Is TOEFL Hard?  Things You Must Know for 2024 

When it comes to appearing for international exams like TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language, it’s obvious to come to your mind, Is TOEFL Hard?

The TOEFL exam is a challenging test for students whether it’s tough or not depends on the student’s capability or understanding. The TOEFL exam pattern includes 4 sections- writing, reading, listening, and speaking. It tests the various skills & abilities of the students. Candidates can find some sections tough or some easy. 

However, with proper TOEFL preparation, students can ease the exam and score well beyond the factor that affects TOEFL difficulty.  

What is TOEFL and How to Register for it? 

TOEFL is a English proficiency test conducted by ETS for the students across the world to get admission in foreign universities and colleges for higher education. It is a high standard exam recognised by more than 11,000 universities and approximately 160 countries globally including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Ireland.

Since, students across the globe appear for this exam, it’s highly competitive which students can find difficult. 

To appear for the TOEFL exam, you need to register through ETS. You can follow these steps to register for TOEFL:

• Visit ETS website and Navigate to the TOEFL test section. 
• Click on the “I’m a test taker” button. You’ll be redirected to a new page. 
• Select TOEFL IBT and click on the register button. 
• Log in with your ETS username and password or create a new account. 
• Enter the basic details and select test date, time and slot
• Proceed to register,  While doing the registration, you use the TOEFL voucher code to save on your ETS TOEFL registration charges. 

After successfully completing the TOEFL registration, start your TOEFL preparation. 

Factors Affecting TOEFL Difficulty

Individual English Proficiency Level

How your proficiency in English affects the difficulty level of the exam. As you must know, the TOEFL examines speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills of candidates. It may happen that you’re good at understanding English but not so adept at writing it. Hence, you require a 360° approach in the English language to tackle its difficulty level. 

Prior Exposure to English Language

The knowledge of language grows with time.  How frequently you use English in daily communication, if you studied with an English medium, you grew-up in an environment that is English language friendly or not also associated with difficulty level. A candidate with better exposure to the English language from school time can find the TOEFL test easy. 

Specific Aspects of TOEFL Difficulty

Reading Section

The TOEFL reading section comprises 2 passages. You need to read passages and answer 20 questions associated with both the passages. If you lack in vocabulary and understanding  sentence structure this section can be tough for you. 

Listening Section

During the TOEFL listening section, candidates need to listen to 3 classroom lectures, and 2 conversations to answer 28 questions. If the candidate does not have a good understanding of a different English accent, this section can be tough. 

Speaking Section

The TOEFL speaking section not only tests your speaking skill but also integrates it with reading and listening skills. You get some passages which you need to read and answer face to face, and it requires listening to a lecture or conversion to answer a question. Time management skill is a must for this section. 

Writing Section

The TOEFL writing segment includes two tasks- independent and integrated. Candidates need to express their opinion or share a personal experience related to a given topic in an independent writing task. For an integrated task, you’ll listen to a short lecture or passage and answer questions based on your understanding. The writing section demands you write clearly, and with less error. 

So, if your TOEFL is hard then the answer will be there is not any right answer. Your approach towards English language, command over vocabulary, grammar, understanding and excellency in the language will define if TOEFL is hard for you or not.  

If you find it’s not up to the mark, With better strategies, you can enhance your English proficiency skill and gain a good score in TOEFL for your study abroad. 

Strategies for Overcoming TOEFL Difficulty

Thorough Preparation

Preparation is key to tackle any difficulties. To eliminate the difficulty level of the TOEFL exam, you need to organize your TOEFL preparation. 

Targeted Practice

If you’re practicing for TOEFL, try to make a target by studying with TOEFL special study materials, previous year question papers, and TOEFL sample papers. 

Skill Development

As you must understand, the TOEFL is a skill test. It tests your listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. So, work on this skill and develop it. 

Time Management

Time management is a crucial part of the TOEFL test. In the TOEFL test, you need a limited time in which you are required to read passages, listen to audio, and transfer your answer. Moreover, for the speaking segment, you get very few seconds to prepare the answer. 

Hence, learning time management is crucial for the TOEFL examination. 

Tips to ease the TOEFL Difficulty Level 

• Enroll in the TOEFL exam preparation course. 
• Give a mock test to test your preparation level. 
• Practice to write essay type questions in fixed time in word limits. 
• Listen to different English accents. 
• Build your understanding of English language, 
• Practice vocabulary. 

The Bottom Line 

The TOEFL exam is an opportunity for students to offer their career a wing.  You can test where you stand in the TOEFL test by solving sample papers. The sample paper will help you understand your strengths and weaknesses in the English Language. The result will assist you in measuring how difficult the TOEFL test can be for you and which segments of the test require more practice. 

According to outcomes, you can start preparing for the exam and focusing on the sections. 

If you couldn’t understand how you should prepare for the TOEFL test or if you’re able to qualify it or not, you can take help from study abroad admission counseling.