Nowadays, many students prefer to continue their studies abroad. They usually take an exam to succeed in getting into the big universities. Among the most popular tests is the TOEFL IBT. How to prepare for it well? The answers will be outlined in this article.
General information about the TOEFL IBT
TOEFL is the acronym for Test of English as a Foreign Language or Test d'anglais langue étrangère en français. It is a paid test whose main purpose is to determine a student's ability to use and understand the English language in an academic setting, bearing in mind that it is not the student's native language. It was set up by the private organization ETS (Educational Testing Service) in the United States. Today, almost all major schools in North America are required to offer the TOEFL test for the certification of international students. Note that this test exists in 3 forms: internet (iBT or Internet-Based TOEFL), paper (PBT or Paper-Based TOEFL) and computer (Computeur-Based TOEFL). You can visit global-exam.com for instance if you want to learn more about the
TEOFL iBT test.
Today, the internet version is the most widely known in the organising centres. It is based on an MCQ (to define grammar, listening and reading skills) as well as on an essay (to determine writing skills). It lasts about 4 hours and is divided into four parts. First, Listening, which assesses the student's ability to understand English when American women speak with everyday expressions, grammar, and vocabulary. Second, Speaking, which determines the candidate's ability to express himself in English. Next is Writing, which measures the ability to write a text in English on a given topic. Finally, Reading determines the ability to understand a non-technical text. During this stage, the candidate must write a summary of the text, complete tables and categorize information.
Becoming familiar with and adapting to the structure of the test
The TOEFL IBT has its own characteristics. You must, of course, be familiar with the specifics of the toefl ibt exam in order to prepare for it better. It should be noted that it is standardized and adopts the same sequences and structures. The types of questions proposed are almost always identical. This makes it easy for the candidate to manage his time and avoid unpleasant surprises.
In addition, it is important to know the composition of the Test. It is important to master the types of exercises in each section. To do this, list your weak points that you need to work on as well as your strong points. For better practice, you could take a TOEFL IBT mock exam that will help prepare you psychologically.
Determine your objectives and prepare yourself well
After the self-assessment, you have to adapt your preparations according to your goal. Most candidates take the TOEFL IBT test in order to enter a coveted school. Once your goal has been defined, intermediate and short-term goals can be set to help determine your progress. In order to set these goals, it is helpful to be familiar with the various tests during the test.
Note that the preparation can be divided into two main parts: active and passive. The first concerns the execution of the exercises, the structure of the test, grammar... It is mainly aimed at mastering the content of the test. The second part is also one of the keys to passing the test. Thanks to it, the candidate feels more at ease, especially during the oral test. To pass it, he or she can watch BBC world, read the press and listen to the radio in English. Also, it is important to identify important ideas in a discussion, a monologue or a phone call.
Going to an English-speaking country
The best way to achieve active and passive preparation is to travel for some time in an Anglo-Saxon country. Once there, you will be introduced to the culture, the language and various expressions and vocabulary useful in everyday life. Local organizations even offer reinforced training to help you better prepare for your TOEFL test. When you join them, you will benefit from a tailor-made program suggested by experienced teachers in the field. This will make it easy for you to progress and optimize your preparation. Of course, you must plan a fairly large budget if you want to travel to a foreign country. However, if you don't have the money to travel, you can always rely on online preparation. Not only is this solution economical, it is also effective.Thanks to it, the candidate will have the opportunity to train while staying at home. If he chooses the right platform to use, he will have access to complete contents. Better still, the candidate will have the opportunity to evaluate his or her progress with the training and mock tests offered on the website.
