She works with an IT major. Normally she doesn't speak much but when she speaks, I bet she can make you speechless. Total nerd and travel buff Tuba can be seen passionately doing gyms, Netflix or sharing experiences through excellent blogs. If not then you can find her learning something new. Yes, She knows 4 languages – English, Hindi, Marathi, and German.
TOEFL stands for ‘Test Of English as a Foreign Language’ and is one of the two popular tests (the other being IELTS) that are used to determine your fluency in English. I recently appeared for the exam and managed a high score of 117 out of 120. Here’s my score card:
My TOEFL scorecard
If you are planning to appear for TOEFL and don’t know where to begin, read on!
Let me speak a little about the exam structure here. You will have four sections in the exam: Reading, speaking, listening & writing. Each section will carry 30 marks each. Further details can be found at the official ETS TOEFL site.
The official book from ETS is really helpful. The book contains all the details that you need regarding the exam structure, scoring etc. The book provides sample answers & essays to explain what kind of answer or essay would fetch what kind of score and why. You will also receive a CD- ROM with the book for additional practice.
If you still need further practice, try Magoosh’s TOEFL course. I had tried Magoosh’s for my GRE and found it an excellent resource, therefore I used it for TOEFL. If your English is pretty good already or you are pressed for time, I suggest you skip this.
Appearing for the exam:
Registering for the exam is pretty easy. You need to create an account on the official website and register for a date and a slot. Pay with your debit or credit card. Research on the center that you choose, for eg. reviews of other test takers, the accessibility of the test center etc. before you book.
Do not forget to take a printout of your registration email, your original passport, snacks and water to the examination.
When you get ready for your examination, you will find a headphone already kept at your desk. At the beginning of the exam, you will be asked to answer a simple question to test whether your headphones are working or not. After that, your actual test begins.
The problem is when your speaking section starts, the speaking section for other candidates start too. It becomes very difficult to focus and speak in such chaos. I would suggest practicing your speaking sections in crowded places, when you prepare for the exam, like having your telly on in full volume and so on. Speak confidentially, clearly and loudly. Also, I believe it helps if you don’t speak at a very slow pace.
TOEFL is a simple exam, if you can speak good English and have practiced for the same.
If you need help with the GRE, check out my GRE links(Part 1 & Part 2). And of course, you can get in touch in with me, if you need help with TOEFL. If you are planning on pursuing a masters course in the USA, check out my experience of applying to the universities here.
