The fact that you are allowed to take notes during the TOEFL is not a secret but the possible impact it can have on your score is often underestimated. Note taking skills is essential for all the sections on the TOEFL, not to mention that it will be a skill you will need when you study at an English speaking school.
For example in the TOEFL listening section you are only allowed to listen to the sequence once. This is when being able to take good notes can be crucial for your TOEFL score; it’s been proven that students who are able to take organized notes get a better score.
The test center will provide you with paper to take notes on, you are allowed to request more paper if you happen to need more. However, make sure you do not clutter your paper with information, give yourself plenty of room between different sections so you can easily find the information you are looking for.
Like everything else note taking skills improve by practice. As you practice taking notes, you will develop a skill in being able to focus on key information and ignore factors that are irrelevant. By having these skills you will enable to retain important facts and data and to develop an organized way to structure your notes.
Here are some tips on how to take good notes for the TOEFL
1. If you miss a section don’t panic, just write down a couple keywords and revisit the section when you have finished listening
2. Do not try to write everything you hear, write down key phrases and summarize
3. Always use your own words but make sure you do not change the meaning
4. Develop a way you always take notes, use the same structure every time
5. Keep it short so you can grasp the section right away. Don't try to use every space on the page
Many students underestimate the usefulness of good notes, that's why we the title of this article is "The Secret Weapon for the TOEFL: Notes". To use these tips on actual TOEFL practice tests sign up with ePrepz TOEFL prep and learn how to apply the information we have covered in today's post.