Summary Tips for Increase Your TOEFL Score

How to Get Familiar With the TOEFL Reading Section

• Factual/negative factual: the answer to this type of question is written clearly in the passage; the trick is to simply find it. The negative factual question is a little trickier, since the reader will have to eliminate each possible answer until he or she arrives in the correct answer choice.
• Vocabulary: this question asks, "What is the meaning of the word x in the passage?" Because some words have multiple meanings and nuances when used differently, the reader has to pay attention to context in order to answer this type of question correctly.
• Inference: this type of question is less straightforward as the reader must sort of "guess" why the writer mentions certain things in the reading passage.
• Purpose: this question asks the purpose of the reading passage – is it to inform? Argue or debate? Entertain?
• Method: this question asks how the passage writer present the information - is it by presenting the evolution of the topic by chronology? Is it by comparing and contrasting two or more things? Is it by giving a detailed description of a phenomenon?
• Opinion: this question wants to find out if the test-taker can distinguish between facts and opinion.
• Sentence restatement: the test-taker must choose a sentence which retains the same meaning as a highlighted sentence within the reading passage.
• Sentence addition: this question tests the organization skill of the test-taker; he or she must insert a new sentence into a paragraph within the reading passage.
• Completing summaries and charts: the test-taker must be able to recognize the main points and ideas of the reading passage.

How to Get Familiar With the TOEFL Listening Section

• Main idea: the question asks the listener what is the main idea of each passage.
• Supporting details: this question asks the listener to identify proof or details which support the main idea.
• Inference: the listener is supposed to "guess" why the speaker(s) in the passage mentioned something.
• Purpose: this question asks the listener the purpose of each listening passage - is it to inform? Argue or debate? Entertain?
• Method: the listener has to identify how the passage present its information – chronological order? Compare and contrast?
• Attitude: the listener must be able to identify the attitude of the speaker(s) in each passage – is s/he doubtful? Excited? Upset?
• Relationships: the listener has to know how the important points in each listening passage is related (cause/effect, comparison/contrast, chronological order, etc.)
• How intonation affects meaning: the listener must be able to identify the meaning behind a speaker's way of speaking (for example, tone of voice, or use of idiom).
• Completing summaries and charts: like in the reading passage, the listener is also asked to complete a chart or summarize each passage's main points and ideas.

How to Get Familiar With the TOEFL Writing Section

The independent essay question always asks either two types of questions:

The open question: the test-taker is given one question asking his/her opinion on a familiar topic, such as "If you could change one thing about your hometown, what would it be, and why?" or "Would you rather be a leader of a group or a member of a group?" The test-taker must answer the question and provide reasons and specific examples to support his/her answer.

The integrated question: for this essay question, the test-taker must read a short passage, then listen to a lecture relating to the reading passage. Then the test-taker is given a question which s/he must answer in essay format. In order to answer the question accurately and efficiently, the test-taker must understand the relationship between the reading passage and listening passage: do they support each other? Contradict each other? Does one add more information to the other?

How to Get Familiar With the TOEFL Speaking Section

The speaking section of the TOEFL has six questions:

• Open question: the speaker must answer a question about a familiar topic, like "Describe your home town" or "What is your favorite holiday and why".
• Choice question: the speaker must pick one out of two choices, such as "Do you prefer to eat at home or in a restaurant? Why" or "Would you rather study alone or in a group? Why?
• Integrated question 1: the test-taker must read a short passage, then listen to a conversation related to the passage, then answer the question by speaking.
• Integrated question 2: this question is similar to the previous section, except the test-taker must listen to a lecture (instead of a conversation) related to the reading passage, then speak effectively to answer the question.
• Problem and solution question: here, the test-taker has to listen to two people talking about a problem and its possible solutions. The speaker must identify what the problem is, what are the possible solutions and what s/he thinks should be done.
• Lecture question: the test-taker must listen to a professor giving a lecture, usually on an unfamiliar topic, then s/he has to summarize the lecture.