TOEFL: what is it? Preparation for the TOEFL exam

Now trips abroad, study and emigration to different countries have ceased to be a curiosity. Many people have long been free to move around the world without feeling any discomfort. That is why various international exams are very popular, including the TOEFL.

TOEFL - what is this exam?

This international exam was the first available exam for Russians and was originally developed for those people who were going to enter the universities of the US and Canada. In addition, it was created for those who were not native speakers of English, and developed its examination panel at Princeton University.

Already later, the TOEFL exam significantly expanded the scope of its mission: its results began to be demanded for various international internships and for some scientific and professional certification programs. Also, the certificate for this test is necessary for those who are going to enter international MBA programs and for those people who are in search of work for which it is necessary to have this certificate.

TOEFL parts - what is it?

Part Listening tests the ability of the examiner to perceive English speech by ear. This part is one of the most difficult, nevertheless it is easier than Speaking, because it is a passive perception of information. It consists of three tests with a total duration of about an hour.

The next part of the TOEFL test consists of Vocabulary and Reading, where the test subject's vocabulary and his ability to perceive the written information are checked. And some of the answers are rather ambiguous, nevertheless, having experience reading books and various articles in English, it is not so difficult to pass this part. This part lasts an hour or more and consists of 3-5 texts and 14-16 questions to each of the texts.

Another part is Writing, or a letter, where the literacy of written speech, grammatical structures and stylistics is checked. It includes 2 parts of 50 minutes each.

The last part is Speaking, or a test of the ability to express your thoughts aloud. This part is the shortest, but for some the most difficult. After all, everyone knows the "language barrier" can add a lot of exciting minutes.

Exam features

If you ask about this TOEFL - what kind of test is it, what are its features for a person who just heard something about him a little, then you can hardly hear a clear answer. In fact, this exam has several features that you need to remember.

First of all, the exam assesses American English, and not British. Therefore, trying to do with this certificate in English university will not work. The fact is that in American English there are a number of differences, which makes it unlike the British version.

Also an interesting feature of the exam is that it is impossible not to pass it. In any case, a certain number of points will be credited. Another question is whether the number of points of the future employer will satisfy and whether this will be enough for admission to higher education.

In addition, the TOEFL exam is valid. After two years, the test results will no longer be considered suitable, so you will need to retake this test again. This, of course, is a very big drawback, because, for example, various British exams are perpetual, which greatly facilitates life.

And the last interesting feature of the TOEFL exam is that there are two options for delivery: a written Paper-based test (PBT) and an Interenet-based test (IBT) - a test that must be submitted via the Internet.

IBT TOEFL test

Currently, this type of test, which is delivered via the Internet, is considered preferable, because it contains the oral part, which is not in the paper version of the test. In addition, it also has combined tasks that will give a more voluminous characterization of the subject's knowledge. Because of this, this type of examination is more in demand by employers.

IBT TOEFL test appeared in Russia in 2006, and almost all exam centers now offer this exam. One of the advantages of this test is that all its parts are surrendered in one day, which, on the one hand, takes more time, however, testing is not delayed for weeks, as is often the case with other international exams. In addition, in this version of testing, you can make notes and record something during the audition, for example, audio tasks, which greatly facilitates their further implementation.

The registration for testing takes place via the Internet by the person who is going to take the exam. In addition to the online recording, you can also make an appointment by phone and send a request by mail. Also there is an opportunity to learn the results that appear on the site in 15 days.

Preparation for TOEFL

Considering that the TOEFL exam is paid (why you do not want to take it several times), you should reduce the risk of poor passing the test to a minimum. It seems that if you know the language well, then it is not difficult to pass this test. In fact, everything is not so simple. The point is that you need to be prepared for the format of the exam, for its characteristics. If this training is not available, you can get lost and lose valuable time in order to understand the nuances of the exam.

That is why preparation for TOEFL is necessary even for those who know English at a high level. For those who are not very confident in their language, the preparation is very serious and time-consuming. It is advisable to start preparing in advance in order to have more time in reserve. You can enroll in a special course or take an online course. You can also try to prepare yourself, using special literature, but only if the level of the language is good .

Also on the Internet there are many sites that announce the features of TOEFL, what it is for testing, and where it is possible to undergo trial testing via the Internet, which will help to reveal both your level of language and the probability of successfully passing the exam.

Conclusion

You can take the TOEFL IBT exam at the exact date specified by the center, and the delivery takes place 30-40 times a year. The paper version of the exam is less likely to be submitted, but its popularity has also fallen considerably. The cost of the exam is 250 dollars, which imposes considerable responsibility for the quality of preparation for the subject.

The TOEFL test is often the door that leads to a completely new quality of life, but also requires very serious preparatory work.