Isolate¹ your weak points 5

After you have been studying the TOEIC for a while, you will find out which parts give you the most trouble. You might want to change how you divide your time. There are certain grammar points that many students have trouble with. If you are taking a TOEIC class, ask your teacher to bring in extra homework help on problems like these. If you are studying by yourself, find a good reference² book in the library and look up your question. There may also be help on the Internet. For example, type "gerunds" into a search engine and you will probably find a useful exercise.

　　Eliminate distractors

In every TOEIC question, there are at least two distractors (wrong answers that the test writer uses to trick you). It is much easier to choose the correct answer when you have only two to choose from. (The third choice is often impossible and easy to spot.) There are many types of distractors such as, similar sounds, homonyms, repeated words, etc. As you study, make yourself a list of distractors. When you come across them you will be able to eliminate them more easily.

　　Trust your instincts

Sometimes an answer will jump out at you as either correct or incorrect. If you have been studying hard, chances are that your brain is telling you which choice to pick. Don't change your answers after following your instinct. If you do decide to change an answer, make sure that you erase³ very carefully. A machine will be marking your test. Be sure to use a pencil and fill in your circle choice completely. Bring extra pencils, erasers, and a pencil sharpener!

　　Don't try to translate

Translating vocabulary and sentences wastes a lot of time. It is very rare that students have extra time during the TOEIC test. If you don't know a word, look at the context⁴ of the sentence and the words around it. You will not be allowed to use a dictionary when you take the test.

　　Guess as a last resort

On test day, if you don't know the answer, and you have eliminated all of the distractors you can, don't leave the space blank. There is a good chance you will not have time to go back to this question. You still have a 25% chance of getting the answer right if you guess. If you are sure that one or two of the answers are incorrect, your guess is even more likely to be correct!

　　Be aware of time management

When you are doing practice tests, you should always be aware of the time. Never allow yourself an open ended study session. You will have to learn to work efficiently⁵.

　　On test day, you should be especially careful in the Reading section. You will have 75 minutes to complete Parts V, VI and VII. Many students spend too long on section V or VI because they find these the most difficult. Don't spend more than 30 minutes on the first two parts. Part VII will take you at least 40 minutes, and it is worth a lot of points, especially if you find it an easier section