TOEFL 2020 Reading and Listening complete guide
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A book is a guide which can enlighten the mind of a person to the level that one can reach great heights. In this pandemic situation, everyone has faced a lot of issues. All the aspects of the world have been affected due to this. But as we face difficulties, we become strong. Humans have found out alternatives for every problematic system. In the same way, the education system has found a way to teach students i.e. online platform. Even we have international educational system arranging tests online. Let’s see how it works. In this article, we will have information about the “TOEFL 2020 Reading and Listening” and what is the benefit of this online platform. In this article we will cover on “TOEFL 2020 Reading and Listening“.
We will cover the following topics on this article
- A quick introduction to TOEFL
- TOELF 2020 Reading and Listening
- Syllabus
- Preparation tips
- Changes made.
- Question Types
- Points to Remember
- FAQ’s
A quick introduction to TOEFL
Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is conducted by Educational Testing Service which regulates and formulates rules and guidelines as well as questions for the exam. It is accepted by 130 countries and 10,000 institutions, organizations and universities. The exam is written by students who wish to study abroad and also to get the visa application. It organises at least 50 dates for exam per year.
There are two types of exam which are organised. They are:
1. iBT- Internet-based test
2. PBT- Paper-based test
TOEFL is accepted by countries such as UAE, New Zealand, Canada, USA and many more. Due to the pandemic situation, the authorities have made it online. The total period is four hours and it will be a computer-based test. It tests the ability and skill of a person in English as a language. There are four parts in which the test is organised i.e. speaking, writing, reading and listening.
TOEFL 2020 Reading and Listening Section
TOEFL Reading Section
This is the start of the examination. The first part one has to answer is the reading section. It is quite easy as the difficulty level is the same as an undergraduate textbook of English. This part is for 60-70 minutes along with 36-45 questions. It has 3-4 long passages to read with a word limit of 600-750. The topics could be from arts, technology, psychology, social science, history, general science and subject related to academics. It tests the ability to read and also note down the important points from the text given.
TOEFL Listening Section
The next part one has to answer is the listening section. The period for the test is 40-70 minutes. The total number of questions is 28-40 questions. According to the official guidelines, there are 3 conversations and 4 lectures. The conversation can be for 2-3 minutes and lectures for 5-6 minutes. This part is to test the concentration of the student and also their listening skills. There would be 6-7 questions which will be given from the lecture’s audio clip. From the conversation’s clip, the number of questions asked would be 5-6.
TOEFL 2020 Reading and Listening Updated syllabus
TOEFL Reading syllabus 2020:
This section consists of 3-4 passages. The word limit of these paragraphs is 650-700 words. Each passage has around 10 questions. The passages are mostly from university-level textbooks which are having grammatical chapters, conversations or any general topic which can be related to academics. The total time limit is 60 minutes. The total number of questions is 40-45. One has to perform multiple tasks such as reading and writing.
TOEFL Listening syllabus 2020:
This section has 3-4 audio clips. These are played for 3-5 minutes. It is important to pay attention to the audio as it is played only once. The word limit is 600-800 words. There are short and long conversations in this section. Each section has 6-7 questions and there is a total of 28-32 questions. It is to test the listening skills and comprehension of the candidate.
TOEFL 2020 Reading and Listening preparation guide
TOEFL Reading section preparation guide:
Increase speed and efficiency: One has to improve reading skills. Increasing the reading speed along with management of time. Time is the key factor in the examination. One has to create a proper balance between reading and giving a response to the query. Everyone has their own pace and one needs to set their timings before starting the practice. Use of books, journals, magazines to read and refine their efficiency.
Comprehension: Most of the times candidates panic during the exam as the words are not familiar and new to them. So as one gets thorough with the pace of reading and can gulp in a lot of information together, they can start focusing on vocabulary. One can make good notes, key points and meaning of a few words which can be used frequently.
Grammar: As reading skills are required to be used in the right way, it is also required to be refined in lexical resources and grammar. With the help of a dictionary, one can write down familiar words or also translate them and remember which can be beneficial during the final examination. Grammar must be taken care as it is the one which can make the increment in the final score which will also increase the total score of all the four sections.
Scan with eyes: Timing is a necessary factor which is needed to be taken care of. There are many paragraphs which should be glanced. The candidate can neglect a few words if they are unfamiliar. Skim the facts and scan the specific information out of that. It can also be done by writing down important notes during the exam. It can be as a guide for the responses.
Numbering system: There are 3-4 passages which have 650-800 words. There might be confusion amongst the paragraphs. One can use the multiples of either 5 or 6 and write them in one corner. This will help to figure out words and sentences which will not mislead and create uncertainty about the answer. It would also save time as one need not read the entire paragraph to find a particular word or sentence.
Structured pattern: If one is well known with the main and supporting details it is quite easy to answer the paper. A student needs to identify the connecting words, transitional words, grammatical structure, the pattern in which the para starts and ends is also prominent. These minute details can help to increase the total score of the candidate.
TOEFL Listening section preparation guide:
Notes and tones: To take down notes one should be having skills as it is important to make pointers which are guiding towards a perfect answer. One can make abbreviations, symbols or another way in which one can recollect the information. The tone of the speaker in the conversation might vary. One must pay attention to the meaning or interpretation conveyed by the speaker. It can help to choose the right answer for the query.
Elaborate vocabulary: The candidate can increase the knowledge of words, meaning and also grammatical resources through listening to radio broadcasts, English channels, series, movies which mainly focuses on the content. After this one can write down important terms which are helpful in future. It will also improve the pronunciation that can be used in the speaking test. It will also improve other skills like writing and reading.
Accent: As people across the globe write this examination, there are differences in the way of talking in English. One must be careful enough to understand these differences. It might take a bit of time to interpret the right meaning. One can achieve it by practising and learning daily. Perfect practice makes a perfect man.
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Recent changes in the TOEFL 2020
Reading section: Few alterations are made in the number of questions given. It varies from 9 to 10 instead of 12-14. If there are 9 questions then, the last query would be about completing the table. There are 3-4 passages. If there are 4 passages one would not be marked, it is just an example to respond. The time may also vary from 50 minutes for three passages and 70 minutes for four passages.
The only thing remaining same is the length, as well as the level of difficulty, will be the same as the old examination.
Listening section: The audio clips have an order to follow that is one conversation and two lectures(long) or one conversation and one lecture(long). It has two or three listening sets. The longer set has 17 questions followed by 11 questions for the short set. If there are 3 clips to be heard one of the conversations and lecture would not be graded. The total period given is 6.5-7 minutes.
The difficulty level and the length of the audio, as well as questions, will be the same for this section too.
TOEFL 2020 Reading and Listening question types
These can be related to both reading and listening section. The list goes as follows:
Implied question:
The queries would be indirectly asked. The candidate is required to find out the actual and complete conclusion from the passage or audio given. The idea or perspective must be written as a response.
Detailed question:
It deals with queries starting with “W”. It can also be a minor change or task which can be asked. One has to remember every necessary detail. Through practice, one can master this also.
Connecting question:
The queries given are based on the idea behind the lectures or conversations. The candidate is supposed to answer in “yes” or “no” and categorize them. This is one of the multiple-choice questions.
Summary completion:
There are choices given, one has to select the option and fix into the passage. The query given is in the form of summary and one has to complete it. The idea, perspective, the interpretation is given will not have the words which exactly match the query.
Quick recap of TOEFL reading and listening section
- TOEFL: Test of English As Foreign Language.
- It is conducted by Educational Testing Service.
- It is of two types: iBT- Internet-Based test PBT- Paper Based Test
- It is accepted by 10,000 institutions and organizations.
- It tests four skills: Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking.
- Reading section: 3-4 passages, 650-700 words, 10 questions each passage. Time limit is 60 minutes and total questions are 40-45.
- Listening section: 3-4 audio clips, 3-5 minutes, 600-800 words. 6-7 questions and total of 28-32 questions.
- Multi-tasking is essential in all four sections. One has to follow regular practice and attempt test papers which are proven beneficial in the final examination.
Quick TOEFL TIPS speed and efficiency
- Time management Vocabulary
- Grammar and Lexical Resource
- Numbering pattern
- Practice exam papers from the official website
- Structured pattern
- Notes and tones
- Accent
- Skim and Scan
- Concentration and Attention
Changes made
- Reading section: 9-10 questions, 3-4 passages
- If there are 4 passages, one would be a demo or example to answer. If 3 passages 50 minutes and 4 passages then 70 minutes.
- Listening section: longer set 17 questions, short set 11 questions.
- If there are 3 audio clips one of the conversations and lecture will not be graded. The total period is 6.5-7 minutes.
Types of question
- Inference question
- Detailed question
- Connecting question
- Summary completion question
FAQ’s:
It depends on the country or places one is present. It varies from location to location.
There are four skills which are examined. They are listening, reading, speaking and writing.
Yes. One can register it from their ETS account and request the authorities for it.
One can at least 1.5-2 minutes on a question.
The scores are valid for two years after the test.
It comprises of basic comprehension and degree of certainty and attitude of speaker in the audio clips.
A personal computer or laptop, good internet connection, speakers, headphones are the requirements. A phone or tablet cannot be used.
The reading part tests the skills like reading and writing along with grammar and lexical resource.
No. One should use the erasable whiteboard as the entire session is recorded.
Every expert was once a beginner. One cannot reach heights of success just by sitting and passing away time. Hard work along with smart work in this pandemic situation can help one achieve good results.
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