• Preparing for the TOEFL® Test
• Taking the Computer-Based TOEFL® Test
• Taking the Paper-Based TOEFL® Test

1. Try to study for the TOEFL® Test every day. Studying for a short period daily is often more effective than studying for many hours a few days before the exam.
   
   
2. Try to improve your knowledge of English. There are many ways to do this – for example, you can read English-language books and magazines, watch English-language television shows and movies, and listen to English-language radio shows.
   
   
3. Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL® Test, Third Edition, includes a Diagnostic Test. To determine which of your skills most need improvement, take the Diagnostic Test, or Test 1 on the CD-ROM. Check your errors and note your areas of weakness.
   
   
4. Practice budgeting your time. Both the Computer-Based TOEFL® Test and the Paper-Based TOEFL® Test are taken under time-limit pressures.
   
   
5. Use the Tutorials in the book or on the CD-ROM to become familiar with the test format and the different kinds of questions in each section.
   
   
6. Know your goals. Write to the admissions office of the college or university of your choice, and ask for their entrance requirements, including the minimum TOEFL® Test score required for admission.

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1. On the day of the test, the test center staff will tell you where to sit. You will have your own workstation, and you will be able to control the volume of the Listening Section before the test starts.
   
   
2. Pay close attention to the directions. The directions will tell you which kinds of questions are in each section, and how much time you have to answer the questions.
   
   
3. Read the questions carefully. Some will ask you to find a word that is similar in meaning to another word, while others will ask you to find a word that is opposite in meaning.
   
   
4. You must answer each question in the Listening and Structure Sections before you can go on to the next question. If you do not know the answer to a question, try to make an educated guess by first eliminating the answers that you know are incorrect.
   
   
5. You cannot go back to change your answers in the Listening and Structure Sections. Therefore, be certain of your choice before you click on the Answer Confirm icon.
   
   
6. Although you can go back to answer questions in the Reading Section, it is most time-efficient to complete the questions for one passage before beginning the next passage.
   
   
7. During the test, the timer will flash when there are only five minutes left. You cannot hide the timer during the last five minutes.

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1. The test center staff will tell you where to sit. You can ask for the volume of the cassette or audio CD to be adjusted at the beginning of the test administration, but remember that it may not be possible to adjust the volume to suit all test-takers.
   
   
2. Listen to the instructions carefully. The cassette or audio CD will explain how to complete the personal data sheet and how to mark your answer sheet.
   
   
3. If you need to erase, do so thoroughly using a clean eraser.
   
   
4. Work quickly through the easy items. Be sure to skip a space on the answer sheet when you skip a difficult item. After you answer the easy items, return to the ones you skipped.
   
   
5. Do not underline any words in the test book or make any notes either in the test book or on the answer sheet.
   
   
6. If you finish one of the sections early, you may go back through that section to double-check your answers. You are not permitted to work on any other section of the test.
   
   
7. Be prepared for changes. Occasionally a TOEFL® Test has a change in format or more items to answer in a longer period of time.
   
   
8. Answer all questions. However, do not waste time on difficult items. Eliminate as many answer choices as you can and then select one that you think may be correct and go on. You are not penalized for guessing.

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