Insiders' tips to score above 600 on the TOEFL

Scoring above 600 on the TOEFL is always a challenging target that many students are shooting. According to many test takers, you can score above 600. But how much time, money and effort do you have to pay to get it, is still a big question that many people have in mind when facing the test.

The TOEFL, as a matter of fact, doesn''''''''t test how much you know English but how well you take the test. That''''''''s the reason why a lot of people don''''''''t score high despite the fact that they are very good at English. Even many native speakers reported not having high score on the TOEFL when they tried to take some sample test.

"So, what exactly do I need to do to score high on the test? How long exactly does it take me to score above 600? Should I take some TOEFL preparation courses or do it my self?", you might ask. Well, people have been asking me those same questions again and again. Personally, I''''''''ve seen that people who did it themselves usually scored much higher than people who took some preparation courses. The reason is very simple. People who did it themselves are proactive; they are independent and have a can-do attitude. While others are reactive; they are dependent and undetermined.

To illustrate my points, I would like to introduce a test taker''''''''s presentation on how to score above 600 on the TOEFL. He took several TOEFL classes long ago, and scored no more than 525. And after he decided to drop those classes and go on his own way, he found the light. He last scores after 3 months of intensive self training and practice tests were 660. Hope it helps.

Enjoy reading,

Longarm

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The Test of English as a Foreign Language- the TOEFL
is not so much different from any kind of sport such as soccer or basketball. The test requires you some skills in listening, reading and writing as well as the skill to control the test formats and timing. However, a high-performing soccer player or TOEFL test taker needs more than just these basic skills to score the goal or get the high mark. That is Strong Mental Preparation before the big day. Throughout my years of observation, this is the very factor that draws the line between the score of 600 and 677. Do you want to know how to do it? Let me share with you some of my findings:

1. First Thing First: is to set up a realistic timeframe: The plan should include when you want to take the test. The time frame should not be too long to make you bored, or too short to make you unprepared. For me, the ideal period is 3 months when you are at your peak performance.

2. Begin With The End In Mind: you should clarify the target score you want to get. The score should be Realistic and Attainable. If you want to score 630, write it down and buy it into your heart and to your mind. Recall it before you start to do anything in the morning. Just by doing so, you will have finished half of the process. No involvement, no commitment.


3. Try to put you in the real testing situations as much as possible. If you are lazy, higher scores on the TOEFF is unrealistic. You often need to put you out of your day-to-day preparation for 3 hours, sit down and take the practice tests just as you will have to do on the actual test day. Take it seriously. Then, do it over and over again. You will soon find out that you are making progress day after day. Studies have proven that human brain forms habits naturally after certain routines of practice. The more you practice, the more you will see your testing skills getting better, your judgments becoming faster and more accurate. ÒPractice makes perfectÓ and as a result, perfect practice makes perfect progress.

4. Another factor, which determines higher score on the TOEFL, is your biological clock. If you feel comfortable and energetic working in the afternoon, you should register the test in the afternoon. If the test will be in the morning, from now on, try to get up and start working early in the morning.

5. Last but in no way least is Physical Preparation. The TOEFL test will certainly consume you a lot of energy. Staying focused and giving good adjustments during the test require you to have very strong brain stamina, that is the body strength in the testing con***ions. Therefore, make sure you exercise regularly, have good diet and adequate rest well before the test day. Strong physical preparation will determine whether or not you will hit high scores.

Please note that apart from my 5 points, investing time in learning vocabulary systematically and reading extensively are aslo important for better scores.

Good luck and happy scoring,

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Have a nice day!

Được longarm sửa chữa / chuyển vào 21:52 ngày 09/08/2003

can''t agree with you more. I''ve heard many saying that if one scores more than 600 on TOEFL, it doesn''t necesarily mean that he MUST HAVE AN EXCELLENT COMMAND OF ENGLISH. In many cases, that is because he''s excellent at the tactics and skills specially needed for the test.
however, it''s completely different when it comes to IELTS. I would say for certain that 99% of the IELTS examiners who got 7 upwards MUST HAVE GREAT ENGLISH ABILITIES.
TOEFL has a lot more to do with tactics and strategies, while IELTS requires more than that. It entails true abilities!
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times New Roman

screw the tests. never taken IELTS, but I''m positive it''s no tougher than the TOEFL and entails true abilities no more than does the latter.
TOEFL is not difficult, neither is it easy. True, strategies are important, but a well-built command of English is no less crucial. Say, you know everything about tactics and stuffs, but your English sucks big time, don''t even dream of getting higher than 580.
Also, TOEFL tells little about abilities (and so I think the IELTS.) You can ace both of them (I know some who do) and still don''t know shiet (I know some who do.)

Tiền bất kiến cổ nhân
Hậu bất kiến lai giả
Niệm thiên địa chi du du
Độc sảng nhiên nhi lệ hạ

drew a blank on ielts, so admired those who aced it nicely. screw the listening of ielts, which asked both answering and listening at the same time. toefl''s of course neither a piece of cake nor a big feat to achieve, but anyhow it takes less time to get it done over than ielts
<SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times New Roman

Scoring high on the TOEFL is a skill which is learned and developed over time. Stories of successful test takers have reportedly proven that YOU can ace the test!
Two important factors that determine how high you score are speed and accuracy. That is, you need to respond to the questions being asked accurately in a timely manner. Many students didnõ?Tt score high because when facing some familiar questions they spent too much time vacillating among the choices and ended up picking the wrong ones. Since the TOEFL is pretty stressful, taking frequent sample tests is a good idea to test you under pressure. By doing so, you will get used to working in a highly urgent and important con***ion which is very helpful for yourself when taking the actual test.
To be continuedõ?Ư
Have a nice day!

Posted by millionaire2029
Chào các bạn. Học tiếng Anh mà không biết phương pháp thì khó mà thành công phải không các bạn. Đặt biệt là các món TOEFL khó xơi này. Vì thế mình mạo muội tạo chủ đề này mong các bạn góp ý để những người học TOEFL chuối như mình có định hướng đúng hơn. Mình xin gửi 1 phần ngẵn từ trang của Test magic
Hint 1. Be familiar with the test.
The Listening Comprehension section will be the first section you will be required to take. It has a total of 50 questions, and allthe questions are oral and played to you from a tape recorder.The multiple-choice answers are all written on the test. You mustchoose the best answer to each spoken question. The testadministrator will give you 35 minutes to complete the section,so you will have to learn to work quickly. Follow these studytips in ad***ion to taking the practice exams so that you willbecome more familiar with the Listening Comprehension section.The more familiar you become with this section, the less time itwill take you to choose the correct answer. There are three parts to the Listening Comprehension test.
These are:
A. Dialogues (25 questions):
You will hear an informalconversation between a man and a woman. Usually each personspeaks only once. A third voice (man or woman) then asks aquestion about their conversation. You must select the writtenstatement which ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
B. Extended Conversations (15 questions): You will hear twopeople having a conversation. A third voice then asks four orfive questions about the mini-talk. You must select the writtenstatement which ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
C. Short Talks (10 questions): You will hear one person talking. A second voice will then ask four or five questions about thetalk. You must select the written statement which ANSWERS THEQUESTION.
Hint 2 Recognize the correct answer.
The correct answer usually uses a vocabulary word or astructure which is close in meaning to the original statement,but which LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT. Often the correct answer will usea different noun, verb, or sentence structure.
Example: Structural Difference You will hear: She has so many students she can hardly grade allthe papers in time. Correct choice: There are many students in her class.
Example: Opposite You will hear: I am as quiet as I can be. Correct choice: I never make any noise.
Example: Vocabulary Difference You will hear: Jane wanted to go to the beach on Saturday, butshe has homework due on Monday. Correct choice: Jane is unable to go to the beach.
Hint 3 Recognize the wrong answers.
The test may use words which have the same pronunciation butdifferent meanings or spellings.
Example: "sun" vs. "son" You will hear: The sun is out today. Wrong answer: Her son went out to play. The test may use words that have a similar pronunciation but do NOT MEAN the same thing. Be careful of teens vs. tens (13 vs. 30,15 vs. 50).
Example: "thirteen" vs. "thirty" You will hear: The teacher has thirteen students in the class. Wrong answer: Thirty students are in the class.
Example: "work" vs. "walk" You will hear: If you work fast, you can make it in time. Wrong answer: You must walk quickly to get there on time. The test may use statements that are the opposite of what wassaid.
Example: You will hear: I used to live in Chicago. Wrong answer: I live in Chicago now. The test may use statements that might be true in life but werenot mentioned on the tape by the speaker.
Example: You will hear: Ben promised Carol a letter. Wrong answer: Ben made promises easily.
Hint 4 Be prepared to infer meaning.
Some statements or answers go beyond their direct meaning. They require a cultural inference. You will need to know the cultureand some terms to select the correct answer. In the example below, you must infer that if coffee cups are presented, people aregoing to drink coffee, not tea, lemonade or water.
Example: You will hear: Please put the coffee cups on the breakfast table. Correct answer: Coffee will be served with breakfast. Hint 5 Be prepared to choose answers with partialinformation. Some answers include ONLY PART of the information which thespeaker mentions on the tape. Some of the information given inthe statement is NOT present in the answer.
Example: You will hear: Linda sold her uncle''''''''s house after his death. Correct answer: Linda''s uncle died.
Hint 6 Be prepared to make mathematicalcalculations.
The speaker will give you the information, but the correct answerrequires some simple calculations.
Example: You will hear: The cookies are two dollars per pound. I boughtthree pounds. Correct answer: I paid $6.00.
Hint 7 Be familiar with forms of measurement in the United States.
It is good to remember some general facts. Remember that when thespeakers refer to temperature, they are using Fahrenheit eventhough they won''t directly say Fahrenheit.
Here are some helpfulthings to remember: I meter - a little more than a yard 80 degrees - hot weather 90 degrees - very hot weather 32 degrees - cold weather (water freezes) 98.6 degrees - normal body temperature
Example: You will hear: His temperature was 103 degrees. Correct answer: He needed to see a doctor because he was verysick Remember that some forms of measurement can be expressed in many different ways. The speaker on the tape may use one word, but the answer may appear written in a different form. For example: a dollar - a bill - a buck a couple of dollars-$2.00-two dollars a dozen - 12 a pound -lb.-16 ounces 4 quarts - 4 qts. - 1 gallon
Example: You will hear: The eggs were three dollars a dozen. I boughtthirty-six. Correct answer: I paid $9.00.
Hint 8 Remember that negatives are expressed in manyways in English.
Negatives can be expressed in English by using sentence structureor a conjunc- tion or a vocabulary word or prefix. For example: Sentence structure: "She can''t sing." Conjunction: "She can''t do anything, but sing." Vocabulary word: "She sings in monotone." Prefix: "She is unable to sing."
Example: "but" - "not" - "un-" You will hear: The computer will be available any time but one o''clock. Correct answer: The computer will not be available at one o''clock. Correct answer: The computer is unavailable at one o''clock.
Hint 9 Know the geography of the United States.
You need to know which states are found in what is referred to as"the North," "the East," "New England," "the West,"and "the South." It''s also important to remember that the climate in the West and South is usually hot ormoderate all year, while the climate in the North and East is warm during thesummer but very cold during the winter.
Example: You will hear: She''s living in New York right now, but she wants to move to Texas. Correct answer: She wants to live in the South.
Hint 10 Know the seasons of the year and the months that go with them.
Summer-June 21 through September 20 (warm/hot climate) Fall - September 21 through December 20 (warm/cool climate) Winter - December 21 through March 20 (cold climate) Spring - March 21 through June 20 (rainy/moderate climate)

Don''t be afraid to open up your heartEverybody cries...
Được britneybritney sửa chữa / chuyển vào 16:32 ngày 04/04/2004

I have taken Toefl and the score is not so bad. My experience:
1. Listening: Glimpse at the choices and guess the questions.Try to listen and understand as much as you can and focus on info to answers: what, when, why, who...
If you can''t listen clearly the info for a specific question, guess. There is always a logic in toefl ques.
2. Struture: Practise and do exercises. There are common errors used again and again.
3. Reading: Also, there are types of questions. Get accustomed to them and the way or the place to find info needed in the passage.
In a nutshell, I think toefl partly test on your english proficiency, partly on your skill of doing it, which includes ability to concentrate, to guess, and to think logically.