Friday, January 30, 2009

TOEFL Exam: I PASSED!!!

No words can fully express how happy, joyful, thankful, lucky I am to be able to pass my TOEFL exam. Well there is really no passing or failing mark in the TOEFL exam but I did have to meet the University of Alberta's requirement of having a minimum of 26 points (out oi 30) in the speaking category of the TOEFL exam. I really don't need the reading, listening, and writing part because these were waived since I studied for 3 years at Xavier University, which of course is an institution where English proficiency is a norm.

I'm not sure if I passed because I speak English well or if I passed only out of pure luck. But all I can say is my results are quite good. I just have to wait for University of Alberta to receive my results and finally accept me into the fall term... hopefully.

Here are my test results:

Test Test Date Reading Listening Speaking Writing Total
TELXML January 10, 2009 29 30 26 28 113

Reading Skills Level Your Performance
Reading High(22-30)

Test takers who receive a score at the HIGH level, as you did, typically understand academic texts in English that require a wide range of reading abilities regardless of the difficulty of the texts.

Test takers who score at the HIGH level, typically

  • have a very good command of academic vocabulary and grammatical structure;
  • can understand and connect information, make appropriate inferences, and synthesize ideas, even when the text is conceptually dense and the language is complex;
  • can recognize the expository organization of a text and the role that specific information serves within the larger text, even when the text is conceptually dense; and
  • can abstract major ideas from a text, even when the text is conceptually dense and contains complex language.
Listening Skills Level Your Performance
Listening High(22-30)

Test takers who receive a score at the HIGH level, as you did, typically understand conversations and lectures in English that present a wide range of listening demands. These demands can include difficult vocabulary (uncommon terms, or colloquial or figurative language), complex grammatical structures, abstract or complex ideas, and/or making sense of unexpected or seemingly contradictory information.

When listening to lectures and conversations like these, test takers at the HIGH level typically can

  • understand main ideas and important details, whether they are stated or implied;
  • distinguish more important ideas from less important ones;
  • understand how information is being used (for example, to provide evidence for a claim or describe a step in a complex process);
  • recognize how pieces of information are connected (for example, in a cause-and-effect relationship);
  • understand many different ways that speakers use language for purposes other than to give information (for example, to emphasize a point, express agreement or disagreement, or convey intentions indirectly); and
  • synthesize information, even when it is not presented in sequence, and make correct inferences on the basis of that information.
Speaking Skills Level Your Performance
Speaking about familiar topics Good(3.5 - 4.0)

Your responses indicate an ability to communicate your personal experiences and opinions effectively in English. Overall, your speech is clear and fluent. Your use of vocabulary and grammar is effective with only minor errors. Your ideas are generally well developed and expressed coherently.

Speaking about campus situations Fair(2.5 - 3.0)

Your responses demonstrate an ability to speak in English about reading material and experiences typically encountered by university students. You are able to convey relevant information about conversations, newspaper articles, and campus bulletins; however, some details are missing or inaccurate. Limitations of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation at times cause difficulty for the listener. However, they do not seriously interfere with overall communication.

Speaking about academic course content Good(3.5 - 4.0)

Your responses demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively in English about academic topics typical of first-year university studies. Your speech is mostly clear and fluent. You are able to use appropriate vocabulary and grammar to explain concepts and ideas from reading or lecture material. You are able to talk about key information and relevant details with only minor inaccuracies.

Writing Skills Level Your Performance
Writing based on reading and listening Good(4.0 - 5.0)

You responded well to the task, relating the lecture to the reading. Weaknesses, if you have any, might have to do with

  • slight imprecision in your summary of some of the main points and/or
  • use of English that is occasionally ungrammatical or unclear.
Writing based on knowledge and experience Good(4.0 - 5.0)

You responded with a well-organized and developed essay. Weaknesses, if you have any, might have to do with

  • use of English that is occasionally ungrammatical, unclear, or unidiomatic and/or
  • elaboration of ideas or connection of ideas that could have been stronger.

I'd love to talk about the contents of the exam but I sort of written a promissory note that I will never talk about the contents of the exam unless I want to face legal prosecution.

No comments:

Post a Comment