How to Get a Good Score on the TOEFL When Applying to Universities Abroad
Studying abroad is a dream for many and taking an English proficiency test like TOEFL is the first step towards making that dream come true. Universities usually ask for your scores in English Proficiency tests like TOEFL to determine how well you can sustain in the country you’re going to study in. These scores give universities a rough idea of where you stand when it comes to your verbal and communication skills. Here’s how you can score well on the TOEFL:
- Understand the Exam Format
Before you start preparing for any test, you have to understand what you’re preparing for. Understanding the test format and the time given for each section of the test helps in preparing for it. Here is the test format of the TOEFL:
|  Section |  No. of Questions  |   Time Limit  |  Content |
| Â Reading | Â 30-40 | Â 54-72 mins | Reading paragraphs and answering questions |
| Â Listening | Â 28-39 | Â 41-57 mins | Answering questions after listening to audio clips |
| Â Break | Â – | Â 10 mins | – |
|  Speaking |  4 |  17 mins | Talking about a topic and discussing what you read and heard |
| Â Writing | Â 2 | Â 50 mins | Reading a paragraph, listening to a question and typing your answer |
Reference: https://www.ets.org/toefl/test-takers/ibt/about/content
- Set a defined goal
List down all the colleges/universities that you’re applying to and find out how much score they require to give you admission to their university. Creating this list will help you understand what you’re working for and the minimum score you should target.
- Create a schedule
Note down how many hours you will put in daily and weekly and stick to that schedule. If you’re spending that much money on giving the TOEFL, you might as well study hard to get a high score in your first attempt.
- Do multiple practice tests
There are a lot of websites online on which you can attempt free TOEFL practice tests. There are, however, paid ones too and depending on whether you’d like to shell out some cash or not, you can take either the free ones or paid. These tests will give you an idea of where you stand in your preparation and you get to know which areas to concentrate and spend more time on while practicing.Â
- Take help
If you know someone who has attempted the test before, reach out and ask questions on how you can prepare better. If you’re struggling with reading or writing, ask your English teacher or professor to help you become better at it.
- Refer to official TOEFL study material
TOEFL has some pretty great material for TOEFL test takers and a lot of that is free! Start by visiting their official website and practicing from those before you study from any other website. As the test will be conducted by them, it’s obvious that their material will be more useful than the other ones.
- Practise before the test
A week before giving the TOEFL exam, practice full-length tests so you get to know what it’s like to be sitting for the real exam. This will help you feel relaxed during the exam because you’ve already experienced how much time to allocate and in which areas to concentrate more on.
Here are two videos which give you a brief understanding of what TOEFL and IELTS are and their importance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMoSEASuj98
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UY3OB-g0oQ
With just the right amount of practice, no one can stop you from achieving that high score to pursue your study goals in a foreign country.
UniRely has helped students achieve their dreams of studying abroad with the help of student mentors spread across various universities around the world. If you’re looking to find the right mentors to guide you, UniRely is a great place to start!