If you aspire to attain a high score in the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam, it is essential to select your TOEFL study material very wisely. Be it best TOEFL preparation books or online study material, they must thoroughly explain the TOEFL exam pattern and TOEFL syllabus. One must be cautious while selecting the study material as it plays a vital role in your preparation for the exam. For all those who wish to crack the TOEFL exam, here is a blog on TOEFL preparation material to guide you towards cracking the exam with flying colours. It contains information like TOEFL exam format, TOEFL preparation books, TOEFL speaking tips, TOEFL writing tips etc.
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Before delving any further into the TOEFL preparation material, here is a short video which may be helpful for you before you start your preparation to give the exam. This video states all the basic things about TOEFL. Check it out!
TOEFL Preparation Material: Exam Format 2023
Before we go on with the required study material for TOEFL exam, mentioned below is the format of the exam:
Sections | Types of Questions | Number of Questions | Duration | Score |
Reading | Reading Comprehension | 30-40 Questions | 54-72 minutes | 0-30 |
Writing | Essay Writing; Writing in response to an argument |
2 Questions | 50 minutes | 0-30 |
Speaking | Speaking in response to an audio clip |
4 Tasks | 17 minutes | 0-30 |
Listening | Lectures, classroom discussion in the form of audio |
28–39 questions | 41-57 minutes | 0-30 |
Have a look at TOEFL Exam Dates
List of TOEFL Preperation Material
Nowadays students are adapting new and effective ways of preparation, one such method is to opt for online study material. Various online platforms provide comprehensive TOEFL preparation material as per the latest updates. Following are some trustworthy sources which you can opt for your preparation:
Leverage Live
Leverage Live is one of the leading test prep online platforms for the TOEFL exam. Ranging from excellent quality study material, sample papers, HD videos on different topics to exclusive doubt clarification session at any given point of time. Students also get personalized study plans and expert guidance at Leverage Live.
Enrol into Leverage Live Courses to Skyrocket your Test Scores!
Educational Testing Services (ETS)
Being the official authority of the TOEFL exam, ETS provides one of the most detailed sets of study material to crack the exam. The exclusive ETS study guide includes various TOEFL sample test for each section with answers written by the candidates. Following are the main components of the ETS TOEFL study material.
- Official Guide to the TOEFL (4th Edition)
- TOEFL Practice Online
- Official TOEFL iBT Test with Audio (Volume 1)
TOEFL Study Material – Cambridge
It is a renowned name when it comes to building your grip over the English language. Cambridge is a worldwide leading publisher of TOEFL study material both on online and offline media. Their unique step-by-step guides for every section give Cambridge the extra edge over the others. Along with various skill-building exercises and tips, it also includes a CD to ace the listening section.
Also Read TOEFL Results and Score
Barron’s
The all-inclusive TOEFL preparation material will help you establish command over the trickiest part of the test- essay writing. With ample practice tests and TOEFL preparation material as well as tips, Barron’s becomes the go-to partner for your exam prep. The comprehensive study guide by Barron’s is common for both computer-based or paper-based tests. The study package includes:
- Barron’s TOEFL iBT Superpack (2nd Edition)
- Barron’s TOEFL iBT with Audio
- Essential Words for the TOEFL
- Writing for the TOEFL iBT with MP3 CD (5th Edition)
Related Read: TOEFL Sample Speaking Questions
TOEFL Study Material – Oxford
The online TOEFL preparation package is one of the most sought after guides to prepare for the exam. The TOEFL study material drafted by Oxford includes a thorough description of every topic along with valuable tips and tricks about how to attempt each section. Your preparation for the exam is incomplete without the huge sample paper by Oxford.
TOEFL Preparation Books
With multitude of books available in the market, it becomes difficult to choose the correct ones. Following are the famous TOEFL preparation books which should be a part of your TOEFL study material-
Books | Author | Buy Here |
ETS Official Guide to the TOEFL Test (4th Edition) | ETS | Buy Here |
Cracking the TOEFL iBT (2016-2017) Edition | Princeton Review | Buy Here |
Official TOEFL iBT Test Volume 2 | ETS | Buy Here |
Kaplan TOEFL iBT Premier 2016-2017 with 4 Practice Tests | Kaplan Test Prep | Buy Here |
The Only Grammar Book You’ll Ever Need: A One-Stop Source for Every Writing Assignment | Susan Thurman | Buy Here |
Essential Words for the TOEFL, 6th Edition (Barron’s Essential Words for the TOEFL ) | Steven J. Matthiesen | Buy Here |
Practice Exercises for the TOEFL with MP3 CD | Pamela J. Sharpe | Buy Here |
TOEFL Grammar Guide: 23 Grammar Rules You Must Know To Guarantee Your Success On The TOEFL Exam | Timothy Dickeson | Buy Here |
240 Speaking Topics: With Sample Answers (Volume 2) | LIKE Test Prep | Buy Here |
240 Writing Topics: with Sample Essays | LIKE Test Prep | Buy Here |
TOEFL Tips to Score High Marks
In order to score high marks in TOEFL, you may need to keep a few things in mind. Here are some tips to hit the sweet spot and achieve the score that you have aimed for.
TOEFL Reading Tips
Here are some TOEFL reading tips to get you through the test. TOEFL reading tips can help you gain higher scores.
- Regularly read university academic books covering a variety of subject areas
- Instead of carefully reading each word, practice skimming a passage to get the main idea
- Jot down the main idea, facts and major points.
- Practice frequently to get faster
- Look up unfamiliar words in the passage
TOEFL Writing Tips
Here are some TOEFL writing tips to get you through the test. TOEFL writing tips can help you gain higher scores.
- Develop knowledge of vocabulary and idiomatic speech
- Learn grammatical structures and be fluent in writing.
- Learn where to use punctuation, as well as about paragraph and sentence layout
- The summaries that applicants write should be brief and clear, covering only the important details.
TOEFL Speaking Tips
Here are some TOEFL speaking tips to get you through the test. TOEFL speaking tips can help you gain higher scores.
- Develop knowledge of vocabulary and idiomatic speech
- Learn grammatical structures
- Work on pronunciation, including word stress, pauses and intonation patterns.
- Take some time or pauses in order to think about what you’re going to say before you speak.
- Write down a few pointers but don’t speak exactly what is written, create a flowing speech which includes these pointers
- Following TOEFL speaking tips may improve your fluency as the process of coherent speaking only comes after it has been thought through
TOEFL Listening Tips
Here are some TOEFL listening tips to get you through the test. TOEFL listening tips can help you gain higher scores.
- Listen for words that point out relationships between ideas. These connections can be, for eg, cause/effect, steps in a process and compare/contrast.
- Anticipate or gauge what the person is going to say next. This will help you stay focused.
- Try to assess the purpose of the conversation which can be an apology, suggestion, complaint etc.
- Note the speaker’s tone of voice. Note how the language is, casual or formal.
- Take note of digressions or changes in topic.
- Following TOEFL listening tips may help you score top notch because noticing all this in a speech helps the person to stay focused as well as understand conversations clearly.
After so many exam tips as well as information on TOEFL study material, here is a short video for you to help you gain a brilliant score.
FAQs
If you want to crack TOEFL and already have strong English skills, you can instead focus on honing skills specific to each section of TOEFL. One way to go about it is to familiarize yourself with the test format, practice questions, analyze mistakes, and then target those weaknesses.
The average time for a student to prepare for TOEFL is around two or three months. This can be true in case you have a well-planned schedule. A well-planned schedule will help you score even 114 out of 120 in 4 weeks.
We hope that after reading this blog you are well equipped with TOEFL study material. To know more about the universities accepting TOEFL scores, reach out to our experts at Leverage Edu.