Hi, Are you looking for the some best TOEFL books to help prepare you for the test and boost your score? Look no further. Here are our reviews and list of the top 10 best TOEFL preparation books for 2016-2017, along with reviews.
Although any of these recommended TOEFL study guides (often misspelled as “TOFEL”) would be an excellent choice, see for yourself which guide meets your particular needs best.
Here are the list and reviews of top 10 best TOEFL iBT books for 2016.
1. The Official Guide to the TOEFL Test
There are three good things about the Official Gide:
1. It has the most truthful description of what you see on the TOEFL iBT
2. The practice sets at the ends of the chapters
3. The three practice tests on CD (and in the back of the book)
But none of it is perfect, oddly. The description of the test comes with almost no strategy or advice. For example, there is nothing about skipping a text in the reading section or looking at the first question before you start reading. Also, there aren’t very many practice sets for some question types, such as speaking. And one of the practice tests in the back is old and imperfect, from just after ETS had started making iBT, before they made small adjustments to the format. Even the CD is imperfect—the software is not exactly the same as software you’ll use on test day, although it is similar.
But there is still no better way to get realistic practice tests for a low price, and especially to get them on the computer, like a real TOEFL iBT.
Having the “real” questions gives students an accurate sense of the level of difficulty and what is actually expected of them on the day of the test. Finally, the book concludes with a helpful section at the end, the “Writer’s Handbook,” that explains basic English language principles.
Overall, this is a great choice for TOEFL preparation, although test-takers are well advised to supplement the guide with other study aids that contain additional model exams.
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2. Cambridge Preparation for the TOEFL Test
Cambridge University Press is among the leading publishers with a comprehensive TOEFL book on the market. This latest edition, published in 2014, contains access to online TOEFL practice tests.
The package offers a large variety of skill-building exercises and progress checks designed to help improve grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and test study skills. Additionally, Cambridge now offers four practice tests that are contained in the book. The book, via an access code, also provides access to online practice tests (including the tests from the book plus an additional set of three practice tests). The online tests closely simulate the TOEFL iBT’s actual computerized format that you encounter in a test center and even generate a score, both of which are great tools for test-takers. Cambridge also offers a separate listening program with a set of audio CD-ROMs.
This is an old favorite of mine. Cambridge has two major advantages:
1. There are seven full-length tests on the included CD, and they’re even more similar to the real TOEFL software than is the software on the Official Guide CD.
2. In the book itself, there are hundreds of pages of skill-building materials.
No other book focuses on TOEFL-specific skills like Cambridge does. Take, for example, the process of writing a full essay paragraph. First, you need a main point. Cambridge has an exercise for that. Then, you need an explanation of that point, preferably with specific details. Cambridge has an exercise for that, too. Then, you need a transition into another detail. There’s an exercise for that, of course. If the Complete Guide is “step-by-step,” Cambridge is “step-by-step-by-step.” The skills you need for the TOEFL are broken downincredibly thoroughly.
There are two clear flaws, though:
1. Some practice material is too difficult, and not well written.
2. In order to use half of the skill-build...
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Manya, Admission Counsultant for Overseas Education
Written Feb 5, 2015
Hi,
I work as admissions consultant with Manya Abroad - The Princeton Review and am writing the answer based on my experience of working with a number of students for TOEFL.
You can take a look on the link below to know some of the tips to prepare well for TOEFL.
IBT TOEFL Registration: Prepare for TOEFL Exam
You can also appear for a simulated TOEFL at our center and get a detailed score analysis with feedback from our trainers for free. You can also appear for a free demo class.Get details on the link below:
IBT TOEFL Registration: Prepare for TOEFL Exam
Hope this helps.Let me know if you need any further assistance regarding your TOEFL preparation and I would be happy to help.
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