Preparation for TOEIC

TOEIC assesses English in a professional environment. This includes communication in email correspondence, calls in work communities, presentations of products, services, image, communication within companies, and other situations where work is involved and formal speech is required. People who take this test mainly focus on the first part — listening and reading. IELTS and TOEFL are more relevant to academic and everyday environments, and the results of these tests are useful for purposes related to education and immigration. These tests are not divided into Listening & Reading and Writing & Speaking sections, as in TOEIC; here, all skills are tested at once.

Employment requirements are usually specified in the job posting, as each company has its own expectations regarding the candidate’s skills. But there are certain standards – point thresholds. According to the YBM TOEIC Commission, conglomerates such as Hyundai Group require candidates to score at least 720 points, and Renault Samsung Motors requires 750 points.

In addition to employees and employers, students also take the TOEIC, as stated in the test taker’s guide. It is linked to academic activities in several ways. Educational institutions that test the effectiveness of their English language programs offer the TOEIC. It is also taken by students preparing to enter the job market. And also by participants in English language training programs.

The time required for preparation is determined individually for each student. It depends on the current level of preparation and the goal, i.e., the expected result — the exam score. It also depends on the intensity and quality of the preparation course. General guidelines based on experience: if the initial level is A2-B1 and the goal is 500-700 points, then preparation will take 1 to 3 months with an intensity of 2-3 classes per week. We apply this calculation to other levels as well. TOEIC preparation courses at AP Courses last from 1 to 3, 6, and 9 months. Managers help candidates choose a course, and teachers determine their readiness.

Students abroad have the opportunity to take the TOEIC online: there, they take the test from home, under the supervision of a specialist who monitors compliance with the requirements. In Ukraine, it can only be taken at a test center. This is an ETS center, a non-profit organization that conducts educational testing.

The cost of the TOEIC test is $185. You must pay the full amount online by card to a bank account or in cash at the test center. Payment is made after online registration, and you must register for the exam no later than 7 days before it begins. Users register on the official ETS website.

They fall into several categories. The first category is direct translation and violations of speech style. The second category includes mistakes related to hasty answers and blind guesses, when students rely on luck. The third category is the deliberate disregard of grammar rules. The fourth category includes mistakes related to time management and psychological state. Based on our experience with the TOEIC, we have come to the following conclusion. Preparation for this international exam involves not only the academic part, studying the test structure and practicing with samples from previous years, but also the candidate’s ability to psychologically prepare for the test, calculate time, and pay attention to details that seem too simple. It’s trivial, but candidates often make mistakes on such points.

Yes, this test is required for employment in many international companies in various fields, from aviation to the service industry. It tests how well a candidate is able to communicate with colleagues, management, and clients, and whether they can be an official representative of the company in the international market. But there is another use for this test. Companies use the TOEIC® Tests Institutional Program internally to test the qualifications of their employees, often for entire departments.

You can start preparing for the TOEIC at any level, but you need to correctly assess your abilities, time, and readiness for the workload. The result always depends on the starting level. We do not recommend studying professional vocabulary without basic general training, such as level A2, because in this case, the candidate will waste their resources. Therefore, B1 is the best option.

Yes, even such intensive preparation as for a professional communication level test can fit into a busy schedule if organized correctly. The candidate will not lose progress as long as they remain disciplined. For a high result, it is enough to allocate at least 3-5 hours of independent work and a minimum of 2 hours of classes with a teacher.

Yes, before starting the TOEIC preparation course, students sign up for a trial lesson to evaluate how the teacher presents the material and learn about the methods we use. It was created for familiarization purposes. The teacher who conducts the trial lesson will not necessarily teach the entire course, as AP Courses offers the option of choosing a teacher based on the student’s needs and preferences.