Getting a TOEFL iBT score of 100 or better is no easy feat, especially because it not only requires great English but also an in-depth understanding of what ETS wants to see in each question type, as well as techniques that help you deal with time pressure, listen actively, speak constructively, and write precisely. Here we provide you with an extensive and detailed TOEFL strategy for scoring 100 or higher on 2025's test.

This is neither a generic English learning guide nor an overall TOEFL preparation strategy guide; rather, it is a very specific technique guide which focuses on helping you get ready for taking your TOEFL test. Whether you need to increase your TOEFL score from a diagnostic score of 75 or you wish to raise it to 100-110, all the following strategies can definitely be helpful.

Prior to Starting: The Most Crucial Strategic Choice

Prior to creating a strategy per section, make sure you do an overall diagnostic test. Try taking any of the two free diagnostics on ets.org/toefl, provided by ETS. Make sure you do the test in an exam-like setting at the same time of the day that your actual test will be taken at. Avoid checking any answers before doing all four sections.

The results of your diagnostic test indicate where you stand in each section. For instance, if you get a 22 in Reading but a 16 in Speaking, allocating your preparation hours evenly to all four sections will likely result in inefficiency. Allocating 70% of your study hours to improving your weaknesses and 30% to maintain your strengths will almost always work out better.

TOEFL Reading Technique: Achieve 25 Points Plus in 35 Minutes

Preview the Question Before Reading the Paragraph

This is arguably the most influential shift you can make in your TOEFL Reading test preparation. When reading through paragraphs on the exam, do not simply start reading. Instead, take a quick glance at the associated question first. In doing so, your brain gets an objective filter. Rather than wasting time reading through the whole paragraph and going back to find the answer, you get it the first time around.

First Sentence of Each Paragraph: Your Reading Guide

Textbook writers and other academics generally put the controlling idea of each paragraph into the very first sentence, the topic sentence. Take it in actively and closely. Then utilize the paragraph as and when required, going back to it only when your questions lead you to that exact place in the paragraph. This approach saves you a lot of time in reading.

Use 17 Minutes Per Passage Instead of 35 Minutes Total

Many students allocate 35 minutes for the entire test and forget about time while working on the first passage. However, approach each passage separately as a 17-minute problem. While reading each passage, spend about 7 minutes on that passage and 1 minute per question within that passage. If you are unable to solve any particular problem within 60-70 seconds, guess the answer and skip that problem.

Prose Summary and Table Questions Are Your Best Bang-for-the-Buck Questions

The Prose Summary questions are worth 2 points each, while the Table questions are worth 3 to 4 points each. If a student answers these correctly every time, he or she will be able to afford missing some of the one-point questions. These questions evaluate how well you comprehend the overall organization of the passage, not the details. Ignore the answer choices that are overly narrow, overly broad, or contradicted by the information in the passage.

Get Rid of Inference Questions Traps

Inference questions represent the questions which students tend to make mistakes on the most often in the TOEFL Reading Section. ETS creates traps, which are logical and plausible, however cannot be proved based on the information in the text. Each inference question has its evidence in the passage, therefore each time you cannot trace your answer to any evidence, do not choose it.

TOEFL Listening Tip: Score 25 Plus in 36 Minutes

Create a Personal Method of Taking Notes before Exam Day

Since you can take notes in the Listening portion, and your notes will be the key to getting your answers right, you must have a method of taking notes that is quick, organized, and legible. Create your own set of symbols and abbreviations before taking the exam. For instance, you could use an arrow to indicate causation, a hyphen to show contrast, a circle to define terms, and an asterisk to emphasize key points.

Look for Transition Words and Highlight Them in Your Notes

ETS always constructs test questions based on the concepts that speakers hint at using transition words. Words such as “however,” “on the other hand,” “most importantly,” “the main concept here,” “in contrast,” and “surprisingly reliable” indicate the concepts that ETS will test in the exam. Whenever you hear transition words, mark an asterisk or underline that note.

Speaker’s Attitude, not Only the Information

The other most common type of questions in Listening section focuses on the attitude of the speaker, his/her tone, and how certain he/she is about the information. The ETS uses phrases such as it appears, it seems possible, one might argue, and arguably to show that the speaker is unsure or qualifies his/her statements. When the speaker uses emphatic stress or repeats some information, it indicates that it is significant.

Make the Lectures Your Focus When It Comes to Attention and Notetaking

Three lectures in Listening are more difficult, more complicated, and are of greater value than two conversations in campus life. Make sure that you give your complete attention to the lectures. The scripts of all campus conversations are fairly predictable; usually there is some kind of problem, either academic or administrative, that needs resolving on the part of the student.

Daily Listening Practice Routine

The most beneficial daily practice for TOEFL Listening is neither TOEFL Listening questions nor even TOEFL Listening lessons. Instead, what works best is listening actively to any kind of academic audio content, while taking notes and recalling the information heard. In each session, listen to an 8-10-minute-long video from TED-Ed, CrashCourse or Khan Academy on a subject matter unrelated to your area of study. As soon as you finish the clip, write down five bullets about the key points of the video.

TOEFL Speaking Tip: Get 24+ in All 4 Tasks of Speaking

Structure Counts More than Accent

This is one of the most critical tips for Indian candidates writing the TOEFL Speaking test. Raters evaluate Speaking tasks according to Delivery, Language Use, and Topic Development, but not Accent. Whether you have an Indian, American, or British accent doesn't matter in terms of scoring. An organised, coherent, and paced answer always gets higher marks than a natural but poorly organized answer.

Structure for Task 1: Position Statement, First Argument with Example, Second Argument, Conclusion

In completing Task 1, it would be most appropriate to follow this structure: first, one sentence clearly defining your position; then two to three sentences supporting the first reason, along with an example; two sentences providing the second reason; and finally, one sentence summarizing your answer. This way, you will be able to answer within the required time of 45 seconds and cover all three elements that are being assessed.

Integrated Tasks: Observe the Order of the Prompt

In Task 2, 3, and 4, don’t change the order of the information provided either by listening or reading. Observe the order of the prompt. In Task 2, state the introduction of the announcement, then mention the role of the speaker, and state Reason 1, then state Reason 2. In Task 3, provide the definition of the concept taken from the text, provide an example used in the lecture and explain how the example is connected to the definition of the concept.

Record Your Speech Every Day

Oral fluency is a skill that requires physical practice, which cannot be achieved by reading books about how to speak. It would be best to record yourself answering the questions from Task 1 every day. You can use your cell phone for it. Then you should immediately listen to your speech critically. Notice all filler words like um, uh, you know, and like. Count the number of pauses. Assess if you finished the task on time. It will help you improve your speaking skills, but you need to do it regularly. Those who do so become more fluent faster than others.

TOEFL Writing Strategy: Get 24+ in Both Parts

Writing Task 1 (Integrated): Explain How the Lecture Contradicts the Reading Passage

The lecture in TOEFL’s Writing Task 1 will usually disagree, complicate, or challenge at least three claims stated in the reading passage. The structure of your essay must replicate this pattern accurately. In paragraph 1, establish the connection between both texts by explaining how the lecture disagrees with the claims presented in the reading. Paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 should each focus on a different claim mentioned in the reading and explain the related point raised in the lecture. Avoid expressing your personal views on the issue.

Academic Discussion: Offer an Original Perspective

The prompt itself makes clear that originality is valued in the response. ETS graders look for statements that paraphrase the views expressed by the two students and award less points to such answers. It is important to read what the two students say before formulating a response, as the purpose will be to add something new to the discussion. Start off by stating your view, supporting it with a concrete example. Then relate your answer to one of the students' perspectives, adding a layer to their thoughts. 130-150 words would be ideal.

The 8-Week TOEFL Preparation Program

•   This preparation program by CATKing is designed to help students who aim at getting more than 100 TOEFL points. This eight-week preparation program is organized based on diagnostic data, section-based skills and gradual increase in mock test intensity.

•   Weeks 1 - 2 (Foundational and Diagnostic): Complete one full-length non-timed practice test from an official source of ETS. Identify section-wise strengths and weaknesses. Read two academic articles daily (Scientific American, The Economist or its equivalent). Watch one academic video daily and write down notes using bullets. Learn fifteen words from Academic Word List daily. Create a recording of your voice speaking on any topic between 45 seconds and 1 minute.

•   Weeks 3-4 (Section-wise Deep Dive Sessions): Monday & Tuesday – Two timed reading sections, followed by a thorough review. Wednesday & Thursday – One timed listening section, accompanied by structured note-taking review. Friday – All four speaking tasks using templates, recorded and reviewed. Saturday – One timed integrated writing task, along with one academic discussion. Sunday – Error log review and identifying your top three errors.

•   Weeks 5-6 (Mock Test Sessions): One timed mock test each Saturday under exam-like conditions. Error log analysis each Sunday. Speaking - Evaluate yourself against the rubric. Writing - Peer or mentor review for both writing tasks.

•   Weeks 7-8 (Intensive Simulation): Three full mocks within two weeks. Start each mock at the same time as your exam. Spend 20 minutes each morning revisiting your top three errors. Speaking template must be memorized. Last week: one practice test, then 2 days' complete rest.

Free Resources that will Help Your TOEFL Strategy

• ETS Official Practice Tests (ets.org/toefl): The two free practice tests are absolutely necessary to take.

• Notefull on YouTube: Best place for free speaking templates and listening tips.

• TST Prep TOEFL on YouTube: Good for writing and listening advice.

• Khan Academy Academic Vocabulary: Free vocabulary practice exercises using AWL.

• CATKing TOEFL Prep: 10 full practice tests, writing and speaking feedback by experts, comprehensive 8-week schedule. Begin your free trial at CATKing now!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Q1: What is the most critical initial step to take during TOEFL prep?

Answer: Taking a complete diagnostic exam.

Q2: What would you advise regarding the Reading section?

Answer: Don't try to understand the entire passage at once; rather, read the first question and find the corresponding information in the passage. This method, called the objective filter, will help save time and improve results.

Q3: What is the most efficient way to achieve maximum marks in the Speaking section?

Answer: Prepare and memorise some templates for answering questions and delivering answers based on them. This technique will help to reduce the load on the brain and improve the quality of performance.

Q4: Do you have any recommendations for a preparation schedule?

Answer: Yes, an 8-week TOEFL prep is highly recommended. During the first two weeks, you should master the basics; weeks three and four are meant for the section-by-section in-depth study; the last four weeks are dedicated to intensive mock tests.

Q5: Which free online resources would you recommend for developing the right strategy for taking each part of TOEFL?

Answer: ETS Official Practice Tests, Notefull, TST Prep, and Khan Academy are all valuable resources.