How To Prepare for TOEFL with a Full-Time Job

How To Prepare for TOEFL with a Full-Time Job

Recently, I have taken the Test Of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). And received the following score while pursuing a full time job as a Senior Software Engineer

Here I am going to share some strategies I have followed in details.

Make a Plan:

1. First learn about TOEFL from the official website: https://www.ets.org/toefl
2. Choose a possible date when you wanna take the TOEFL test
3. Create a target score what you wanna achieve
4. Select the resources you need to prepare for each section

Start with a small Bite:

Compare your preparation for TOEFL with physical exercise. 

If I tell you to give 300 push-ups in a week then how you will plan? 

1. 300 push-ups on a single day?
2. 100 push-ups a day for 3 days a week?
3. Or 50 push-ups a day for 6 days a week?

I believe most of the people will choose option 3. Because the other options may demotivate you from exercise or could be risky for your health.

The same goes on for TOEFL or any test prep. So study a little but study everyday. You will never loose interest and will be satisfied your progress. 

Regarding TOEFL I would like to suggest job holders to study 1-2 hours(using stopwatch) a week.

Using Stopwatch is Mandatory:

Whenever you start your study always use stopwatch. It will keep you out of thousands of distractions like gossiping over phone, procrastinate, social media chit-chat and wasting time talking to mates or family. If you wan't an extra push then maintain a stopwatch.

I have always used stopwatch and trust me if you wanna make a 2 hour study count with stopwatch it will take 3-3.5 hours of staying on your desk. Because when you'll eat, use washroom, talk to someone then you have to pause counting time with stopwatch.

I have used the following Google Chrome browser extension:

Logging and Tracking your progress:

While studying with stopwatch everyday you should write what you have studied in a notebook or on your computer. You will note down the following

• How many minutes you have studied
• What you've studied or practiced for each section
• Put a mark on which day you didn't studied
• Set a weekly or monthly hours of study target

I have used Google Sheet to keep track and log my daily activity towards TOEFL.

Here is my daily study progress:

Before you begin, calculate and figure out how much time you can manage in each week. Here is a glimpse of my calculation of weekly available hours

At best I could study 8-10 hrs during weekend and 3 hrs during week days(though planned but I practically never studied that much 😋).

Ensure the best utilization of your time:

Here are some habits I have build and helped me out to reach my goal

• Always listen to BBC live using the android app while travelling: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=bbc.mobile.news.ww&hl=en
  I used to listen everday while going to office and my way back to home.
• Swap flashcards when you get some waiting time like waiting for lift, ride, bus etc. I have used the magoosh TOEFL flashcard app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magoosh.toefl.flashcards.vocabulary&hl=en
  and also the Quizlet app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.quizlet.quizletandroid&hl=en
  to note my personally collected words and revise them

Quick Tips for Reading Section:

In case of reading I would say

• Focus, Focus and Focus is the key. 
• Practice a lot with cent concentration. 
• You can read nytimes.com or aldaily.com but I prefer practice TPO like
  #Online_TPO_Site: https://toefl.kmf.com
  #How_To_Register_On_KMF: https://bit.ly/2xRP0MC
  #How_To_Study_On_KMF: https://bit.ly/2JObDHp
• During my test with new TOEFL(1st August 2019) there were less vocab questions and more detail and inference questions. Summary questions may or may not be present on each passage.

Quick Tips for Listening Section:

Though my listening score was not rich but here is  my experience

• Do not take much note 
• Focus as much as possible to listen the recordings
• Try to mimic each and every words silently. It will help you recall all the facts
• Make a habit getting all sort of entertainment in english medium. For example while watching drama, series, movies and shows leave your native language for few months and start enjoying english stuffs. 
• Finally, Listen as much as you can.
• During my listening test, clips was more longer than TPO and questions were complex so keep focus and patience.

Quick Tips for Speaking Section:

Here are some tips from my personal experience

• Speak with yourself. I mean don't waste your time talking others it will not help for the test. 
• Listen BBC or CNN. Replace your accents with theirs. 
• Try to become a fast speaker like the news re-presenter at BBC or CNN . 
• Always use a timer while practicing speaking
• Record your speech and speak, speak, and speak until you feel it is the best output from you.
• New TOEFL provides longer questions so be prepare for it.

Quick Tips for Writing Section:

Here are some tips from my personal experience I would say focus on the following things with priority from first to last

• First, maintain COHERENCE. Make sure each sentence has relation to the previous one
• Second, do not REPEAT words. For example if your write "support" first then next time use "bolster".
• Third, answer WH questions in your example like Who, When, Where, What, Why 
• Do not just state facts in the starting sentence of your passages then example instead always mention the effects of the fact and then illustrate the examples. For instance, you may write "First, challenging jobs are always comes with learning opportunity." but it should be like "First, challenging jobs are always comes with learning opportunity which will enhance your skills and bring a better career in future."
•  After all this stuff use some crispy TOEFL/GRE words if possible but don't use unnecessarily complex word