered.
Now, off to gmat retake!
Wish me luck - Cheers!
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If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call "failure" is not the falling down, but the staying down.
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