What is the TOEFL Exam?
The TOEFL Exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is a standardized English test with four parts.
- Reading
- Speaking
- Listening
- Writing
The test lasts for about three hours and is meant to measure your English comprehension and communication skills. Since writing is the second-longest section of the exam, proactive planning and TOEFL test prep is essential. Writing is also the last section of the test, which means you may be tired by the time you get to this part of the exam. However, your writing performance will have a very big impact on your final score. There are two writing assignments and you’ll have fifty minutes to complete them both. You’ll need a good TOEFL test prep strategy to get you through the writing section. Thankfully, Ecree has an effective, tried and proven plan to help you get through this quickly and confidently.
Why does TOEFL Test Prep Matter?
The TOEFL writing test measures your current writing skills. Universities you apply to will use this score when deciding on your application. Once you are accepted into a university, you will continue building on your writing skills. As you learn new vocabulary, advanced grammar, and other skills, your writing will improve. However, you don’t have to wait until university to learn how to think clearly and put your thoughts into words. You can learn how to do that right now. Good writing skills will help you express yourself clearly in English even if your grammar and spelling skills aren’t perfect.
Upon graduation, you will find that good writing skills are important for just about any career. Writing is the most in-demand skill hiring managers look for in candidates. More than 70% of employers say they want job candidates to have strong writing skills.
If you are applying for a competitive position, your writing ability can be the deciding factor that puts you ahead of other job applicants. People will pay attention to you if your writing is organized, clear, and free from spelling and grammar mistakes. Good writing is your ticket to a better job and a better future.
Writing a Good TOEFL Essay
Strong writing skills alone aren’t enough to get you through the TOEFL writing exam. You’ll have a limited amount of time to complete this part of the test. This means that you’ll need to write well and quickly, without feeling stressed by how much time you have to finish your assignments.
Thankfully, it doesn’t take long to compose a good essay. Ecree, a unique writing software created especially for providing real-time writing feedback, offers specialized assistance with written exams and provides tips to help you write 40% of your essay in just a few minutes.
- Thesis Statement: Establish a thesis statement that introduces the point you plan to make throughout your writing.
- Topic Sentence: The topic sentence is the first sentence of each paragraph and tells the reader what the rest of the paragraph will be about.
- Supporting Ideas: Once you have finished writing your topic sentences, add examples and support for your ideas.
The TOEFL exam has two essays. In both essays, remember that good organization and a clear discussion of your ideas is the key to getting a good score.
- Essay 1: For the first essay, you will need to read a document and listen to a statement. When you are done, you will need to use these two sources to write an answer to a question based on the information you just read and listened to.
- Essay 2: For the second essay, you will need to state your position on an issue assigned to you on the test.
Practice with both types of writing every day, using a clock to time yourself as you write.
How is the TOEFL Graded?
Test-raters scoring the written part of the TOEFL test will pay attention to:
- Your ability to address a topic clearly
- Write well-developed content that shows unity and progression
- Use appropriate explanations and idioms
- Accurately present well-organized information
- Grammatical ability is also very important, but not as important as the skills listed above. In fact, you can earn a high score even if you make a few grammatical or spelling mistakes as long as these mistakes don’t make it hard for test-raters to understand the meaning of your written text or change the meaning of what you are intending to express.
Unlike many other TOEFL test prep programs, Ecree grades your practice essays similar to the TOEFL scoring system. Ecree looks at your essay argumentation, clarity, use of evidence, organization and grammar. Knowing that you scored well on your practice essays will give you confidence in your ability to do well on the written portion of the real exam.
Lastly, it’s important to remember that TOEFL does not have an official “passing” score. Each school and university that accept TOEFL exam scores has its own minimum score requirements. In some cases, a high overall score will help you get into the school or university of your choice. In other cases, you will need a high TOEFL writing test score to get into a particular college or university.
The Importance of TOEFL Test Prep
Simply stated, you ultimately need a good TOEFL score to get into a desirable college or university. The skills you learn for this exam will benefit you for life. It’s worth the time and effort to study and prepare for this important exam – even if you only plan on taking it once.
The best way to score well on the TOEFL writing test is to practice every single day. This may sound like a lot of writing, but when you are able to write at least three paragraphs everyday, you’ll be ready to handle the challenging writing assignments on the TOEFL exam with confidence!
One of the best ways to practice writing is through Ecree. Ecree is a unique and powerful TOEFL test prep resource that offers the same type of feedback a teacher would give you – but faster. The AI writing software will not only grade your writing but also explain why certain sentences and phrases are wrong and offer suggestions that can help you improve your writing skills.
With daily practice and the assistance that Ecree can offer, you can face the TOEFL writing test with confidence, knowing that you have the skills needed to earn that high score.
