How to Ace the TOEFL Listening Section- An Expert Guide

The TOEFL is a well-reputed English exam that tests speaking, writing, reading, and listening skills. It is globally managed by ETS, and every year, more than 2 million people prepare for this test. They work hard and follow several practices to prepare for the exam. However, they struggle with the TOEFL listening section because of the different question types.

Well, they need to work on developing several skills for better exam preparation. So, they take the TOEFL exam practice test and increase their chances of getting a high score on the exam.

Exploring the TOEFL Listening Section

TOEFL is an internet-based English exam. Its exam pattern contains four sections. The speaking section is a critical part of the TOEFL exam. This task includes five audio recordings, each of 4-5 minutes long. Around three recordings are from academic lectures, and two are from daily life conversations. However, test takers have nearly 36 minutes to listen to the recordings and understand their main idea to answer 28 questions. This section contributes 30 marks to the overall TOEFL score chart. Test takers need to work on several skills to perform well in this task. Thus, let us discuss it in the next section.

Skills for TOEFL Listening Section

The listening section of the TOEFL exam is a challenging part. The audio recordings use a high level of vocabulary, fluency, and different accents. Due to this, it is hard to understand the main idea and find the correct answer. However, they need to work on several skills mentioned below for a better result.

Active Listening

This skill refers to listening to an audio recording carefully. In the TOEFL listening section, test takers might get distracted or frustrated due to the fluency and language used in the recordings. Due to this, they may not get the main idea of the lecture or conversation and fail to achieve good marks. However, active listening skills will help them concentrate on the recordings. Due to this, test takers can get the correct answers easily.

Note Making

Test takers must work on note-taking. In the listening section, they might be asked to provide some of the crucial information, like the names of people, places, or directions. However, it is not easy to remember them. So, they must note such information while listening to the recordings. It will help them in several ways on the exam day.

Different Accents

TOEFL is a world-renowned English language exam. More than 160 countries recognise its scores for a visa. Its listening section contains the audio recordings in different accents. However, it creates challenges for test takers. They may struggle to catch the words or information. Due to this, they might fail to achieve good marks. So, test takers should work on understanding the English language in different accents. It will help them with a better performance on the exam.

These were some of the key skills for the TOEFL listening section. Test takers follow several practices to develop themselves. However, taking a practice test is the best way to prepare for it. Well, let us understand the reasons for this in the next section.

How Mock Test Helps to Prepare for the TOEFL Listening Section

Regular practice with mock tests is the best way to prepare for any exam. Every year, almost every aspirant tries to take the maximum number of TOEFL exam practice test papers for the preparation of their listening section. It helps them in a lot of ways. Thus, let us have a small discussion on how these practice tests help in exam preparation.

Understanding the Exam Pattern

A mock test paper is an exact copy of the real exam pattern. Experts use previously asked questions and their experience to prepare themselves. It helps the aspirants to prepare for every question and understand the challenges in the exam. Due to this, they can make a strong study schedule to prepare for the test.

Tracking Mistakes

Secondly, trainers use AI tools to evaluate the scores. It helps the test takers to get the results of their performance. Due to this, they can know their weaker areas and readiness for the exam.

Developing Skills

As you know, aspirants need to work on several skills for the TOEFL listening section. However, a mock test can help them in this task. Trainers include audio in different accents in their practice tests. It helps the aspirants to polish their skills for active listening and understanding different accents.

Conclusion

At last, many test takers face challenges in preparing for the listening section of the TOEFL exam. They need several skills to find the correct answers from the audio recordings. So, most of them use the Internet for their TOEFL preparation online free. Well, they must know that that's not enough. They should take regular mock test papers. It will help them to understand the exam pattern and polish all their listening skills for a better result on the exam.