TOEFL

Writing
Test Preparation and Strategies

Preparing for any international English exam can be a stressful

and time-consuming experience. However, if you’ve gotten this
far, congratulations! It takes a lot of hard work to arrive at this
level. Now is when the real work begins. Taking an international
exam requires discipline and not only a high level of English, but
also a strong understanding of test taking strategies and a deep
knowledge of the structure of the test. This document will
address the structure of the writing section of the TOEFL test
and some strategies to help you best tackle the exam.

Overview

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is an international exam written and assessed
in the United States of America. On the writing section of the exam, test takers are expected to
respond to two individual tasks and convey meaning and understanding showing their level of
English. The writing section is the last part of the test, taken in the fourth hour. This document
will outline the structure of the writing exam and some strategies for your success.

This exam, like most international exams, follows a very strict pattern for each test. The writing
section of this test is no different. There are two unique tasks in the writing section, which are
outlined below, along with some strategies for each individual task, and then some overall
strategies for the writing section as a whole.

Structure

The writing section of the test is presented in two tasks, known as the integrated writing task
and the independent writing task. Their structure can be seen in the chart below:

Integrated Writing Independent Writing

Sources:
http://toefl.uobabylon.edu.iq/papers/ibt_2015_1842462.pdf
http://www.fluentu.com/toefl/blog/toefl-independent-writing-topics-sample/

20 minutes 30 minutes

You will first read an excerpt, then listen to a You will be given a prompt to write about,
lecture on the same topic, and finally present typically an ‘agree or disagree’ prompt or
the similarities or differences in your writing. listing of some sort of characteristics.

150-225 words 250-350 words

Below is a breakdown of both sections of the writing exam and some strategies for each one.

Task One—Integrated Writing

1. Take Notes
Remember that during this section of the exam you will be given a short reading followed by a
listening passage. You will have a limited amount of time to read and will only have one
opportunity to listen, so taking notes will be especially important. When you take your notes,
focus only on the content of what you are reading or listening to, and draw your conclusions
later. It can be distracting to try to take notes and draw conclusions at the same time, so it is
important to separate the two. In addition, getting details is important, but your focus should
first be on the larger ideas. Once you understand what those larger ideas are, it will be much
easier to add the details.

2. Consider Your Structure
As with all writing, structure is very important to your success. In this section of the test, you
must think about presenting your writing in a coherent way. Oftentimes this section of the test
will ask you to summarize the main points of the lecture, and discuss how it either
complements or contradicts the reading. In this way, you need to structure your paper from the
point of view of the listening, and then implement parts of the reading as necessary. The most
advised route of action is to write a brief one or two sentence introduction of the topic,
followed by your analysis in one or two paragraphs, and finally a short conclusion of your
findings. There is no golden ticket in this section as regards to structure, but making sure that
you know how you are going to write your paper before you start the majority of your work is
vitally important.

3. What Are the Facts?
This section is not looking for an analysis. It is looking for your ability to understand and digest
data or facts. For this reason, you should focus most of your energy on drawing conclusions
between the reading and the lecture, and worry less about the meaning of them individually.
You will have access to the reading passage while you write for the sake of vocabulary and
familiarity with the concepts, so use that to your advantage to remain within the realm of facts.

Task Two—Independent Writing

Sources:
http://toefl.uobabylon.edu.iq/papers/ibt_2015_1842462.pdf
http://www.fluentu.com/toefl/blog/toefl-independent-writing-topics-sample/

1. Make an Argument
The concept of the independent writing task on the TOEFL is to have you make an argument
and defend it. For this reason, it is important that you choose one side of an argument and
vigorously defend it. Again, as with other sections of the exam, it is not required that you
actually believe your argument, but rather that you can find justification and examples that
best back up your statement. While you plan, take some time to consider both sides of the
argument try to find three strong justifications. Whichever one you feel most comfortable with
is the one that you should defend.

2. Consider Your Structure
Structure of the independent writing task is especially important. It is highly recommended that
you follow the five-paragraph form in presenting your paper. This structure includes an
introduction with thesis statement that summarizes your argument and outlines the paper as a
whole, three body paragraphs with topic sentences and justification that represent your three
arguments, and a concluding paragraph that summarizes your overall thesis. It is by no means
required, but is the most widely accepted and used form of presenting a discursive essay.


3. Support, Support, Support
One of the most important parts of your TOEFL writing is not only presenting coherent and well
thought out arguments, but also defending them with vigor. Think of examples that best defend
your point and that can apply in the real world, and tell a personal story (or invent one) if you
can to try to demonstrate your argument even more fully. An essay that only makes statements
but does not work to reinforce them is not a successful one and the TOEFL is looking for your
ability to convey an idea in English. Justifying is your best route to achieving this, and should
something to which you devote a large amount of your mental energy.

General strategies

1. Focus on Content
The TOEFL is an exam that assesses your ability to draw conclusions and communicate concepts
in English. These things should be your number one goal. Yes—you should strive to write
flawless English, but your focus must be on conveying ideas. Once you feel very comfortable
with the content of your writing, move on to your effective use of the technicalities of the
language.

2. Keyboard Proficiency
The TOEFL writing exam is administered 100% using computer technology. You will definitely
want to brush up on your keyboard skills before the exam, especially if you use the old one-
finger method of typing. Knowing your way around the keyboard is an incredibly helpful skill, as
it can save you loads of time especially in this section of the exam. If this is a worry for you, be
sure to take a keyboarding class before the test date.

Sources:
http://toefl.uobabylon.edu.iq/papers/ibt_2015_1842462.pdf
http://www.fluentu.com/toefl/blog/toefl-independent-writing-topics-sample/

3. Implement Key Phrases and Vocabulary

Coming to the test with a few idioms and advanced vocabulary in your back pocket can be very
helpful. Phrases and idioms demonstrate a mastery of the language because native speakers
use them constantly. But be careful—don’t come with a list of 30 phrases and words, and use
them only if you feel very comfortable. Having a manageable list of five phrases and five
vocabulary words is much easier to work with, and incorrectly using a phrase or word can be
damaging to your score, so be sure that you know the context of their usage as well.

4. Planning is Paramount
These tests are administered with a time limit, so knowing how to best utilize that short time is
very important. Even more important is to take some time and plan your essays. Yes, you’re
probably thinking ‘but 20 or 30 minutes is no time to write, I just have to start writing like
crazy!’. Yes, you may feel stressed about time, but taking five minutes to plan your essay before
you start writing can really help to make the actual process of writing much faster. Once you
are able to lay out your concepts, write a thesis statement and some topic sentences, you will
find that the rest is just filling in with justification and language. It will also help you to structure
your writing, which is a graded part of this test. Experiment with your planning it will pay off
bigly.



5. Answer the Question
One thing that will certainly lower your score is not answering the question. For instance, if the
integrated writing task asks you to frame your answer from the point of view of the lecture, and
you write mostly about the reading passage, you have not answered the question. Similarly, if
the independent writing task asks you to either agree or disagree with a statement, and you
spend most of your time summarizing the argument itself, you have not answered the question.
Before you begin and while you plan, you should be constantly asking yourself what the
question is and how you are going to answer it. In this way, you can be assured that your score
will go up.

6. Use Transition and Signal Language
There are many words in English that can help you show the form of your paper. For instance,
using words like ‘first’, ‘additionally’ and ‘finally’ can help the reader to see which point you are
making seamlessly and easily. Additionally, using conjunctions and contrasting language can
help the reader to see what you’re talking about explicitly, and can help to really drive your
main message home. Study up on this language and know how to use it effectively in context
before the test.

7. Study the Rubric
Typically available to you online or in a test preparation book will be the rubrics that test
graders use to evaluate your writing. Study this rubric in detail and know what exactly they will
be looking for when they grade your paper in order to be more informed about your writing.
Sources:
http://toefl.uobabylon.edu.iq/papers/ibt_2015_1842462.pdf
http://www.fluentu.com/toefl/blog/toefl-independent-writing-topics-sample/

These same criteria will be used to grade you, so studying it can only benefit in your practice for
the exam itself.

8. Practice Makes Permanent
The notion the “practice makes perfect” is a very flawed one. How you practice is how you will
perform on the test. If you practice inconsistently and don’t have a plan, this will reflect in your
test score, but if you look at the details and practice your weaknesses, you will certainly be
more successful. Coming up with a plan, and seeking out valuable resources will undoubtedly
result in a more ideal score and hopefully save you some time and money in the long run.

9. Take a Preparation Course
If there is one thing that is true about most international exams it is that they are not cheap.
Oftentimes making an investment in a preparation course can mean the difference between
taking the test once or three times, which can be a sound use of your money in the long run.
Because these tests follow a specific formula, studying for the test and mastering test taking
skills will often lead to a higher score and more positive outcome for the student.

Sources:
http://toefl.uobabylon.edu.iq/papers/ibt_2015_1842462.pdf
http://www.fluentu.com/toefl/blog/toefl-independent-writing-topics-sample/