How To Prepare For TOEFL | A step by step Guide

Last updated on 15th Jul 2020, Blog, General

When you choose the TOEFL iBT test to demonstrate your English proficiency, you’ll have access to our full line of official test prep resources to help you do your best and stand out to admissions officers. Purchase materials through your ETS account or practice with our free resources to prepare for success!

How to Prepare for the TOEFL: Week One

Week 1, Day 1:

• Lessons:
• Watch the first five videos in Magoosh: under Introduction to the TOEFL, from “Overview of the TOEFL” to “Listening Section.”
• Watch the video “Using the Grammar Lessons” in Introduction to TOEFL Grammar.
• Watch any 4-5 grammar videos in Magoosh of your choice according to your weaknesses.
• Magoosh Practice:
• Start working on Magoosh’s TOEFL flashcards. Begin with the “common” deck. Master 20 words at minimum. If you believe this deck is very easy for you, finish it today. (Note: focus on the flashcards for the vocabulary words you are the least familiar with. Plan on finishing as many flashcards as you need to by the end of Week 2, and then reviewing those flashcards by Week 4.
• Complete Magoosh TOEFL Blog Reading Practice Set Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride.

Week 1, Day 2:

• Lessons:
• Watch the next four videos in Magoosh: under Introduction to the TOEFL, from “Speaking Section” to “TOEFL Skills.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Reading” button on your Dashboard. Answer 10 questions, until the text changes to a new topic passage. Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.
• Click the “Practice Listening” button on your Dashboard. Answer all of the questions associated with four different recordings (about 23 questions). Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong. If you start a fifth recording, return to the dashboard by clicking “Magoosh” at the top left of the screen to exit your practice.

Week 1, Day 3:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the first two videos under Reading, titled “Pacing While Reading” and “Sample Passage: Clonal Colonies.”
• Watch any 3-4 grammar videos in Magoosh of your choice according to your weaknesses.

Week 1, Day 4:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the first four videos under Speaking, “How to Practice Speaking,” “Pacing Your Speech,” “Pronunciation,” and “Other People Talking.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Speaking” button on your Dashboard. Answer 4 questions, one of each of the four Speaking tasks. Watch the explanation video for every question.
• Master at least 20 more words in Magoosh’s TOEFL flashcards. Again, if you believe the deck you are working on is easy for you, finish it today.
• Complete Magoosh TOEFL Blog Reading Practice Set The Legacy of Edmund Wilson.

Week 1, Day 5:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the first three videos under Listening, the “Sample Recording” videos.
• Watch any 3-4 grammar videos in Magoosh of your choice according to your weaknesses.
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Writing” button on your Dashboard. Complete one essay, and watch the explanation video.

Week 1, Day 6:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the first six videos under Writing, from “The Five-Paragraph Essay” to “Integrated Introduction Sample.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Reading” button on your Dashboard. Answer 10 questions, until the text changes to a new topic passage. Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.

How to Prepare for the TOEFL: Week Two

Week 2, Day 1:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next three videos under Reading, the “Question Type” videos from “Vocabulary in Context” to “Except.”
• In Magoosh, watch the next four videos under Listening, from “Question Type: Main Idea” to “Using Your Notes.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Spend 10-20 minutes working on Magoosh’s TOEFL flashcards.
• Click the “Practice Listening” button on your Dashboard. Answer all of the questions associated with four different recordings (about 23 questions).
• Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong. If you start a fourth recording, return to the dashboard by clicking “Magoosh” at the top left of the screen to exit your practice.

Week 2, Day 2:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Speaking, “Task 1 – Choose One from Two” and “Task 1 – Sample Answers.”
• Watch 4-5 new grammar videos in Magoosh.
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Speaking” button on your Dashboard. Answer 4 questions. Watch the explanation video for every question.

Week 2, Day 3:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Speaking, “Task 2 -Conversation and Reading” and “Task 2 – Sample Answer.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Writing” button on your Dashboard. Complete one essay, and then watch the explanation video.
• Spend 20-30 minutes working on your vocabulary either with Magoosh’s TOEFL flashcards or these vocabulary exercises. (The easiest set of words is sublist one; the most difficult is sublist ten.).

Week 2, Day 4:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Writing, “Integrated Structure A” and “Integrated Structure B.”
• Watch 3-4 new grammar videos in Magoosh.
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Listening” button on your Dashboard. Answer all of the questions associated with four recordings (about 23 questions). Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.
• Complete the following Magoosh TOEFL 5 Part Blog Post Reading Practice Set. There is one question per link. Work through all 5 questions.
• The Caravaggio Mystery Purpose Question.
• The Caravaggio Mystery Detail Question.
• The Caravaggio Mystery Insert Text Question.
• The Caravaggio Mystery Inference Question.
• The Caravaggio Mystery Vocabulary Question.

Week 2, Day 5:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Writing, “Integrated Body Sample (Structure A)” and “Integrated Body Sample (Structure B).”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Writing” button on your Dashboard. Complete one essay, and then watch the explanation video.

Week 2, Day 6:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Reading, “Inference” and “Purpose.”
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Listening, “Question Type: Function” and “Getting in the Speaker’s Head.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Reading” button on your Dashboard. Answer 10 questions, until the text changes to a new topic passage. Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.
• Spend 10-20 minutes working on your vocabulary either with Magoosh’s TOEFL flashcards or these vocabulary exercises.

 How to Prepare for the TOEFL: Week Three

Week 3, Day 1:

Congratulations–you’ve now reached the halfway point of your one month of TOEFL study.

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Speaking, “Task 3 – Lecture & Reading” and “Task 3 – Sample Answer.”
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Writing, “Essay 2 -Independent” and “Independent Introduction Sample.”
  • Watch 3-4 new grammar videos in Magoosh and review 1 more.
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Listening” button on your Dashboard. Answer all of the questions associated with four recordings (about 23 questions). Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.

Week 3, Day 2:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Reading, “Reference” and “Paraphrase”
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Listening, “Question Type: Attitude” and “Tone of Voice.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Speaking” button on your Dashboard. Answer 4 questions. Watch the explanation video for every question.
• Spend 10-20 minutes working on your vocabulary using these vocabulary exercises.

Week 3, Day 3:

• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Writing” button on your Dashboard. Complete one essay, and then watch the explanation video.

Week 3, Day 4:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Reading, “Insert Text” and “Summary.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Reading” button on your Dashboard. Answer 10 questions, until the text changes to a new topic passage. Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong..

Week 3, Day 5:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the next two videos under Writing, “Independent Structure A” and “Independent Structure B.”
• Watch 3-4 new grammar videos in Magoosh and review 1 other lesson of your choice, grammar or TOEFL-based.
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Listening” button on your Dashboard. Answer all of the questions associated with four recordings (about 23 questions). Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.

Week 3, Day 6:

Today, you’re going to take a full practice test. If you don’t have a full four hours to spend, then switch this day with a day next week when you will have the time. You need four hours with no interruptions at your computer.

Take the practice test 3 from the CD that comes with the Official Guide. Do not take breaks during a section, and be careful with the clock. The software will give you the timer for most parts, but here is the timing for reference:

• Reading section: 60 minutes (NOTE: In the current version of the TOEFL, there are now 10 questions per passage, rather than 12-14, and the Reading Section is 54 minutes long. The OG practice test still gives you an experience that is very close to that of the current exam, but be mindful of these differences on test day.
• Listening section: 20 minutes total to answer the questions of all six recordings. Stop the timer when you are listening to the recordings. ) (NOTE: The new version of the TOEFL gives you approximately 16.5 minutes and 5 recordings, rather than 20 minutes and 6 recordings. For an experience more similar to the reformatted exam, skip one of the lectures in the Official Guide Practice Test.)
• BREAK: 10 minutes (have a quick snack!)
• Speaking section: (You will need to time yourself and record yourself in the speaking section, so be prepared.)
  1. 15 seconds to prepare, 45 seconds to speak.
  2. 30 seconds to prepare, 60 seconds to speak.
  3. 30 seconds to prepare, 60 seconds to speak.
  4. 20 seconds to prepare, 60 seconds to speak.
  5. NOTE: In the practice tests for the TOEFL Official Guide (OG), there are 6 tasks, but the new TOEFL Speaking section has just 4 tasks. For a practice test that reflects the current TOEFL exam, skip Task 1 and Task 5 in the OG software.
• Writing section:
  1. 20 minutes
  2. 30 minutes

How to Prepare for the TOEFL: Week Four

Week 4, Day 1:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the last three videos under Writing, from “Independent Body Sample (Structure A)” to “Independent Conclusion Sample”
• In Magoosh, watch the next four videos under Listening, “Question Type: Organization,” “Structural Key Words,” “Question Type: Inference,” and “Don’t Go Too Far.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Writing” button on your Dashboard. Complete two essays, watching the explanation videos.

Week 4, Day 2:

• Lessons:
• In Magoosh, watch the last two videos under Speaking, “Task 6 – Lecture” and “Task 6 – Sample Answer.”
• In Magoosh, watch the final video under Reading, titled “Category,” and the final two videos in Listening, “Question Type: Filling in Tables” and “Easiest to Hardest.”
• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Reading” button on your Dashboard. Answer 10 questions, until the text changes to a new topic passage. Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.

Week 4, Day 3:

• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Listening” button on your Dashboard. Answer all of the questions associated with four recordings (about 23 questions). Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.

Week 4, Day 4:

• Magoosh Practice:
• Review all your vocabulary from both Magoosh flashcards and these vocabulary exercises.
• Click the “Practice Speaking” button on your Dashboard. Answer 4 questions. Watch the explanation video for every question.

Week 4, Day 5:

• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Writing” button on your Dashboard. Complete one to two essays, watching the explanation videos.

Week 4, Day 6:

• Magoosh Practice:
• Click the “Practice Reading” button on your Dashboard. Answer 10 questions, until the text changes to a new topic passage. Watch the explanation video for every question you get wrong.