The best might be if you start reading the official TOEFL information bulletin. It can be downloaded on the official TOEFL page which is issued by the test maker ETS.
TOEFL prep Books
Furthermore, there are a lot of prep books available. The best would be to choose a book which contains a disc with listening passages. It is really helpful to get used to the listening situation before taking the test. Don’t go for no name prep downloads somewhere on the internet. They often include questions which are far too easy and therefore don’t help you to prepare for the “real” test.
If you are unsure which prep book to buy, you may ask the schools you are applying to for recommendations or you read the buyer comments at the bigger bookselling platforms. If that still does not help you, it might be a good decision to go for a prep book of one of the more renowned publishers like Kaplan or Barron’s. It is also recommendable to have a look at “The Official Guide to the TOEFL IBT” which can also be bought at most of the online book stores.
How to make a TOEFL Appointment
It is recommended to book an appointment on time. There are not too many test centers and it can take up to several months until the next free time slot in your closest test center will be available. If you have time pressure, you can of course check test centers in other cities or even other countries – sometimes you will manage to get an appointment there a lot earlier.
You can register for the TOEFL directly on the official TOEFL page. There are four ways to register: online, by mail, by phone or in person. The most convenient way is probably online since you can do that whenever you like, independently from operation hours. If you register online, you can pay the testing fee with your credit card. Please note that registration closes seven days before the respective test date. Nevertheless, you have the possibility to register until three days before the test if you pay a late registration fee of 35 $ on top.
Rescheduling your TOEFL Test Appointment
If you want to reschedule or cancel your test date, you need to do that at least three days before in advance (the appointment day and the day of cancellation not included). Rescheduling will cost you additional 60 $ and you can only reschedule if you have already paid your original registration fee. You can reschedule your appointment only online or via phone, the testing institution does NOT accept rescheduling via (e-)mail or in person.
Canceling your TOEFL Test Appointment
You should only cancel your appointment if you really need to, since you will only get a reimbursement of half of the fee. But this is only the case if you cancel at least three days before the scheduled date, not including the day of cancelation and the day of the test! Otherwise the money will be gone.
By Thomas Graf
