Taking notes during your TOEFL

In real-life classes, note-taking is all about personal preference and personality. Picture an average college lecture. There are some students with three colors of pen and an elaborate system of organization, some with unreadable pencil scratches only occasionally put on paper, and some with nothing in front of them for notes at all. And that may work for a normal classroom, because there are many ways to succeed there. Taking notes isn’t a definite path to a high grade, and neglecting to take them doesn’t necessarily lead to failure. If you miss or forget a detail that’s said in class, you can still learn that information in another class or when reading an assigned text.

Note-taking is especially important during TOEFL lectures

But the TOEFL is not a normal classroom. There are details that are said just once which can influence your score. In order to score as high as possible on the test, you need to hear those details and, more importantly, remember them when the questions are asked. And there is a lot of information in most TOEFL lectures.

Notes help you both to stay focused and to remember details. But it’s not easy to take good notes! In fact, it’s actually extremely hard. One of the most common problems that test-takers have is taking the right amount of notes. How hard the TOEFL is for you personally depends in large part on how good you are at taking notes. If you can write quickly by hand and comfortably listen at the same time, you will be more prepared for the test.

Practice makes perfect

That’s why all the best TOEFL books include note-taking practice. This skill isn’t one that can be improved quickly. It takes time and training. In order to really master the skill of taking good TOEFL notes, many students have to practice for months. If you need to work on your note-taking, make sure you practice as often as possible. Listen to dense, academic talks in English and write down as much as you can hear without pausing or rewinding. Be sure to strike a balance, though! One of the most common note-taking problems is taking too many notes. Be sure you listen, understand, and then write a quick summary. Don’t just write every detail.

So note-taking is tough, and improving takes time. But the good news is that it’s also very helpful in a real university setting. And chances are, if you’re going to be taking the TOEFL, then you’re also going to be in an English-speaking classroom soon. This means that any note-taking skills you learn now will be worth the effort later. Even if there are a variety of different listening styles, students who take at least some notes remember information better and stay more focused during lectures — just like on the TOEFL!

This post was written by Lucas Fink, resident TOEFL expert at Magoosh. For more advice on TOEFL prep, check out Magoosh’s TOEFL blog.