Got 107 TOEFL® score and ... disappointed a little.

[Parabellum]

The test was on 18th of January.
Results:
R – 28 ( expected 22-26 )
L – 28 ( expected 29-30 )
S – 24 ( expected 26-28 )
W – 27 ( expected 27)

What can I say? I’m totally disappointed with the speaking section. I know that this part of the test is hard to judge, but still I think I did pretty well here. The tasks seemed easy for me. I was able to remember most important things and I’m sure I didn’t make too many mistakes. I don’t want to say that I speak perfectly English, but I really can’t understand their standards of appreciation. I think this part of the test is quite subjective, and probably they try to cut points on every minor mistake. As a lot of people need a good score in this section, I suppose they make the evaluation unfair and maybe with some profit purpose. I saw people here rescoring this part 5 or even 8 times. I don’t need any particular score in this section, so I don’t intend to rescore it, but still felt unhappy with the result.
The reading section was the only good surprise for me. I messed up a lot in this part. The first passage was so complicated, and I was a little nervous, so after I read it in the beginning I couldn’t remember anything. It was about Chinese and Japanese art history. The language was horrible, with words that I probably don’t know in my native language. I couldn’t answer the last question, and I just guessed a lot of questions. After that I changed my tactics and started to answer questions without reading the passages in the beginning. The other 2 passages were also quite difficult, but not as much as the first one. Still, in the end was short timed and answered the last 5-6 question in less than 2 minutes. The only thing that helped me were the last 2 passages. Those were quite easy, comparing to the first 3.
Listening went well. The conversations and lectures weren’t difficult at all. I thought I could get a perfect score here, but….
Writing was not as good as I wanted. In the end I was so tired and stressed, that couldn’t show my best in this section. My thoughts were far away. The first essay was not bad though. The second one was a little worse, so 27 score was fair enough for me. Have no complaints here.

Overall, I can say that I could get easily 110 and even more on a good day. I didn’t prepare too much for the test, maybe 3 weeks, 2-3 hours a day, but I have a good background in English. I studied it at school, at English courses and spent my last summer in USA. Actually, it’s not a test of English language but it is a test were a person must show many qualities, such as: very good memory, logical thinking, attention, concentration, be mentally strong and confident.

Good luck to all of you!

[SkiIucK]

A very good score indeed. For me 100-102 is tops, I think. What was the topic you had to write about? By the way, how old are you?

[Parabellum]

I'm 23.
I think you underestimate yourself. If you have a good level of English you can break the 105 or even 110 score. As i mentioned there are a lot of other factors in succeeding in this test.

About the essay topic. It was smth. about motivation and if people really need to be always busy doing smth.(job, home tasks, projects etc.) in order to be motivated. But I'm not sure about it:) Sorry, was too stressed and tired after the test, don't remember too much now.

[SkiIucK]

Okay, thanks. Good to know.

[Fragola]

I suppose I took TOEFL on the same day (18/01/2008, in Croatia), and I still remember how terrified I was reading the first passage about Japanese and Chinese Art...
I was expecting lower score in reading and speaking section, so, in the end, I am more than satisfied with my score (111):
R - 29
L - 29
S - 26
W - 27
Total: 111

This was my first TOEFL test, and I spend only 2 weeks preparing for it...
Although the test was much easier than expected (and my score is much better than I thought it would be!!), I still think it was the worst experience ever (I can't remember if I had ever been so exhausted as after that test)...

Anyway, good luck to all test takers

[SkiIucK]

You two, guys/lass/, are close to insanity... such incredible test results are rarely observed.

[Fragola]

Oh, and the topic for the essay was something like...

"Do you think that, in order to be happy in their lives, people have to do things (study, work) which are challenging and sometimes cause lots of problems (or, on the other hand, people who chose only simple and easy tasks are much happier?"

Of course, this is my interpretation, as i can't remember exactly the topic...

Hope this helps

[Parabellum]

Yes, fragola, you a right with the essay topic. I simply forgot it, but I remember I was writing smth. about motivation ("challenging" in my mind at that moment associated in meaning with motivation:)). And indeed after the test I felt absolutely exhausted (it was about 4,5 hours long).

PS: By the way, fragola, congratulations with the excellent score:)!

[Khongoroo]

i took the test on 19th of January,But still no result. I can not see from online..Today is the 12th of January. what has happened with my score report?
anyone had this problem???

[Parabellum]

[Khongoroo]

i see, but other students result have been already come. So for me little bit strange...
anyway thanks,
Congratulations!

[Wang90]

i'm new here and i just took the test a week ago, 9th feb to be exact and i think i messed up quite a lot, especially in the reading and the writing parts. i just wanted to ask some opinions about my writing part. coz in the integrated writing part i kind of did some stupid thing. for example there is a sentence: "i give this letter to jim"
and on the contrary i write it: "i give this letter to kevin"
i'm afraid that this kind of error might have made my examiner a misconception and a thought that i might not understand the question completely, which is wrong because i understand the question completely.
thank you for the help

[Wang90]

and i wanted to know if perhaps some of you thought that you had done the test badly or terribly, but the result however had proven to be otherwise.
because i kind of have that kind of feeling. and i've read some replies in this web and some people wrote that their results were far better from their own predictions...^^

[Khongoroo]

[Parabellum]