TOEIC: Preparation Textbooks & The Web

The Test of English for International Communication, better known as TOEIC is a very common test for those wishing to work or study in an international setting. In Japan, many companies have their employees take TOEIC at least once a year; the results can determine a worker's promotion prospects, job assignments, etc. 

TOEIC has two parts: listening and reading.

Listening has four sections: photographs, question/response, short conversations, and short talks. 
Reading has three sections: incomplete sentences, text completion, and reading comprehension.

The top score in TOEIC is 990. 

  905 - 990 International Proficiency

   785 – 900 Working Proficiency Plus

          605 – 780 Limited Working Proficiency

         405 – 600 Elementary Proficiency Plus 

255 – 400 Elementary Proficiency

185 – 250 Memorised Proficiency

10 – 180 No Useful Proficiency 

To prepare for the test, there are several texts you could use. However, in my experience, The Longman Preparation Series For The New TOEIC Test is the best of them. 

There are texts available for people new to TOEIC, and people who have taken it before. The books cover all parts of the test, and provide strategies on each one. There is also a text of practice tests.

You can order the Longman TOEIC books on Amazon or find them (for free) at your local library.

The Internet has many, many sites that help to prepare students for TOEIC. The first is http://examenglish.com. It's free, but, it's not easy. All practice tests are the same as real test conditions. You can pause the tests if you need to, and replay questions.


YouTube is a great resource for English learners. I encourage ESL students to use it as much as possible, especially for listening, intonation, and pronunciation exercises. 

The TOEIC test is very difficult. Native English speakers don't get perfect scores on it. Preparation and home study will help you complete the test, and improve your scores.

Next post will have techniques on how to do part one of TOEIC, pictures.