Canada is the hub of master’s education for students across the world. It offers supreme quality exposure to the students in terms of research-based learning. The two most popular examinations to test English language skills for the purpose of education out of the country are TOEFL and IELTS. Both of these examinations are accepted by some of the most notable universities globally. Students need to get a good grade in these so that they can move outside the country for the purpose of education and work. Both of these examinations are unique in their ways and have significant value. Read on to know more about entrance examinations and how to prepare for them so that you can get into the college of your choice. GMAT and GRE are also important if you want to study in Canada.
- TOEFL
TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language and is an English language proficiency exam produced by the ETS, which is the same organization that develops the GRE examination and several other tests. The test is conducted in both online and offline modes. The test lasts for 3.5 hours and contains four sections. These are reading, listening, writing, and speaking. You get a score between 0 to 30 for each section. These scores are then added at the end, and you receive a score between 0 to 120. The reading section contains 35 to 40 questions that need to be completed within a time frame of 60 to 80 minutes. In total, the reading section contains 3 to 4 university-level passages that must be answered questions about. The listening test contains 34 to 51 questions that need to be answered within a time frame of 60 to 80 minutes. The section contains approximately 4 to 5 recordings that are followed by a set of questions. These recordings are based on daily life conversations, and the questions based on these are usually multiple-choice questions. The speaking section contains six parts that must be completed within 20 minutes. The first two tasks out of these are individual tasks based on your ideas and opinions; however the last two tasks are integrated ones. The writing section contains two tasks that need to be completed within 50 minutes. The section contains two separate tasks. One is the independent writing one, and the other is based on integrated writing. Over 9000 institutions in the world accept the scores you get in TOEFL. Most of the schools in the United States prefer scores in TOEFL as compared to IELTS.
How to prepare?
A lot of students don’t take the exam seriously and start their preparation only a few days before their TOEFL exam. This should be changed. Start your preparation earlier so that some of the load is reduced. Try to read as much as you can before your examination so that you score better marks. You can take help from online lessons or books so that you can boost your grammar knowledge. Try to understand the concepts. Make sure that you write all your doubts in one place and then get them cleared. Try to write in neat and legible handwriting as representations matter too. Make use of paragraphs and spacings so that your answer looks well drafted.
- IELTS
IELTS stands for International English Language Testing System is another English language proficiency exam that is jointly conducted by the British Council and IDP. The exam has two versions- academic and general training. IELTS academics are considered for education purposes, whereas IELTS general training is used for work experience. The total time of the examination is 2 hours and 45 minutes. It has foursections. These are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. You get a score between 0 to 9 for every score. The overall score is an average of the four scores you get in the four sections and lies between 0 to 9. The listening section contains 40 questions that need to be completed within 30 minutes. After every recording, you have to complete ten questions. The reading section has 40 questions based on three passages that need to be completed within a time frame of 60 minutes. The writing section contains two tasks that should be completed within 60 minutes. For task 1, you need to describe a piece of visual information, and in the second task, you need to present a point of view in an argument. The speaking section contains three tasks that should be completed within 11 to 15 minutes. The test is acceptable in 13000 institutions across the world. It has a higher acceptability rate.
How to prepare?
Preparing for IELTS takes less than a month if you are given 2 hours a day. Reading can help you identify the use of language to depict or illustrate situations and characters beautifully. This skill is extremely important while writing articles, debates, stories, or reports during the examination. If you start reading more, you will be able to think more creatively. You can then put those thoughts in words and frame your content around them. Your ability to think creatively will get you higher marks in your examination because innovation is always preferred. It will not only improve your vocabulary but also help you write simpler yet perfect answers. Most students tend to ignore the grammar lessons since they are tough. You must face your fears and work on your weaknesses. Try to focus more on grammar lessons since they are needed while you write your answers. Incorrect grammar in answers makes you lose marks. Put in some extensive work to improve your writing skills, as this section carries the most marks. Try to practice the formats used in different sections of writing skills as students tend to forget the layout. Devote time to sections such as letter writing, notice writing, and report writing as these are easy to score. Studies suggest that a lot of students are unable to complete their exam papers within duration because of their inefficiency in managing time appropriately. Try to reduce your sleeping hours from 8 to 6.5. Use that 1.5 hours judiciously to learn or revise something. Invest lots of time in self-study and making notes. This will not only help in saving time but also improve your understanding of the concepts. Try to study for more than 8 hours a day if you wish to score good marks in examinations. Give equal time to all types of questions and leave nothing.
Conclusion:
With these simple yet helpful tips, you will score higher and better marks in your examination. Of course, you might feel anxious before the exam, which is quite natural since examinations do scare you, but the most important thing is to trust your study method, and you will be able to deal with everything. All the best!
Author Bio
Author Bio: Abhyank Srinet is a passionate digital entrepreneur who holds a Masters in Management degree from ESCP Europe. He started his first company while still studying at ESCP and managed to scale it up by 400% in just two years.
Being a B-School Alumni, he recognized the need for a one-stop solution for B-School to get in touch with schools and get their application queries resolved. This prompted him to create MiM-Essay, a one-of-a-kind portal with cutting-edge profile evaluation and school selection algorithms, along with several avenues to stay informed about the latest B-School Updates.
