15 Reasons Why Students Fail the TOEFL Test/Exam
The test of English as a foreign language can be very complicated and difficult for most students to pass. This is because certain crucial factors are ignored or overlooked. Student failure on the TOEFL test can be attributed to a myriad of factors including;
1. Poor planning/preparation: Many students generally do not adequately prepare for the TOEFL test. If you ask them why, they’ll be quick to defend themselves, telling you that the TOEFL isn’t much of a thing but just an English test, especially those who have spent the better part of their academic lives receiving classroom lectures and teaching in English. It is very common to hear reckless answers like this, because most of them are unaware of the content and structure of the TOEFL test. It is not surprising that students in this category fail on the exam and end up failing the exam.
2. Defective/weak background in classroom English language learning/studies: Because the English language is not the native language (mother tongue) of most foreign students, there is a high chance that they do not have a solid and solid foundation in the rudiments. of the English language. Such a weak foundation will definitely reflect on the student’s performance on the exam, especially in the speaking and writing sections.
3. Inconsistent communication skills in the English language: A large number of foreign students often experience difficulties in expressing themselves. Most of the time they are unable to express their personal ideas clearly and coherently in spoken/verbal English. When they do speak, it is with great difficulty and there are often many noticeable distortions in their statements and sentences. This can be very embarrassing, especially when your recorded speeches need to be played back for test raters. Your diction and accent can also be a big hindrance.
4. Punctuation Issues: These issues come up during the writing section. Many candidates do not know how or when to apply paragraphs, commas, quotation marks, question marks, capital letters, etc. Test raters are easily discouraged and turned off when faced with poorly scored essays. It is like if you are driving a beat up car on a bumpy road, the experience will definitely not be pleasant.
5. Inability to get familiar with the QWERTY keyboard and lack of proper understanding of its layout and structure: The QWERTY keyboard is an important hardware device used for the TOEFL exam; a student unfamiliar with it might have difficulty writing. Such students will waste much of their time trying to find alphabets on the keyboard. As most students know, the TOEFL test clock/timer will continue to tick and this will eventually affect the student’s composition and response submission in the writing section.
6. Technical issues that sometimes arise in Test Centers: Instances of poor management/maintenance of facilities and equipment by Test Center Owners/Managers (TCA) have been reported. We have heard and seen cases of malfunctioning computer systems, faulty headphones and microphones, abrupt power outages, Internet server failures due to unreliable Internet service providers or bad weather, among other problems. Problems like this, more often than not, tarnish the morale, self-confidence, and enthusiasm of the examinees.
7. Unnecessary apprehension: Some students, due to the nature of their training and the environment in which they find themselves, are not inclined to the computer hardware and the technology behind its operation, so on the day of the exam they are confused regarding the use of computer systems. These students often have difficulty navigating the test screen. This kind of feeling plunges them into a state of anxiety.
8. Poor test/exam time management: Good time management is required of a serious test taker. The TOEFL test has a time limit, so each test taker should be aware of this and work to finish within the allotted time for the test. Unnecessary slowness must be dispelled. The TOEFL test requires intelligence and alertness.
9. Careless and carefree attitude of students towards the test: It is very important that all TOEFL test takers plan seriously for the day of the test. Do not set an important appointment for this day. Arriving late to the center is not recommended as it could jeopardize your chances of getting a high score on the test. If you must take a long trip to the test center, allow enough time to arrive at the test center early. Most students who arrive at their test centers after the scheduled time or registration time often find it difficult to settle in for their exams.
10. Test phobia caused by sad stories and ugly experiences from previous test takers: Many lazy students have been told overtime how difficult and demanding the TOEFL test can be and these unpleasant stories stick in their minds and brains. The implication of this is that students become disoriented towards the exam and this will negatively affect their performance on exam day.
11. Refusing to attend a coaching/coaching class: It is never enough for students to prepare themselves for the TOEFL test. Experience over the years has shown that students who attend training/coaching classes perform better than their counterparts who study on their own. They say experience is the best teacher, so why not create time to get mentored by tutors who can help you develop intellectually and succeed on the test?
12. Inability of students to deal fully with past experiences of failing exams/tests: Students who fail a standardized test at some point in their lives are likely to think poorly of themselves when they are required to write again. Just because you failed once doesn’t make you a failure, it just gives you an opportunity to learn better and do better in future tests.
13. Ignorance: Some students fail their TOEFL tests because they are ignorant. They are unaware of the vital information that abounds around them because they do not do thorough and extensive research on the test for which they intend to sit. This is terrible considering the number of TOEFL test forums and other relevant discussions that are available 24/7 on the internet. There are a lot of TOEFL test preparation materials available for free on the internet, try to take advantage of that opportunity.
14. Lack of willingness/enthusiasm to succeed on the test/exam: For some students, the necessary willingness and enthusiasm to push themselves to succeed on their exams is lacking. This could be caused by illness, family problems, poverty, indecision, emotional stress, and many more.
15. Overconfidence: As much as this may not seem like a real problem, the truth is that it has caused several intelligent students to fail in their academic pursuits. Try to approach the exam with some level of humility and self-confidence, also don’t gloat or brag until your results are in. Overconfidence in students is not encouraged, rather self-confidence is the key to success.
As a professional academic consultant, I recommend that potential TOEFL test take and retake candidates give serious consideration to the above points so that they can prepare well for their TOEFL exams/tests and achieve high scores. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Best of luck!!!
See you at the top soon.