Common TOEFL Myths

Taking English proficiency exams are no joke to non-native speakers. For Filipinos, taking English proficiency examinations is a must especially when they are applying for a working or student visa in English speaking countries particularly the United States of America. One particular English fluency test that is required by most companies and institutions overseas is the TOEFL or the Test of English as a Foreign Language.

The TOEFL test is an internet based English fluency test that evaluates how well an individual can understand and use English in its four core areas: reading, listening, speaking and writing. The TOEFL iBT test uses English in an academic context. This means that the questions in the test are all from academic subjects in the university. In TOEFL Philippines, many individuals – both working professionals and students – take time to review for the TOEFL to reach their target scores.

There are some TOEFL test examinees that are not familiar with the examination. Moreover, they have these myths about TOEFL that might cause confusion on what the TOEFL test is all about. Here are some myths about the TOEFL test.

MYTH	TRUTH
The TOEFL test in the Philippines has a different content compared to the test in other countries.	The TOEFL test in the Philippines has the same content to all other TOEFL tests in the world. It uses a standardized material to be fair to all TOEFL candidates from non-native English speaking country.
I need to study all academic subjects so that I can be familiar with the questions in the reading section.	Being familiar with some common academic topics in the TOEFL is an advantage. However, examines do not need to have a deeper study since the questions are all based on the existing reading passage.
If I do not speak in American accent, I will lose a great deal of points in the speaking examination.	Having an American accent is good; however, it is not necessary. The TOEFL speaking test evaluates how well a person can understand spoken English in academic situations. The important thing examinees have to do is to bank on clarity in their response.
If I write more than the required number of words in the writing section of the TOEFL test, I will get a better mark.	Writing more than the desired number of words is recommended. This shows how well you can express your thoughts in written text. However, it does not guarantee a good score with long essays. Invest more on the content than the length of your essay.
If I listen well in the listening test, I can easily answer all the questions after the audio recording.	Listening skills are very important in the TOEFL listening section. However, questions are not given until the recording is finished. This means that examinees should be good at taking down notes to be able to answer all the questions related to the recording.

TOEFL examinees have to know about what the exam is. For starters, they can search about it online. Visiting www.ets.org is a very good source. Further, there are TOEFL review centers where candidates for the exam can inquire about the test. In addition, they could also inquire on TOEFL review classes that can help them prepare for the real test. 

Read more TOEFL Tips here toeflreview.blogspot.com.