Free Online TOEFL Study Guides

Taking the TOEFL is a necessary step for any student not educated in the United States who wishes to study at a North American university. It is also increasingly required from other educational institutions throughout the world as well as a desired or mandatory job qualification. While it is true that the TOEFL is an extremely difficult test there are a number of resources to help students prepare for the test. Luckily the Internet has an ever-expanding treasure trove of study materials. Most of these areas require registration and payment however a number of the sites do offer some free services. If you are interested in taking the TOEFL it will probably be necessary to purchase some of these services. This guide shows you a number of the free services available on the Internet. By using this feature you can get an excellent head-start on your studies without paying a dime. What Is the TOEFL? Before beginning to study for the TOEFL it is a good idea to understand the philosophy and purpose behind this standardized test. Here is an excellent detailed description of the Internet-based test. What Can I Expect From TOEFL? There are a number of resources available to help you discover exactly what grammar listening and reading skills will be expected on the TOEFL. One of the most thorough of these resources is Testwise.Com  which explains each type of question in terms of the grammar or skill required to answer that type of question successfully. Now that you have a good idea of what the test is, what is to be expected, AND what strategies are needed you can begin to practice taking various sections of the test. To help you do just that (for FREE) follow the following links to these  practice tests  and exercises: TOEFL Grammar / StructurePractice TOEFL tests grammar through whats known as the structure sentence. This section includes multiple choice questions which test your understanding of how to put together a sentence.   TOEFL Grammar Practice 1 TOEFL Grammar Practice 2 Exam English Structure Tests Structure Practice Tests  from TestMagic Five Sets of Practice Questions for Section II  at Free ESL.com by Chris Yukna  Practice Section II TOEFL Vocabulary Practice The vocabulary section focuses on understanding synonyms and antonyms, as well as the ability to use a word in the right context.   TOEFL Vocabulary Practice 400 Must Have Words for TOEFL   TOEFL Reading Practice The reading section asks you to read fairly long sections of text that might be found in a textbook or scholarly article. Comprehension of the relationships between ideas and sequencing events is key in this section.   Reading practice tests  from TestMagic by  Chris Yukna  Practice Section II: Boston   Practice: Fuels TOEFL  based on an article in Wired Magazine by Chris Yukna. TOEFL Listening Practice TOEFL listening selections are often based on lectures in a university setting. As in reading, its important to practice listening long selections (3 - 5) minutes of university lectures or similar listening setting.   Exam English Listening Practice Tests How Do I Approach the TOEFL? One of the most important skills to acquire before taking the test is not a language skill. It is TOEFL test taking strategy. To get up to speed on test taking, this  guide to taking tests  can help you understand  general test taking preparation. The TOEFL, like all standardized American tests, has a very particular structure and typical traps for you to fall into. By understanding these traps and structures you can go a long way to improving your score. The writing section of the TOEFL requires that you write an essay based on a set topic. Testmagic.com has a wonderful  selection of sample essays  discussing common mistakes and giving examples of essays with various scores to show you the range expected on the essay. Practicing the TOEFL Obviously, you will need to do a lot more studying (and probably invest a good bit of money) to do well on the TOEFL. But hopefully, this guide to free TOEFL resources will help you begin to understand what to expect when taking the TOEFL.