2 Easy Study Tips for Both Admission and Language Tests

The SAT. The ACT. AP tests. And the TOEFL too? International students have a lot to juggle, but the test prep pros at Magoosh have your back.

Let’s get one thing out of the way, first: if you live in the U.S. and you grew up speaking English, you don’t need to take the TOEFL—it stands for Test Of English as a Foreign Language (and yes, they did the acronym wrong). If you arrived at this article because you were scared of the idea of taking yet another college entrance exam, but you didn’t know what the TOEFL is before now, then you probably don’t need to take it. But if English is not your first language, and you were not born in the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or another English-speaking country, then you’re here for a good reason. It’s a pain to take so many tests, and even more of a pain study for all of them. So let’s get to the point: How do you prepare for the TOEFL and another test?

1. Focus on one test at a time

Ideally, you wouldn’t take both the TOEFL and the SAT or ACT in the same month. If it’s possible, you should prepare for one test, take that one, then prepare for the other test. I recommend taking the TOEFL first, if you have a choice, since any English vocabulary or grammar you learn during TOEFL studies might be helpful later on the more advanced SAT or ACT reading and writing.

If you need to take both tests around the same time, you may need to study for the two simultaneously. In that case, it’s best to focus on one test for a few days, then switch. You might do TOEFL practice one week, then SAT practice the next. It’s important to spend more than one day in a row on each test. If you change your focus too often, the different question types and strategies will become confusing. But on the other hand, you don’t want to take your TOEFL after four weeks of studying only the SAT; what you learn about the test should be fresh in your mind on test day. Switching back and forth each week is the easiest way to divide and conquer two tests.

Related: Introduction to the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

2. English all the time

Above all else, the TOEFL is a test of your English ability. And I don’t just mean how many words you know or how well you do on grammar tests: You have to be able to read, listen, speak, and write at a high level to get top scores on the TOEFL. So even if vocabulary and grammar help, you need more than that. You need a lot of experience using English. This is important for two reasons:

  • You can improve when you’re not "studying." Listen to English podcasts, read the news in English, and watch English movies. If you have friends who plan to take the TOEFL, speak English with them instead of your native language. And if you are lucky enough to have native English speaking friends, talk with them as often as you can.
  • It helps for every test in English. One of the best ways to improve on SAT reading and writing is to read a lot; it’s not just the TOEFL.

Related: Lost in Translation: How to Overcome Language Barriers for Study Abroad

Above all else, stay focused on the goal! The process of applying to US colleges is hard, but it’s a only for a short time, in the end. It feels like forever, but once it’s done, you can forget it even happened. College awaits!

If you need more tips on preparing for a US education, check out the articles and advice in our International Students section.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Victoria Fuss

Victoria Fuss

March Madness Scholarship Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me dramatically. Moving on to the next level has been a dream of my mine since I was just a young kid, and the support and help CollegeXpress has given me will help me further my education. I couldn’t be more grateful to everyone at CollegeXpress!

Damian Rangel

Damian Rangel

September 2021 Mini Scholarship Winner, High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me tackle college expenses, which will allow me to put more of my time and effort into my studies without the need of worrying as much about finances.

Abhishek Kumar

Abhishek Kumar

High School Class of 2022

As a high schooler, I know how hard it is to plan for college. You have to consider a lot of factors: SAT/ACT scores, college searches, scholarships, and more. CollegeXpress has been a helpful resource that solves all these problems. One can easily create a free account and search away. They help you search for scholarships and colleges, they have graduate program search, they have lists and rankings, and so much more. CX also has a lot of articles and advice to read—whether it’s financial aid, test prep, campus visits, internships/careers, or anything. Not only that, CX gives out free scholarship money to students who sign up and create a free CX account. I love CX and will continue to use it! Thank you CollegeXpress for making my college journey easier!

Yuhlani Patterson

Yuhlani Patterson

High School Student

CollegeXpress has helped me find so many scholarships that fit me. They match me to colleges I have specific interest in to make searching for colleges way easier and more efficient. CollegeXpress refers me to schools that have my major of interest and backup schools if I want to change my mind. CollegeXpress also gives out their own scholarships, so you have even more of a chance at gaining multiple scholarships. This website has helped me de-stress from the pressure of not being able to afford college, [of finding] what schools are right for me, and how to find easy access to scholarships that most people never knew existed.

Maliha

Maliha

High School Class of 2019

My college search began at CollegeXpress. Due to this helpful tool, I was able to gather a lot of information to guide my college planning decisions. Through CollegeXpress, I was also able to apply to several scholarships to help pay for my tuition. I would definitely recommend this website to anyone who wants to explore colleges and get more information from admission experts, counselors, and real students.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Samford University

Birmingham, AL

Washington College

Chestertown, MD

Thiel College

Greenville, PA