Free Study Tips: TOEFL and TOEIC

Studying to take the TOEFL exam? Need to work on your TOEFL-specific vocabulary, brush up on your punctuation and writing skills, or check out some study tips? ESL-Pro has a list of free, downloadable e-books that can help with with anything from tricky elements of English punctuation to tips for summarizing and paraphrasing. You must sign-up (free) for the service, and the site does try to sell other study guides and software, but for those of you looking for some free advice for studying for the TOEFL or TOEIC, this web site may help.
Good luck!

Test-taking Tips for the TOEFL iBT

1. Become familiar with the format. Review the amount of time you have for each section.
2. Remember: the TOEFL iBT tests not only language skills but academic skills, such as how well you take notes, remember information, can compare and contrast information, etc.
3. Within the test, the same skills are tested over and over again.
4. The same kinds of questions are repeated throughout the exam. Recognize this early on so that you feel more comfortable with the types of questions being asked.
5. Don't worry if the reading topics seem unfamiliar - you can be assured that all the information needed to answer the questions will be included in the passage.
6. Don't "get lost" in the details. Understand and take note of the main points.
7. Answer the questions in the writing and speaking questions. Be direct and get to the point quickly. Your answer should be transparent (easy to understand).
8. Use your organizational skills in the writing and speaking sections. Take notes on how you will organize your thoughts before you begin speaking/writing.
9. Use vocabulary and grammar structures that you know you can use correctly. This is not the time to try something new and unfamiliar.
10. Be sure to answer all the questions. Guess if necessary.

Tips from www.longmanusa.com/toefl.

Note taking skills - Improve your TOEFL score!

Note taking is an important part of college life. The better your notes are, the better you will understand the subject presented. The TOEFL iBT exam stresses this importance. On the TOEFL exam, better notes could mean a better score, since you will be more organized and prepared for the speaking and writing sections. Here are some basic techniques for note taking:

• Date your notes. Use a pen, not a pencil.
• Keep all your notes in one place - a large notebook divided into sections by subject is a great place to consolidate your notes, and will make it easier to cross-reference them.
• Listen for "signals" that will tell you if what the speaker says is important. Phrases like, "The most important point is...", or "Remember that..." or "It's essential to realize that...", etc. are all indications that what the speaker is about to say is important, and should be written down. Things that are repeated or put on the board are usually important.
  
• Don't copy everything the speaker says. The average speaker speaks at a rate of 125-140 minutes, but the average note taker writes about 25 words per minute! Listen to what the speaker says, then analyze it, judge it, compare it to what you already know. Only then summarize what he/she said in your own words.
• After the lecture, write your own summary of the most important points of the class. Put key words and phrases in your own words, using the language of the subject if possible. Use different colors. Make each page look different. Star or highlight the most important points. Write questions you still have about the material.
  
• Once you have summarized the class in your own words, review the notes you took. Try to summarize the class using your notes from above. If you have trouble, go back to your class notes and review. Review often.