How to Prep for TOEFL Getting Personalised Recommendations and Tips?

TOEFL is a standardized test that measures your English language proficiency if you wish to pursue your higher education in an English-speaking country. The test consists of 4 sections — reading, listening, writing, and speaking. The duration of the test has been now reduced to less than 2 hours, and the number of tasks to be responded to has also been reduced. TOEFL preparation is very necessary as it helps you to get familiar with the test format and the content.

You need to have a few strategic tips to help you optimize your performance in the test through rigorous practice sessions, simulating real-life test situations, and following a strict study routine religiously.

Personalized TOEFL preparation tips can be different for applicants with different academic backgrounds. You might be strong in any one of the sections as per your educational background, like you might be good in presentations and public speaking, or you might have a strong skill set in writing on various genres with ease. The preparation time also varies for the same. For working professionals, they might have an advantage in managing and balancing their time efficiently. Following a scheduled routine and the advisable tips will help you achieve your target score and get chosen for your desired degree or university.

Personalized Tips for Students with Different Academic Backgrounds

TOEFL exam practice tests can be different for students or working professionals, depending on their ways and tricks to prepare for the test. It is very crucial to understand how your academic background can influence your English language proficiency. Different fields of study emphasize specific skills or vocabulary, that can impact your TOEFL performance. Once you recognize these differences, you will be able to tailor your preparation for TOEFL to adjust your needs better.

Personalized Tips for Humanities Students

Students with a humanities background have strong skills in critical analysis and creative writing. If you are from a humanities background, then you have the added advantage of grasping historical and insightful texts in one. However, there are some personalized tips for you that you can follow to get the targeted score -

For the reading section, you should practice reading literature essays historical texts, or literary philosophical texts to broaden your reading prospects and learn new sets of vocabulary.
TOEFL exam practice test for the speaking test can be done if you engage in debate discussions or different literary clubs where you can discuss your recently read favorite book or a poem.
Being a humanities student, you have the gift of expressing your thoughts in writing through short stories, poems, and essays. This way it can help you to get into a habit of writing on different genres.
Learn to find at least 10–15 synonyms for every word you find difficult in any of the pieces you are reading daily.

Personalized Tips for Science and Engineering Students

If you come from a science or engineering background, you often come across technical and complex terms. Hence, reading and listening skills in TOEFL are essential for getting the desired score. Some additional tips are also listed below for your help -

Practice reading scientific journals and articles to familiarize yourself with technical terms and vocabulary.
Listen to YouTube videos, and scientific podcasts to improve your listening skills and your ability to understand complex discussions.
Practice using language and terms that derive any scientific discussion or support any scientific statement for the second writing task in the test.
Work on your pronunciation using word stress, and annotations of difficult terms and concepts.
For the speaking task, make a list of topics that you are already familiar with and practice speaking them in front of the mirror.

Personalized Tips for Business and Economic Students

If you are from a business or economics background then having effective communication skills is very important in the TOEFL test as communication covers a huge part of business studies. However, there are some added preparation tips for you that you should follow -

Practice business presentations, negotiations, and discussions in English to improve your speaking skills.
To improve your writing skills, you should compose business reports, business emails, and proposals, focusing on the clarity and the usage of lexical resources.
Familiarize yourself with the economic and business terms that are used in the industry to enhance your vocabulary simultaneously.
To enhance your speaking skills, conduct mock interviews with your friends and family and ask them to be the interviewers. You can speak on topics that you are familiar with and ask them to score you.

Personalized Tips for Working Professionals

TOEFL preparation for working professionals can be very hectic owing to the long stretched working hours and several work commitments. But, if you want to ace the TOEFL test, you need to have a proper work-life balance so that you can devote some of your time to preparing and studying for TOEFL. Here are some tips that you must follow to successfully score high marks in the exam -

You should designate a specific time for your TOEFL preparation in your daily schedule, keeping your work commitments in mind.
Make use of short breaks during work hours to practice the sections you think you are not confident about.
Utilize the weekends for the full-time preparation of the TOEFL preparation, and practice sample papers for each section.
Attend networking events or conferences and interact with people in English to elevate your confidence, which will also help in expanding your professional network.
Try to conduct meetings, and make presentations and reports in English to improve your writing skills.

These are some above-mentioned personalized tips for students with different academic backgrounds and how they can prepare accordingly. While it may seem a bit tedious at first, practicing and following the rules consistently will make it easier and simpler.