Don’t be too hasty to put on your headphones!
As you may have noticed, this post is focused on the listening section. The first thing that you have to know is at what time this section appears. Remember that the first section of the TOEFL is the Reading section, and also remember that at the half of the test you are going to be given a short break. Well, the listening section is located in between the reading section and the break. This means that this is the second part of the TOEFL.
Once you finish your writing section, make sure you have 3 clean sheets of note-paper and a sharp pencil. Don’t even hesitate to start the listening section without these tools.
“I got it, I got it, this will be quick”
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. The listening section is divided into 2 sets. You may get an extra experimental section so you will have to listen to 3 sets. Please don’t give for granted that the third section is the experimental one, this is not always true. So, do not be sluggish and do your best in all of the three sets.
Each set is divided into 3 main parts:
Conversation: A man speaking to a woman between 3 and 5 minutes (such an unsual situation). 5 Questions.
Lecture: A professor delivering a 4-6 min speech. 6 Questions.
Discussion: A professor interacting with students for 4-6 minutes. 6 Questions.
So, as you can easily realize (actually, not so easily), you have about 10 minutes to answer 17 questions in one set. Fair enough right? Remember that you will have to listen to another set, and if you are lucky you will also get an extra experimental set. I personally don’t recommed to remember specific times for each part (conversation, lecture, discussion). Ensure that you spend about 3 minutes in each part and you will nail it.
Try to be in question 9 of the set when the clock strikes 5 minutes.
This post was just an introduction and a general breakdown of the listening section. If you found this helpful, you may want to check out the second part on listening tips where I discuss some strategies to effectively take notes. Don’t forget to recommend!
