How I Got Advanced TOEFL iBT Score for FPGEE in the U.S.

TOEFL is the first step of taking pharmacy licensure exams in the U.S for all foreign pharmacy graduates and is compulsory to pass the exam before getting accepted to sit for FPGEE. In terms of passing scores, there are minimum score requirements for each section (Reading — 22; Listening — 21; Speaking — 26; Writing — 24) and these must be achieved in one testing session i.e., best scores are not accepted. I somehow managed to get a good score in my first attempt and I hope my tips, tricks and mistakes will help you.

My demographics and proficiency in speaking English

I am a medical writing professional with graduate degree of PharmD from India (took the test in U.S.). So I have the experience of using English language with colleagues, professors and doctors. Cut short, I can do well if the topic is health and science.

My preparation and test experience

I took the new TOEFL test on October 7, 2023 and started preparing almost for a month prior. I attached links to all the resources I used for TOEFL at the end of the article. Here goes my tips for each section:

Reading

The Reading section lasts for 35 minutes, and comprises of 2 passages with 10 questions in each.

I randomly came across GregMat’s Youtube video on TOEFL Reading Strategies and I followed a very similar technique while giving my test. As the test runs on timer, I suggest you practice and use this approach of finding the question types and answering accordingly. It saves time!!

Assuming if your English text comprehension is good enough, then practicing few Qs and understanding test pattern will be sufficient to help you get a good score. If you think you need improvement in reading skills, I highly suggest you practice reading articles or books not for a day or two but on daily basis for at least few months.

Listening

This sections consists of 3 lectures (6 Qs each) and 2 conversations (5 Qs in each).

Here’s the first tip — Try Not to Book Your Test on Weekends. Mine was on Saturday and many were taking the test alongside me. By the time I started listening, most of them started speaking for their speaking section. It was all noisy — I got tensed and missed many details in the audio. Later I realized how foolish of me for not increasing my audio volume. Try to book on a weekday so that you may not face such trouble.

Take a deep breath before starting the session. The audio is played only once. So take quick notes using symbols and abbreviations, ignoring minor details — otherwise we mislead in a blink. Practice listening to podcasts, Ted talks, or watching movies without subtitles.

Speaking

This section consists of 4 tasks: one independent (speak your ideas/reasons/experiences of a given topic) and 3 integrated (read, listen and take notes to speak). I was so scared of this section as my FPGEE requirement is to get 26, and I used to practice thinking in English of various topics in my head while bathing, cooking and exercising. I didn’t believe when I got 29 in my result and kept checking even for days after I got the test report. Never Underestimate Your Abilities!!

Each task requires you to speak for a minute (only 45 seconds for task 1). So the hardest part is not only making sense of what we speak but also answering within time. I prepared speaking templates for each section but make sure that you don’t sound robotic while you use them. Make tweaks to the template based on the question. I practiced speaking with timer and templates, recording with my iPhone. I didn’t do well really in my practice session but all the effort put me in a good place for my test.

Speak clearly with intonation instead of a flat tone — I spoke naturally explaining what I read and heard. I stressed on few words, took pauses and spoke casually. Do not try to mimic or repeat words or phrases. You can use synonyms and simple words for easy understanding. Trying to use fancy words without knowing its pronunciation will hurt your score.

# Task 1 (Independent)

This task will ask about your choice or beliefs of a given topic. You’ll get 15 seconds to prepare and 45 seconds to answer. The template is as below:

I believe/think/agree**…..(steal the question)…..for 2 reasons. Firstly,…..(reason 1). For example/This is because,…..(explain your reason1)…Secondly, …..(reason 2)….. For example,**…..(explain your reason2).

The reasons you gave need not to be factually correct, but its the clarity of speech and sense you must maintain. It’s not always compulsory to speak 2 reasons. I gave only one reason and example in my real test. If you had any time left, give another example or support your explanation just to fill the silence.

#Task 2 (Integrated)

This task contains a reading passage of school announcement implementing a change and is followed by a conversation where students state their opinions. Take notes from the passage and conversation.

You’ll speak for 60 seconds giving student’s opinion and their reasons. You must summarize the info without giving your opinion. You can start with a short main idea/implemented change from reading passage for structure.

Here are the templates:

The reading passage states that…..will be implemented because/so that (reason 1) and (reason 2).— -> 15 seconds max. X recommends/suggests that…

According to the school announcement… The writing discusses/student proposal in the article suggests…

The man/woman in the conversation **agrees/disagrees with idea/proposal/decision and provides 2 reasons for his/her opinion. To start with..(reason 1). Moreover/other than that/in addition, women/man is not supportive of*…(reason 2)*.

#Task 3 (Integrated)

This task contains a reading passage on a topic and is followed by an academic lecture. Make note of the main idea from passage and 2 supporting details from lecture. You can speak something as below:

The reading passage introduces the topic of/is about….. which is defined/described as….. The professor further elaborates by explaining two examples. The first is..…The second is…..

#Task 4 (integrated)

This task contains a lecturer explaining a topic. You just need to listen to the lecture, take notes and speak for 60 seconds. Template is as below:

In the lecture, the professor talks about….. He/she expands this by discussing 2 different categories/examples. The first is….. The second is..…

Writing

Personally, I overlooked writing section as I already had little bit of writing experience. But it didn’t really affect my score because it was tough to think and write under pressure of running time and grader’s approach towards assessment could be different as well.

#Task 1 (integrated writing task)

You’ll read a passage and listen to a lecture — focus and take notes from lecture on professor’s counteract. You will be able to see the passage while you write but you can listen to the audio only once. Within a timer of 20 minutes, they ask you to write at least 250 words but that is not enough. From my experience of scoring 24, I’d recommend you to keep your writing organized with more words (300 words minimum) and zero/few mistakes in grammar or spelling. Do not copy the exact words or sentences from passage or lecture. Write you own words, use synonyms or rephrase the sentences if you want.

I followed the strategy I saw on TOEFL study plan which is to write 4 paragraphs (introduction, 1st supporting example/detail, 2nd supporting detail, and conclusion) with 5 sentences in each.

Time runs really fast, so start writing immediately and think on the fly. Template as below:

p1: The professor is not convinced by/ It is worth noting from the lecture that …. (main idea).

p2: The passage/reading/text/author/writer states that/argues/suggests/claims/asserts/notes/indicates…..(first reason). However/on the contrary/nevertheless/on the other hand/conversely/ even so, the professor/speaker/lecturer/listening challenges/contradicts/rebuts/is at odds with/opposes/refutes/contests/does not support..(first counteract).

p3: Give your second reason and counteract as above

p4: Therefore/thus/due to this/that’s why/accordingly/as a result…(conclude).

#Task 2 (academic discussion task)

In this task, you’ll read an online classroom discussion of 2 students. In your writing response, you’ll write state and support an opinion just like any other student in the classroom. It lasts only for 10 minutes. Your opinion can be similar or different from those students in discussion, but make sure you customize it to your own experience. Meaning — write your own words, do not copy the same words from discussion. Write from experiences and make up (if you don’t know much about the topic) to generalize it for everyone.

Template:

p1: State your opinion to answer the question

p2: Give reasons supporting your opinion

p3: Explain the reason and give examples

p4: Conclude

Resources

1. Scoring rubrics (https://www.ets.org/pdfs/toefl/toefl-ibt-performance-descriptors.pdf)

• Take your time and go through each section in the PDF. Make note of the differences that will take you from intermediate levels to advanced level. For example, in advanced speaking level, they want to you to ‘use intonation’ which was not recommended in any of the intermediate levels. Make not of such important differences.

2. Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT Test

[embed][The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT Test, Seventh Edition (Official Guide to the Toefl Test) The Official Guide to the TOEFL iBT Test, Seventh Edition (Official Guide to the Toefl Test) [Educational Testing…www.amazon.com](https://www.amazon.com/Official-Guide-TOEFL-Seventh-Toefl/dp/1265477310/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=sxDdV&content-id=amzn1.sym.cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_p=cf86ec3a-68a6-43e9-8115-04171136930a&pf_rd_r=147-7488359-2966441&pd_rd_wg=LhMKD&pd_rd_r=a0df4584-b6aa-4838-a346-d5a9d5d061a5&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk)

3. Practice tests: Official Guide, Tests Volume 1 & 2, TOEFL Go (now TOEFL TestReady)

[embed]Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volume 1, Fifth Edition Amazon.com: Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volume 1, Fifth Edition: 9781265479077: Educational Testing Service: Bookswww.amazon.com

[embed]Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volume 2, Fourth Edition Amazon.com: Official TOEFL iBT Tests Volume 2, Fourth Edition: 9781265481636: Educational Testing Service: Bookswww.amazon.com

[embed]TOEFL TestReady Conquer test day with TOEFL TestReady - your personalized, one-stop TOEFL iBT prep portal. Access official prep, track…www.ets.org

4. GregMat’s TOEFL Study Plan: Lasts two weeks — gives you an idea of exam pattern, detailed approach on answering Qs, and few templates. A great resource for just $5.

[embed]Home - GregMat We started GregMat+ because we found the test prep world confusing, expensive, misleading, and inaccessible to many. We…www.gregmat.com

I hope this article could help you to practice for the test. Comment down if you have any questions.