Hi guys, I just took the toefl in Nov 04 and received my result this morning.
My scores are: R:29 L:25 S:27 W:29
Here are my preparations for the test.
Reading: I used
the Official Guide and the TPO for practice. Usually they only include 3 passages in an hour but i suggest practicing 4 passages in 80 mins. I was pretty surprised when i knew i had to read 4 passages. Reading is very easy compared to the GMAT so you should be fine, 28-30 is possible.
Listening:
The official guide is not very useful because its lectures are slower and easier than the real listening. There was a lecture about marine life that has the speaking speed 2x faster than lectures i usually practiced with. The result is I stopped taking notes of that lecture because I lost track in just a minute. Luckily, I aced other lectures and convos so the score is not badly hurt though I really wish I could get a 29 in the Listening.
I suggest going to toefl.kmf.com, they used authentic tests in the past so you could have realistic experiences .
Speaking: NOTEFULL ALL THE WAY. Like many people in this forum have suggested, I went for NOTEFULL and practiced as much as I could. The templates are extremely useful for saving time. Usually people don't do well in this section, probably because they think they have to speak fast. However, just be relaxed and speak in a normal pace. I adjusted my speaking time slower than usual; therefore, I could control my language usage and my pronunciation pretty well. Also practice summarizing skills. They are very important because you don't have time to include everything from the reading/article. The listening one is more important
For the first two questions (independent), i strongly suggest providing 2 reasons for your answers. No matter how well you speak, one reason only will give you a weak argument and you're not likely to score high in this section.
Writing: For this part. I'll go with 2 sub-parts.
Dependent: I used this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sL9Hv-bdqxI (TOEFL resources) to learn the template needed for this. The organization of the template is very logical and easy to follow, so you can have good arrangements of ideas. This is the easiest part of toefl because good note-taking skills can ace this part. Remember to write in a way that clearly shows contradictions. Use sentence connectors to help your essay flow easier.
Independent: In IELTS, you have to cater for all aspects in writing. Regardless of your good logic or essay development and idea connection, poor English usage and grammar can hurt your score badly. However, in TOEFL, it prioritizes logical development and ideas, so you don't have to worry about grammar; but you should try to minimize as many mistakes as you could. A well-developed essay with clear connection and cohenrence between paragraphs, as well as a strong argument and great unity, can still score high even if you make bad grammar mistakes. I scored 29 although I did not check my English usage and grammar carefully; however, i did spend the first 5 mins thinking about the organization and ideas of the essay. You should try to make connections between the two body paragraphs.
Ex: Some teachers teach students by making them listen and take notes, while others allow students to take part in discussions. Which do you prefer and why?
My outline: P1: discussions => rectify misconceptions of a subject => score high in exams (personal example)
p2: once having misconceptions clarified => better memory of the subject -> better use in the future
That's it :D.
Thanks for reading.