TOEFL PreparationHow can you prep for the TOEFL test? Lots of ways! You might find your preparation options limited by how much money you can afford to spend though. Thanks the the Internet, you can find plenty of free preparation material and help. Free TOEFL, TOEFL prep are a couple terms to use in a search engine to find free preparation materials. There are webpages dedicated entirely to TOEFL with practice questions for Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing, vocabulary quizzes and even some games. Many ESL/EFL webpages have sections for TOEFL. Some have forums where you can get help with English grammar, vocabulary and TOEFL. Some sites have chats or penpals that you find to talk about TOEFL. At TestDEN, you can try out an IBT question of each type and see a review page for each in our IBT demo. For more free practice, you can check out our TOEFL Speaking and Writing Trainer demo and our TOEFL Grammar Skills Trainer demo. If you want a bit more of a challenge and possibly win yourself an iPod, you can do our free mini IBT tests. Free preparation material is great, but it won't be enough to get you ready to take the IBT test. Studying by yourself using books is the least expensive preparation method. The books with CD-ROMs and entire practice tests have sample questions and answers of all the types you will see in the test. There's tips, advice, and what you can expect in each of the 4 TOEFL test sections. You can buy them from online bookstores. Kaplan, Barron's and ETS are examples of makers of TOEFL guide and preparation books. The prices range from $25-$45 (without shipping). You can even get it cheaper if you buy a secondhand (previously owned) one. For the IBT test, ideally buy one no older than 2007 so that you get practice questions that follow the current format. The IBT test is done on a computer, so doing online full TOEFL practice tests is a very effective way to prepare yourself. It's more helpful than a book because you will be able to experience what it is like to do the real test. You get to test your ability with questions similar to those of a real test. When you're finished, you get a score. Plus you can review your answers and see the mistakes you made. It's money well spent. A single test can cost as little as $20. If you think you'll need more help to prepare for the test, then you might want to look at taking an entire online course. Such courses have daily lessons to help you with English grammar and vocabulary, to help improve your reading, listening, writing and speaking skills, and then focus on practicing specifically for the TOEFL test. You might want to check out our TestDEN TOEFL Test Prep bundle for $129. If you can afford it, the cost is generally several thousand dollars, then the ultimate way to prepare is to take a TOEFL preparation course offered by a school. You go to classes. The courses usually range 4 weeks to 16 weeks in length. For an extra cost, some schools offer private tutoring in addition to taking the course. Many of the schools are also certified testing centres, so they can register you to take the official test after you've completed the course. One thing's for sure, you can never be over prepared for the TOEFL test. Use all the resources you can. Even try to find a fellow student who has already taken the TOEFL test to ask them about their experience and for tips.
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