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toefl study plans and guides

rachel wisuri

february 9, 2015

toefl prep materials

whether you’re planning to study for a long time, or you’ve waited until the last minute, it helps to add some structure to your toefl study plan to keep you organized and on track. planning out a study schedule is the key first step in scoring well on the toefl. here are some tips to help you build a study schedule that works for you!

to help take the guesswork out of all of this, we’ve created a couple of schedules to help you get started.

magoosh toefl study guides

click the image to go to your chosen plan:

pro tip: before getting started on your study plan, we recommend reading our top tips for making the most of your toefl study schedule. and, if you’re looking for a more flexible study plan, try our post on preparing for the toefl in 20-30 minutes per day. 🙂

using magoosh’s toefl essay feedback service in your study schedule

magoosh offers toefl essay feedback to our premium subscribers. those with a six-month magoosh toefl subscription can get up to four of their essays scored. the one-month plan includes one scored essay. while we don’t strictly require the use of essay grading in our toefl study schedules, it can definitely be useful.

if you have just one essay credit, it’s good to use that credit in the first week of your study plan. that way you can check your writing “baseline” and get some feedback on how you should improve over the course of your study schedule.

if you have four essay credits, it’s still get one essay scored at the beginning. however, from there, you should space your remaining essays evenly throughout the rest of your schedule. that way, you can periodcially re-check your progress. and the feedback you receive can help you decide which writing skills to focus on in a given week.

building your own toefl study schedule

if you want to build your own, customized study schedule, start by asking yourself these questions:

am i ready to start studying for the toefl?
what score do i need on the toefl? how much do i need to improve from where i am today?
how long am i going to study? how much time can i study each day or week?
do i want to make a daily schedule that outlines what i need to do each day? or do i want to make a weekly schedule, that has more room for adjustments?
what skills do i need the most help with?
what skills do i need the least help with?

once you’ve answered all of these questions, it’s time to choose the right study materials for you. these book reviews should help, and be sure to check out magoosh’s toefl lessons!

after you have your materials, it’s time to plan out your study schedule. i’d suggest using our one month plan (mentioned above), as a guide, and take it from there.

happy studying! 🙂

author

rachel wisuri

rachel helps eager students find out about magoosh. she graduated from uc berkeley with a super helpful double major in history and french. in her free time she can be found eating peanut butter, drinking five cups of tea per day, and playing with cats.

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45 responses to “toefl study plans and guides”

anamika

august 1, 2015

i have some questions.. how can i contact you to clear all these questions?

reply
1. lucas fink
  
  august 3, 2015
  
  if you have questions for us, you can always email [email protected] 🙂
  
  reply
vikram

december 10, 2016

hi lucas,

i have 1 week to study for toefl.how can i get best out of it.i want to score 100+.

thank you,
vikram

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  december 10, 2016
  
  hi vikram,
  
  one week isn’t a lot of time to study, but you can definitely use your current knowledge for success on the test. with one week, it doesn’t make sense to work on improving your general english level. instead, you should focus on learning the strategies and methods you need for the test. i recommend that you look at the 2 week plan to get an idea of what you should focus on in the next week. make sure that you focus on the best strategy for each question, and take a look at our templates and example responses for the speaking/writing tasks. explore our blog for ideas of how to answer each type of question and the best methods to use for each section 🙂
  
  and remember: strategy is only helpful if you can practice it! take some time to make sure that you are comfortable with these methods and can apply them on test day 🙂
  
  reply
sadegh

april 4, 2017

hi dear lucas
i took toefl sample exam at 6 month ago that my score was 73 (r=18, l=16, s=18, w=19) and i took a real toefl exam 10 days ago that my score has been 77 (r=21, l=17, s=17,w=20), while my average scores of reading and listening in tpo were 27 and 22. i think i was under stress during the test time:((
i want you to help me how i can receive +90 . which one of the schedules is better for me? can i get 100 in 3 month ? excuse me for bad writing.

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  april 5, 2017
  
  going from 73 to 100 in 3 months is a tall order. but it’s certainly not impossible. i’ve seen students achieve this before.
  
  what i recommend is that you use the two month study plan as a model for your studies. but change the two month study plan somewhat. instead of taking two months to study, give yourself 3 months, or even 4 months if you can. use the extra time to get in additional practice with the english language. and be willing to watch video lessons a second or third time, to make sure you really get everything. with that longer version of our two month plan, you have the best possible chance of reaching your 100+ target score.
  
  reply
  1. abdul wahid
    
    june 3, 2018
    
    hi dear magoosh test prep expert
    i hope this email finds you healthy and fresh ,
    please it would be much appreciate to send me some materials for tofel prep .
    
    reply
    1. david recine
      
      june 4, 2018
      
      hi abdul,
      
      i deleted your personal email address from your comment. i hope that’s ok. i just want to make sure your privacy is protected. 🙂
      
      as for toefl prep materials, i can give you links to many free ones on this blog, including our set of free ebooks and pdfs. and of course, we also offer free toefl flashcards. you may also want to consider a free one-week trial to magoosh toefl. that way you can sample our premium lessons and questions, and decide if you want to get the premium magoosh toefl subscription you need in order to follow our study plans.
      
      reply
    2. hedayat azimi
      
      july 13, 2020
      
      i think you are from afghanistan?
      you studied in cambridge?
      
      reply
yasin

april 30, 2017

dear all
hi
i am in learning course for take toefl test and i have about 3 mounts to studding. i don’t have regular time to go to class and i prefer self study than class. according to time i have to make schedule to practice and studding. i read some toefl resource such as delta, barons, ted videos and other source related to english and toefl. my goal is getting at last +95 score in toefl test.
i have tpo now. please guide me to make plan, schedule by consider the 4-6 hours per day time to study.

thanks all

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  april 30, 2017
  
  hi yasin,
  
  first, i have to apologize–we simply don’t have enough people working at magoosh to provide personalized study schedules for each student. we’re a very small company working to create the best self-study product possible (rather than a tutoring service), and we have thousands of students.
  
  we do, however, recognize how important using a schedule can be, and that’s why we offer a number of pre-made study schedules for guidance. i definitely recommend that you utilize one of these plans on this page, or you can use them as a base and build your own personalized schedule.
  
  i also highly recommend that you check out our subscription plans if you’re looking to self-study. if you want to get a better sense of what we have to offer, i would suggest signing up for our free 1-week toefl trial. this will allow you to see how the site works and try out a selection of lesson videos and practice questions. you should also know that if you buy a full membership, you’re protected by our 7-day money-back guarantee—contact us within a week of your purchase and we’ll give you a full refund for any reason. 🙂
  
  best of luck! 😀
  
  reply
kumar reddy

march 16, 2018

how can i approach toefl… can you please confess about this……

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  march 16, 2018
  
  hi kumar,
  
  in order to succeed on the toefl, you must use high quality study materials, get plenty of practice, and have a strong english level! i recommend that you look through these study plans carefully to get a deeper understanding of how to approach the toefl 🙂 if you are looking for high-quality and affordable study materials, check out the magoosh premium toefl program 🙂
  
  reply
aditya dash

may 6, 2018

i have planned 6 months to prepare for both gre and toefl simultaneously. is it possible? if yes, then can you provide me suitable steps to follow for preparing both?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  may 7, 2018
  
  hi aditya,
  
  thanks for reaching out to magoosh! yes, it is possible, though it will be a lot of work! we recommend that you prepare for only one test at a time. if you have six months, then the best option might be to study for the toefl for two months, and then use the remaining time to study for the gre. we generally recommend that students take the toefl before the gre.you can see our posts about how long to study for the toefl and how long to study for the gre .
  
  reply
krish

may 30, 2018

hello, i gave toefl exam 5-6 times and scored 23-24 all the times in speaking section. i need 26 in speaking section. other sections, i already got required scores. i only need to focus on speaking. i have 5 -6 weeks. how magoosh can help me to achieve my score?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  june 1, 2018
  
  hi krish,
  
  i forwarded your message to our team of tutors. they can provide you with some more information and in-depth advice…you should hear from someone (in a separate email) soon!
  
  reply
  1. abhi
    
    august 30, 2020
    
    hi
    
    can i get the same set of advice. i am also not that good when it comes to speaking.
    
    reply
    1. magoosh test prep expert
      
      november 13, 2020
      
      hi abhi, email us at [email protected] if you have questions about any of our study programs!
      
      reply
mehmet cetin

july 19, 2018

hello,
i’m going to take the toefl itp and it’s a bit different from the toefl ibt. for instance, the reading sections has 50 questions and they give you 55 minutes to answer them, therefore i’m struggling with my timing. what do you suggest me ? thank you for your response!

reply
1. david recine
  
  july 19, 2018
  
  hi mehmet,
  
  my advice is to avoid ibt-oriented study plan and guides. the toefl itp is significantly different than the toefl ibt. it’s not just the pacing that’s different; toefl itp actually has different content and question types.
  
  instead, use practice materials designed for the toefl itp itself, and practice materials designed for the toefl pbt. the pbt and itp are very similar. for more details on the itp vs the ibt, the itp/pbt similariities, and links to prep on the ets website, see the article “what is the toefl itp?”
  
  reply
mina salama

august 15, 2018

do you offer 1 on 1 tutoring sessions?

reply
1. david recine
  
  august 16, 2018
  
  hi mina,
  
  for toefl, magoosh doesn’t offer 1:1 tutoring at this time. (we only offer it for gre and gmat right now.) if you’re looking for good online toefl tutoring, i recommend you read our blog posts places to find online toefl tutoring, part 1 and part 2.
  
  reply
undrakh

august 18, 2018

i have a question. if i get magosh toefl in 1month, can i download this video lessons with audio?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  august 23, 2018
  
  hi undrakh,
  
  i’m afraid it isn’t possible to download our practice questions or video lessons and use them offline. i know this is inconvenient, and i’m really sorry about that! however, we do have plenty of materials, such as ebooks and practice question sets, that you can download and read offline. f you have any more questions about our product, feel free to reach out to our support team at [email protected] 🙂
  
  reply
sonu

august 20, 2018

hey lucus,
the application deadline for college i’m looking forward to applying for is in july 2019. in which month should i take toefl exams as i need few months to prepare?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  august 23, 2018
  
  hi sonu,
  
  it sounds like you are planning ahead, which means that you are in good shape for the admissions process! we generally recommend that students count backwards from the application deadline in order to prepare adequately for the test. first, make sure that you are clear on all of the admissions requirements for your universities. you should give yourself at least one month to focus on your application materials, 3-4 months to prepare for your admissions test (sat/act for universities) and 2-3 months to prepare for the toefl. these timelines give you some flexibility in case you have to take some extra time or retake the test. this means that you should start your toefl preparations by january so that you have plenty of time to complete all of the requirements. the toefl score is good for two years, however, so you can also take things at a more leisurely pace and begin preparing now for the test 🙂 if you’re looking for high quality and affordable test prep resources, look no further than our magoosh premium program!
  
  reply
rachel

january 9, 2019

i consider if i take toefl magoosh course for 6 months, is there any adequate plans study to learn this course day by day effectively ? or i have to take my own plan ?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  january 25, 2019
  
  hi rachel,
  
  we don’t have a 6-month daily plan, but there are a few options! you could follow our advice for how to study for the toefl in 20-30 minutes per day and add on some time for general english skill development. then, when the time for the test approaches, you can use our daily 2-month schedule. if you do become a premium magoosh student, we can help you adapt our study schedules to fit your needs 🙂
  
  reply
atiya

june 18, 2019

i had two experiences of official toefl test. i got 68 in my first shot. the second one was 70 – r: 17, l: 16, s: 21 and w: 16.

i need to get 85+. in mid october, i will take a seat for another official test. i’ve studied skills and strategies several times, but i have problem with applying them.

now, i don’t know how can i utilize my remining time on the best possible way. i do practice but i am not improving. please help me what planning best suits for me and how can i use my time for getting a good score?

many thanks, atiya

reply
1. david recine
  
  july 7, 2019
  
  hi atiya,
  
  that’s a tricky question! when you practice, but you’re not improving, it’s generally a good idea to carefully think about why that is. for example, which particular sections, question types, or skills do you find the most challenging? once you can figure out exactly which aspects of toefl are the hardest for you, you can do targeted practice in those trouble areas, and start to improve. in short, if general practice isn’t helping you, switch to practice that targets your specific weaknesses!
  
  reply
janyce gnanvi

september 10, 2019

hi,
is it possible to be prepared for both toefl and gre simultaneously?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  december 7, 2019
  
  hi janyce! yes, it is possible to prepare for both tests at the same time. more often than not, we recommend learning one test at a time. the toefl and gre are pretty different. at the very least, i would recommend focusing on one test at a time for at least a week and then switching. you don’t want to get mixed up about the question types, strategies, and formats. i would also recommend our post on studying for the toefl and gre at the same time: //www.catharsisit.com/toefl/2015/how-to-study-for-the-gre-and-the-toefl-at-the-same-time/ and a sample study schedule for doing both: //www.catharsisit.com/toefl/four-month-gre-and-toefl-combined-study-schedule/
  
  reply
daniella borges

december 30, 2019

hi, i hope you are well. i just purchased the premium toefl preparation for six months, but there is so much information, but instead pdf materials where can i find a complete simulate toefl test but updated? when do you guys are going to update the material according to the new test, launched in august 2019?. it is not very useful to use older materials although we can adapt it. it is a kind of a waste of time. it is just more efficient to have the right material. i have a hard task. i need to achieve 100 in toefl.
thanks for your attention.

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  january 24, 2020
  
  hi daniella,
  
  i’ve forwarded your request on to our team of tutors. you should hear from them very soon! keep in mind that, as a premium student, you can always send your question to us at [email protected] or by using the purple help button in your premium account!
  
  reply
pam stipanuk

june 18, 2020

i am tutoring a woman for the toefl. there is a very long story here, but she must pass all four sections of the test at the same time. she has taken this test several times. her last scores were writing: 23, speaking 23, listening 16, reading 18. she improved only slightly over the test before. she is married with two children and a very unsupportive husband, so she has limited study time. she has not been able to fully commit to any study plan we have created. any suggestions? (yes, she did try magoosh . . .)

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  january 15, 2021
  
  hi pam, if you’re still working with this student, send us an email at [email protected] and we may be able to provide some more targeted support 🙂
  
  reply
yene

october 25, 2020

from yene
how you doing guys, i hop you are doing good. i have a plane to take a toefl test and to get about 100+ to join any university without any restriction. my plane is for three month to take a toefle preparation on your number one test preparation expert.
but i have some problem whenever i am take any exam i face a stresses and i could not get what i deserved and understand that is why i have plane to extend my test and other practices for three month on your preparation plane and spending more time to familiarize the toefl , and studding your strategy how to answer. so would you advise me how to take my toefl test with none stresses to get high mark ? , is the three month time is enough to be more confident to get what i want ? , and others ?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  october 27, 2020
  
  hi yene, many students are able to prepare for the toefl in three months, but this really depends on your starting english level and how much you need to improve. this blog post might help you think this through. stress is certainly a big issue in any standardized test, and you should practice strategies that will help you to manage stress and overcome issues related to stress. the following blog posts may help you to do this:
  overcome gmat exam anxiety
  beating gmat stress
  zen boot camp for the gmat
  
  these are all from our gmat blog, but they are completely applicable to the toefl. all timed tests bring up the same issues.
  
  reply
cindy

october 26, 2020

good day,
please what strategy should be use for reading and listening, please i need a response, on my first attempt i had reading and listening a very low mark, please help me out.

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  october 27, 2020
  
  hi cindy, our study schedules are designed to bring you through all of the information you need to know for the toefl. the reading and listening sections of our blog also provide you with plenty of information to excel in these sections 🙂
  
  reply
maya

february 17, 2021

hello,

in the documents you have shared with plans for one month or 2 months studies!
links are not valid anymore!

can you please update the documents?

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  february 17, 2021
  hi maya,
  
  i double-checked the links to our one-month and two-month study schedules. they seem to be working fine now. 🙂
  
  two-month toefl study schedule
  
  one-month toefl study schedule
  
  if it doesn’t work, perhaps try clearing your browser cache. i hope that works!
  reply
grace

march 18, 2021

well i m willing to study toefl alot here in magoosh but its require me to join too, but unluckily i just end up turning back because i dont even have an fee to join the problem.

reply
1. magoosh test prep expert
  
  march 26, 2021
  
  hi grace, we have tons of free toefl resources and advice here on our toefl blog. however, it is true that our study guides were made to be used in conjunction with one of our premium plans and study products. if you’d like to discuss our plans and fees with someone at magoosh, be sure to write to us at [email protected] and we’ll be glad to discuss options. 🙂
  
  reply