TOEFL vs. IELTSOVERVIEW AND TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SUCCESS

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Introducing myself: Amy Geraghty

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What can you expect from today’s Webinar?

TOEFL EXAM

About four hours long

Computer-based

Pros (no writing by hand, harder to make a mistake while copying)

Cons (other people speaking, eyes may get tired, cannot interact with paper exam)

Four sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing (in that order)

Each section is worth 30 points for a total of 120

Common minimum scores for various institutions range between 80-105, with the average being around 90 points

Score valid for two years

TOEFL Format

Section Time Limit Questions TasksReading 60-80 minutes 36-56 questions Read 3 or 4 passages

from academic texts and answer questions

Listening 60-90 minutes 34-51 questions Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations and then answer questions

Break 10 minutes - Get some water and have a snack!

Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks (2 independent, 4 integrated)

Speak about familiar topics, speak based on reading and listening tasks

Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks (1 independent, 1 integrated)

Write based on listening and reading tasks, express opinion about a topic in writing

*Some questions may be experimental and thus do not count towards your score. You will not know which are which!

TOEFL - READING

3-4 passages about academic topics (humanities or science)

Between 12-14 questions per passage

Average of 20 minutes per passage

You can skip around within the passage and come back to questions later

TOEFL Reading Question Types 1-5Question type Frequency Difficulty level Tips

1) Factual Information 3-6 per set Low-medium Rephrase into a question, scan for answer

2) Negative Factual Information

0-2 per set Medium-high Use answer choices as checklist

3) Inference 1-3 per set High Make sure the answer you choose is 100% supported by text

4) Rhetorical Purpose 1-2 per set Medium Memorize “purpose” vocab and phrases

5)Vocabulary 3-5 per set Low Answer in head first with alternate word

TOEFL Reading Question Types 6-10Question type Frequency Difficulty level Tips

6) Reference 0-2 per set Low Find the pronoun and answer in head first

7) Sentence Simplification

0-1 per set Medium Cut out unnecessary words and watch for meaning

8) Insert Text 1 per set High Read the sentence before and after

9) Prose Summary 0 or 1 per set High Eliminate answers that are either wrong or too specific

10) Fill in a Table 0 or 1 per set High Use process of elimination

Tips for TOEFL Reading

1. Do not read the entire passage. Spend only three minutes maximum reading.

2. Answer low difficulty questions first, then medium and save hard difficulty level questions for last.

3. When possible, answer the question in your head first in order to avoid trick answer choices.

4. Watch the time and spend no more than 20 minutes on each section.

5. If you have extra time at the end, go back and check your answers or look over any unanswered questions.

6. If you really don’t know an answer, eliminate some options and make a guess. Do not leave any answers blank because there is no penalty for wrong answers.

TOEFL - LISTENING

Conversations including office hours and service encounters

Lectures from any university class (can have interruptions from students in class)

At least one general question per lecture or conversation

Specific questions will never be too specific

Practice both taking notes and not taking notes and see which strategy works best for you.

Don’t bother with small details such as dates and names; look for big picture concepts and understanding.

TOEFL - LISTENING

Why does the student go to see the professor?

a. To prepare for her graduate school interview

b. To get advice about her graduate school application

c. To give the professor her graduate school application

d. To find out if she was accepted to graduate school

TOEFL - SPEAKINGTask # Question Prep time Speaking

time

1 Talk about a familiar topic. 15 seconds 45 seconds

2 Give your opinion or preference. 15 seconds 45 seconds

3 Read a paragraph then listen to two people discussing the topic. Summarize their opinion.

30 seconds 60 seconds

4 Read a paragraph then listen to a professor talking about the topic. Summarize the topic.

30 seconds 60 seconds

5 Listen to a conversation and then summarize the situation and give your opinion.

20 seconds 60 seconds

6 Listen to a lecture and then summarize the lecture.

20 seconds 60 seconds

Tips for TOEFL Speaking

1. Use the time where the computer reads the question to start preparing.

2. Speak naturally, not too fast or too mechanical.

3. Develop your topic with relevant examples; avoid repetition.

4. Practice with time. There are good free apps for your phone.

5. Practice pronunciation so that the evaluator doesn’t have to strain to understand you.

6. Be aware of grammar but do not get caught up if you realize you made a mistake. They grade on overall performance, not error by error.

TOEFL - WRITING

Integrated Task

Read a passage about an academic topic for 3 minutes.

Listen to a lecture about the same topic.

Write and essay that summarizes the points in the lecture and explain how they relate to specific points in the reading passage.

20 minutes

Aim for 150-225 words

Independent Task

Respond to a question in essay form.

Example: Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

There is no right or wrong answer. What matters is how you express yourself.

30 minutes

Aim for 300 words

Tips for TOEFL Writing

1. Develop the topic with details and examples.

2. Spend 5 minutes organizing and brainstorming before writing.

3. Use transitions (therefore, first of all, next, etc.)

4. Make sure your organization is clear.

5. Leave two minutes at the end to proofread although they understand there will be minor errors.

6. Be straightforward and avoid redundancies and flowery language.

IELTS EXAM

About two and a half hours

Written, paper-based exam

Be careful when copying answers to answer sheet

Four sections: Listening, Reading and Writing (in that order). Speaking is a private interview that takes place either in the week before or after your written exam.

You receive a score out of 9 for each section (half point increments) and then an overall average score out of 9.

A good solid score on the IELTS is a 6.5.

IELTS Format

Section Time Limit Questions Tasks

Listening Approximately 30 minutes

40 questions Listen to 4 conversations or monologues and answer questions while listening.

Reading 60 minutes 40 questions Read 3 passages from academic texts and answer questions about them.

Writing 60 minutes 2 essays Describe a chart or graph, express opinion about a topic

Speaking 11-14 minutes 3 parts in private interview

Speak about familiar topics with the interviewer.

IELTS - LISTENING

4 listening items, mix of conversations and monologues.

2 academic and 2 service or lifestyle items.

You have the questions in front of you and must answer as you go.

You have a few seconds to look at the questions before you hear the track. You should use this time to predict answers.

If you miss one question, let it go and keep on track because it can ruin the other questions for you.

Be careful of British and Australian accents, especially how they pronounce numbers and letters.

Spelling counts.

IELTS - LISTENING

IELTS - LISTENING

Answers: 6) 17th October

7)12:30

8) Thomson

9) AC936

10) 3303 8450 2045 6837

Tips for tricky accents:-Watch BBC-Listen to talk shows from the UK and Australia-Watch YouTube videos about the difference in vowel pronunciation across different English accents (American, Canadian, British, Australian, Irish)

IELTS - READING

Passages are similar in difficulty level to TOEFL

Questions are less predictable in TOEFL. There are about 20 question types and you do not know which ones you will see.

Skim questions first to help you predict what is coming so you know what to look for while reading.

Write and underline words and phrases in the text to help predict answers.

All other TOEFL reading tips apply to the IELTS.

IELTS - WRITING

Task 1

Summarize information from a graph, picture or chart by selecting and reporting the main features, and making comparisons where relevant.

Don’t elaborate or add your opinion.

Use transitions and comparison words.

Budget about 20 minutes.

At least 150 words

Task 2

Respond to a question in essay form.

Task 2 is worth 2/3 of your writing score so spend more time.

Similar to TOEFL independent task.

Budget about 40 minutes

At least 250 words

IELTS – WRITING - EXAMPLES

Task 1 Task 2

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.

What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

IELTS - SPEAKINGPa

rt 1 Familiar topics

such as yourself, your home, work or studies and other familiar topics related to yourself or your country.

Part

2 You will receive a card with a topic. You will have to talk about a topic for 1-2 minutes without stopping. You have one minute to prepare.

Part

3 The examiner will ask some follow-up questions about your Part 2 answer. Then you will discuss topics that are more in-depth and less familiar.

Tips for IELTS Speaking

1. Speak in a friendly, familiar manner.

2. Watch the examiner’s body language to see if your response may have been too short.

3. Answer the questions honestly. Draw on personal experience to make it easier to talk about.

4. If you don’t know what to say, try saying things like “good question, let me think about that” instead of “um”.

5. If you didn’t understand the question, ask for the examiner to repeat it or rephrase it; it won’t affect your score.

Conclusion and Q&A

Take a diagnostic exam to see which exam is best for you.

Download free materials at www.toefl.org and www.ielts.org.

Know what to expect before going into either exam.

If you would like more information about my classes and services, feel free to e-mail me at amy@gradschoolguru.com!

Good luck!