TOEFL Preparation Resources
Books
1. TOEFL iBT: The Official ETS Study Guide
Educational Testing Service
The title says it all: this is the official guide to the TOEFL. It was written by the ETS (Educational Testing Service), which is the organization that administers the TOEFL, as well as a variety of other student tests. Considering this, it’s safe to say that you’ll be provided with test questions and examples that are as similar as possible to those found on the test. It contains a lot of test examples, which are great if you want to practice by pretending to take a real test in the comfort of your own home. Students have said that that it focuses mainly on the reading and listening sections. Unfortunately, this means that there is little focus on the writing and speaking elements, with only one or two sets of speaking/writing practice questions. Overall, a great resource!
2. Delta’s Key to the TOEFL iBT: Advanced Skill Practice
Nancy Gallagher
This book is aimed towards English speakers of an intermediate to high level, giving advanced practice skills. The book comes with an audio CD containing over 9 hours of audio, to ensure the listening component of the test is mastered. It is also one of the less expensive options, considering it comes with the answer key, audio CD, and four full length practice tests all included.
3. The Complete Guide to the TOEFL Test iBT Edition
Bruce Rogers
Readers agree that this is another great resource, as it gives an abundance of information and examples that are very similar to those found on the test. Apparently there is a lot of focus on developing the skills needed to take the test before actually giving example questions and practice tests, which is great and will surely benefit in the long run. The only downfall is the price. The book is a bit more expensive than the others, and there are also other resources that are recommended to be paired with the book (a CD, an answer key). However, if you’re willing to spend a little extra on achieving the best score possible, it is worth it according to reviews!
Online resources
1. Good Luck TOEFL
http://www.goodlucktoefl.com/
Giving a great outline of both TOEFL basics and skills, Good Luck TOEFL breaks down the TOEFL in a simple way so that all students can understand the basics. Specifically, I thought the breakdown of the format was very well done and detailed, giving students a great look into what they should be expecting when test day finally arrives. The ‘support skills’ is a great section too, outlining useful skills such as notetaking, summarizing, and paraphrasing.
2. Learn4Good.com
http://www.learn4good.com/languages/spec_english_toefl.htm
This free website dives right in and gives students a large number of practice tests centering around the subjects of verbs, adjectives, and many other grammar components. This is great for after you have developed some basic English skills and TOEFL test taking skills.
3. Quiz Tree
http://www.quiz-tree.com/TOEFL_main.html
After providing a quick summary of the TOEFL, Quiz Tree gives users a solid list of practice tests, focusing on vocabulary and grammar. Quiz Tree also categorizes the tests in terms of grade level, type of quiz (multiple choice, picture, etc.), and number of questions, so that users don’t have to click on each test and figure it out for themselves.
Bonus study site: Flashcard machine
http://www.flashcardmachine.com/
Flashcard machine is a free website that is great for studying. It gives you the ability to create flashcards on the computer by typing one question, followed by one answer, and making it into a flashcard. You can then group the flashcards, randomize them, or flag any that are of importance. This is great if you have a list of practice questions that you want to test yourself on more than once.
