How can I improve my TOEFL iBT Speaking & Writing scores in 1 month?
Hi everyone! I’m looking for advice on improving my TOEFL iBT writing and speaking scores.
I’m from Japan, and Japanese is my native language. I studied abroad for one year during college, and my major courses were taught in English, although it has been almost five years since I graduated.
I last took the TOEFL in May 2025 (old format), and my total score was 89:
* Reading: 19
* Listening: 24
* Writing: 23
* Speaking: 23
Since then, I’ve been studying consistently. Recently, I’ve been using the official TOEFL prep app “Santa AI” (by ETS & Santa), and my mock test scores are usually around 4.5 overall:
* Reading: 5.0–5.5
* Listening: 5.0–5.5
* Writing: 3.5–5.0
* Speaking: 2.5–4.0
My goal is to consistently reach around 5.0–5.5 so I can apply to graduate schools. I’m planning to take the official test on May 17, so I have about one month left to prepare.
I’m especially concerned about my writing and speaking scores. I’ve heard that the new TOEFL format and AI scoring system can be challenging, and I’m not sure how to improve effectively.
If you’ve recently taken the TOEFL and improved your writing or speaking scores, I’d really appreciate hearing what worked for you. Also, do you have any tips for adapting to the new format in a short time?
Thanks in advance for any advice or shared experiences!