TOEFL- New Version
Just got my TOEFL scores and wanted to share my experience here in case it helps someone 🙌
Reading:
Way harder than what I practiced. In most mocks, the fill-in-the-blank words were super simple (like when, like, etc.), but in the real test there were a lot of advanced/specific words. I literally left 2 blanks empty.
Also, the email questions in mocks were very obvious (like asking for a date directly), but in the real test they were more indirect and kinda tricky.
Timing was okay though, I even had time to review, but honestly I moved on with a lot of doubt.
(My mock scores were usually around 5.5–6)
Listening:
This one shocked me the most. Conversations were okay, but the lectures were LONG and pretty hard to follow.
I never used to take notes, but I suddenly started doing it in the exam, and honestly, I think without notes it would’ve been really difficult.
The worst part: both the questions and answer choices were long too, so it was hard to read and analyze them properly.
Definitely my weakest section.
(In mocks I usually got 6, sometimes 5.5)
Writing:
Surprisingly easy. Sentence construction was straightforward, nothing tricky. Most of the time, the number of words matched the blanks (only 2–3 had extra words).
Timing was great, unlike mocks, I even had time to review twice.
My email topic was pretty simple. I wrote ~130 words but didn’t get to review.
The discussion topic was actually kinda hard and not very typical. Even though I have a good vocabulary and had practiced a lot, I spent too much time just thinking. Ended up writing 132 words and no time to review.
I did give examples, but didn’t develop my ideas as much as I wanted, still got a good score though.
When I practiced, Gemini usually gave me ~5.5, but ChatGPT gave me lower (around 5), even when I felt my writing was better than this exam.
Speaking:
Listen & Repeat was rough for me 😅 I was stressed and honestly couldn’t remember everything. I only repeated 1–2 sentences perfectly, the rest were partial but I tried to deliver the meaning.
Interview section had some differences from mocks: questions were much shorter, so less time to think.
Topics were mostly typical, but one was kinda abstract (about fairness).
I think I did well overall, spoke fluently and naturally. I planned to sound structured with clear “reasons + examples,” but it ended up more like natural conversation. Still used good vocab and gave solid support, just not in a template-like way.
I don’t think messing up Listen & Repeat ruins your score that much.
Preparation:
I didn’t use any paid resources or specific YouTube channels.
Mostly practiced with chatbots, I had pre-written answers for common topics so I wouldn’t waste time thinking during the exam.
In terms of scoring: Gemini felt closer to my real score, but its language is very formal and unnatural. ChatGPT felt more natural and logical in terms of ideas.
Score release:
The day after my exam, it said my scores were delayed due to administrative review (2–4 weeks 😐), but I actually got them exactly after 72 hours (I took it on the weekend).
Final note:
Don’t stress too much seeing people here saying they got perfect scores after 2 days of studying 😄 Everyone’s situation is different. I personally spent a lot of time preparing.
Honestly, with the new format, it feels easier overall and the scoring seems a bit more generous if you put in some effort.
Hope this helps! good luck everyone🎉