Inside the TOEFL

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is the most highly regarded and widely accepted test in the world. More than 11,000 colleges, universities, and agencies in over 150 countries accept TOEFL scores. Upwards of 30 million people have taken the test since it began in 1964. My test was in January 2020. In this article, I will write about my experience from the TOEFL.

To begin with the reading, it had four passages and each included ten questions. My time was an hour and fifteen minutes. The questions were from vocabulary, factual information, negative fact, inference, reference, author purpose, and sentence simplification. One interesting point that the last two questions of each passage were SUMMARY and INSERT TEXT. Unlike the practice tests that involved “Fill in a Table” questions as well. In other words, my work was easy because I focused only on the two types and did not mind the “Filling” questions. I remember my last passage that was about the sentinel behavior of the Meerkats. The essay suggested some hypotheses about why the Meerkats behave as sentinels to provide the chance for other members of the group to eat in the ground and alarm them when a predator attacks. I finished the reading in 70 minutes and spent the remaining 5 minutes reviewing my answers. As a result, my highest score among all skills was in the reading.

To come to the listening, it was divided into two parts. The first part had one conversation and two lectures. My time was 10 minutes just to answer the questions. I mean the timer started when I saw the questions but stopped when I listened to the lecture, dialogue, or to the questions. The second part had one talk with one long speech. My time was 6 minutes to finish off this part and I finished in the last seconds. I had noticed that in the first part the speakers talked at a slow or medium speed. I could easily understand what they said. On the other hand, the speakers were faster in the second part but it was understandable. I solely needed more concentration. My score in this section was somehow like the reading. After ten minutes break, I came back to my seat to continue the war.😁

The speaking was challenging for me. I tried a lot to put on the strategies, yet I made some mistakes. In the independent task, I completely developed my response but in the second task, I forgot the second reason because I did not stay active while listening to that point. The third task was about enlightened self-interest. I did not conclude this one because I ran out of time. The last task was about regulation in the size of plants through competition and natural events. I answered this question completely. Accordingly, my lowest score was in speaking.

The writing was easy. The integrated task displayed with a short paragraph concerning an issue that New Guinea flatworms spread to Europe. The statement proposed biological, chemical, and hot water solution to prevent the growth of tapeworms. Then, the lecturer refuted the solutions based on arguments. The independent task mentioned that today’s advertising is less honest. The consequence is that businesses made it difficult for people to choose which product they should buy. I wrote 304 words for the first task and 314 words for the second task. My score in this section was satisfactory.

The environment of the test was excellent. The participants were not in the same section because they started at different times so I was not concerned about the noise in speaking. Furthermore, there was no one except the test-takers in the building so I did not worried about the crowd or disturbance too. I had no problems with the noise and if anybody really worries about the hullabaloo, I suggest putting on the headsets from the beginning up to the end, this will help you concentrate. The behavior of the staff was great. I felt purely comfortable.

In the end, TOEFL was a valuable stand for me. I received my results six days after the test date and it made me very happy. My overall score was 92 out of 120. I will use this score to apply for some scholarships and hope I get one and start my Master’s degree abroad.

Stay Home, Stay Positive ♥️♥️♥️