How I got 119/120 on the 2024 TOEFL test

Andrew Ahn

8 Feb 202413:18

Summary

TLDRAndrew, a university student in Korea, shares his strategies for acing the TOEFL, scoring 119/120. He emphasizes that success isn't just about being a native speaker but having a systematic approach. He covers tips for reading, listening, speaking, and writing sections, offering practical strategies like rephrasing questions, focusing on key ideas, and using templates for writing and speaking. Andrew also provides free downloadable resources, including TOEFL vocabulary flashcards and detailed guides, to help others achieve similar results.

Takeaways

📘 Andrew scored 119/120 on the TOEFL and wants to help others achieve similar results by sharing his strategies.
📝 Success on the TOEFL is 50% language familiarity and 50% test familiarity—having a system for approaching each section is essential.
💡 Andrew recommends reading only the first sentence of each paragraph before jumping to the questions in the reading section, as TOEFL questions follow the passage sequentially.
🔄 Rephrasing complex questions into simpler terms and looking for synonyms in the text are effective strategies for the reading section.
🎧 For listening, Andrew emphasizes active listening and advises not to daydream or get caught up in small details like unknown vocabulary words.
🗣️ In the speaking section, clear delivery is important. While a native accent is not required, speaking audibly and enunciating clearly helps the AI and human graders.
📋 Andrew encourages the use of speaking templates to avoid awkward pauses, suggesting that structured templates eliminate the need to hesitate or search for words.
✍️ For writing, Andrew suggests using templates for both the integrated and independent essays, focusing on structure and predictable question patterns.
🧠 The rule of thumb for writing is to emphasize the listening section more than the reading in the integrated task and to follow a clear introduction, body, and conclusion format.
💻 Andrew offers free resources like TOEFL vocabulary flashcards and detailed templates on his Notion page, designed to aid preparation and practice.

Q & A

Who is the speaker in the video and what is the purpose of the video?
-The speaker is Andrew, a university student in Korea who scored 119 out of 120 on the TOEFL. The purpose of the video is to provide tips, strategies, and resources for students preparing for the TOEFL, with the goal of helping them achieve high scores.
What is Andrew’s opinion on the relationship between being a native speaker and performing well on the TOEFL?
-Andrew believes that being a native speaker doesn't guarantee success on the TOEFL, just as attending high school in America doesn't ensure high SAT scores. He emphasizes that test familiarity and having a systematic approach are equally important to language proficiency.
What strategy does Andrew recommend for tackling the reading section of the TOEFL?
-Andrew recommends reading the first sentence of each paragraph to get a quick overview, then going straight to the questions. He suggests finding answers in the text first without looking at the answer choices, as the questions are arranged sequentially with the text.
How does Andrew suggest dealing with complex and scientific questions in the reading section?
-Andrew advises rephrasing complex questions into simpler words to make them easier to understand and approach. This helps when looking for answers in the text.
What tip does Andrew give for handling synonyms in the reading section?
-Andrew suggests looking for synonyms in the text, as many questions are reworded versions of what’s stated in the passage. Recognizing synonyms will make it easier to match questions with answers.
What caused Andrew to lose a point in the listening section, and what advice does he give to avoid this mistake?
-Andrew lost a point due to daydreaming and missing a key detail. He advises focusing completely on the listening passage, avoiding distractions, and being an active listener.
What does Andrew mean by being an 'active listener' during the listening section?
-Being an active listener means knowing what to expect from the listening passages (e.g., the structure of campus conversations or academic lectures) and taking notes on key points rather than trying to remember everything. This helps in systematically solving the questions.
What does Andrew suggest about taking notes during the listening section?
-Andrew suggests finding a balance in note-taking. If you’re taking too many notes and missing key points, cut back. If you’re not taking enough notes and missing details, take more. The key is to be mindful and strike a balance.
How does Andrew recommend improving delivery in the speaking section?
-Andrew recommends focusing on clarity and volume, ensuring the grader can understand what is being said. Mumble less, open your mouth clearly, and articulate well. An AI component also tracks the speech, so being audible is crucial.
What is Andrew's tip for using templates in the writing and speaking sections?
-Andrew advocates using templates for both speaking and writing sections, stating they can cover 50% of the answer structure. Templates provide a framework, and the remaining task is to fill in relevant content. He shares that he used templates and achieved a high score.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to TOEFL Success

Andrew, a university student in Korea, introduces himself and shares that he scored 119 out of 120 on the TOEFL. He emphasizes that being a native speaker doesn't guarantee success, comparing it to American students struggling with the SAT. He believes TOEFL success is a combination of language familiarity (50%) and test-taking strategy (50%). He offers free resources, including a Notion vocabulary flashcard template, and a comprehensive TOEFL guide.

05:02

📚 Reading Section: Efficient Strategy

Andrew's first reading tip is to read only the first sentence of each paragraph for an overview, then move directly to the questions without looking at the answer choices to avoid bias. He suggests finding the answer in the text first, and notes that the questions are in chronological order with the text, making it a time-efficient strategy. He advises practicing this approach for better time management during the test.

10:02

🔄 Rephrasing and Synonyms in Reading

Tip two focuses on simplifying complex questions by rephrasing them into easier language, making it easier to find answers in the text. Tip three emphasizes finding synonyms in the text to match the vocabulary in the questions, as TOEFL often rephrases key terms. Finally, for pacing, Andrew advises solving half the questions in half the time, ensuring there's enough time to review answers at the end.

👂 Listening Section: Stay Focused

In the listening section, Andrew missed one question due to daydreaming, so his first tip is to stay focused throughout the test. He advises students to avoid distractions and actively listen by anticipating the structure of the recordings. He explains that campus conversations usually follow a pattern: a problem, advice from a professor, and future action by the student. He recommends taking notes according to these predictable structures for both campus conversations and lectures.

✍️ Balancing Notes and Focus in Listening

Andrew's second listening tip is about note-taking: students should find a balance between taking too many notes and taking none at all. He suggests being an active listener—expecting key ideas and structures from both conversations and lectures. He also warns against getting stuck on difficult details or vocabulary, which can distract from the larger, more important points.

🗣️ Speaking Section: Delivery and Confidence

The speaking section can be challenging due to the need for clear delivery and content. Andrew explains that while an accent isn't crucial, clarity and volume are important to ensure graders and AI systems understand. He suggests using templates for content, which help eliminate pauses and provide confidence. Andrew offers his own templates for free to help students perform better and advises taking structured notes to fill in template blanks during the test.

📝 Writing Section: Templates and Structure

For the writing section, Andrew advises using templates to complete 50% of the task. He emphasizes forming strong opinions and clearly expressing them using the template structure. In the integrated writing section, he recommends writing at least 250 words, using present tense, and organizing the essay into an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. He suggests focusing more on the lecture content than the reading, as the lecture often counters the reading's argument.

💡 Writing Section: Academic Discussion Tips

For the academic discussion writing task, Andrew suggests following a template that includes an introduction to the topic, expressing a personal opinion, providing examples, acknowledging one of the students' views, and summarizing. He emphasizes writing around 120–130 words within the 10-minute time limit. This approach helps students stay organized and provides a clear structure for responding to this prompt.

📝 Final Tips for TOEFL Preparation

Andrew's final advice focuses on practice. He suggests starting with low-stakes practice by writing without a timer, then gradually adding timed practice. He encourages students to follow the provided structure and continue practicing to develop a systematic approach to the TOEFL. He offers to create more in-depth videos on specific sections if viewers are interested, asking for feedback and questions to improve his content.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡TOEFL

TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language, which is a standardized test to measure English language proficiency. In the video, Andrew scored 119 out of 120 on the TOEFL, and he provides tips to help others achieve a similar score. The main focus of the video is on sharing strategies for preparing for the different sections of the TOEFL exam, such as reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

💡Test Familiarity

Test familiarity refers to understanding the format, structure, and common types of questions in an exam. Andrew emphasizes that language proficiency is only 50% of success on the TOEFL, while the other 50% is knowing how to systematically approach the test. He shares techniques for navigating each section efficiently, illustrating the importance of being familiar with how the test operates.

💡Notion Template

A Notion Template is a customizable digital document used for organizing and managing information. In the video, Andrew has created a TOEFL vocabulary flashcard template on Notion to help students memorize key vocabulary words for the reading section. He also offers a comprehensive Notion document that contains all of his TOEFL preparation strategies and tips.

💡Rephrasing Questions

Rephrasing questions involves simplifying complex or confusing test questions by putting them into one's own words. Andrew highlights this as a key strategy for the TOEFL reading section, where scientific and dense questions can be difficult to understand. By rephrasing them, students can better grasp what the question is asking, which makes it easier to find the right answers in the text.

💡Synonyms

Synonyms are words with similar meanings, and they are crucial for solving TOEFL reading questions. Andrew explains that many questions in the reading section are essentially 'vocabulary rephrasing games,' where the test uses different words with the same meaning to confuse students. Recognizing synonyms in the text can help students identify the correct answers more easily.

💡Active Listening

Active listening refers to engaging with the listening material by anticipating information and structuring notes around key ideas. Andrew advises students to be active listeners during the TOEFL listening section, noting that lectures and campus conversations typically follow predictable structures. For instance, he mentions that campus conversations usually consist of a student presenting a problem, receiving advice, and then planning an action based on that advice.

💡Templates

Templates are pre-structured outlines or frameworks that students can use to organize their responses during the TOEFL speaking and writing sections. Andrew advocates the use of templates as they help students deliver clear, structured answers without getting stuck. He offers his own templates as resources, which can assist in removing the 'friction between the mind and mouth' during the exam.

💡Delivery

Delivery refers to how clearly and audibly a student speaks during the TOEFL speaking section. Andrew stresses the importance of being easily understood by the grader, which involves enunciating words clearly and speaking loudly enough. He mentions that both human graders and AI components evaluate speaking, so proper delivery is essential for a high score in this section.

💡Integrated Writing

Integrated writing is a section of the TOEFL where students must read a passage and listen to a lecture before writing an essay that compares and contrasts the two sources. Andrew provides a template for organizing the essay, suggesting that students write more about the lecture than the reading because it is often the main focus of the task. He also advises using simple present tense and following a structured outline.

💡Pacing

Pacing is the ability to manage time effectively during the TOEFL exam. Andrew emphasizes the importance of pacing in the reading section, recommending that students aim to solve half of the questions in half of the time. Efficient pacing allows students to finish the test with time left for review, which can improve overall performance.

Highlights

Andrew introduces himself as a university student in Korea and mentions scoring 119 out of 120 on the TOEFL.

Andrew emphasizes that being a native speaker does not guarantee success in the TOEFL, drawing a comparison to American students not necessarily excelling in SATs.

TOEFL success is 50% language familiarity and 50% test familiarity, according to Andrew.

Andrew offers free downloadable resources, including a TOEFL vocabulary flashcard set and a detailed Notion template for TOEFL preparation.

For the reading section, Andrew suggests reading the first sentence of every paragraph before moving directly to the questions to save time.

He advises avoiding the answer choices until after finding answers in the passage to prevent being influenced.

All TOEFL reading questions are arranged sequentially, with questions aligning to specific paragraphs, which helps in time management.

Andrew recommends simplifying and rephrasing complicated TOEFL reading questions into your own words to better understand them.

Finding synonyms in the text is crucial, as the TOEFL reading section is often about vocabulary rephrasing.

Andrew stresses the importance of pacing, advising students to solve half the questions in half the allotted time.

For listening, his primary tip is to avoid daydreaming, as even a brief distraction can cause you to miss key details.

Andrew highlights the importance of balanced note-taking—taking too many notes can hinder listening, while taking too few can cause you to forget key information.

He advises being an active listener, especially for campus conversations and academic lectures, by anticipating the typical structure of these recordings.

In the speaking section, Andrew suggests using templates to avoid awkward pauses and ensure smooth delivery.

For the writing section, he encourages using structured templates to approach both the integrated and independent writing tasks efficiently.