| TOEIC | Preparation | Previous Up Next |
TOEIC Preparation
How can you prep for the TOEIC test? Lots of ways! You might find your preparation options limited by how much money you can afford to spend though. Thanks the the Internet, you can find plenty of free preparation material and help.
Free TOEIC, TOEIC prep are a couple terms to use in a search engine to find free preparation materials. There are webpages dedicated entirely to TOEIC with practice questions for Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing and vocabulary quizzes. With English grammar being strongly tested in TOEIC, ESL/EFL webpages are an ideal resource. Some have forums where you can get help with English grammar, vocabulary and maybe even advice about the TOEIC test. Search out ESL/EFL teacher blogs too. Even ETS offers some free practice materials.
Instead of just preparing for the TOEIC test, you should practice your English skills daily. The more you can use English by reading, listening, speaking and writing, the more natural it will become. You'll improve with just 30 minutes a day. Make it interesting and a bit fun so it's not some dreary task you have to force yourself to do. Your hobbies are a great place to start. If you can't find much English content broadcasted in your country, turn to the Internet. There's plenty of music, videos, newscasts, online magazines, TV shows, and blogs to be found and covering just about any subject. For writing, start your own journal (done on paper) or start a blog. You could participate in social gathering websites like Facebook or Twitter. Practicing speaking is the hardest to do online unless you have a web camera and can find places to chat. Find fellow students or co-workers who are also preparing for TOEIC and talk to each other in English.
Free preparation material is great, but it won't be enough to get you ready to take the TOEIC tests. Studying yourself using books is the least expensive preparation method. The books with CD-ROMs and entire practice tests have sample questions and answers of all the types you will see in the test. There's tips, advice, and what you can expect in each of the TOEIC test sections. You can buy them from online bookstores. Kaplan, Barron's and Longman are examples of makers of TOEIC guide and preparation books. The prices range from $25-$45 (without shipping). You can even get it cheaper if you buy a secondhand (previously owned) one. Ideally buy one no older than 2006 so that you get practice questions that follow the current format in the standard TOEIC test as well as getting samples for the optional Speaking and Writing test.
Although the standard TOEIC test is still done on paper, it has been adapted to an online version that accurately reflects what you'll get on the official test. By doing an online version, you get to test your ability with questions similar to those of a real test. When you're finished, you get a score. Plus you can review your answers and see the mistakes you made. It's money well spent. ETS has practice tests you can buy for the standard and optional TOEIC tests. Other companies, like TestDEN, have developed tests and other training materials to help you prepare.
If you think you'll need more help to prepare for the test, then you might want to look at taking an entire online course. Such courses have daily lessons to help you with English grammar and vocabulary, and to help improve your reading and listening skills, as well as practice TOEIC tests to take. You might want to check out our TestDEN TOEIC Test Prep bundle for $150. Finding materials for the optional Speaking and Writing test aren't as readily available since it's not mandatory and hasn't been in use for many years.
If you can afford it, the cost is generally several thousand dollars, then the ultimate way to prepare is to take a TOEIC preparation course offered by a school. You go to classes. The courses usually range 1 week to 4 weeks in length. For an extra cost, some schools offer private tutoring in addition to taking the course. Many of the schools – some are official testing centres – also assist with getting you registered to take the official test.
One thing's for sure, you can never be over prepared for the TOEIC test. Use all the resources you can. Even try to find a fellow student or co-worker who has already taken the TOEIC test to ask them about their experience and for tips.
| TOEIC | Preparation | Previous Up Next |