18 TOEFL Tips

TOEFL Tips

• Research the TOEFL score requirements for your target schools. Most top business schools will list their TOEFL score requirements on their admissions pages. While some schools do not have a specific score requirement, they may give a score you need to match in order to compete with other applicants.

• Take the TOEFL before the GMAT. Preparing for the TOEFL gives you many of the basic language skills you'll need for the GMAT. According to TOEFL Specialist Jon Hodge, students who take the GMAT before the TOEFL usually take 1/3 longer to reach their target scores compared to students that take the TOEFL first.

• Plan on at least 2 months of study before taking the TOEFL. Depending on your skill level, you may need to study for as long as 8 months. While language immersion helps you learn a language faster, it's impossible to get a good TOEFL score after only a month of preparation.

• Know the test. Like the GMAT, the TOEFL is undergoing format changes. Unlike the GMAT, the format of the TOEFL is not computer adaptive. ETS, the company that administers the TOEFL, provides test takers with a wealth of TOEFL tips and data on their website, including an extensive overview of each section the test (PDF). ETS suggests that TOEFL takers regularly check the TOEFL website for updates to keep up wuith all the changes to the test.

• Learn the academic topics covered by the TOEFL. Since the TOEFL is designed to be an indicator of how well students will do in a liberal arts setting, it covers a wide variety of academic topics ranging from the sciences to the humanities. Business-related passages or lectures are rare. Read about these topics in your native language first before going on to read about them in English.

• Learn the TOEFL grading system. As you study for the TOEFL, try to figure out what kind of answers the test graders are looking for. Knowing how you are graded will help you do better on test day.

• Take practice tests. As with the GMAT, practice tests are one of the best ways to prepare for the TOEFL. A free sample test is available to all students that register for the TOEFL. The ETS-run TOEFL Practice Online site provides online practice tests (for $44.95 per test.)

• Focus on improving your weakest skills. Scores from TOEFL practice tests can help you determine the areas you need to work on the most.

• Focus on one section at a time.

• Practice your English every day. Find ways to include English practice in your daily schedule.

• Write in English as part of your everyday routine. Writing activities could include sending emails, making notes for yourself, keeping a journal or writing down daily reminders. These activities will help you improve your sentence structure and vocabulary.

• Listen to English-language online broadcasts, radio stations, music, TV and movies in order to learn English words and expressions. Listening to music helps you understand the rhythm and stress patterns of spoken English.

• Read English publications including newspaper articles and editorials. You can use these articles as an opportunity to practice your speaking skills by discussing them (in English) with a friend.

• Practice speaking loudly and clearly with proper pronunciation and intonation. Work on the flow of your speech through grouping your thoughts. Pause after these thought groups and also after prepositional phrases. Incorporate emotion into your speech. Start with your native language and then try to reflect those same thoughts and feelings into your English speech.

• Practice typing on a QWERTY keyboard, since that's what you'll be using when you take the TOEFL. Make sure you are familiar with the keys and layout.

• Make sure you show up at the test center at least 30 minutes before the start of the test.

• Read the directions carefully. This is especially true of the reading section, where the number of questions and amount of time you are given varies.

• Learn and use proven test taking strategies. Don't spend too much time on one question. Pace yourself so that you have enough time for each part of the test. Don't skip questions. Remain calm.

Read more free advice on securing a place on an MBA program in our admissions section.