Finally Got My Scores!
Finally Got My Scores
Hey guys! I wanted to share my TOEFL experience because this thread helped me so much.
I took the test at a test center, not the at-home version, and I prepared for about two weeks.
**A few test-day notes first:**
* My test center was almost empty, so I did not run into the situation I was worried about, with everyone speaking at the same time.
* I arrived about an hour early, and they allowed me to start the test early instead of waiting.
* Make sure to check your equipment before starting. In my case, the microphone was not attached properly, and I had to adjust it.
* Also, be prepared for two Reading modules. The practice tests only had one, so that caught me off guard. Personally, I found the real Reading section harder than the practice tests.
I used a test prep website, and I found it very helpful, especially for Writing and Speaking. It had more practice material than I ever needed. I did not rely on their AI feedback, though. Instead, I used **ChatGPT for feedback**.
**For Speaking**, I would say my pronunciation is fairly strong, but I tend to freeze under pressure and sometimes pause for too long.
* At first, I scored quite low on the **Listen and Repeat section** during practice, but after doing a lot of repetition, it became much easier. I really focused on doing as well as possible there so I could afford to lose some marks in the Take an Interview section.
* For **Take an Interview**, my main strategy was to keep talking even when I felt like I had already answered the question. I also kept an eye on the timer so I could wrap up properly at the end, and I made sure to include an example every time. That said, I would not say my answers were always very organized. During my preps, ChatGPT was consistently giving me around 3.5 to 4.5 out of 5. It suggested that a 5 out of 6 band score was possible but not very likely, so I think that the real exam may be a bit more lenient than practice feedback suggests.
* Overall, for Speaking, I would recommend trying to do as well as possible in Listen and Repeat, because practice really helps with that part, and it can give you a cushion if you lose some marks in Take an Interview.
* When using ChatGPT for feedback, what helped me most was not just looking at the score, but comparing how it rewrote my sentences. I focused on questions like: How did it say this differently? What can I improve next time? I usually asked it to make a side-by-side table with three columns: my sentence, the corrected sentence, and what the mistake was.
**For Writing**, I am a fast typist, but the timing still felt intense. Seven minutes and ten minutes honestly seemed crazy to me. I wrote as much as I could, but I usually did not have time to review.
* During practice, I made sure I could finish on time. I used the test prep website for prompts and ChatGPT for feedback. ChatGPT usually scored my practice writing around 4 to 4.5 out of 6, but I ended up getting 6 out of 6 on the real test.
* Again, this made me feel that the actual exam may be a bit more forgiving than practice feedback.
* I also made my own template with ChatGPT instead of using the templates available online.
* Overall, the things I focused on most in the exam were keeping my tone formal, staying on topic, managing the timer carefully, and always giving a clear example when I could.
I did not really prepare for Reading or Listening because my practice test scores in those sections were already in the range I needed.
Happy to answer any questions.
Hope this helps anyone preparing for the new TOEFL format! Best of luck.