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Sample Essays for the Writing Section of the TOEFL® Test
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Sample Essays for the Writing Section of the TOEFL Test ( document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) )
Did you hear about the updated TOEFL iBT Writing section?
On July 26, 2023, ETS introduced a new TOEFL Writing question : Writing for an Academic Discussion.
That’s right. The Independent Writing question has been retired from the official TOEFL iBT test.
Before we get into the topics and sample essays for the new TOEFL Writing question, let’s start with the first task, which hasn’t changed, the Integrated Writing.
TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics
In the TOEFL Writing Section, there are two questions you must respond to. The first question is called the TOEFL Integrated Writing task. The second question is called the TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion task.
The integrated question presents a reading and listening passage, followed by a question, which is a bit more complicated.
Integrated Writing: Task Breakdown | |
---|---|
The writing section instructions will be read aloud. You can skip this introduction. | |
You will be given an academic passage to read. This passage will contain between 250-300 words. When the clock starts, you will have three minutes to read the passage. After that, the passage disappears and an audio lecture starts. However, the reading passage will return when it's time to write. | |
A lecture that addresses the content of the reading will start to play. The lecture will last for two to three minutes. | |
After the passage finishes, you will be asked a question. The question is almost always something like: | |
The clock starts. You will have approximately 20 minutes to write an essay of at least 250 words. You must answer the question and report on the most important points from both the reading and listening. |
Simple, right?
No? Still confused.
No worries. The best way to understand something better is through examples.
Let’s do one together.
This TOEFL integrated writing topic deals with the use of Corn Ethanol .
Give yourself three minutes to read it:
The chemical compound, ethanol, has risen in recent years as the most viable alternative to fossil fuels. Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from crops, mainly from corn in the United States, which can power engines. There are many who argue that corn ethanol should replace fossil fuel gas as the primary source for running cars.
One major benefit of using corn ethanol is that it uses less energy than gasoline. Using less energy means that people can get better gas mileage while driving these more fuel-efficient cars. In the long-run, this will be cheaper for consumers because they can drive further than they do now with fossil-fueled cars. People will spend less money on gas because they won’t have to stop to fill up as frequently.
Another advantage of switching to corn ethanol is that it helps the American economy become less reliant on energy sources from other countries. Petroleum is not readily available in the U.S., so it must be imported from other countries. Depending on foreign relations with those countries, fuel becomes a political issue. Corn is a crop that America has in abundance. By using corn ethanol instead, the cost of gas will decrease because now the import taxes on fossil fuels are calculated into the price. This also means that we will be putting the money into our own economy, thus helping local corn farmers.
One of the most attractive aspects of corn ethanol is how environmentally friendly is when compared to current automobile gasoline. Fossil fuels release carbon that has been stored for years from the earth. Burning biofuels, like corn ethanol, is better for the environment because it releases less greenhouse gas emissions. Lessening the amount of carbon emissions will help prevent global warming and all of the other negative effects of climate change.
Once three minutes have ended, listen to a conversation about the same topic
Now, it’s time to write your TOEFL essay.
Stop reading.
Start writing.
Write your essay before you look at this TOEFL Writing sample. You will learn a lot more if you actually write the essay and then compare this to your own.
Here’s an expert TOEFL teacher’s sample essay to this particular TOEFL Writing topic.
The article introduces the topic of corn-based ethanol. More specifically, the writer discusses the advantages of switching from fossil fuels to this alternative energy source. The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that the benefits the author mentions are misleading and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.
In the reading, the author begins by stating that drivers will get better gas mileage on corn ethanol than on fossil fuels, and therefore save money on gas. The speaker, however, disagrees. He states that the production of corn ethanol is very expensive. He says that in order to make for the costs to create and distribute this biofuel, the price of ethanol gas will increase. Therefore, it will not be any cheaper for consumers in the long run.
The writer also claims that making the switch to corn ethanol will help the American economy because it will make the United States less dependent on foreign oil. Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. He holds instead that mass use of corn-based ethanol will hurt the economy. He elaborates this by point out that the inevitable competition for corn by multiple consumers, including beef and dairy farmers, will drive the price of corn up.
Another reason why the author feels that moving from traditional gasoline to corn ethanol is a good idea is that they are more environmentally friendly than fossil fuels. The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that as more farmlands are created to support the demands for more corn, more carbon will be absorbed by the land. This means that these emissions will still be released to negatively affect the environment.
As you can see the author and speaker hold very different views about the use of corn ethanol.
The author here clearly defined the main idea, organized the supporting points from both the reading and listening passage, and showed how they differ from each other.
I know it may seem a bit difficult, which is why I recommend that you start off with a TOEFL Writing template for both the Writing for an Academic Discussion task and Integrated essay.
![title= essay in toefl test](https://tstprep.com/app/uploads/2023/08/TOEFL-Writing-24-Guide-cover-scaled.jpg)
Looking for more example essays?
Download our TOEFL Writing 24+ Guide if you would like more sample essays. It includes extra tips, tricks, and strategies you will not find anywhere else. Download it for free here
Too complicated? Don’t worry.
I will share TOEFL writing templates for the Integrated Writing question, which will make your life a whole lot easier.
We have to talk about the Writing for an Academic Discussion question.
Writing for an Academic Discussion Question
You will have 10 minutes to complete the Writing for an Academic Discussion question .
For this task, you will participate in an online discussion. After you read the question and student responses, you will have to write a response that adds to the conversation.
Here’s the breakdown:
Writing for an Academic DiscussionTime Management | |
---|---|
Scan the discussion and plan | |
Write your response | |
Edit your response |
This question is straightforward, but let’s do a sample together.
When the question appears on the screen, take two minutes to scan the passage and the student’s opinions.
![title= essay in toefl test](https://tstprep.com/app/uploads/2023/08/10-writing-tips-1.jpg.webp)
Start to write your response. Be sure to add to the discussion and avoid repeating the same points as the other students.
Aim to write at least 120 words.
![title= essay in toefl test](https://tstprep.com/app/uploads/2023/08/TOEFL-Sample-Essays-for-Writing-1.jpg.webp)
Get peace of mind with these TOEFL Writing Templates
Now that you have a few TOEFL Writing topics and sample essays to study from, you may want to use a writing template to help guide your writing.
A TOEFL template is basically a pre-organized set of words and phrases that you can use in almost any TOEFL Writing response.
Here’s TST Prep’s template for the integrated TOEFL Writing question (question one) :
The article introduces the topic of (general topic). More specifically, the writer discusses (stance of the author on the topic). The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees. He believes that (stance of the professor on the topic) and attacks each of the claims made in the reading.
In the reading, the author begins by stating that (first point made to support stance). The lecturer, however, disagrees. He states that (first counterargument by the professor). He goes on to say that (additional detail about first counterargument).
The author also claims that ( second point made to support stance). Again, the lecturer believes there are flaws in the writer’s argument. The speaker holds that (two sentences about the professor’s second counter-argument).
Another reason why the author feels that (restate stance of author ) is that ( third point made to support stance). The professor in the listening passage is doubtful that this is accurate. He suggests that (two sentences about the professor’s third counter argument ).
To sum up, both the writer and professor hold conflicting views about (general topic). It’s clear that they will have trouble finding common ground on this issue.
And here’s our template for the independent TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion (question two) :
BASIC TEMPLATE: QUESTION 2 (Writing for an Academic Discussion) | ||
---|---|---|
opinion on the topic | , globalization is a positive force in the world today. | |
is that when nations interact together, it leads to less suffering. , people who suffer from natural catastrophes can import goods and services to help mitigate their losses and recover quickly. Citizens of nations who may be going through war or famine can flee to neighboring countries for shelter. | ||
I totally agree with _____ point about ____, and I would like to add _______. | .Alex's cultural homogenization, . Much of the food found in grocery stores around the world is imported. Our very diet is due to the international trade partnerships and alliances forged over the last half of the 20th century. | |
it is crucial to maintain our current global policies for a safer world with a higher standard of living. |
You will notice that the sample essays in this article differ from the templates.
You do not have to use templates, it’s up to you. Some people prefer to write in their own unique fashion for the entire exam. However, you will notice that the structure of the templates is similar to the TOEFL example essays.
These templates follow the exact organization and structure you are expected to use on test day, so don’t hesitate to use them in your writing.
Also, don’t forget to download the free 24+ TOEFL Writing Guide if you would like more example essays, templates, and exclusive tips to help you earn the best possible TOEFL Writing score on test day.
If you read this far, it means you are serious about your TOEFL studies. Don’t hesitate to send us an email and let us know how we can help you earn the TOEFL score of your dreams – [email protected]
Did we forget anything? Please comment and let us know how we can improve our TOEFL Writing advice (or if you want to just say hi that would be great too).
Other articles
Ten Awsome Tips for the Writing Section of the TOEFL Test
100 Free Questions for the Listening Section of the TOEFL Test
Check other articles on TOEFL
113 Comments
Hello, Josh. Firstly, thanks for the useful tips. I wonder if I can get a point if I don’t understand the lecture but write everything about reading. Should every idea in the passage and audio be matched?
![essay in toefl test Josh](https://tstprep.com/app/uploads/avatars/13/606d6d23c50dc-bpthumb.jpg)
Hi Ella, Thanks for your question. In general, the listening points should correspond with the reading. This is because the listening usually argues the opposite points.
Hi, Josh. I have a question about copying and pasting in TOEFL writing. I heard some TOEFL teachers say it should be avoided because ETS will consider it a potential form of plagiarism in future academic study.
Could you please provide some suggestions in terms of this issue? Is it ok to copy and paste, since it saves a lot of time in writing, especially on the test day. Thank you!
Great question. The copy-and-paste feature will not work at the test center, and I do not believe it works on the Home Edition either. Regardless, copying and pasting or manually copying the exact words should be avoided. You are always better off putting the answer into your own words.
Hello Josh, I have a question regarding how we can write an advanced writing that will be scored 25+?
Thanks very much for your question. We do have some templates that can help to increase your score. However, to give you a more detailed answer, I would suggest you consider doing an essay evaluation with us so we can help you determine specific areas for improvement. In the meantime, here are some articles that can help.
https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/ten-awesome-tips-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/
https://tstprep.com/articles/toefl/sample-essays-for-the-writing-section-of-the-toefl-test/
![essay in toefl test Ireen](https://tstprep.com/app/uploads/avatars/91022/64fd4b4679c9a-bpthumb.jpg)
Hi Josh! For the academic writing, I only gave my reason for the topic, and I forgot to mention the opinion of the other student. I checked my word count. It is already past 100 words, and I do not want it to be too long. Do we really need to mention the other students’ opinion?
Hi Ireen. Great question! We often suggest mentioning one of the other students, but it is not required. As long as what you said was on topic, you “added to the discussion,” and gave specific reasons and examples, you should be okay with the 100 words you wrote.
Hello, I have a question about the independent writing: Is it a problem if I just give one reason in my essay (but detailed enough)? Thank you
Hi there and thank you for your question. There are no specific grading criteria that say you MUST give two reasons for your opinion, so, in theory, yes, you can just give one reason. I don’t think you will be marked down for it. If possible, try to give two though. It will make your word count higher.
![essay in toefl test Lobna](https://tstprep.com/app/plugins/buddyboss-platform/bp-core/images/profile-avatar-buddyboss-50.png)
Hello Josh, I was wondering if you have more integrated writing questions that we could do for practice, do you know where to find them?
Hi there and thank you for your question. If you search “TOEFL Writing Practice test” on Youtube you will find 2-3 TST Prep practice videos with an Integrated Writing practice question. I’m sure there will be tests from other providers as well.
Hey Josh, I have been following your YouTube channel for my TOEFL preparation, where I learned a lot. My question is that I got stuck between 15-17 scores in the reading section and could not figure out what I would do to enhance my scores. Any suggestions?
Hi there Ashina, and thank you for your question.
It is, indeed, a difficult question to answer. Here are two pieces of advice on how to practice at home and how to improve time management:
HOW TO DO A PASSAGE
I am going to breakdown the process you should go through when you do a TOEFL Reading passage:
1. Copy the test conditions (set a timer to complete the passage and all the questions in 18 minutes)
2. Check your answers
3. Identify the reason you got a specific question wrong (or didn’t understand why you were correct) and write down what you can do to avoid the same mistake next time. Step #3 is the most important and the one often overlooked because most test-takers are pretty tired after reading and answering questions. This will help you notice patterns in incorrect choices and apply what you have learned later.
4. (Optional) Do the same passage again two weeks later. (You will remember much of what you did before, but it should help remind you of what you have learned)
TIME MANAGEMENT
My advice is pretty simple here, practice with LESS TIME. If it is not too stressful, try to complete a passage and all of the questions in 16 minutes (instead of 18). This usually does the trick for most students over time.
I hope you find some of this helpful. Good luck, and let me know if you need anything.
Hey Josh, in the Reading section the last question holds two marks where we are asked to pick three choices. I have always have a hard time getting the perfect score here. any suggestions, please…
Hi Kiba, this is a popular complaint. I posted a video about summary questions here. You might find it helpful.
![essay in toefl test Joud](https://tstprep.com/app/plugins/buddyboss-platform/bp-core/images/profile-avatar-buddyboss-50.png)
Hey Josh, I have a question. If the question is saying a good essay is between 200 and 300, and I wrote more than 300, is this okay? Or should I make it only as maximum as they are saying?
Hi Joud and great question. Definitely write MORE. There is a direct correlation between test scores and word count, so the more you write the better. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should write as much as possible as fast as possible, but anything between 350-450 words would be great.
Hey Josh, I think I do well in my writing section, but my score doesn’t improve. Is there anything that I can do to know my mistakes from the ETS?
Hi Aziz, good question, and unfortunately, no, they do not release that information. The best you can do is work with an experienced teacher who can point out your weaknesses and work on them at home before test day.
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The Best TOEFL Writing Practice: 300+ Topics to Study With
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Writing is the last section you’ll complete on the TOEFL. You’re so close to finishing, yet you still have two essays to write before you can celebrate completing the exam. In order to finish the test on a high note, you’ll need to be prepared for this section.
In this guide, we explain the ins and outs of the Writing section and the materials you need to do well. We then go over all the best TOEFL Writing practice resources available , including free and official practice Writing topics. We'll end with final tips to keep in mind in order to ace the TOEFL Writing section.
Overview of TOEFL Writing
The TOEFL Writing section is 50 minutes long (broken into two parts) and contains two tasks: Integrated Writing and Independent Writing. You’ll type both essays on the computer.
The Integrated Writing task requires you to use listening, reading, and writing skills. For this task, you will have three minutes to read a short passage, then you will listen to a short (approximately two-minute long) audio clip of a speaker discussing the same topic the written passage covers. You will have 20 minutes to plan and write a response that references both of these sources. You won’t discuss your own opinion.
For the Independent Writing task, you’ll receive a question on a particular topic or issue. You’ll have 30 minutes to plan and write a response to that topic that explains your opinion on it. You’ll need to give reasons that support your decision.
Each essay will receive a score from 0-5. The sum will then be scaled to a score from 0-30, which is your official Writing score. The Writing section makes up 25% of your total TOEFL score (from 0-120).
What You’ll Need to Be Prepared for the TOEFL Writing Section
As you likely expect, you’ll spend most of your time on the TOEFL Writing section, well, writing. However, you’ll also need to have solid reading and listening skills for the Integrated task. Since the Writing section requires multiple skills, you’ll need multiple study tools in order to be completely prepared. Some of the most important things you’ll need to prepare for TOEFL Writing include:
- Complete practice Writing sections
- Individual practice questions or TOEFL Writing topics
- Opportunities to practice your writing skills
- Opportunities to practice your listening skills
In the next section, we'll go over the best TOEFL Writing practice tests and questions.
The Best TOEFL Writing Practice Materials
This section contains links to the top practice materials to use while preparing for TOEFL Writing. What makes a practice material the best?
- First, the practice questions must be similar in content and format to the real TOEFL Writing section to give you the best preparation for the real exam.
- Second, it’s a major plus if the practice questions come with answer explanations that help you understand how to answer an essay prompt well.
- Finally, prep materials that include useful tips and strategies for answering Writing questions are useful because they give you advice on how to raise your score on this section.
Official Prep Materials
Official resources are the best to use since you can be confident they’ll be very similar to the real TOEFL Writing section. The topics will be much more realistic in format and content.
Below are all the official TOEFL Writing practice materials available, both free and paid resources. ETS doesn’t provide just Writing questions, so each of these resources also have practice resources for the other sections of the TOEFL. Be sure to include at least some of these materials in your studying. The next section has more tips on how to make the most of official practice resources.
![essay in toefl test body_laptop-Apr-01-2024-08-20-53-1764-PM](https://blog.prepscholar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/body_laptop-Apr-01-2024-08-20-53-1764-PM.jpg?width=423&height=282&name=body_laptop-Apr-01-2024-08-20-53-1764-PM.jpg)
TOEFL iBT Sampler
The TOEFL iBT Sampler is a program you can download with official practice questions, and it’s a great free and official resource to use. In addition to other TOEFL sections, it includes a complete TOEFL iBT Writing practice section (two tasks). Sample answers for both tasks are included so you can get an idea of what a good essay looks like. Unfortunately, the Sampler only works with Windows; you can’t download it with a Mac.
TOEFL iBT Sample Questions
This PDF is another free and official resource. In addition to other question types, it includes two Writing tasks: one TOEFL Integrated Writing practice question and one Independent Writing practice question. Each sample TOEFL Writing topic is followed by a sample essay as well as an in-depth score explanation, which is a great tool for studiers.
TOEFL iBT Quick Prep
The Quick Prep contains four different volumes, each of which contains one or two Writing prompts. The first volume is the best for TOEFL iBT Writing practice, since it contains two tasks (the others each only contain one) and also has an in-depth explanation of what your essays should include. The other three volumes only contain the essay rubrics without any advice on how to answer the specific essay prompt given.
TOEFL Practice Online (TPO) Tests
TPO tests are retired TOEFL exams now offered for test prep. They give the closest experience to the real TOEFL, and, because of that, they aren’t cheap. You’ll have to pay $45 for each complete TOEFL you buy (you can’t just buy individual TOEFL iBT Writing practice sections).
Your exam will be automatically graded after you finish it, although I was not particularly impressed with how the Writing section was graded when I took it. For the actual TOEFL, two human graders and a computer program review your essays and assign grades to each one. For this exam, a computer grades your Writing section within less than a minute of you completing the exam, and there is no explanation of how that grade was determined.
This is a useful resource, but if you don’t want to spend that much money on a practice test, it’s completely possible to do well just using the above practice resources.
Official TOEFL Prep Books
There are several official TOEFL prep books for sale by ETS. The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test , in addition to explaining the types of questions on the test, contains numerous practice questions and three full-length exams. This is also the only official prep book that includes sample essays of varying scores along with scoring explanations, which can be a big help if you’re trying to guess what score your essays would get.
There’s also the Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volumes 1 and 2. Each of these books contains five unique practice tests, available on paper and the computer. However, no sample responses are given for Writing questions, which make them a less useful resource compared to The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test.
![essay in toefl test body-pencil-notebook-writing](https://blog.prepscholar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/body-pencil-notebook-writing.jpg?width=456&height=304&name=body-pencil-notebook-writing.jpg)
Unofficial Prep Materials
You have to be more careful when using unofficial prep resources since not all of them are reliable. Some are high-quality and very similar to the TOEFL, others are not. For the Writing section in particular, because it’s so easy to make up essay prompts, there are many sites that claim to offer TOEFL Writing practice when their practice questions are actually low-quality. Below are some of the top unofficial prep resources out there. All of them (except the prep books, if you buy them) are free.
English Club
This site contains one TOEFL Integrated Writing practice task and five Independent Writing practice tasks. All six TOEFL Writing topics are similar to the real test, and the Integrated task as well as one of the Independent tasks have sample responses you can compare your answers to. At the bottom of the web page is a checklist of things your essays should include to help give you a guideline of what you should be aiming for when you write.
Magoosh offers one TOEFL Integrated Writing practice task. That’s not a lot of practice, but it is a high-quality question that includes a sample response. Magoosh also offers three complete TOEFLs, so you can use those Writing questions as well.
Good Luck TOEFL
This site has a huge number (several hundred) of Independent Writing tasks, separated into five different categories depending on question type. Some of the questions are more simplistic than you’ll see on the real TOEFL , and there’s no scoring information or sample responses, but there are a good source if you need more TOEFL Writing topics to write about.
Beat the Test
This site contains 155 Independent Writing tasks. Like Good Luck TOEFL, some of these TOEFL Writing topics are easier than you’ll find on the TOEFL, and there are no sample responses included, but they do give you the opportunity to practice writing.
Unofficial Prep Books
Prep books, even unofficial ones, often are a great resource for practice questions. Most books include sample Writing questions, along with scoring explanations , and then contain one or more complete practice TOEFLs at the end of the book. You can learn all about the best TOEFL prep books by reading our guide .
![essay in toefl test body_bookstack-1](https://blog.prepscholar.com/hs-fs/hubfs/body_bookstack-1.jpg?width=581&height=238&name=body_bookstack-1.jpg)
Other TOEFL Writing Practice Materials
There are other ways to practice besides just answering sample Writing questions. TOEFL Writing is designed to measure how strong your English writing skills are, so, any practice you get writing English will help you with this section, even if you’re not directly answering practice exam questions. There are many ways to get writing practice; several of them are described below.
Duolingo is a popular free language-learning site. Users answer different types of questions, including writing questions. You can’t choose to only answer writing questions, so this isn’t the best resource for targeted writing practice, bu t it’s a good way to strengthen your overall English skills.
For advanced English learners, many of Duolingo’s beginning problem sets will likely be too easy, but you can take a quiz to figure out where in the program you should start.
Free Writing
Finally, you can also practice writing about topics that have nothing to do with the TOEFL. As long as you’re writing in English, you’re getting good practice. Writing about something that interests you can also encourage you to write more. Some ideas for free writing include:
- Keeping a journal
- Getting an English-speaking pen pal
- Starting a blog about a topic that interests you
How to Get the Most Out of Your TOEFL Writing Practice
Now that you’re an expert on the best practice resources for TOEFL Writing, the next step is to put those materials to use in the most effective way in order to see results on test day. Follow these four tips in order to get the most out of your practice.
Practice Writing in English Regularly
The most important thing you can do to practice for the Writing section of the TOEFL is to practice writing English regularly. If you can practice every day, that would be ideal, but at the very least you should aim to practice writing 1,000 words in English a week.
Remember, this writing practice doesn’t only have to consist of answering TOEFL Speaking questions; any free writing, even just jotting down what you did that day in your diary, counts as writing practice.
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Make Use of Official Materials
As mentioned above, official TOEFL resources have the best practice questions out there, so you want to make the most of them. Spread these questions throughout your TOEFL studying; don’t use them all up at the beginning or save them all for the end. You want to be regularly seeing these questions as you prepare.
Also, when you answer official practice questions, make sure you set enough time aside to devote your full attention to them. Practice them in a quiet room with no distractions, and carefully compare your responses to the sample responses. These aren’t the questions to practice when you have a few minutes to spare and need some quick practice while scrolling through your phone.
Time Yourself When Writing Practice Essays
When you are writing practice essays, you should also time yourself. Give yourself 20 minutes to plan and write each Integrated Writing task and 30 minutes for each Independent Writing task.
Timing yourself when you write will help you be better prepared for test day because you’ll have practice planning and writing essays within a limited time frame. When you first begin writing practice essays, it can be easy to spend too much time preparing and run out of time before you finish writing. Taking timed practice essays will help you avoid this. You should also count how many words each of your essays contain after you’ve finished writing them. Integrated tasks should be 150-225 words and Independent tasks should be at least 300 words.
Review Your Practice Essays
After you write each TOEFL practice essay, you should also review it and think about how well it answered the question. This is easier to do if the practice question comes with sample answers that you can compare your answer to, but you should do this step for all practice essays you write, even if they don’t come with any answer explanation. You can also assign your essays a score or have a tutor or friend who’s also studying for the TOEFL score your essay.
It’s tempting to take a break from TOEFL studying as soon as you’ve finished your essays, but it’s important to do this step because it will get you thinking about what great essays look like and how yours can be improved. The ETS provides the rubric it uses to grade TOEFL writing tasks which you can use to evaluate your essays.
Conclusion: Getting the Most Out of Your TOEFL Writing Practice
In order to write two awesome essays for the TOEFL Writing section, you’ll likely have to put in some practice. Once you know what to expect from this section and how you’ll be graded, use a variety of official and unofficial practice resources during your studying.
As you’re preparing for the Writing section, you should also practice writing in English regularly, use official resources wisely, time yourself when writing practice essays, and review your essays after you write them.
What's Next?
Looking for more information on the TOEFL Writing section? Learn all the tips you need to know in order to ace TOEFL Writing !
What score should you be aiming to get on the TOEFL? Learn what a good TOEFL score is based on the schools you're interested in attending.
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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.
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- Free Sample TOEFL Essays
Learning to write well is a skill, like any other. This skill is important not only on your TOEFL exam, but also in your academic and professional career. The TOEFL Writing section consists of two parts:
- Integrated Writing , which includes reading, listening and then writing a summary/ comparison piece of 250 word in 20 minutes
- Independent Writing , which involves writing a four to five-paragraph essay of 300-350 words in 30 minutes
The following free sample TOEFL essays illustrate how to get a high score on the independent writing section of the iBT. By reading through the essays, you can learn how to:
- develop any topic into a well-organized, logical answer
- use synonyms to paraphrase the question
- use a variety of sentence structures & grammatical forms
- begin with a simple, strong introduction
- create body paragraphs that flow logically
- develop unity by linking the body paragraphs
- end with a memorable conclusion
Try to write an essay each day. The added practice will enable you to complete a strong essay, with ease, confidence, and speed, on the day of your TOEFL exam and throughout your life.
- Free Sample TOEFL Essay #1 "Doing Unenjoyable Things"
- Free Sample TOEFL Essay #2 "Money & Success"
- Free Sample TOEFL Essay #3 "Studying Abroad"
- Free Sample TOEFL Essay #4 "Family or Friends More Important?"
- Free Sample TOEFL Essay #5 "Virtual or Real University"
- Free Sample TOEFL Essay #6 "Children & Formal Education"
- Free Sample TOEFL Essay #7 "Household Tasks for Children"
1. TOEFL BASICS
Toefl overview.
- TOEFL Exam Details
- Registration
- Administration
TOEFL iBT Format
2. toefl skills, primary skills.
- Reading Skills
- Listening Skills
- Speaking Skills
- Speaking Tips
- Free TOEFL Speaking Samples
- Writing Skills
- TOEFL Writing Topics
Secondary Skills
- Pronunciation
Support Skills
- Summarizing
- Paraphrasing
- Mind Mapping
- Synthesizing
3. TOEFL RESOURCES
Toefl books, in-class training.
- TOEFL Prep Centres
- ESL Schools
Online Training
Studying toefl abroad, 4. attitude, test anxiety.
- Types of Anxiety
- Causes of Anxiety
- Symptoms of Anxiety
- Reducing Anxiety
5. TOEFL Videos
6. toefl blog.
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13 toefl writing topics to help you practice for the exam.
On the TOEFL Writing section, you’ll be expected to plan and write two essays. But what are those supposed to be about? What types of TOEFL Writing topics will you see?
In order to be well prepared and confident on test day, you’ll need thorough understanding of the types of TOEFL essay topics you could see on the exam. This guide gives in-depth explanations of every type of TOEFL Writing topic you might see, how to approach different types of prompts, and what your essays are expected to include. We end with a set of 13 unique sample essay prompts, including both TOEFL Independent Writing prompts and Integrated Writing prompts so that you can prepare with high-quality practice problems.
An Introduction to the TOEFL Writing Topics
The TOEFL Writing section is 50 minutes long and contains two tasks: Integrated Writing and Independent Writing. It’s the fourth and final section of the exam. After this you’re done! You’ll type both essays on the computer, but you can use scratch paper to jot down notes and plan out your essays.
In the next two sections, we’ll explain the format of the two Writing tasks and give an official sample question, along with an analysis of the common types of topics and strategies for doing well on each task.
TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics
The Integrated Writing task requires you to use listening, reading, and writing skills. For this task, you’ll have three minutes to read a short passage, then you will listen to a short (approximately two-minute long) audio clip of a speaker discussing the same topic the written passage covers. You’ll need to write an essay that references both of these sources in order to answer the question. You won’t discuss your own opinion for this essay.
During the writing time, you’ll be able to look at the written passage again, but you won’t be able to re-hear the audio clip. You’ll be able to take notes while you listen to it though.
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- Writing Time: 20 minutes
- Suggested Essay Length: 150-225 words
Official Integrated Writing Prompt Sample
Reading Time: 3 minutes
In an effort to encourage ecologically sustainable forestry practices, an international organization started issuing certificates to wood companies that meet high ecological standards by conserving resources and recycling materials. Companies that receive this certification can attract customers by advertising their products as “ecocertified.” However, it is unlikely that wood companies in the United States will do the same, for several reasons.
First, American consumers are exposed to so much advertising that they would not value or even pay attention to the ecocertification label. Because so many mediocre products are labelled as “new” or “improved,” American consumers do not place much trust in advertising claims in general.
Second, ecocertified wood will be more expensive than uncertified wood because in order to earn ecocertification, a wood company must pay to have its business examined by a certification agency. This additional cost gets passed on to consumers. American consumers tend to be strongly motivated by price, and therefore they are likely to choose cheaper uncertified wood products. Accordingly, American wood companies will prefer to keep their prices low rather than obtain ecocertification.
Third, although some people claim that it always makes good business sense for American companies to keep up with the developments in the rest of the world, this argument is not convincing. Pursuing certification would make sense for American wood companies only if they marketed most of their products abroad. But this is not the case– American wood businesses sell most of their products in the United States, catering to a very large customer base that is satisfied with the merchandise.
Directions: Below is the transcript.
Narrator: Now listen to part of a lecture on the topic you just read about.
Professor: Well, despite what many people say, there’s good reason to think that many American wood companies will eventually seek ecocertification for their wood products. First off, consumers in the United States don’t treat all advertising the same. They distinguish between advertising claims that companies make about their own products and claims made by independent certification agencies. Americans have a lot of confidence in independent consumer agencies. Thus, ecologically minded Americans are likely to react very favorably to wood products ecologically certified by an independent organization with an international reputation for trustworthiness.
Second point–of course it’s true that American consumers care a lot about price– who doesn’t? But studies of how consumers make decisions show that price alone determines consumers’ decisions only when the price of one competing product is much higher or lower than another. When the price difference between the two products is small–say, less than five percent, as is the case with certified wood– Americans often do choose on factors other than price. And Americans are becoming increasingly convinced of the value of preserving and protecting the environment.
And third, US wood companies should definitely pay attention to what’s going on in the wood business internationally, not because of foreign consumers, but because of foreign competition. As I just told you, there’s a good chance that many American consumers will be interested in ecocertified products. And guess what, if American companies are slow at capturing those customers, you can be sure that foreign companies will soon start crowding into the American market, offering ecocertified wood that domestic companies don’t.
Directions: Give yourself 20 minutes to plan and write your response. Your response is judged on the quality of the writing and how well it presents the points in the lecture and their relationship to the reading passage. Typically, an effective response will be 150 to 225 words. You may view the reading passage while you respond.
RESPONSE TIME: 20 minutes
Summarize the points made in the lecture, being sure to explain how they cast doubt on specific points made in the reading passage.
What to Expect From TOEFL Integrated Writing Topics
The written passage and audio recording can be on pretty much any subject, but the good news is that all the prompts for the Integrated Writing Task are pretty similar. They usually ask you to summarize the points made in the lecture and compare/contrast them to points made in the reading passage.
You won’t be discussing your own opinion during this essay, instead you’ll be taking information from both the lecture and reading and analyzing it.
How to Approach the Integrated Writing Task
Before you even begin the essay, you should take good notes on the key points of the reading passage and the audio clip. Your notes should be especially good for the audio clip since you won’t be able to hear it again. Using your notes as reference, your essay should recap each of the main points made in the audio clip. For each point you should clearly describe how it contrasts with or challenges points from the reading passage.
Also, remember to use specific examples to strengthen your essay. Refer back to your notes and the reading passage if need be. However, don’t just copy portions of the audio clip or passage into your essay; that doesn’t show your English skills. Always rewrite the main ideas in your own words. Again, remember that you shouldn’t be including your own opinion in this essay. Stick only to what the reading passage and audio clip cover.
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TOEFL Independent Writing Topics
For the Independent Writing task, you’ll receive a question on a particular topic or issue. You’ll need to write a response to that topic that explains your opinion, and you’ll also need to give reasons and examples that support your opinion.
- Writing Time: 30 minutes
- Suggested Essay Length: At least 300 words
Official Independent Writing Prompt Sample
Directions: Read the question below. Give yourself 30 minutes to plan, write, and revise your essay. Typically, an effective response will contain a minimum of 300 words.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
Television advertising directed toward young children (aged two to five) should not be allowed.
Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
What to Expect From TOEFL Independent Writing Topics
TOEFL Independent Writing topics generally fit into one of three categories. There are example problems for each of these categories in the next section.
Type 1: Agree or Disagree
This is the most common prompt type for the Independent Writing Task, and the sample question above is an example of it. For this type of prompt, you’ll be presented with two sides of an argument. You’ll need to pick one side and give specific reasons and examples that support your opinion.
Type 2: Explain Both Sides
This is similar to the first type of prompt, except you’ll be discussing both sides, rather than choosing one you think is best. Many times these types of prompts will ask you to compare the advantages and disadvantages of an issue and give examples to support your statements.
If the sample question above followed this type of format, the prompt would be something like this: “Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of allowing television advertising to be directed toward young children (aged two to five). Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.”
Type 3: Pick a Stance From Many Options
This category is rarer, but you still may see it on TOEFL Writing. The TOEFL Independent Writing topics give you a broad topic with many possible opinions and ask for your stance on it.
If the sample question followed this type of format, the prompt would be similar to: “Which age group do you believe the majority of television advertising should be directed towards? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.”
How to Approach the Independent Writing Task
Depending on the type of prompt you receive, you’ll either choose an opinion (from two options or many options) or explain both sides of an issue. For this essay, each paragraph should be devoted to making one main point, and each point should be supported with specific reasons and examples to back it up. If you’re being asked to describe your opinion, make it clear within the first paragraph of your essay. There should be no doubt as to how you feel about the topic.
Also, even though ETS states that a 300-word essay is the “recommended minimum” length for this task, don’t feel like you need to write hundreds of words after you reach the 300 mark in order to get a high score. Longer isn’t always better. It’s very possible (and common) for Independent Writing essays that are only 300 words or slightly longer to receive high scores.
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Sample TOEFL Writing Topics
Completing practice essays and becoming more familiar with the types of questions you could be asked is a key part of preparing for TOEFL Writing. There numerous practice TOEFL questions available , but you’ll likely want more to practice with.
To help you out, we’ve come up with 13 practice TOEFL Writing topics for both the Integrated and Independent Writing Tasks. Remember that on the real exam the conversations for the Integrated Writing Tasks would be audio recordings that you’d be listening to as opposed to reading.
TOEFL Independent Writing Topics
#1: agree or disagree prompt.
- Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? When people solve problems as a group, they come up with better solutions that if they were to try to solve the problem individually. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All children should be required to take a foreign language class from the time they start school until they begin university. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Technology has made it easier for people to connect on a deeper level. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Some people believe school cafeterias should stop selling soft drinks and other high-sugar drinks, while others think students should have a choice in what they drink. Which option do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
#2: Explain Both Sides Prompt
- Some high school students are delaying college for a year in order to take a gap year where pursue other opportunities such as work or travel. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of gap years. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of requiring college freshman to complete at least a year of college classes before selecting a major versus having them choose right away. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of living in a large city versus living in a small town. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- Compare the advantages and disadvantages of studying on your own versus studying with a group of people. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
#3: Pick a Stance From Many Options
- Imagine that there is a large piece of vacant land in your town. What is the best way to make use of it? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- What do you believe is the most important problem facing the world today? Why is it the most important? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
- If you could learn one new skill you’ve never had the opportunity to try before, what skill would it be? Explain your choice by using specific reasons and examples.
- What are the main qualities of a good boss? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
TOEFL Integrated Writing Topic
Directions: Read the following passage and the lecture that follows. On the real TOEFL, you’ll have three minutes to read the passage. Then, answer the question below.
Reading Passage
Driverless cars are increasingly being seen as the way of the future. They will eliminate many of the hassles and dangers associated with traditional driving and pave the way for this new technology to become commonplace.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of driverless cars is that they will drastically cut down on human error that results in millions of people being injured or killed every year in car accidents. Driverless cars won’t forget to notice a stop sign, get distracted while texting, not notice the car up ahead has slowed down, or any other of a myriad of driver errors that occur every day. Once driverless cars become commonplace on our roads, thousands of lives will be saved a year.
Another benefit is that driverless cars will cut down on driving time and make commutes shorter. Cars with automated driving will travel at a more consistent and efficient rate than cars with human drivers, who tend to use the brake and gas pedals more often than necessary. Driverless cars know the exact speed to go in order to get to the destination as quickly as possible, based on speed limits, traffic, and other conditions, and the more driverless cars there are on the road, the more travel time will be reduced.
Finally, driverless cars allow people who would normally be driving to focus their attention on a task that’s more interesting and important to them. They may choose to check their emails, get absorbed in an audiobook or podcast, or enjoy a snack, among other possibilities. Having a driverless car will help former drivers make better use of their time.
Lecture Transcript
Professor: Despite the recent attention this subject has gotten in the news and on social media, driverless cars are not the world-changing technology they are being advertised as. They have significant drawbacks, and even if those are ironed out, they will still not offer all the benefits that they are advertising. First and foremost, even if every car on the street became driverless, that does not mean automobile accidents would suddenly end. Automated driving technology, like all technology can and will fail at times. In fact, even though there are few driverless cars currently on the road, they have already been associated with multiple accidents, injuries, and deaths. Automated driving will always be an imperfect technology, and it will also lack the human mind’s ability to analyze a situation and make split-second decisions which are often necessary to avoid accidents.
Another falsehood is the belief that driverless cars will make commutes significantly shorter. Driverless cars may be able to reduce a lot of the speed up/hit the brakes patterns human drivers engage in, however, driverless cars cannot do anything to change speed limits, road conditions, traffic, or other factors that contribute to commute times. As such, any reductions in driving times will be small, at best.
And third, many people believe that, with driverless cars, drivers won’t need to pay attention to the road at all. They’ll be free to watch a movie or read a book while driving! However, this is completely false. The person sitting in the driver’s seat of an automated driving vehicle will still need to pay attention to the road at all times in order to be alert for any situations where they need to override the automated driving technology. This means that, not only will driverless cars mean drivers can do something else while in the car, they’ll have to suffer through the boredom of passively watching their car make all the decisions without taking their eyes off the road.
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Review: What Will You See on TOEFL Writing Topics?
Knowing what to expect from the TOEFL essay topics will go a long way towards helping you write high-scoring essays. There are two essays on this section, the Integrated Writing Task and the Independent Writing Task. Integrated Writing topics provide you with an article to read and a lecture or conversation to listen to and then ask you to combine information from the two. TOEFL Independent Writing topics simply give you an idea or theory and ask for your perspective on it.
Completing practice essays will help you become better at understanding and answering TOEFL Writing topics. You should practice writing appropriately long responses that clearly outline your thoughts and support them with specific details.
What’s Next?
Looking for more information on the TOEFL Writing section? Learn all the tips you need to know in order to ace TOEFL Writing!
Want more tips on how to prepare for TOEFL Writing questions? Check out our guide to the best ways to practice for TOEFL Writing!
Looking for a great TOEFL prep book? A good prep book can be the most important study tool you use, and we have information on all the best TOEFL prep books you should consider.
Ready to improve your TOEFL score by 15 points?
Author: Christine Sarikas
Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries. View all posts by Christine Sarikas
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TOEFL sample essays: Tips and techniques for a high score
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The TOEFL exam is a standardised test that measures a non-native English speaker's ability to use and understand English at the university level. One of the components of the TOEFL exam is the writing section, which requires test-takers to write an essay in response to a prompt.
To score well on the writing section, it is essential to understand the requirements of the exam and the characteristics of a high-scoring essay.
In this article, we will explore tips and techniques for writing TOEFL sample essays that will help test-takers achieve a high score.
Table of Contents
Toefl writing section, integrated writing task, independent essay sample, 1. understand the task requirements, 2. plan your essay, 3. use effective paragraph structure, 4. use specific examples, 5. use varied sentence structure, 6. use academic vocabulary, 7. use correct grammar and punctuation.
- TOEFL essay #1
- TOEFL essay #2
- TOEFL essay #3
Frequently asked questions
The TOEFL writing section is a crucial component of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which measures the English language proficiency of non-native speakers of English who wish to study or work in English-speaking countries. The writing section evaluates a test-taker's ability to write effectively and clearly in academic English.
The TOEFL writing section comprises two tasks: the Independent Writing Task and the Integrated Writing Task. Both tasks assess different aspects of the test-taker's writing abilities, including their ability to express ideas clearly, organise thoughts, use appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills.
Also read: TOEFL Writing Topics
The Integrated Writing Task assesses your ability to comprehend and synthesise information from both a reading passage and a lecture. This section evaluates your ability to use your reading and listening comprehension skills to comprehend the given content and then integrate and organize the information effectively in your writing.
The Integrated Writing Task is composed of two parts: a reading passage and a recorded lecture. The reading passage presents a topic, and the lecture provides additional information on that topic. Both the reading passage and the lecture are related and complement each other. Test-takers must read and listen carefully, as they will be asked to summarise the information presented in both in a written response.
The reading passage is approximately 230-300 words long and usually includes a definition of the topic, background information, and supporting examples. The lecture is approximately 3-5 minutes long and adds additional information and examples to the topic presented in the reading passage.
Independent Writing Task
The Independent Writing Task assesses your ability to write in English on a given topic. The task requires you to express your thoughts, ideas, and opinions coherently and effectively in written form. The task aims to evaluate your ability to organise your thoughts, use appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and develop your ideas with sufficient details and examples.
The Independent Writing Task is a timed exercise, and you will be given 30 minutes to complete it. You will be presented with a prompt or a question, which you will be required to address in your response. The prompt may ask you to express your opinion on a particular issue or to describe a situation, problem or challenge and propose a solution. It is important to read the prompt carefully and understand what it requires you to do before starting to write.
Also read: TOEFL Exam Pattern
Prompt: Some people believe that it is better to live in a small town, while others think that life in a big city is more preferable. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each perspective and give your own opinion.
Living in a small town versus a big city has been a topic of debate for a long time. Some people prefer the peace and quiet of small towns, while others thrive in the hustle and bustle of big cities. In this essay, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each perspective and provide my own opinion.
Living in a small town has its advantages. First of all, it is generally quieter and more peaceful than living in a big city. There is less noise pollution, less traffic, and fewer crowds. Additionally, small towns are often safer than big cities, with lower crime rates and a stronger sense of community. People in small towns tend to know each other better and are more likely to look out for one another.
However, small towns also have their disadvantages. They can be isolated and lacking in opportunities, particularly when it comes to education and employment. Small towns may not have access to the same resources as big cities, which can make it harder to pursue certain careers or receive a top-notch education. Additionally, small towns can sometimes feel claustrophobic, with everyone knowing everyone else's business and limited options for socialising or entertainment.
Living in a big city, on the other hand, has its own set of advantages. Big cities are often cultural hubs, with access to museums, theatres, concerts, and other forms of entertainment. They also offer more diverse dining options and a wider range of shopping opportunities. In terms of education and employment, big cities often have more options available, with top-notch universities and a greater number of job openings.
However, big cities also have their disadvantages. They can be noisy, polluted, and stressful, with crowds and traffic adding to the chaos. Crime rates are often higher in big cities, and there is often a lack of community and a sense of isolation. Additionally, the cost of living in a big city is often much higher than in a small town, which can be a significant barrier for many people.
In my opinion, both small towns and big cities have their advantages and disadvantages, and which one is preferable depends on individual preferences and priorities. While I appreciate the peace and quiet of small towns, I also value the opportunities and diversity of big cities. Ultimately, the choice between living in a small town versus a big city comes down to personal preference and what one prioritises in life.
Also read: TOEFL study material and resources
Tips for writing high-scoring TOEFL essay
Writing a high-scoring TOEFL essay requires effective preparation, practice, and the use of a clear writing structure. Here are some tips to help you write a high-scoring TOEFL essay:
The first step in writing a high-scoring TOEFL essay is to understand the task requirements. Make sure you read the prompt carefully and understand the topic you are being asked to write about. Additionally, make sure you understand the type of essay you need to write. The TOEFL independent writing task requires you to write an essay expressing your opinion or providing your perspective on a given topic.
Once you understand the prompt and the requirements of the task, take a few minutes to plan your essay. Jot down some notes, create an outline, or even brainstorm on paper to organise your thoughts. Make sure you have a clear idea of the main points you want to make and the evidence you will use to support them. Organising your thoughts and creating an outline will help you stay on track and make your essay more coherent.
Paragraphs are the building blocks of your essay. Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence that relates to the main idea of the essay. Use supporting evidence and examples to back up your main point in each paragraph. Additionally, make sure each paragraph flows smoothly into the next. Using transition words and phrases can help link ideas and make your essay more cohesive.
One of the keys to writing a high-scoring TOEFL essay is to use specific examples to support your ideas. Use real-life examples, statistics, and facts to back up your argument. This will demonstrate your knowledge of the topic and show that you can think critically. Additionally, using specific examples will make your essay more interesting to read and help you stand out from other test-takers.
Varying your sentence structure can make your essay more interesting and engaging to read. Use short and long sentences, questions, and statements to add variety to your writing. This will help you avoid repetition and make your writing more engaging. However, make sure your sentences are grammatically correct and make sense in the context of your essay.
Using academic vocabulary can make your essay sound more professional and knowledgeable. Use vocabulary that is appropriate for the academic level of the test. Avoid slang, colloquialisms, and overly complex language. Additionally, make sure you use words correctly and avoid using words that you do not fully understand.
Using correct grammar and punctuation is essential to getting a high score on the TOEFL writing section. Make sure you use correct verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and sentence structure. Use appropriate punctuation to ensure your writing is clear and easy to read. If you are unsure about a grammar or punctuation rule, look it up or ask a tutor for clarification.
Also Read TOEFL Exam Syllabus
TOEFL writing samples
TOEFL writing samples provide valuable insights into the structure and content expected in the writing section of the exam. These samples showcase both the integrated and independent writing tasks, allowing test-takers to familiarise themselves with the types of prompts and the expected responses.
Below we have provided three TOEFL writing samples with answers. By analysing and studying these TOEFL sample essays, students can understand the effective use of transitions, supporting evidence, and coherent arguments.
TOEFL essay sample #1
The importance of learning a second language
Learning a second language has become increasingly important in today's globalised world. It offers numerous benefits such as improved cognitive abilities, enhanced cultural understanding, and better job prospects. In this essay, we will explore the advantages of learning a second language and how it can positively impact individuals and society.
Learning a second language has been shown to improve cognitive abilities. It requires mental effort and helps develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and multitasking skills. Research has shown that bilingual individuals exhibit higher levels of creativity and have improved memory and attention spans.
Furthermore, learning a second language enhances cultural understanding. Language is deeply intertwined with culture, and by learning a second language, individuals gain insights into different cultures, traditions, and perspectives. This fosters empathy, tolerance, and a broader worldview, enabling individuals to engage and connect with people from diverse backgrounds.
In addition, knowing a second language opens up better job prospects. In today's global job market, multilingualism is highly valued. It allows individuals to communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, and partners from different countries. Employers often seek candidates with language skills, as it demonstrate adaptability and a willingness to engage in cross-cultural interactions. Thus, learning a second language offers advantages in terms of career opportunities and professional growth.
TOEFL essay sample #2
The impact of technology on education
Technology has revolutionised the field of education, transforming the way students learn and teachers teach. In this essay, we will explore the positive impact of technology on education, including increased access to resources, improved engagement, and enhanced learning outcomes.
One significant impact of technology in education is the increased access to resources. Online platforms, digital libraries, and educational apps provide students with vast amounts of educational materials, regardless of their geographical location. Students can access textbooks, research materials, and interactive learning tools, empowering them to explore and learn at their own pace.
Moreover, technology has improved student engagement in the learning process. Multimedia elements such as videos, simulations, and gamification techniques capture students' attention and promote active participation. This not only enhances their understanding of the subject matter but also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Additionally, technology facilitates personalised learning experiences. Adaptive learning platforms analyze student performance and provide personalised feedback, allowing for targeted instruction and remediation. Online collaboration tools enable students to work together, fostering teamwork and communication skills. These personalised and collaborative learning experiences contribute to enhanced learning outcomes and student success.
TOEFL essay sample #3
The benefits of exercise for physical and mental health
Regular exercise is essential for maintaining good physical and mental health. It offers numerous benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, increased strength and flexibility, stress reduction, and enhanced mood. In this essay, we will explore the importance of exercise for overall well-being.
Engaging in regular exercise improves physical health. It helps prevent chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. Exercise strengthens the cardiovascular system, boosts metabolism, and enhances overall physical fitness. Activities like running, swimming, or weightlifting promote muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Exercise also plays a vital role in stress reduction and mental well-being. Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood boosters. These endorphins promote feelings of happiness and well-being, helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Regular exercise can also improve sleep quality, increase energy levels, and enhance cognitive function.
Furthermore, exercise provides an opportunity for individuals to unwind, clear their minds, and focus on their physical well-being. It can serve as a form of self-care, allowing individuals to take time for themselves and prioritize their health. Incorporating exercise into one's routine can have a positive impact on their overall mental and emotional state.
In conclusion, regular exercise offers a multitude of benefits for both physical and mental health. It improves cardiovascular health, increases strength and flexibility, reduces stress, and enhances mood. By incorporating exercise into our daily lives, we can experience improved well-being and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
It is important to understand the requirements of the exam and the characteristics of a high-scoring essay to achieve a high score on the TOEFL writing section. By organizing your thoughts, using specific examples, using clear and concise language, focusing on coherence and cohesion, and proofreading and editing carefully, you can improve your essay writing skills and increase your chances of success on the exam.
What is the format of the TOEFL essay?
The TOEFL essay is a 30-minute written task where you are asked to express and support your opinion on a specific topic. The essay is typically four to five paragraphs long and should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Where can I find sample TOEFL essays to practice with?
You can find sample TOEFL essays in TOEFL preparation books or online. The official TOEFL website also provides sample essays and scoring guides.
How can I prepare for the TOEFL writing section?
To prepare for the TOEFL writing section, you should practice writing essays using sample prompts, develop your grammar and vocabulary skills, and learn how to organize and develop your ideas effectively. You may also want to work.
How to write a TOEFL essay?
To write a TOEFL essay, it is important to understand the prompt, brainstorm ideas, create an outline, and then write a well-structured essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Practice organising your thoughts and expressing them clearly within the time limit provided.
Is 27 a good writing score in TOEFL?
Yes, a score of 27 is considered a good writing score in TOEFL. It demonstrates a high level of proficiency in writing and indicates strong language skills, coherence, and clarity in expressing ideas.
What is the TOEFL essay format?
The TOEFL essay format consists of an introduction, two or three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction presents the main idea or argument, the body paragraphs provide supporting evidence or examples, and the conclusion summarises the main points and restates the thesis statement.
Is 24 a good TOEFL writing score?
A score of 24 in TOEFL writing is considered a good score. It reflects a strong command of English writing skills, including the ability to organise ideas coherently, use appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and develop well-structured paragraphs.
Is TOEFL writing difficult?
The difficulty level of TOEFL writing can vary from person to person. It requires strong language skills, critical thinking, and the ability to express ideas clearly within a time constraint.
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What you need to know about TOEFL iBT: A beginner's guide
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TOEFL study material: The best resources to help you succeed
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TOEFL vocabulary list: Essential words for success
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- TOEFL Reading Questions
- TOEFL Listening Questions
- TOEFL Speaking Questions 1
- TOEFL Speaking Questions 2
- TOEFL Writing Questions
- TOEFL Practice Test
- TOEFL Lessons
- TOEFL Vocabulary
- Try it free
- NEW TOEFL Changes Guide
- TOEFL Reading Practice Guide
- TOEFL Listening Practice Guide
- TOEFL Speaking Practice Guide
- TOEFL Writing Practice Guide
- TOEFL Practice Test Guide
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TOEFL Practice Test Guide: Take a Free TOEFL Sample Test & Learn Our TOEFL Test Practice 3 Step Self Studying Guide
If you're looking for a free TOEFL practice test , then click the button below to start a 1 hour free TOEFL sample test.
Below you'll find links to online TOEFL tests and TOEFL exam simulators.
TOEFL Practice Test 1 - 21 |
Do I need an account to use your free TOEFL sample test?
Although creating a free account is not required to take a free TOEFL simulation, in order to view your results and track your progress, you'll need a free account.
The remainder of this guide will focus on how taking TOEFL sample tests online will significantly help you achieve your target score and ultimately be accepted into the program you have or will be enrolling into. We'll also look at some of the best TOEFL test online resources outside BestMyTest including official TOEFL exam simulators, free PDF downloads, TOEFL books, and other online TOEFL preparation websites.
Table Of Contents
Introduction to the toefl test.
- 3 step toefl preparation guide WATCH VIDEO: 3 Step Study Guide play_circle_filled
- Why it's important to take a TOEFL practice test
- What makes a TOEFL practice test great
- When and how many TOEFL practice tests you should take?
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TOEFL Practice Tests From ETS
Top 3 most popular toefl ibt books.
- BestMyTest TOEFL Preparation Course Info
If you're already familiar with the TOEFL exam, then feel free to skip this section :)
The TOEFL iBT test is a computer based test. It confirms that a student has the English language skills necessary to succeed in an academic setting. That’s why it is the most highly regarded and widely accepted test in the world. More than 8,500 colleges, universities, and agencies in 130 countries accept TOEFL scores, so test takers have the flexibility to use their TOEFL test scores worldwide.
The TOEFL iBT test has four sections: reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
Here is a breakdown of each section.
Test Section | Number of questions | Timing |
---|---|---|
Reading | 2 passages 10 questions each | 36 minutes |
Listening | 3-4 lectures, 6 questions each 2-3 conversations, 5 questions each | 41-57 minutes |
BREAK | 10 minutes | |
Speaking | 4 tasks: 1 independent and 3 integrated | 17 minutes |
Writing | 1 integrated task 1 academic discussion task | 20 minutes 10 minutes |
Let's have a brief look at each TOEFL section. We'll go over what each section includes and where you can find additional resources for each section.
TOEFL Reading Test Section
The reading section is the first section of the TOEFL iBT test. It tests your ability to read and answer questions about passages. It contain 3-4 passages, and each passage is followed by 12-14 questions for a total of 36-56 questions. Each passage is generally from 600 to 700 words long. You have 60-80 minutes in which to finish this section.
What's different about the reading test compared to the other TOEFL test sections is you can skip answers and come back to them later. Once you get to the end of the reading questions, go back and review your answers, but if you're unsure stick with your first choice, it's more than often correct.
If you want to learn more in depth details, examples, and tips and practice with free TOEFL exam simulators and reading practice questions, go to our main TOEFL reading guide page
In addition to our free online reading TOEFL test questions, you can also prepare for your reading test on the go without an internet connection by using our free TOEFL reading practice test PDF download. It includes a complete reading passage with questions and answers.
BestMyTest TOEFL Reading Practice Test View & Download PDF File
TOEFL Listening Test Section
The listening section is the second section of the TOEFL iBT test. It contains 2-3 tasks. Each task contains the following:
- 1 conversation: 2-3 minutes between two people
- 2 lectures: 4-6 minutes of either a professor delivering a speech or a professor interacting with students
Each listening audio will follow with a set number of questions:
- conversation: 5 questions
- lecture: 6 questions
There are a total of 34-51 questions in the TOEFL exam listening section with about 17 questions in each listening task. You will have 10 minutes in which to complete these 17 questions in each task. This does not include the time you spend on listening to the lectures or the conversation. The entire listening section (including time spent listening) will take you between 60 - 90 minutes to complete.
On the listening test, once you submit your answer, you CANNOT go back to it like you can on the reading test, so you may need to guess an answer if you get stuck. You cannot afford to spend too much time on one question as you may run out of time and potentially miss easy questions, so if you do get stuck, unfortunately, you have to move on .
Preparing with TOEFL practice tests will definitely help improve your listening test skills to the point where, if you do need to make a guess, you'll be making fairly accurate educated guess based on our complete TOEFL listening lessons .
If you want to learn more in depth details, examples, and tips and practice with free TOEFL sample tests and listening practice questions, go to our main TOEFL listening guide page
TOEFL Speaking Test Section
The speaking section is the third section you'll face in the TOEFL iBT test and it takes about 20 minutes to complete. There are a total of six speaking tasks: two independent speaking questions and four integrated speaking questions. Let's have a look at the table below for details about each task.
Speaking Type | Details |
---|---|
Independent Speaking Question 1 | You are asked a general question about your life. |
Independent Speaking Question 2 | You are asked to choose between two options and explain your preference or state your opinion on a topic. |
Integrated Speaking Question 3 | You read a campus announcement or a student letter and then hear two students discussing their opinions on the written notice. You then state one student’s opinion and explain the reasons he or she gives for having that opinion. |
Integrated Speaking Question 4 | You read a passage from a textbook or an academic article about a general concept. Next you hear a lecture about a specific example of this concept. You then summarize the reading and lecture and discuss the relationship between the two. |
Integrated Speaking Question 5 | You hear two students discussing a problem that one of them has and two possible solutions to this problem. You then summarize the problems and explain which of the two solutions you prefer. |
Integrated Speaking Question 6 | You hear a lecture. You then summarize the main points of the lecture. |
If you want to learn more in depth details, examples, and tips and practice with free TOEFL sample tests and speaking practice questions, go to our main TOEFL speaking guide page
TOEFL Writing Test Section
The writing section is the fourth section of the TOEFL iBT test and takes about 50 minutes to complete. Have a look at the table below for details about each task.
Writing Task | Details |
---|---|
Integrated Writing Task | you are given 3 minutes to read an academic passage. After reading the passage, you then listen to a lecture on the same topic. You then write an essay summarizing the lecture and the reading passage and showing the relationship between them. You should not express your own opinion of the issues and you should not bring in any information form outside the passage and the lecture. |
Academic Discussion Writing Task | You read a prompt (a topic) and express your opinions in your response. Your response is based entirely on your own knowledge and experience. |
When you complete your TOEFL test, your writing must be evaluated. This is done by a combination of human readers and a computer program called e-rater®. Each of your essays is given a score from 0 to 5. Your combined essay scores are converted to a section score of 0 to 30.
Let's see how the TOEFL raters and e-rater® determine your score for the TOEFL Academic Discussion Writing Task. There are four basic criteria on which your essay is evaluated. These four criteria are:
- How well you address the topic .
- How well you develop and support your ideas.
- How well you organize the essay and connect your ideas.
- How well you use the English language , including grammar, vocabulary, and writing conventions.
Writing conventions are the special rules of writing in English, including spelling, punctuation, and capitalization.
As for the TOEFL Integrated Writing Task, here are four basic criteria on which your essay is evaluated. These four criteria are:
- How well you select important information from the lecture.
- How well you relate the lecture points to the reading points.
- How well you organize the essay and provide details
A great technique to improving your writing skills is to compare your essay with high-scoring essays to see how they're structured and answered the same question. Your goal should be to model these sample essays, but that is easier said then done.
If you want to learn more in depth details, examples, and tips and practice with free TOEFL sample tests and writing practice questions, go to our main TOEFL writing guide page
How to Pass TOEFL with a TOEFL Practice Test
Are you ready to learn how TOEFL practice tests are helping our students pass TOEFL? First it's important to understand the 2 biggest problems students face when their trying to prepare for the TOEFL.
The 2 biggest problems students face when preparing for TOEFL
- You study for the TOEFL test using free resources online, but you're not seeing much progress.
- Your test date is coming up soon, but you don't feel confident you'll get the score you need.
If you relate to one or both of these problems, you're not alone . Many students struggle to overcome these issues, but the good news is they're not difficult to solve, and we're going to show you exactly how simple it is right now.
3 Step Self Studying Guide using TOEFL Practice Tests, Lessons, and Questions
Please don't undervalue the simplicity of these steps. It's simple, but requires effort and dedication . You'll need to spend a lot of time taking TOEFL exam simulators, learning TOEFL lessons, and practicing with TOEFL questions. However, we're here to help you stay on track and to make sure you're progressing enough to achieve your target score :)
Take a TOEFL practice test to learn where you struggle most. Make sure you get the speaking & writing sections reviewed; The only way to improve your speaking & writing scores is to get detailed feedback on your mistakes.
Go through our TOEFL LESSONS and learn the necessary skills, tips, and strategies needed to improve where you struggle. We have over 100 TOEFL lessons from basic core lessons to advanced lessons teaching specific skills for specific issues.
Practice your newly learned skills. Finally, you'll hone your new skills with over 1500 TOEFL practice questions, 2000 TOEFL vocabulary flash cards and interactive exercises, and even more TOEFL practice tests.
Step 4...Isn't there only 3 steps?
This isn't really a step, but it needs to be mentioned. After about 5 - 7 days of practice, go back and do steps 1 - 3 again. eg. (Take a new TOEFL practice test, analyze the results, and hone the needed skills to improve. Do this until you're scoring above your target TOEFL score.)
Why taking a TOEFL practice test is so important to achieve your target scores.
So why is it important to take a TOEFL practice test BEFORE taking the TOEFL iBT? There are 4 major reasons why it's important, so let's look at each one now.
#1 Confidence is key to reducing stress
The TOEFL iBT and a TOEFL practice test will test you on the same four sections: reading, listening, speaking, and writing, both in that exact order. Therefore, taking a practice test, at least a practice test from BestMyTest, is like taking an official exam. This experience will help you feel comfortable and relaxed during your actual exam. Stress is the biggest reason why test takers with a high English level do not achieve their target scores. By going into TOEFL unprepared, you're more likely to feel stressed out from small mistakes that test takers with more experience learned to ignore. That's just one example, but many others exist, so you want to improve your odds by practicing as much as you can.
#2 You'll need stamina to succeed
The TOEFL iBT test is long...very long...about 4.5 hours long, in fact, and you only get one 10-minute break before starting the speaking section. Therefore, along with familiarizing yourself with TOEFL, taking timed, full-length TOEFL practice tests will help you prepare your body and mind to sit through the entire TOEFL exam. Think of it like preparing for a marathon. You cannot show up and run 10 miles unprepared; it takes consistency and dedication to train your body and mind to run the whole marathon. Of course, it's not exactly like a marathon, but you get the idea. By about the 3 hour mark, if you are not utilizing our tips and strategies from how to score high in TOEFL , you may run out of energy. Our TOEFL lessons will help teach you when and where you should focus your energy, so you are not wasting it on things that don't matter.
#3 Question difficulty matters in your TOEFL preparation
It's not easy finding English study material similar to the official TOEFL exam. The quality of questions you practice matters, and it matters a lot. If you practice easy questions, you're going to do poorly on the reading and speaking section, especially. Now, If you're interested, you might be able to find good reading passages from national geographic, academic essays from certain school websites, and good speeches from TED videos, but none of them come close, in terms of length and format, compared to what you'll experience from the official TOEFL test. Because of this, you should not solely rely on them for your TOEFL preparation.
#4 Determining your weaknesses is critical to a high TOEFL score
Last, but certainly not least, it's a great way to identify your strengths and weaknesses. As we've mentioned, there are four sections: reading, listening, speaking, and writing, and even though your reading scores might be excellent, you could struggle with the speaking section. In this case, the speaking section would be considered your weakness and could be the reason you fail to achieve your target TOEFL score. By taking a TOEFL practice test , you'll be able to diagnose and improve your weakness or weaknesses and significantly improve your chances of scoring high in TOEFL.
What makes a TOEFL practice test great?
A great practice test should meet the following requirements:
- Questions including passages and audio lectures are close to the official TOEFL in terms of difficulty, length, and style.
- The format and structure are identical to the official TOEFL test.
- Sample answers including sample speaking and writing responses are included
- Score is provided
- The test interface is identical to the official TOEFL test interface (Many TOEFL books suffer from this aspect as they are paper based)
- Tips and answer explanations are included
- Vocabulary teaching is included
In summary, a good TOEFL practice test can give you the most authentic test experience possible and offer you add-on tips, teaching, and answers to help you improve and learn better.
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When and how many TOEFL practice tests should I take?
The simple answer is as many as you can. However, that isn't always an option, so from our experience, you should take a TOEFL practice test before creating your TOEFL study plan. This is to help you gauge where you're at. Next, you'll need to figure out how much time you have before your test date and how many practice tests you have available to you.
Typically, students need to have 3 - 6 months to prepare for the TOEFL. Some students might need even longer. If you have more than 3 months to study for the TOEFL, you can arrange taking at least 6 practice tests during your TOEFL prep. If you have less than 3 months, we still recommend you take at least 4 practice tests.
Here is a recommended breakdown of how many practice tests should be taken according to different TOEFL preparation time-frames.
Preparation time | Number of TOEFL practice tests |
1 month | |
2 months | |
3 months | |
4 months | |
5 months | |
6 months |
Besides our TOEFL practice tests, you can also find practice tests from ETS: TPO (TOEFL Practice Online) tests, the official guide to the TOEFL, and Official TOEFL iBT Test (Volumes 1 & 2).
The TPO tests were previously official TOEFL tests that are no longer in use. There are around 40 of them, numbered TPO1, TPO2, etc., and every year four of them are available on ETS' website. However, please be aware of these two critical facts.
- Each TPO test costs $45 USD for a total of $180 for all four tests. Seems OK until you read the next fact.
- You can only take the test once per purchase. After finishing a test, you'll have to repurchase another test even if all you wanted to do was study what you got wrong.
If you're interested in taking a TPO test you can find them here: TOEFL iBT® Complete Practice Tests
The Official Guide to the TOEFL
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I'm sure many of you already know about this book. It contains 3 full TOEFL practice tests and a CD rom. What many students find difficult about using books is it lacks skill-building materials and cannot be used interactively online.
Ultimately, the book is great to help you learn more about TOEFL, but should not be solely relied upon. If you're interested you can purchase it here: The Official Guide to the TOEFL
Official TOEFL iBT Test (Volumes 1 & 2)
![essay in toefl test essay in toefl test](https://www.bestmytest.com/sites/default/files/pictures/toefl official volume 1.jpg)
Both Official TOEFL iBT® Tests Volume 1 and 2 includes 5 authentic, full-length TOEFL® tests with answer keys, sample speaking and writing responses, and audio scripts.
- Volume 1 does not include the CD
- Volume 2 questions are more similar in content to the current TOEFL test.
If you're not planning on using our amazing and affordable online TOEFL preparation course, then we recommend you use the official iBT test volume 1 and/or 2. You can find information about them here: Official TOEFL iBT Test (Volumes 1 & 2)
You can also find both volumes from Amazon or your preferred online retailer
There are many unofficial TOEFL books out there, so it can be hard to determine which one is the best for preparing for the TOEFL. Don't worry! We've put together a list of TOEFL book reviews: the top 3 most popular books for TOEFL preparation. Each TOEFL book comes with practice tests, so what are the differences between them? Let's have a look at the advantages and disadvantages for each book.
Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test
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There are 7 full-length TOEFL practice tests . Four of these tests are available both in paper and online (as tests 1-4), and three are available only online (tests 5-7). In terms of quality, most practice tests are close to the real online TOEFL test. Some questions might be more difficult compared to the actual test.
Another great thing about this book is it teaches a lot of useful TOEFL skills and provides many skill-building materials. In the "Building Supporting Skills" section, there are a lot of test-prep strategies like studying vocabulary or building a study plan . All skills are arranged in logical steps so you learn the basics before moving on to the harder concepts. In later sections, you learn specific strategies for approaching different kinds of TOEFL tasks and questions. For example, the Writing section teaches you how to write a thesis statement in the TOEFL Introductory paragraph.
The biggest problem with this book is that if you buy just the book, you won't have access to any of the audio files for all skill-building exercises. You'll still get the audio files for the TOEFL listening practice tests, as well as any speaking or writing portions that uses audio clips).
If you really want the Cambridge TOEFL book and its audio CD set, it's best to buy them together as a set. You can get the book and CDs together on Amazon for around $85 USD.
The Complete Guide to the TOEFL Test (iBT edition)
![essay in toefl test essay in toefl test](https://www.bestmytest.com/sites/default/files/pictures/the complete guide to the toefl.jpg)
Although this book only offers 2 full-length complete TOEFL practice tests (at the end of the book), it has a lot of TOEFL lessons and exercises built for tackling each section of the TOEFL test. Here is a breakdown of all 28 lessons this book includes.
Reading | There are 8 lessons in total. Each lesson covers one main TOEFL reading question type and contains additional reading exercises. |
Listening | There are 6 lessons in total. Each lesson concentrate on one main TOEFL listening question type. There is extensive practice for listening, taking notes, and answering questions. |
Speaking | There are 6 lessons in total. Each of the six lessons focus on one of the six types of Speaking Tasks and provide exercises to help you plan and deliver responses. |
Writing | There are 8 lessons in total. The eight lessons guide you through the process of planning, writing, and editing two writing responses. |
If you want to study for the TOEFL by mastering individual test-prep skills instead of taking a lot of full TOEFL tests, this book might be right for you. Also, this book might be useful for you if have been studying for a while and need some more substantial practice to hone some specific TOEFL skills. However, be aware that there are no answers in the book, so you'll have to buy a separate answer book for that.
Barron's TOEFL iBT
![essay in toefl test essay in toefl test](https://www.bestmytest.com/sites/default/files/pictures/barron TOEFL ibt.jpg)
Besides 7 full TOEFL practice tests , this book has sections that focus on the following main skills:
- Note taking
- Paraphrasing
- Summarizing
- Synthesizing (combining information from a text and a recording)
Each section includes lessons with exercises, allowing you to make gradual improvements. For these four skills, Barron's might be the best skill-building book you can find. This book, however, does not include much vocabulary. Barron has another book specifically for TOEFL vocabulary called Barron Essential Words For The TOEFL .
The quality of TOEFL practice questions in this book is great, but seems a bit different from what the real TOEFL test has. For example, some of the integrated writing questions ask you to summarize the reading, but the real TOEFL will ask you to summarize the lecture. In the listening section, the lectures are too complicated and the recordings don't have the pauses, uhhs, umms and repetitions a real TOEFL recording would have.
Overall, this book has 7 full TOEFL practice tests. Despite the fact that their style and formatting don't adhere to the highest TOEFL standard, they are still great practicing for the TOEFL. The drills and lessons on note-taking, paraphrasing, summarizing, and synthesizing skills are amazing. We would recommend you have this book as an additional TOEFL study resource.
The Best TOEFL Practice Test Online for Your 3 Step Study Guide
This section will be promoting our website's TOEFL preparation course. We do offer a 7 day free trial with no commitment, so you have nothing to lose for giving us a try :)
BestMyTest TOEFL Test Online Resources
If you plan on trying our online TOEFL preparation course, one question that gets asked a lot by our free trial users is "What is the best way to prepare for the TOEFL". And the answer we give every time is to use our 3 Step TOEFL Preparation Guide proposed at the start of this TOEFL practice test guide.
What can I expect from your TOEFL Tests?
Our TOEFL practice tests and TOEFL simulation tests are designed to make you feel like you are taking the official TOEFL exam. Questions including passages and audio lectures are close to the official TOEFL in terms of difficulty, length, and style. You'll gain confidence knowing what to expect on test day. You'll have access to 20 full-length 4.5 hour long TOEFL practice tests giving you estimates of where you stand compared to the actual TOEFL exam. You will also get grading and feedback on your speaking and writing responses.
Difference between TOEFL simulation tests and TOEFL practice tests
The TOEFL Simulation Tests are different from the TOEFL practice tests because the practice tests use recycled questions from our "TOEFL QUESTIONS" area, while the TOEFL simulation tests use new never before seen TOEFL questions. What that means is the simulation tests are designed to guarantee a complete TOEFL exam experience. This makes the simulation tests extremely useful in your TOEFL preparation.
All our subscriptions include professional speaking and writing scores and feedback, which are referred to as speaking and writing reviews. It's recommend you use your speaking and writing reviews on the simulation tests. The practice tests are best used for, but not limited to, honing your test taking skills.
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A sample test is a shorter version of the full online TOEFL test. It'll give you a good feel for what you can expect from an actual test. The sample test is reserved for our FREE trial members only
Where can I find the resources needed to utilize the 3 step guide?
In order to use our TOEFL preparation 3 step study guide, you'll need access to high quality TOEFL practice tests, TOEFL lessons that can teach you specific skills for all TOEFL sections, TOEFL questions organized into a proper studying area for optimal skill improvement, and 1-on-1 speaking and writing reviews with detailed feedback, so you can learn from your mistakes. You can get all that right here at BestMyTest. You can check us out completely free of charge with zero commitment by signing up to our 7 day free trial.
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TOEFL Practice Test
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1 . Question
WHAT IS EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY?
SmithCo, Inc. Associate Manual
Commitment to Equal Employment Opportunity
Equal Employment Opportunity Equal Opportunity is the expressed policy of SmithCo. Our policy is to select the best-qualified person for each position in the organization and to conduct all business relationships without prejudice. SmithCo is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. Advancement opportunities and employment decisions will be made without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental handicap, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law.
Managers are expected to seek out a diverse pool of candidates for consideration when making hiring decisions. SmithCo also develops an annual Affirmative Action program, which is a federal requirement due to our status as a government contractor. The leadership team plays an active role in demonstrating SmithCo’s commitment by providing equal employment opportunities at all levels of employment. Managers and employees are advised to meet with the HR manager for assistance in meeting the standards set in this policy.
Equal Employment Opportunity Applies Throughout The Employment Process To advance the principles of equal employment opportunity, SmithCo also extends this policy to every phase of the employment process including, but not limited to, recruitment, selection, placement, transfer, training and development, promotion, compensation, benefits, layoffs, termination, and all other conditions or benefits of employment. All employees are expected to abide by and promote this policy of equal employment opportunity within the organization, as well as with those who have a business relationship with SmithCo.
Equal Employment Opportunity Requires the Participation of All Associates While overall authority for implementing an Equal Employment Opportunity policy is assigned to the Vice President of Human Resources, an effective equal employment opportunity program cannot be achieved without the support of all associates. Any associate who feels they have been denied equal opportunity or subjected to discrimination should consult with their manager or HR representative. SmithCo’s Employee Assistance Program also provides assistance with these matters.
How is this policy organized?
- a. statements of fact supported by personal stories
- b. specific topics followed by explanations
- c. rules for behavior supported by warnings of consequences
- d. debate of public versus personal philosophies
- e. general policy statement without specific performance standards
2 . Question
What is the main purpose of SmithCo’s equal employment opportunity policy?
- a. to lessen the chance of lawsuits against SmithCo for discrimination
- b. to prevent sexual harassment
- c. to document out the rules for termination
- d. to create and maintain a workplace free from discrimination
- e. to ensure qualified employees are hired
3 . Question
Which of the following actions would NOT be in violation of the equal employment opportunity program?
- a. promoting a less-experienced woman over a more experienced woman because the less-experienced woman is more attractive
- b. reprimanding an employee who refuses to work with a female coworker
- c. not hiring a prospective employee because she is pregnant
- d. terminating an employee because they are a devout christian
- e. not promoting an employee who has just announced he is a homosexual
4 . Question
What writing style does this excerpt portray?
- a. legal policy
- b. advertisement
- c. news story
- d. informational memo
5 . Question
If you owned SmithCo and you wanted to hire someone to enforce these rules, what primary characteristic would you want in this potential employee?
- a. knowledge about the SmithCo's product
- b. communication skills
- c. human relations skills
- d. honesty and integrity
- e. familiarity with your employees
6 . Question
DID CESAR CHAVEZ ADVANCE WORKERS’ RIGHTS?
César Estrada Chávez (1927–1993) was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW).
A Mexican American, Chávez became the best known Latino civil rights activist, and was strongly promoted by the American labor movement, which was eager to enroll Hispanic members. His public-relations approach to unionism and aggressive but nonviolent tactics made the farm workers’ struggle a moral cause with nationwide support. By the late 1970s, his tactics had forced growers to recognize the UFW as the bargaining agent for 50,000 field workers in California and Florida. However, by the mid-1980s membership in the UFW had dwindled to around 15,000.
Chavez was a charismatic, gifted speaker who inspired Latinos to band together and devote themselves to the farmworkers’ movement. Claiming as his models Emiliano Zapata, Gandhi, Nehru, and Martin Luther King, he called on his people to “Make a solemn promise: to enjoy our rightful part of the riches of this land, to throw off the yoke of being considered as agricultural implements or slaves. We are free men and we demand justice.”
After his death he became a major historical icon for the Latino community, and for liberals generally, symbolizing militant support for workers and for Hispanic power based on grass roots organizing and his slogan “Sí, se puede” (Spanish for “Yes, it is possible” or, roughly, “Yes, it can be done”). His supporters say his work led to numerous improvements for union laborers. His birthday has become César Chávez Day, a state holiday in eight US states. Many parks, cultural centers, libraries, schools, and streets have been named in his honor in cities across the United States.
Which of the following is a statement of fact from the passage?
- a. Chavez had a charismatic personality
- b. Cesar Chavez day is celebrated as a holiday in several US states.
- c. Hispanic workers required unionization to find work
- d. Chavez started the farmworkers’ movement
- e. Chavez built many parks and cultural centers for the use of Hispanics
7 . Question
Based on this excerpt, which aspect of Cesar Chavez did NOT help him organize Hispanic farm workers?
- a. He was a charismatic and gifted speaker
- b. He understood the power of Public Relations
- c. He was supported by the American labor movement
- d. He had worked as a farm worker
- e. He grew up during the Great Depression
8 . Question
What phrase best summarizes the topic of the essay?
- a. Cesar Chavez and his role in the Hispanic farmworkers’ rights movement
- b. The history of the American labor movement
- c. The early life of Cesar Chavez
- d. Important historical figures in the Civil Rights Movement
- e. The role of Unions in the Hispanic community
9 . Question
What year would have been the peak for membership of the UFW?
10 . Question
Which of the following is NOT a meaning of the phrase “throw off the yoke of being considered as agricultural implements or slaves”?
- a. Agricultural workers have more value than mere tools
- b. Workers have freedom and rights
- c. Workers should fight to keep their jobs
- d. Workers are more than animals that can be harnessed to do work
- e. Workers should not be treated as economic slaves
All TOEFL Practice Tests
Taking TOEFL practice tests is a great way to prepare for the TOEFL exam. Our TOEFL sample exams are based on the actual questions and answers that you will see on the official exam.
TOEFL Reading
- TOEFL Reading Practice Test 1
- TOEFL Reading Practice Test 2
- TOEFL Reading Practice Test 3
- TOEFL Reading Practice Test 4
- TOEFL Reading Practice Test 5
TOEFL Structure
- TOEFL Structure Practice Test 1
- TOEFL Structure Practice Test 2
- TOEFL Structure Practice Test 3
- TOEFL Structure Practice Test 4
TOEFL Speaking
- Coming Soon!
Other Grammar Practice Tests
- English Grammar Practice Tests
What is the TOEFL?
The TOEFL is an exam given by universities in English-speaking countries to non-native speakers. It is used as an entrance exam by many universities for non-native speakers.
This standardized test is not mandatory for every school in English-speaking countries, but it is accepted and even required by most major universities.
Since 1964, the Educational Testing Service (ETS) has designed and administered the TOEFL. ETS is a private non-profit organization that sends official scores and reports directly to universities on behalf of each student.
The TOEFL is one of two major English proficiency tests (along with the IELTS) that are widely accepted around the world.
TOEFL iBT Exam Outline
There are technically two different forms of the TOEFL:
- TOEFL iBT Paper
The TOEFL iBT is the much more common version of the test and is taken on a computer.
Fast Facts (TOEFL iBT):
- Number of Questions: 54
- Time: 2 Hours
- 4 Sections: Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing
TOEFL iBT Breakdown
The TOEFL iBT is taken on a computer. Here is the outline of the exam:
- Reading: 35 Minutes, 20 Questions
- Listening: 36 Minutes, 28 Questions
- Speaking: 16 Minutes, 4 Tasks
- Writing: 29 Minutes, 2 Tasks
TOEFL iBT Paper Breakdown
The TOEFL iBT Paper is taken on paper. Here is the outline of the exam:
- Reading: 54-72 Minutes, 30-40 Questions
- Listening: 41-57 Minutes, 28-39 Questions
- Writing: 50 Minutes, 2 Tasks
- Speaking: 17 Minutes, 4 Tasks
The speaking portion of the exam will be taken at home on a computer. It must be completed within 3 days of completing the paper test.
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TOEFL Sections
Though each version of the TOEFL is administered in a different format, both tests are largely the same. The TOEFL is comprised of 4 distinct sections:
Let’s take a closer look at each section to better understand the structure of the exam.
Like any exam that tests your linguistic abilities, the TOEFL includes a reading section to analyze your reading comprehension abilities. This section includes passages of reading material from a wide variety of sources and topics, ranging from literature to science.
Following each passage, you will need to answer questions to ensure that you understood the reading material.
The listening section is often considered one of the most challenging parts of the TOEFL. Listening comprehension is particularly difficult in a second language, and this section consists of 4-6 lectures and 2-3 conversations, each followed by comprehension questions.
The material generally covers academic topics, ranging from the arts to life sciences.
In the speaking section, students must respond to questions, speak on a predetermined topic, and read passages aloud. This section tests your ability to communicate effectively on a variety of academic topics.
Though it is certainly a challenging section, it is also the shortest in terms of time allotment.
The writing section tests your ability to use correct grammar, vocabulary, and writing structure. Additionally, you must construct a coherent argument in two distinct essays. One essay is based on a reading passage, while the other is based on a writing prompt.
The speaking and writing sections are the only ones that do not include multiple-choice questions.
Scoring of the TOEFL
You will receive 5 different scores:
- 4 Scaled Section Scores: Ranging from 0-30.
- Total Score: Ranging from 0-120. This is Your Section Scores Added Together.
Internationally, the average TOEFL score is 82. Most universities set a minimum acceptable score, which varies for each school. The minimum acceptable scores are significantly higher for graduate level applicants.
Though your target score will largely depend on the type of university you want to attend, a score of 94 or higher will put you in the top 25% of all test takers.
You can read our guide to TOEFL scores for more information.
Registering for the TOEFL and Test Dates
The TOEFL is offered is 3 different ways:
- At a Test Center
- On Paper (At a Test Center)
There are test dates offered more than 60 times a year for those wanting to take the exam at a testing center. If you choose to test at home, you can take the exam 24 hours a day, 4 days per week.
To register for the exam, create or login to your ETS account . Here is additional information on registering and scheduling your exam.
How To Study for the TOEFL
When it comes to studying, everyone has different needs, timelines, and study habits. That said, there are plenty of great TOEFL resources to get you started out on the right foot.
If you’re searching for ways to prepare for the TOEFL, check out some of the following resources:
1. Official TOEFL Resources
One of the best ways to prepare for an exam is to get information directly from the test administrators. For the TOEFL, this means consulting the Educational Testing Service (ETS), which has been testing and scoring students for nearly a decade. Here are a few helpful links provided by the ETS:
- TOEFL Test Prep Planner
- TOEFL Official App
- TOEFL Bulletin
2. Free TOEFL Practice Tests
Use TOEFL practice tests to help you prepare for the exam. TOEFL practice tests will help you become more familiar with the exam before you take it. You will also find out which subjects you know and which subjects you don’t know.
3. TOEFL Prep Courses
TOEFL prep courses are another great way to prepare for the TOEFL exam. These prep courses will help you stay on track and study efficiently. You can review some of the best TOEFL prep courses to see which one is the best fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good toefl score.
TOEFL scores range from 0 to 120. The four sections are each given scores on a scale from 0 to 30. Anything above a 94 will put you in the top 25% of test-takers.
How much does it cost to take the TOEFL?
The fees will depend on a variety of factors, including the location of your testing center. That said, you can generally expect to pay around $200 USD every time you take the test.
How long does it take to receive my TOEFL score?
You can see your TOEFL score online approximately 10 days after taking the test. Your score will also be sent to the universities of your choice around the same time that they are posted online, though the delivery time will vary based on your desired school’s location.
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- Authored By: Dave Evangelisti
- Last Updated: January 24, 2024
Test Resources
Toefl® resources by michael goodine, beat the toefl ® .
Do you want to improve your score on the TOEFL Test? We can help.
ESSAY AND SPEAKING EVALUATIONS
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WRITING MASTER GUIDES
Our free guides will help you master both TOEFL essay questions. They are updated monthly with new templates, sample questions and sample answers.
SPEAKING MASTER GUIDES
We also provide guides for all four TOEFL speaking questions. They have been updated to match the latest version of the test.
SAMPLE TOEFL ESSAYS
Check out 70 sample TOEFL essays (both types). These are adjusted regularly for accuracy.
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2 Source: Survey of 765 users across China, India and the U.S.
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IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The first TOEFL writing question is the Integrated Writing Task. You will first read an article, then listen to a lecture, and finally write an essay using details from both. Your essay should be about 280 words. You will have 20 minutes to write. Below are some practice questions you can use to get ready for the test.
Please note: These practice sets align with TOEFL iBT tests administered on or after July 26, 2023. TOEFL iBT ® Writing Practice Questions . This document may contain some question types that would not appear on a test that has been adapted for various accessibility purposes. On test day, you will receive an accessible
The TOEFL iBT test Writing section measures your ability to write in English in an academic setting, and to present your ideas in a clear, well-organized way. There are two writing tasks. Integrated writing task (20 minutes) — read a short passage and listen to a short lecture, then write in response to what you read and listened to.
Complete TOEFL Essay Templates (2024 Update) | Test Resources. TOEFL essay templates can help you answer both of the TOEFL writing questions. To write a strong TOEFL essay just fill in the blanks with the required information from your notes (in the integrated essay) or from your ideas (the writing for an academic discussion task).
The writing section is the final part of the TOEFL® test. You'll have about 30 minutes to answer two writing questions. They are known as the TOEFL Integrated essay, and the TOEFL Writing for an Academic Discussion Task. You'll be graded based on your content, organization, grammar and language use. Below are links to my best stuff, or ...
TOEFL Writing Introduction. The writing section is the fourth section of the TOEFL iBT test and takes about 50 minutes to complete. It consists of two separate tasks: an Integrated Writing task and an Academic Discussion Writing task.The Independent task requires you to write an opinionated essay based on your own knowledge and experience, whereas the Integrated task requires you to write a ...
Here's an expert TOEFL teacher's sample essay to this particular TOEFL Writing topic. The article introduces the topic of corn-based ethanol. More specifically, the writer discusses the advantages of switching from fossil fuels to this alternative energy source. The lecturer in the listening passage disagrees.
For a simulation of the real TOEFL iBT® testing experience, try TOEFL® Practice Online. TOEFL Practice Online is the only official practice test that gives you the experience of taking the real TOEFL iBT test with real past test questions from all four sections. You will be able to review and answer authentic test questions and receive scores ...
After you complete the exam, your essays will be graded by several (typically four) graders. Each essay will receive a score from 0-5. The sum of those two scores will then be scaled to a score from 0-30, which is your official Writing score. The Writing section makes of 25% of your total TOEFL score (from 0-120).
Below is an official TOEFL Integrated Writing sample question and as well as an essay response that received a score of 5. It includes a written passage, the transcript of a conversation (which would be an audio recording on the actual TOEFL, and the essay prompt. After the prompt is an example of a top-scoring essay.
Overview of TOEFL Writing. The TOEFL Writing section is 50 minutes long (broken into two parts) and contains two tasks: Integrated Writing and Independent Writing. You'll type both essays on the computer. The Integrated Writing task requires you to use listening, reading, and writing skills.
I created 100 writing practice tests + model answers. These tasks give you practice writing for an online discussion. In addition, after each practice test, I include a model response of how you could answer. If you want me to score your practice tests, join my TOEFL Speaking and Writing Feedback Service.
Here's how the TOEFL Integrated Essay works: It is the first writing task on the TOEFL test. First, you will have three minutes to read an article (four paragraphs, 250 to 300 words) about an academic topic. Next, you will listen to a lecture (about 2 minutes) about the same topic. Finally, you will have 20 minutes to write an essay about the ...
The added practice will enable you to complete a strong essay, with ease, confidence, and speed, on the day of your TOEFL exam and throughout your life. Free Sample TOEFL Essay #1. "Doing Unenjoyable Things". Free Sample TOEFL Essay #2. "Money & Success".
TOEFL iBT® Writing Practice Questions. This document may contain some question types that would not appear on a test that has been adapted for various accessibility purposes. On test day, you will receive an accessible assessment that is consistent with any accommodations for which you have been approved.
In order to be well prepared and confident on test day, you'll need thorough understanding of the types of TOEFL essay topics you could see on the exam. This guide gives in-depth explanations of every type of TOEFL Writing topic you might see, how to approach different types of prompts, and what your essays are expected to include. We end ...
The TOEFL exam is a standardised test that measures a non-native English speaker's ability to use and understand English at the university level. One of the components of the TOEFL exam is the writing section, which requires test-takers to write an essay in response to a prompt. To score well on the writing section, it is essential to understand the requirements of the exam and the ...
There are 7 full-length TOEFL practice tests . Four of these tests are available both in paper and online (as tests 1-4), and three are available only online (tests 5-7). In terms of quality, most practice tests are close to the real online TOEFL test. Some questions might be more difficult compared to the actual test.
TOEFL Independent Writing Master Guide (2023 Update) Here's how the TOEFL Independent writing question works: It is the second writing question on the TOEFL Test. You will be asked a question about your personal opinion and be given 30 minutes to write about it. Questions can be about any topics, but they are most often about education, work ...
Here is the outline of the exam: Reading: 54-72 Minutes, 30-40 Questions. Listening: 41-57 Minutes, 28-39 Questions. Writing: 50 Minutes, 2 Tasks. Speaking: 17 Minutes, 4 Tasks. The speaking portion of the exam will be taken at home on a computer. It must be completed within 3 days of completing the paper test.
Start your TOEFL iBT journey with this 40-minute experience where you will become more familiar with the content and structure found in the full-length, just-under-2 hour-test. Key features of the sample test include: Self-paced approach. Authentic past test questions from all 4 skills (Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing)
Dr. Kuhlman is a former White House physician. The job of president is physically and mentally demanding. I witnessed this firsthand as a White House physician for three presidents, including as ...
BEAT THE TOEFL® Do you want to improve your score on the TOEFL Test? We can help. ESSAY AND SPEAKING EVALUATIONS Sign up now to have your practice TOEFL essays and speaking responses graded by a TOEFL expert. WRITING MASTER GUIDES Our free guides will help you master bot. Test Resources
Times Opinion writers assess Night 4 of the Republican convention, which included speeches from Hulk Hogan, Mike Pompeo and Donald Trump.
The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT ® Test . This guide is a comprehensive, all-in-one reference to help you do your best on test day. ... accessible using a unique access code (PC and Mac® compatible) • Hundreds of real past TOEFL iBT questions and essay topics • Valuable tips and practice exercises for all four language skills tested ...