Why is your TOEIC score not improving?

Posted date 17/01/2018

2.647 view

Posted date 17/01/2018

2.647 view

Are you studying TOEIC? Have you ever been in a situation where you can't get any better at studying, your TOEIC score doesn't improve, or your TOEIC score fluctuates between high and low and you're confused about why?

MSc. Pham Thi Bich Ngoc - Faculty of Foreign Languages
Are you studying TOEIC? Have you ever been in a situation where you can't get any better at studying, your TOEIC score doesn't improve, or your TOEIC score fluctuates between high and low and you're confused about why?

If so, answer the following questions and you might find the answer.
1. What is the distance between your Starting Point and your Target Point?

Your starting point and TOEIC target are not very important if you have a long time to study, but if the time is short, the gap between these two numbers is really important. Because on average, to get 110 TOEIC points, you need to study approximately 200 hours, depending on your aptitude, background, and level of concentration, the time may be longer or shorter.
So if your answer is quite far away, you should calculate the time and duration of your review to really achieve your goal.
2. Do you write down new words every time you come across them and do you review those new words?

If your answer is no, you should do it now. Otherwise, you will have difficulty grasping the content of the listening and reading passages, and even the requirements of the questions in the passage because the TOEIC test mainly tests your knowledge of vocabulary and the ability to use vocabulary.
You can write down new words in many ways such as: writing them in a separate new word notebook, writing them on sticky notes and sticking them in an easy-to-see area, writing them down on your phone, etc.
Writing is not enough, you also need to learn new words to increase your vocabulary every day. Choose a vocabulary learning method that suits your interests and abilities and apply that method every day.
3. When did you start practicing?

Do you practice TOEIC right when you start studying? If your knowledge is solid, then practicing TOEIC right from the start is reasonable. But if your knowledge is not good, then it is like “weak and still in the wind”. You can not even make progress, but feel discouraged and fall behind.
Try to accumulate a certain amount of vocabulary, how to pronounce those words, along with common grammar topics before practicing the test.
Below are links to some textbooks to help you improve your skills and knowledge for the TOEIC test:

- Tomato TOEIC: Part 1&2 ; Part 3&4 ; Part 5&6 ; Part 7

Longman TOEIC Preparation (Introductory Course)

4. When practicing, do you time yourself like you would for a real exam?

You work very hard to practice with practice books like Economy , ETS , New Longman Real TOEIC but you don't pay attention to the time, you do it when you have free time, and stop when you are busy. This way of practicing is just a waste of your time.
If you have accumulated a fair amount of knowledge and skills for the TOEIC test, start practicing. Practicing here includes practicing both the ability to concentrate on the test and the ability to manage time properly.
No matter how confident you are in your knowledge, you will feel tired when you have to sit for 2 hours straight to do the test, especially the 45-minute listening test. You will quickly get distracted and lose focus if you are not used to it.

When practicing, you must strictly follow the time of the real test. For the reading section, you also need to practice time management skills for each part (part 5, 6 & 7). Of course, this skill cannot be acquired if you only practice 1 or a few questions.
5. What do you do after doing the test?

Hopefully your answer is not just counting the number of correct answers because if it is only that, it is a waste. Take the time to review the lesson, see what you did wrong, analyze the mistakes, and supplement related knowledge. And, don't forget to write down the vocabulary and try to learn them. Surely, your TOEIC score will improve thanks to these practice tests and analysis.

Now do you know how to improve your TOEIC score?
Good luck!

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