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HOW TO GET HIGH SCORE ON TOEFL TEST
Do
you want to know how to get a high score on TOEFL? One of the major
requirements these days for international students desiring to gain entry into
their preferred English Speaking school
is a good TOEFL score or GRE and GMAT.
How to achieve a high score on
these exams is always a top priority for students. However in this article we
will only talk about the TOEFL. TOEFL, short for Test of English as a
Second Language is a world wide administered test for the sole purpose of
evaluating an individual’s ability to understand and use English.
The
test particularly measures a prospective student’s ability
to reading, listen, speak and write English before being accepted by an
academic institution. The relevance schools and study abroad consultants are
placing on this TOEFL is really getting students anxious when taking their
exams.
In
the past, this test was paper based, however, as a result of technology, it is
now being delivered online. Before we get into the tips one can apply on how to
get a high on TOEFL, let us consider what a good TOEFL score mean.
What is a Good TOETL Score?
If
you are planning to take the TOEFL test or probably have already taken, you
might wonder and ask to know if your score is good enough. The wonderful thing
about this score is that, it is not about passing or failing. This also implies
that no TOEFL score can really be said to be bad.
I
will be explaining the reason for this shortly. What really determines the
usefulness of your TOEFL performance is the institution you intend to apply for
admissions. This implies that what is considered a good score for one school
can be a bad score for another.
How
to Get a High Score on TOEFL is dependent on many factors. Different schools
have come up with their minimum performance in the TOEFL test in order to be
considered for a particular program. For instance, say you are applying to
Columbia University and require a TOEFL score of 80 for admittance to study
your chosen course. Any performance less that 80 would be consider by the
university is a bad score and therefore your admission rejected. However, this
particular score may be a “go” for another university – say University of Central Oklahoma .
Also note that this exam is a mandatory requirement in
others schools.
A good score according to ETS
Even
though, as mentioned earlier, there is actually no overall good or bad score,
there is a general verdict on how good or bad a score is. This verdict is given
by the company responsible for making the TOEFL and is known as ETS. For the
sake of uniformity, they set an official level for performance of the TOEFL
score: this is usually stated in a document they call performance feedback. To
do this, the ETS gives a summary of your performance, stating your strengths
and weaknesses. Simply put, it gives you a general sense of your chance of
admittance.
The
feedback that ETS gives is based on three levels of performance: high,
intermediate and low.
HIGH
When
your performance falls under the high level, there is a high chance that you
are qualified to be admitted by the best of schools. As long as the school
accepts this exam, you automatically meet their standard in that regard.
INTERMEDIATE
While
falling under this level may not qualify you for admission into all schools,
you can be sure to meet the requirement for most schools. They may not be your
desired school, but are definitely good ones.
LOW
This
is the level you should never wish to fall under. When your TOEFL scores are
low, hardly any good school would want to admit you. Very few institutions
accept candidates that fall under this category. It just might be as good as
taking another test.
Tips on how to Improve your TOEFL Test Performance
Get familiar with TOEFL test format
How
to Get a High Score on TOEFL. You will agree with me that one of the reasons
behind exam stress leading to poor performance is not knowing what to expect.
When you have not prepared sufficiently, it is very likely that you will fail.
Not necessary because the questions were tough, but because of the anxiety that
comes with uncertainty and lack of preparation.
In
order to prevent such kind of stress, the solution is in studying in detail,
the format of the test. This should give you an idea on how the test is
structured. It should also help you know the strategies that you can use to
approach each section of the test.
Know the TOEFL score for your desired institution
Every
institution comes with its minimum requirements of a TOEFL score. It is
important that you are familiar with the score for the particular institution
you are interested. This way you can imagine yourself scoring exactly or beyond
the minimum point stated. If you have written before, this time you would know
how many points is needed to raise your points. You can research this
information and get them on the internet.
Get Acquainted with Academic English
Much
more than just a criteria for admittance, the TOEFL test is simply a way of
measuring ones ability to succeed in an institution or university. Therefore,
it will be wise to be acquainted to language and registers peculiar to the
school environment. Become familiar with the language and presentation used in
materials related to academic premises. You can do this by reading journals,
textbooks, articles or encyclopedias.
Practice! Practice! Practice!
One
of the best ways discovered to help improve your performance in a TOEFL exams
is to practice. Practice here implies that you take the test as if it was the
main test you are taking. There are a lot of study materials on past questions
that you can purchase and use for practice. You can go ahead and time yourself
as it is supposed to be. This way you can judge yourself in order to know your
weaknesses and strength and know how your performance would be if you were
taking the main exams.
You Need a Mentor
The
place of a mentor in any successful endeavor cannot be overemphasized. Your
performance in TOEFL should also not be left out. The help of a native English
teacher who possesses a comprehensive knowledge is a priceless resource any
successful student can have. A teacher can have an answer to a question
no textbook has.
How to Get a High Score on TOEFL Attempt every question
Every
serious student knows better than to leave a question blank. Whether you know
all the answers or not, do not leave them blank. After answering the questions
you are sure, come back to the questions you left unanswered and make an
educated guess and who knows, that may just be the corrector answer.
Strengthen all Areas of your Communications
Like
earlier stated, the TOEFL test covers the four areas of communications, which
are writing, reading, listening and speaking. You may be somewhat proficient in
one or more of them. However, it is important that you recognize which areas
you need the help with and strengthen those areas. If you perform very well in
some sections and poorly in the rest, and then poorly overall, you will need to
re-take all of them the next time. There is no provision for redoing just one
section.
Dress comfortably
You
want to put on a dress that will make you comfortable. You never can tell how
cold or warm the test room is going to be so, put on clothes that can
accommodate both conditions. Also, put on clothes that makes you confident and
feel good about yourself. All of these have a way of helping you
psychologically.
Go prepared
Being
prepared and having all that is required for taking the test helps you feel and
stay calm during the exams. This is exactly the way you should desire to be
when seating for the exam. If you are nervous, you memory is likely not to
function well, also be at the exam center ahead of the scheduled time.
Eat before the Test
How
to Get a High Score on TOEFL….Any kind of food is not allowed into the exam
center or room. It is therefore imperative that you eat light before going for
the test. However, be careful with the kinds of food you eat, so they do not
make you have a running stomach instead. Do not take too much of caffeine, as
they are sometimes known to affect ones focus and increase anxiety. Also, avoid
consuming too much sugar. In all of these, endeavor to have plenty of water.
How to Get a High Score on TOEFL
Bottom
line is that TOEFL test can be passed without much stress. As long you put in
the necessary efforts, you can expect to score high in any TOEFL test. The
above outlined tips should get you started on how to get a high score on TOEFL.
Always
remember that there is nothing really like a good score; however, you can score
high and this does not necessary qualify you for admittance into your desired
institution. Rather, every program comes with its preferred score. So, before
you seat for your exams, you must ensure to know the minimum point required for
your program. This will allow you to know what you are up against and hopeful,
you conquer and become a first class student.
