The English as a Foreign Language test can be very complicated and difficult for most students to pass. This is because certain crucial factors are ignored or overlooked. Student failure on the TOEFL test can be attributed to a host of factors including;
1. Poor Planning / Preparation – Many students generally do not prepare adequately for the TOEFL test. If you ask them why, they will quickly defend themselves and tell you that the TOEFL is not a big deal, but just an English test, especially those who have had the best of their academic lives receiving lectures in the classroom and teaching in English. It is very common to hear reckless answers like this, because most of them ignore the content and structure of the TOEFL test. It is no wonder that students in this category struggle on the exam and end up failing the exam.
2. Poor / Weak Background in Classroom English Language Learning / Studies: Because the English language is not the native language (mother tongue) of most foreign students, there is a high possibility that they will not have a solid and solid foundation in the rudiments of the English language. Such a weak record will definitely be reflected in the student’s performance on the exam, especially in the speaking and writing sections.
3. Incoherent communication skills in the English language: A large number of foreign students generally experience difficulties expressing themselves. Most of the time they are unable to express their personal ideas clearly and consistently in verbal / spoken English. When they speak, they do so with great difficulty and there are usually many noticeable distortions in their statements and sentences. This can be very embarrassing, especially when your recorded speeches need to be played back for test testers. Your diction and accent can also be a major obstacle.
4. Punctuation problems: These problems come to light during the writing section. Many candidates do not know how and when to apply paragraphs, commas, quotation marks, question marks, capital letters, etc. Test raters are easily discouraged and turned off when they encounter poorly scored essays. It’s like driving a beat-up car on a bumpy road, the experience will definitely not be pleasant.
5. Inability to become familiar with the QWERTY keyboard and lack of proper understanding of its layout and structure: The QWERTY keyboard is an important hardware device used for the TOEFL test, a student who is not familiar with it may have difficulty typing. These students will waste much of their time trying to find alphabets on the keyboard. As most students know, the TOEFL test clock / timer will continue to tick and this will eventually affect the student’s composure and response in the writing section.
6. Technical problems that sometimes arise in test centers: Cases of mismanagement / maintenance of facilities and equipment by Test Center Owners / Managers (TCA) have been reported. We have heard and seen instances of computer systems malfunctions, faulty headsets and microphones, sudden power outages, internet server failures due to unreliable internet service providers or bad weather, among other issues. Problems like this most of the time, weaken the morale, self-confidence and enthusiasm of the examinees.
7. Unnecessary apprehension: Some students, due to the nature of their upbringing and the environment in which they find themselves, are not inclined towards the computer hardware and technology behind its operation, so they are confused on the day of the exam regarding the use of computer systems. These students often have difficulty navigating the test screen. This type of feeling plunges them into a state of anxiety.
8. Poor Exam / Exam Time Management: Good time management is required of a serious examinee. The TOEFL test is time-limited, so all test takers should be aware of this and work to finish within the allotted time for the test. Unnecessary slowness must be dissipated. The TOEFL test requires intelligence and alertness.
9. Careless and careless attitude of students towards the test: It is very important that all those who take the TOEFL test seriously plan their test day. Do not schedule an important appointment for this day. Being late to the center is not recommended as it could jeopardize your chances of getting a high score on the test. If you have a long trip to the test center, allow plenty of time to get to the test center early. Most students who arrive at their test centers after the scheduled time / registration time tend to have a difficult time preparing for their exams.
10. Test phobia caused by sad stories and unpleasant experiences of previous test takers: Some lazy students have fed many test takers overtime about how difficult and complicated the TOEFL test can be and these unpleasant stories get registered in their minds and brains. The implication of this is that students become disoriented towards the exam and this will negatively affect their performance on the day of the exam.
11. Refusing to attend a training / coaching class: It is never enough for students to prepare themselves for the TOEFL test. Experience over the years has shown that students who attend training / coaching classes perform better than their counterparts who studied on their own. Experience, they say, is the best teacher, so why not create time to be tutored by tutors who can help you develop intellectually and succeed on the exam?
12. Inability of Students to Thoroughly Deal with Past Tests / Failing Experiences: Students who fail a standardized test at some point in their lives are likely to think ill of themselves when asked to rewrite another . Just because you’ve failed once doesn’t make you a failure, it just gives you the opportunity to learn better and do better in future tests.
13. Ignorance: Some students fail their TOEFL tests because they are ignorant. They are oblivious to the vital information that abounds around them because they do not do extensive and exhaustive research on the test they intend to sit for. This is very scary considering the number of TOEFL test forums and other relevant discussions that are available 24/7 on the internet. There are a lot of TOEFL test preparation materials available for free on the internet, try to take advantage of that opportunity.
14. Lack of will / enthusiasm to succeed on the test / exam: For some students, they lack the will and zeal necessary to strive for success on their exams. This could be caused by illness, family problems, poverty, indecision, emotional stress, and many more.
15. Overconfidence: As much as this may not seem like a real problem, the truth is that it has caused the failure of several intelligent students in their academic pursuit. Try to approach the exam with some level of humility and self-confidence, and don’t gloat or brag until the results are released. Overconfidence is not encouraged in students, but self-confidence is the key to success.
As a professional academic consultant, I recommend that potential TOEFL test takers and retailers seriously consider the above points so that they can prepare well for their TOEFL exams / tests and achieve high scores. Remember, if you don’t plan, you plan to fail.
Best of luck !!!
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