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John Wooden said “failing to prepare is preparing for fail”.If you are taking the TOEFL IBT, you should prepare to pass the exam before sitting it. I have taught TOEFL for a long time and have used many materials and programs, from group class instruction to individual instruction. These ten tips are useful in preparing whether you are an English-speaking student or anon-english speaking student.1. Plan ahead. Planning a few days before the examand expecting to change your English level is tantamount to walking next to atornado. Although a person could pass and a person could miss the tornado, you will have a low opportunity for success.
2. Know the Target. Why are you taking the exam? Whether it's for immigration, work, or education, there is a score that the governing bodies are expecting from your exam. This could range from 80 to over 110. This number is important to know the level your “pass/fail” bar is set.
3. Know your skills. Take a mock exam. Here we start with a mock exam because the teacher needs to know your level and planning strategy. However, you should take one even if you will not use a tutor. This will show you where you need to improve.
4. Set the time. Keep practice to at least an hour or two a day. Mark the time in your daily schedule and don’t abandon it. If you are doing self-study, then make this an all-English time. Each class should be set for exercising a different skill: writing, speaking, reading, listening.
5. Go to class. Meet with a native speaker about your classes and don’t rely on non-native teachers, especially in speaking.Why? Native teachers can iron out your pronunciation better than non-native speakers who usually make the same mistakes as the foreign student does.This is a test not of English grammar, but of English usage at college level.
6. Keep focused. Normally, those who take the TOEFL for university or graduate school may even have to take another exam: GMAT, SAT, LSAT, or GRE. This should also be taken with a native teacher cause non-natives don’t have the capacity for these high-level exams. You should finish preparing and taking the TOEFL before studying for the other exam.
7. Develop strategy. When studying for TOEFL, develop a test strategy. We teach a strategy that is very useful and simple. A strategy is not developing your overall English level, but rather focusing and honing your skill for the exam.
8. Commit your time. Practice writing and speakingall the time, commit the strategy and steps to memory. Then, keep practicinguntil it is as natural to you as spelling your name. These steps should beautomatic. Meanwhile, listen to English on television, radio, and the internet.
9. Practice for real. Don’t forget to look and testyourself using real time conditions. Having strategy, skill, and knowledge isone thing, but you also need timing. The TOEFL is set under a rigid time framelimiting your response. Don’t get carried away by being complicated, but keepall things simple.
10. Know ETS standards. English Testing Service(ETS) is not set up for a local school in your country. ETS is set up todetermine which students can excel in American-- United States and Canadian--Universities. Therefore, expect university-geared work throughout the exam.
With these tips, I hope that you will do a great job on theTOEFL IBT. There is one thing that is good with standardized exams. That is,you know the questions before they come. One can prepare fairly well and beable to pass his mark even without having the necessary general English skill. Evenif you are able to pass the exam, you ought to continue training and developingin English.
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