Today we are going to share a couple of TOEIC test tips that has been shared with us to share with our community.

Reading Comprehension: Pay attention for keywords to reveal themselves in the beginning of the text. Usually the first paragraph contains important key information that will help you answer the questions.

Another tip is to preview the questions before actually reading the text. By having an idea on what type of questions to expect, you’ll find some answers when reading the texts for the first time. This will save you time and give you a better understanding of the text.

Listening Comprehension: Be aware of the environment the listening part is taking place. For example same words can mean different things in different context.

Short Conversations: Do not panic if you miss a word or two, as long as you understand the big picture of the conversation you will be fine. Focus your attention on who is speaking, why are they speaking and what do they want?

Writing Section: Remember to write your answers in the format of Introduction, Body and Conclusion.

Speaking Section: Remember there is no right or wrong answer, they are looking at how well you speak on different subjects and how well you can express your thoughts. So relax and try to speak naturally.

We recently received a new infographic that presents the data from the 2012 TOEIC listening & reading exams.

Click on the image below to see a larger view:

Hi everyone, my name is Alejandra Sanchez and I’m from Spain. I thought I would share some of my experiences of taking the TOEIC with the rest of the community here at ePrepz.

Below is a summary of my experience with the TOEIC and how I prepared for the TOEIC.

Background

I live in Madrid and work for a clothing company; my company is expanding and starting to sell products abroad. This opened up opportunities for the staff since we needed support/sales personal to be able to communicate in English with our new international customers.

This is where the TOEIC test comes in. My employees recommended me to take the TOEIC so I can get promoted to the new jobs created for the expansion. By taking the TOEIC I was able to move up in my company and be a supervisor for my group. I had 2 months to prepare for the test.

Preparing

So the first thing I did was to buy a book to prepare for the TOEIC exam, I was taking the both the listening & reading as well as the speaking & writing test. So I had a lot of studying to do in a short amount of time. I studied abroad in London for a year so I think that was a huge advantage for me.

The listening part was pretty easy for me, I watch a lot of movies and TV shows in English and I think that helped a lot when it comes to this part. The reading part was a little harder since I’m not used to reading in English. That’s something I really tried to do before taking the test, reading the news every day in English at bbc.com.

The book I bought didn’t give me any actual practice so I signed up with ePrepz TOEIC prep as well. By taking the TOEIC simulation tests I improved my reading comprehension and learned what to expect when taking the test.

The speaking part was the most difficult part for me; I had some trouble with my pronunciation. My advice for someone struggling with the speaking is to try to find people with who you can speak English repeatedly.

My boyfriend plays a video game and the people he plays with online often speak English, so I started talking with them in English. It does not matter where or with whom you speak English as long as you practice it.

The writing part is the same as speaking, you have to practice it and just not read the theory.

My top advice after my experience with the TOEIC would be:

1. Have a clear strategy before taking the test
2. Answer all the questions, even if you don’t know the answer
3. Make sure you take plenty of practice tests before taking the TOEIC

Test day

When taking the test I was really nervous in the beginning, but after a while I noticed that all the questions and format was very similar to what I have practiced with ePrepz. So I just started relaxing and following the strategy I had set up before the test.

I’m very happy that I took the TOEIC exam and the ePrepz practice material really helped me get ready for the TOEIC!

I love my new job, and after receiving this promotion I hope I can continue to advance in my company.

Good luck on your TOEIC!

Sincerely,

Alejandra

The TOEIC Writing Test is the second part of the TOEIC Speaking and Writing exam.The TOEIC Writing section is designed to measure a person’s ability to communicate in written English in the context of a professional environment.

• Write a sentence based on a picture: 5 questions

• Respond to a written request: 2 questions

• Opinion essay: 1 question

For a great overview on the TOEIC writing section, checkout the video below.

Is there such a thing as increasing your TOEIC vocabulary, you may ask. Of course not but there is such a thing as increasing your English vocabulary and when doing that you automatically improve your TOEIC vocabulary.

Students often struggle with TOEIC exam due to their limited English vocabulary. You can describe the importance of the vocabulary as the heart of any language skill, without knowing a broad set of words it’s hard to communicate your opinion.

When you decide to take the TOEIC test you should get yourself a notebook where you keep track of all of the new words you learn while studying for the TOEIC.

Flash cards can be used to memorize new words and its definition, while newspapers can provide a context where the words are used. Another useful way to improve your vocabulary is to read books in English.

Brainstorming synonyms for a word can also be a useful way to increase your word bank. For example a couple of synonyms for the word “cold” would be:

Arctic

Frosty

Nippy

Chilly

Shivery

Most importantly don’t try to cram a bunch of words the week before taking the TOEIC, study ahead of time so you have chance to make a positive impact on your test score. These are some simple ways you can improve your vocabulary and as a result increase your knowledge of the English language.

Learning new words can be trough note cards can be a bit boring after a while so try to mix it up and give yourself plenty of time to process all this new information. By doing so you will be able to put all these new words in to action trough writing or speaking English on a higher level.