Decide when you need to take the TOEFL. If you are in middle school, high school or being home-schooled, you can easily predict when you will have to provide proof of proficiency in English for admission to the college or university of your choice. If you are an out-of-school adult being tutored in English with TOEFL as your aim, the pace of your learning may be more challenging. Generally, the best time to take it is when your review of English indicates that you have learned enough to do well.
Verify that you will be able to take the TOEFL iBT, which is the internet-based version of TOEFL, by putting your country and state into the ETS website's search feature. In most regions of the world, the TOEFL is offered 30 to 40 times a year, as opposed to six times per year in remote locations where only the PBT, the paper version of TOEFL, is administered. Preparation for the iBT will be different than for the PBT, thus the importance of finding out early which version you must take.
Divide your TOEFL study plan into four parts, corresponding to the four distinct sections of the exam: reading, listening, writing and speaking. Download or order written copies of the sample questions for the reading and writing parts. You will need access to a computer with speakers and a microphone to do the listening and speaking reviews.
Start with the free sample questions. See how confident you feel about your ability to answer samples from each section of the test. You will be able to assess quickly whether you are ready to take the TOEFL. You will know the correct answers, or you will not. If you can tell that you don't know the answers to the sample questions, there is no point in scheduling the test.
Accelerate your learning of English with TOEFL as your goal by taking part or all of the official online practice tests. This will help you to determine your strengths and weaknesses in certain areas of the test before you take it.
Schedule your test date and pay for it online by phone or by mail. You must do this in advance. No walk-in TOEFL exams are allowed. When you register, you can order optional test preparation materials at a discount, for last-minute study. Consider ordering them if you do not yet feel confident that you have learned English at a level that will allow you to succeed at the TOEFL.