TOEFL vs. IELTS OVERVIEW AND TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS

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TOEFL EXAM  About four hours long  Computer-based  Pros (no writing by hand, harder to make a mistake while copying)  Cons (other people speaking, eyes may get tired, cannot interact with paper exam)  Four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing (in that order)  Each section is worth 30 points for a total of 120  Common minimum scores for various institutions range between , with the average being around 90 points  Score valid for two years

TOEFL Format SectionTime LimitQuestionsTasks Reading60-80 minutes36-56 questionsRead 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and answer questions Listening60-90 minutes34-51 questionsListen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations and then answer questions Break10 minutes-Get some water and have a snack! Speaking20 minutes6 tasks (2 independent, 4 integrated) Speak about familiar topics, speak based on reading and listening tasks Writing50 minutes2 tasks (1 independent, 1 integrated) Write based on listening and reading tasks, express opinion about a topic in writing *Some questions may be experimental and thus do not count towards your score. You will not know which are which!

TOEFL - READING  3-4 passages about academic topics (humanities or science)  Between questions per passage  Average of 20 minutes per passage  You can skip around within the passage and come back to questions later

TOEFL Reading Question Types 1-5 Question typeFrequencyDifficulty levelTips 1) Factual Information3-6 per setLow-mediumRephrase into a question, scan for answer 2) Negative Factual Information 0-2 per setMedium-highUse answer choices as checklist 3) Inference1-3 per setHighMake sure the answer you choose is 100% supported by text 4) Rhetorical Purpose1-2 per setMediumMemorize “purpose” vocab and phrases 5)Vocabulary3-5 per setLowAnswer in head first with alternate word

TOEFL Reading Question Types 6-10 Question typeFrequencyDifficulty levelTips 6) Reference0-2 per setLowFind the pronoun and answer in head first 7) Sentence Simplification 0-1 per setMediumCut out unnecessary words and watch for meaning 8) Insert Text1 per setHighRead the sentence before and after 9) Prose Summary0 or 1 per setHighEliminate answers that are either wrong or too specific 10) Fill in a Table0 or 1 per setHighUse process of elimination

Tips for TOEFL Reading 1. Do not read the entire passage. Spend only three minutes maximum reading. 2. Answer low difficulty questions first, then medium and save hard difficulty level questions for last. 3. When possible, answer the question in your head first in order to avoid trick answer choices. 4. Watch the time and spend no more than 20 minutes on each section. 5. If you have extra time at the end, go back and check your answers or look over any unanswered questions. 6. If you really don’t know an answer, eliminate some options and make a guess. Do not leave any answers blank because there is no penalty for wrong answers.

TOEFL - LISTENING  Conversations including office hours and service encounters  Lectures from any university class (can have interruptions from students in class)  At least one general question per lecture or conversation  Specific questions will never be too specific  Practice both taking notes and not taking notes and see which strategy works best for you.  Don’t bother with small details such as dates and names; look for big picture concepts and understanding.

TOEFL - LISTENING Why does the student go to see the professor? a. To prepare for her graduate school interview b. To get advice about her graduate school application c. To give the professor her graduate school application d. To find out if she was accepted to graduate school

TOEFL - SPEAKING Task #QuestionPrep timeSpeaking time 1Talk about a familiar topic.15 seconds45 seconds 2Give your opinion or preference.15 seconds45 seconds 3Read a paragraph then listen to two people discussing the topic. Summarize their opinion. 30 seconds60 seconds 4Read a paragraph then listen to a professor talking about the topic. Summarize the topic. 30 seconds60 seconds 5Listen to a conversation and then summarize the situation and give your opinion. 20 seconds60 seconds 6Listen to a lecture and then summarize the lecture.20 seconds60 seconds

Tips for TOEFL Speaking 1. Use the time where the computer reads the question to start preparing. 2. Speak naturally, not too fast or too mechanical. 3. Develop your topic with relevant examples; avoid repetition. 4. Practice with time. There are good free apps for your phone. 5. Practice pronunciation so that the evaluator doesn’t have to strain to understand you. 6. Be aware of grammar but do not get caught up if you realize you made a mistake. They grade on overall performance, not error by error.

TOEFL - WRITING Integrated Task  Read a passage about an academic topic for 3 minutes.  Listen to a lecture about the same topic.  Write and essay that summarizes the points in the lecture and explain how they relate to specific points in the reading passage.  20 minutes  Aim for words Independent Task  Respond to a question in essay form.  Example: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.  There is no right or wrong answer. What matters is how you express yourself.  30 minutes  Aim for 300 words

Tips for TOEFL Writing 1. Develop the topic with details and examples. 2. Spend 5 minutes organizing and brainstorming before writing. 3. Use transitions (therefore, first of all, next, etc.) 4. Make sure your organization is clear. 5. Leave two minutes at the end to proofread although they understand there will be minor errors. 6. Be straightforward and avoid redundancies and flowery language.

IELTS EXAM  About two and a half hours  Written, paper-based exam  Be careful when copying answers to answer sheet  Four sections: Listening, Reading and Writing (in that order). Speaking is a private interview that takes place either in the week before or after your written exam.  You receive a score out of 9 for each section (half point increments) and then an overall average score out of 9.  A good solid score on the IELTS is a 6.5.

IELTS Format SectionTime LimitQuestionsTasks ListeningApproximately 30 minutes 40 questionsListen to 4 conversations or monologues and answer questions while listening. Reading60 minutes40 questionsRead 3 passages from academic texts and answer questions about them. Writing60 minutes2 essaysDescribe a chart or graph, express opinion about a topic Speaking11-14 minutes3 parts in private interview Speak about familiar topics with the interviewer.

IELTS - LISTENING  4 listening items, mix of conversations and monologues.  2 academic and 2 service or lifestyle items.  You have the questions in front of you and must answer as you go.  You have a few seconds to look at the questions before you hear the track. You should use this time to predict answers.  If you miss one question, let it go and keep on track because it can ruin the other questions for you.  Be careful of British and Australian accents, especially how they pronounce numbers and letters.  Spelling counts.

IELTS - LISTENING

Answers:  6) 17 th October  7)12:30  8) Thomson  9) AC936  10) Tips for tricky accents: -Watch BBC -Listen to talk shows from the UK and Australia -Watch YouTube videos about the difference in vowel pronunciation across different English accents (American, Canadian, British, Australian, Irish) Tips for tricky accents: -Watch BBC -Listen to talk shows from the UK and Australia -Watch YouTube videos about the difference in vowel pronunciation across different English accents (American, Canadian, British, Australian, Irish)

IELTS - READING  Passages are similar in difficulty level to TOEFL  Questions are less predictable in TOEFL. There are about 20 question types and you do not know which ones you will see.  Skim questions first to help you predict what is coming so you know what to look for while reading.  Write and underline words and phrases in the text to help predict answers.  All other TOEFL reading tips apply to the IELTS.

IELTS - WRITING Task 1  Summarize information from a graph, picture or chart by selecting and reporting the main features, and making comparisons where relevant.  Don’t elaborate or add your opinion.  Use transitions and comparison words.  Budget about 20 minutes.  At least 150 words Task 2  Respond to a question in essay form.  Task 2 is worth 2/3 of your writing score so spend more time.  Similar to TOEFL independent task.  Budget about 40 minutes  At least 250 words

IELTS – WRITING - EXAMPLES Task 1 Task 2  In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.  What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?  Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

IELTS - SPEAKING Part 1 Familiar topics such as yourself, your home, work or studies and other familiar topics related to yourself or your country. Part 2 You will receive a card with a topic. You will have to talk about a topic for 1-2 minutes without stopping. You have one minute to prepare. Part 3 The examiner will ask some follow-up questions about your Part 2 answer. Then you will discuss topics that are more in-depth and less familiar.

Tips for IELTS Speaking 1. Speak in a friendly, familiar manner. 2. Watch the examiner’s body language to see if your response may have been too short. 3. Answer the questions honestly. Draw on personal experience to make it easier to talk about. 4. If you don’t know what to say, try saying things like “good question, let me think about that” instead of “um”. 5. If you didn’t understand the question, ask for the examiner to repeat it or rephrase it; it won’t affect your score.

Conclusion and Q&A  Take a diagnostic exam to see which exam is best for you.  Download free materials at and  Know what to expect before going into either exam.  If you would like more information about my classes and services, feel free to me at Good luck!