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.

IELTS Test VS TOEFL Test

Both the TOEFL and IELTS test are widely accepted English language proficiency exams. Students often wonder which one they should take.

Ultimately it all comes down what the admission process looks like at the institution (college, university) you are applying to.

However, there are cases where schools accept both the TOEFL and IELTS. Then the question becomes which test will you perform the best. Let’s take a look at the difference between the TOEFL and IELTS test.

TOEFL is about 4 hours long while the IELTS is 2 hours and 45 minutes long. If you have trouble concentrating, IELTS might give you a small advantage since it’s shorter.

The fee for the TOEFL test ranges between 160 to 200 USD while the IELTS cost around 200 USD. Both the IELTS and TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years.

TOEFL is generally used for academic purposes; therefore the content resembles what you will see at a college or university. The IELTS has a version of their exam called IELTS Academic test.

Universities often want you to submit the academic version of the IELTS and not the general version.

The format of the two exams is fairly similar but there is some factor that makes them different. The similar part is that both of them include four different sections (reading, speaking, listening and writing). The difference between the two tests lays more within the content of the exams.

For example the IELTS listening section does not include an integrated part like the TOEFL. Another example is the IELTS speaking section involves conversations with an actual person while on the TOEFL you record your answers through the computer.

Another difference between the two exams is the dialect. IELTS uses British English while the TOEFL is American English.

So which one should you choose given the option?
If you prefer to take the exam on a computer as much as possible, feel comfortable with American English, like multiple choice questions, have experience with informational content in English, have no problem multitasking in English and you prefer to record your answer rather than having a conversation, then the TOEFL might be a better fit.

The best way to find out which exam you will do better in is to take practice tests. Try to find test materials that simulate the real TOEFL and IELTS exams and choose the one you think is easier for you.

Remember to first consult the school/program you want to get admitted to. Research which language proficiency exam they require for admission. If they accept both, evaluate which exam that would be the best fit for you.

Quick TOEFL Reading Section Overview

The TOEFL reading section is designed to test your reading comprehension skills. The content will be similar to the text you will see in a college textbook.

The reading section will include three to four passages and will have a time limit of 60 or 80 minutes.

Each reading passage will be followed by questions. After reading the passage you can click on the “next” to begin answering the first questions. Most of the questions will focus on a specific paragraph and the paragraph will be highlighted with an arrow.

The questions in the reading section will only have one right answer; the exception is when you are about to answer table questions or when the instruction specifically asks you to choose two answers.

If the words are underlined you can click on the words and it will give you the definition of that word.

The questions you will face on the TOEFL reading will usually focus on testing your comprehension skills or critical thinking ability. The comprehension style of questions will be about understanding information from the text or lecture. Critical thinking style of questions will ask you take the information from the text and interpret or reorganize the information.

These are few of the test factors that are helpful to know before tackling the TOEFL reading section. What are others? Leave a comment to share your TOEFL reading tips!

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.

IELTS Reading Tips and Strategies

There are many similarities between the general and the academic version of the IELTS reading section. However there are some things that differ between the two versions of the IELTS reading.

For example, the topics in the reading passages will be different, as the general module will include broader topics while the academic version focuses on academic topics.

The general module covers social, ethical, practical and work related topics whereas the academic texts cover mostly advanced areas relating to graduate and undergraduate studies.

Test-takers usually experience the general reading content text to be easier to understand than the academic module.

Both the general and academic reading sections must be completed within 60-minutes. Both modules include 3 passages and 40 questions total. Check out this article to learn more about the IELTS reading test. Take practice tests to find your level and what you can improve before taking the IELTS test.

Focus on improving your ability to locate details and relevant information, summarizing passages, distinguishing facts from opinion, and identifying major and minor points of an article.

Remember that the test questions become harder as the test progresses. You should give yourself more time for the second and third section as they have questions that are slightly more challenging.

It’s important that you don't get stuck on a question, as that will waste too much valuable time. Skip the question and return to it afterwards if you have any time left. If you are running out of time don't forget to guess and leave an answer.

It’s important to be able to focus for the duration of the reading section (60 minutes) as it’s easy to lose concentration and make simple mistakes. You can improve your focus by taking practice tests that has a time limit. Familiarize yourself with the types of questions that might appear in the Reading test.

Another IELTS tip is to read the questions before reading the text. By doing this you will find initial answers as you read the text and will save you valuable time. Always read the text carefully the first time and use your scanning method afterwards when looking for an answer to a specific question.

Conclusion

Improving your IELTS reading skills is a long-term tactic; if you have a short time to prepare these tips will give you an edge when taking the test.