Activity: Complete the Final Preparations worksheet.
You are in control of your mind and body; you are in charge of test anxiety, your preparation, and your test-taking strategies. Now it is time to take charge of external factors, like the testing site and the materials you need to take the exam.
Find Out Where the Test Is and Make a Trial Run
The testing agency will notify you when and where your exam is being held. Do you know how to get to the testing site? Do you know how long it will take to get there? If not, make a trial run, preferably on the same day of the week at the same time of day. Make note, on the Final Preparations worksheet on page 23, of the amount of time it will take you to get to the exam site. Plan on arriving at least 10 or 15 minutes early so you can get the lay of the land, use the bath- room, and calm down. Then figure out how early you will have to get up that morning, and make sure you get up that early every day for a week before the exam.
Gather Your Materials
The night before the exam, lay out the clothes you will wear and the materials you have to bring with got right is significantly lower than one-fourth of
the number you guessed on, you would be safe in guessing anyway, but maybe you would feel more comfortable if you guessed only selec- tively, when you can eliminate a wrong answer or
at least have a good feeling about one of the an- swer choices.
Remember, even if you are a play-it-safe person with lousy intuition, you are still safe guessing every time.
you to the exam. Plan on dressing in layers; you won’t have any control over the temperature of the exami- nation room. Have a sweater or jacket you can take off if it is warm. Use the checklist on the Final Prepa- rations worksheet on page 23 to help you pull to- gether what you will need.
Don’t Skip Breakfast
Even if you don’t usually eat breakfast, do so on exam morning. A cup of coffee doesn’t count. Don’t eat doughnuts or other sweet foods, either. A sugar high will leave you with a sugar low in the middle of the exam. A mix of protein and complex carbo- hydrates is best: Cereal with milk, or eggs with whole-grain toast, will do your body a world of good.
Step 10: Do It!
Activity: Prove your TOEIC skills!
Fast forward to exam day. You are ready. You made a study plan and followed through. You practiced your test-taking strategies while working through this book. You are in control of your physical, mental, and emotional states. You know when and where to show up and what to bring with you. In other words, you are better prepared than most of the other people taking the TOEIC with you. You are psyched.
Just one more thing. . . . When you are done with the exam, you deserve a reward. Plan a celebra- tion. Call your friends and plan a party, or have a nice dinner for two—whatever your heart desires. Give yourself something to look forward to.
And then do it. Go into the exam, full of confi- dence, armed with test-taking strategies you have prac- ticed until they are second nature. You are in control of yourself, your environment, and your performance on the exam. You are ready to succeed. So do it. Go in there and ace the exam. And look forward to TOEIC!
Getting to the Exam Site
Location of exam site: ________________________________________________________________________
Date: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Departure time: _____________________________________________________________________________
Do I know how to get to the exam site? Yes ____ No ____ (If no, make a trial run.)
Time it will take to get to exam site ____________________________________________________________
Things to Lay Out the Night Before
Clothes I will wear ______
Sweater/jacket ______
Watch ______
Photo ID ______
Four #2 pencils ______
Other Things to Bring/Remember
____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
Schedule A: The 30-Day Plan
If you have at least a month before you take the TOEIC, you have plenty of time to prepare—as long as you don’t waste it! If you have less than a month, turn to Schedule B.
TIME PREPARATION
Days 1–2 Skim over written materials about the TOEIC. Go to the ETS website for answers to commonly asked questions. Read Chapter 1.
Day 3 Take the diagnostic exam in Chapter 3.
Day 4 Score the diagnostic exam. Based on this exam, identify your strongest and weakest areas.
Days 5–6 Read Chapter 4, Listening Comprehension Review.
Day 7 Complete the practice questions in Chapter 4. Review your answers.
Days 8–9 Read Chapter 5, Reading Comprehension Review.
Day 10 Complete the practice questions in Chapter 5. Review your answers.
Days 11–12 Read Chapter 6, Speaking Review.
Day 13 Complete the practice questions in Chapter 6. Review your answers.
Days 14–15 Read Chapter 7, Writing Review.
Day 16 Complete the practice questions in Chapter 7. Review your answers.
Days 17–19 Take Practice Exam 1. Score yourself and review any questions you missed.
Days 20–22 Take Practice Exam 2. Review your answers.
Days 23–25 Take Practice Exam 3. Look closely at the answer explanations.
Days 26–28 Complete the online practice test. Review your instant score feedback.
Day 29 Review any areas you are still weak in.
Day before Relax. Do something unrelated to the exam and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
the exam
Schedule B: The 10-Day Plan
If you have two weeks or less before you take the exam, you may have your work cut out for you. Use this 10-day schedule to help you make the most of your time.
TIME PREPARATION
Day 1 Read Chapter 1. Take the diagnostic exam in Chapter 3 and score it using the answer key at the end.
Identify which skill areas need the most work, based on your exam score.
Day 2 Read through Chapter 4, Listening Comprehension Review, and Chapter 5, Reading Comprehension Review. Take both practice question sets and score yourself.
Day 3 Read through Chapter 6, Speaking Review, and Chapter 7, Writing Review. Complete all practice questions and look at the answer explanations.
Day 4 Take the first practice exam in Chapter 8 and score it.
Day 5 If your score on the first practice exam shows weaknesses on the four areas you studied, review them.
Day 6 Take the second practice exam in Chapter 9 and score it. Review all questions that you missed.
Day 7 Take the third practice exam in Chapter 10 and score yourself.
Day 8 Review any areas that you are not entirely comfortable with.
Day 9 Take the online practice exam and review your instant score feedback.
Day 10 Use your last study day to brush up on any areas that are still giving you trouble.
Day before Relax. Do something unrelated to the exam and go to bed at a reasonable hour.
the exam