The TOEFL listening section includes up to six lectures, the lectures are followed up with six questions based on the lectures. The listening section also includes two or three listening conversations. The time for the listening part of the TOEFL is either 60 or 90 minutes long.

So what type of lectures and conversations can you expect from the TOEFL? Since the test is based on academic English you will mostly hear lectures and conversation between students and teachers.

The speakers in the listening section will simulate real lectures and conversations, this means that the speakers will occasionally make mistakes, pause or change topics. Like previously stated, the key is to stay on track during the lecture or conversation so that you may take good notes.

The questions between the listening comprehension and reading comprehension are very similar. Before starting the lecture or conversation you will be given hints on what the topic will cover. This will give you some time to prepare on what type of questions to expect.

Lectures: This is when a professor gives a lecture to a class. It will either be a straight 5 minutes lecture without interruptions or with students asking interrupting to ask questions. The lectures will be followed by six questions.

Conversations: In this part you will be listening to conversations between students and teachers or others within a university. The conversations lasts around three to five minutes and are followed by five questions.

Lectures are usually longer than conversations; you need to be more aware of details when listening to a lecture. The lectures also tend to cover more topics while the conversations are usually straight to the point.

Here are some tips for the TOEFL listening section.

1. If you feel lost during a lecture, don’t panic, the professor will often give examples to clarify what they are trying to teach.

2. Take good notes when listening to a lecture.

3. Be aware of the organizational structure of the lecture

4. Keep your notes short and to the point.

5. Listen to a couple lectures online when preparing for the test.

That’s it for our overview on the TOEFL listening section, for more TOEFL tips and tactics sign up with ePrepz! We wish you best of luck on the TOEFL test!

Today we are going to discuss the writing section of the TOEFL test and share some tips and tactics that might be useful when taking the exam.

The TOEFL writing section will ask you to write two essays, the first one is a summary of a lecture and article (integrated section). The other one is a more open-ended question (independent section) where you will share your opinion. Let’s dive deeper into the independent section.

TOEFL Independent Section
You should share something personal on the TOEFL independent section, for example a common question is: “Some people prefer to live in places that have the same weather or climate all year long. Others like to live in areas where the weather changes several times a year. Which do you prefer?” Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

This is a perfect question where you can share your personal experiences as an answer. You may live in a country where it’s mostly cold for most of the year and for that reason you might want to live in a country where the climate is constantly changing.

There are also writing questions where it’s better to write about knowledge you have about the topic rather than personal experiences. For example questions like, “Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Airplanes have made the world a better place to live.” Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

This is a perfect topic to write about pros (faster travel time) and cons (pollution). First thing you want to write down is your position on the question. After discussing the positive and negative affects of airplanes, finish the text up with a conclusion.

Tips on How to improve your TOEFL writing skills
A key component to improving your writing skills is having a good vocabulary. A great way to improve your vocabulary is to learn new words through flash cards. Other ways to improve your writing is obviously to practice writing essays and articles. The important thing after writing your practice essay is to seek feedback from someone else so you know which areas are good and which requires improvement.

Another way to improve your writing is to actually read articles in English. Write down words you don’t know and look it up in the dictionary.

These are few TOEFL writing tips and tactics that will help you be better prepared for exam. We wish you the best of luck on your TOEFL exam!