6 Tips for the TOEIC Photograph Section

The TOEIC photograph section is a part of the TOEIC listening test. In this task, test-takers are asked to describe a picture by selecting a sentence that best describes the photograph.

You will only hear the sentence once and there is only one right answer. The other 3 sentences will include details that are not based on evidence presented in the photograph. The photographs will usually include a business or travel theme.

Different way’s to practice for this task includes:

Another great exercise is to look at a picture of an office and labeling all the items you see in the image.

Create sentences that describe things you do in your daily life by writing it down or saying it.

Taking TOEIC practice tests that include the TOEIC photograph section is also a great way to prepare for this task.

6 TOEIC Picture Description Tips

1.Make sure you take a good look at the picture before the recording start. Have a few ideas of sentences that could be used to describe the picture for example “ The woman is walking in to a meeting”.

2.Immediately cross off a false sentence. False sentences usually include one detail that is not clearly visible or a detail that is visible but not described correctly.

3.Often the wrong answer will be an inference sentence, something that could be true but still is speculation since it’s not based on facts gathered from the image.

4.The correct answer will almost always describe what can clearly be seen in the picture.

5.Some pictures will only show objects or places, choose the sentence that best describe the different objects in the image or best describe the environment you see in the photograph.

6.Always listen to all four sentences before giving your answer.

The best way to prepare for the TOEIC photograph task is to take exercises based on the task. Apply these tips when doing your exercises and you will see improvements in your performance and score.

Tips to Raise your TOEIC Speaking Score

Getting a good score on the TOEIC Speaking test is no easy task. Today, we are going to look at some TOEIC speaking tips and how you can improve your TOEIC speaking score.

It helps knowing the format of the TOEIC speaking section before taking the test. Check out the post below if you would like to know more about the structure of the TOEIC speaking test.
TOEIC Speaking Test

Learning the types of questions you will face on the speaking section and practicing how to answer these questions will help increase your score.

A common factor of successful TOEIC test takers consists of knowing the basics. Test-takers that score well on the TOEIC speaking know how to organize their answers. They stick to the timeframe they have for the task at hand. They also know how to transition between the introductions, examples, and finish up with a conclusion.

When it comes to practicing for the TOEIC speaking section, it is helpful if you are practicing with speakers who have English as their native tongue. If that’s not possible, a good idea is to listen to recordings given by test-takers who have scored high on the TOEIC. When you start to imitate people who have scored well on the TOEIC or native speakers, you will eventually begin to sound more and more like them. Record your answers to the same TOEIC speaking questions then analyze your recordings.

It’s important that you are aware of your weaknesses and try to improve them. Things you might want to focus on could be your grammar, fluency or pronunciation.

Another way to improve your English speaking ability is to expand your vocabulary. The good thing about focusing on learning new words is that you also improve your reading, listing and writing skills at the same time.

These are just a few of the things you can do to improve your score for the TOEIC speaking section.

TOEIC Reading Strategy and Tactics

Today we are going to take a look at the TOEIC reading test and share some strategies that might be useful to you when taking the TOEIC Reading & Listening test.

The TOEIC reading test includes different types of questions. You can expect to see questions about the main idea of the text and questions about specific details in the text. The specific question style is often in the form of who, what, and why. Another type of question you are likely to see are inference questions. Inference questions requires you to make certain conclusions based on information from the text.

If you are having trouble finding the right answer remember that you can look for the 3 wrong answers instead. By using the process of elimination—that is, by removing the wrong answers and choosing between the remaining options.

It’s really helpful to do some practice tests before taking the real TOEIC test. By taking practice tests you will develop your own style that works best for you naturally.

Avoid spending too much time on one question, make your best guess and you can always return to the questions at the end if you have extra time left. Finishing the TOEIC reading section in the right amount of time is a learned skill, so practice it by timing yourself when studying.

There are two ways to prepare for the TOEIC reading section. First, find practice TOEIC reading passages with questions, and simulate the reading portion of the test. You can also practice through general English reading articles, without questions, which will improve your English comprehension level in general.

A common TOEIC reading strategy is to read the question before reading the text. So you would read the first question and then begin reading the passage only to stop when you have found the answer to the question. That means reading the first question, and then read the passage but stopping when you’ve reached the answer to the question. If you feel comfortable in your reading ability this strategy will save you time in the long run. However, this is a strategy that needs to be prepared and practiced before using it on the TOEIC.

Avoid rushing when taking the TOEIC, if you are stressed you are more likely to make casual mistakes. If you face unfamiliar words do not panic, you can usually figure out the meaning of the word by reading the sentence or looking at the surrounding paragraph. Avoid getting stuck on a single word or small details. Focus on the main idea of the sentence, paragraph, and text.

How the TOEIC Test can help your Organization

English has become the international language of business, utilized by professionals from different countries and backgrounds. As a result, the need for a workforce that is capable of communicating in English is imperative for organization that has an international presence. That’s where the TOEIC test can give your business a competitive edge on the global marketplace.

Since the TOEIC test simulates real-life situations in the global workplace, it gives you an estimate of your employee’s English proficiency in a professional environment. The TOEIC can help you in your hiring process as well as give you more information for placement decisions. It also gives you knowledge on what tasks different employees can handle.

Different industries that have an international presence apply the TOEIC in their external and internal hiring criteria’s. More than 9,000 institutions use the TOEIC to make the most informed hiring process and build a capable workforce for the global marketplace.

So what exactly is the TOEIC test?

The TOEIC test is an English proficiency exam that is based on common situations in global business. The exam is standardized so that it will give you an accurate estimate on the test-takers English language knowledge.

The test content is developed with real examples in a global organization and is familiar regardless of culture or country. The language mirrors how a non-native speaker would interact with another non-native speaker. The English language skills tested are reading, listening, speaking and writing. The test-takers will be tested in both communicating information as well as comprehension.

Examples of language skills tested are, communicating with a customer through the phone, communicating with clients through emails, attending presentations and reporting the presentation to others, gathering information from different sources and summarizing it.

The TOEIC section scores will give the test-taker and the organization a detailed summary of the English language capability of the test-taker. The data received from the test gives your organization information to recognize the employees that possess the competency to perform the required tasks.

The data received from the test also gives you the information on how the test-takers scores fall in relation to other candidates.

Conclusion
The TOEIC test scores can give your organization critical information on hiring and placement decisions. The TOEIC test can also serve as a great tool for developing your workforce to be better prepared when handling requests from international clients or customers. To learn more about the TOEIC check out ETS TOEIC site: www.ets.org/toeic

TOEIC Reading & Listening Data: Who Takes the TOEIC?

Below is some interesting information on the average TOEIC test taker. One statistic that stands out is that 49% of TOEIC test participants will take the TOEIC three or more times.
Click on the image below to see a larger view:
TOEIC Data Infographic

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