Based on my experience with hundreds of students, this is the biggest mistake TOEFL students make, and this is what blocks you from reaching your dreams:
Many of you treat TOEFL preparation like cramming for a college final exam. Cramming is studying a huge amount of information in a very short period of time. Cramming works when you already have a high level of knowledge in an area or a performance level.
One of the reasons why people get so stuck with the exam is that they are not realistic about how to study for it. They want quick results! However, they need to study consistently to improve their scores in Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing. To further complicate matters, these students do not have effective tools for score improvement. Last-minute preparation and not having tools customized to their strengths and weaknesses can lead to serious frustration and poor exam scores.
Group classes organized by unqualified tutors to sell the idea that everyone who pays for the classes will get quick results also cause a loss of time for students. A qualified tutor does not design a program in which 10 hours of reading, listening, speaking, and writing abilities are taught in crowded group courses over the course of 2-3 weeks. These types of group classes are only appropriate for students who have a high degree of English level with great fluency. Unfortunately, students with a limited command of English language fluency and many fossilized mistakes end up enrolling in those classes and the tutor accepts them all to make more money hourly. Simply understanding the exam strategies will never be sufficient, and they will struggle for months to achieve the desired results. Experienced, skilled teachers never arrange such group classes because they understand that certain students will be unable to progress in such an environment, and generating money in this manner is unethical.
Think about it. You need to master:
reading and comprehending the subjects quickly, connecting the information in the passages to find the correct answers taking notes while listening speaking at a high level of fluency with correct grammar, a wide range of vocabulary, and no pronunciation errors sounding clear with a neutral accent writing and typing fast at a level of 24-28.
TOEFL is an advanced level English exam and you can’t be ready for high scores in a short period of time if your English is not at an advanced level. This test is not a medical exam, and skill-building for success takes time. You must have fast Reading skills, Speaking and Writing Fluency because the TOEFL exam tests your automaticity. Automaticity means your ability to develop ideas quickly and proficiently under time pressure.