Career Change vs Job Stability - TOEFL Speaking Practice Test (Independent)

Time management is a crucial aspect of the TOEFL Speaking Independent Section to excel in the TOEFL iBT®exam. With such a limitied amount of time, one has to not only organise their thoughts but also respond to the prompt. In this Speaking Section, you are required to provide your opinion with reasons and examples that are relevant to the topic. By mastering time management skills, you would be able to craft a proper and effective response within the time limits. 

As you approach the TOEFL Speaking Independent Practice Test on 'Career Change vs Job Stability', you need to first understand the question provided and become familiar with the structure. This comprehensive practice test on the Speaking Section includes sample responses and detailed feedback which has been prepared just for you to understand the differences in responses. As the TOEFL exam includes a wide variety of topics, remember to practice answering them in order to build confidence. This will help you become more flexible and prepared for the exam day.

Are you ready to get started?

Instructions:

• You'll receive a familiar topic to speak about with no accompanying reading or listening passages.
• After hearing the question, you will have 15 seconds to prepare your response and 45 seconds to deliver it.
• Remember, 15 seconds might seem short, but it's ample time for preparation.
• For this Question, you'll encounter two situations or opinions and must express your preference, providing reasons for your choice.

Now, play this Audio to hear the Question.

Question:

Some people believe that changing careers frequently can lead to personal growth and new opportunities, while others think that job stability is more important for a secure future. Which do you prefer and why?

Points to Remember

When addressing the question about career change vs job stability, consider these key points to craft a well-rounded response. You must clearly state your position and provide specific reasons to justify your opinion. Try not to overuse phrases like "I think" or "I believe" while mentioning your opinion on the topic instead state your point clearly without these repetitive phrases. Along with that, include relevant examples and maintain a clear, logical organisation. Your response should be concise yet detailed enough to demonstrate your speaking abilities within the time limit. Remember to use a varied tone to make your response more engaging. Even though your response should be concise, make sure it fully addresses the question instead of leaving out any critical details.

Answer Key with Explanation for TOEFL Independent Speaking Test - Career Change vs Job Stability

Here, we've included two sample answers, one at a mid-level and one at a high-level proficiency. By comparing the differences in language use, you will gain valuable insights into the key elements that contribute to achieving a higher TOEFL score.

Listen to the audio recording to hear a mid-level answer to the provided question.

Mid-Level Answer Audio Transcript:

Rater’s Comment:

The response demonstrates significant language errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues: "it give new opportunities" and "my cousin change his job." Tense inconsistency is evident in "my cousin change his job last year," mixing past and present. Filler words like "um" and "uh" disrupt fluency, and there are unnatural pauses after "I think" and "my cousin." Speech clarity is compromised by choppy delivery and inconsistent pacing. Content development is weak, with repeated points: "my cousin change his job and he learned a lot," and lacks depth beyond basic ideas. Transitions are weak, as seen in "But, um, job stability is also important." This response earned a score of 1 due to limited content, coherence, and delivery issues. To improve, the speaker should focus on grammatical accuracy, reducing filler words, and developing more structured, detailed arguments.

Listen to the audio recording to hear a high-level answer to the provided question.

High-Level Answer Audio Transcript:

Rater’s Comment:

This response earns a score of 4 due to its effective language use, clear delivery, and well-developed content. The speaker employs advanced grammar structures, such as "staying in one job for an extended period can lead to promotions," and sophisticated vocabulary, including "financial security" and "predictability." Complex sentence constructions are evident in phrases like "While changing careers might bring new experiences, the uncertainty can be stressful." The word usage is precise, enhancing clarity. Delivery is characterised by a natural flow and effective pacing, with clear articulation and smooth transitions, as seen in the seamless shift from discussing personal experiences to providing examples. The content is well-organised, with strong supporting examples, such as the comparison between the speaker's stable job and a friend's frequent job changes. The response demonstrates mastery in maintaining coherence and progression of ideas, making it highly intelligible and fulfilling the task's demands.

Fantastic! Don't just stop here. Let's keep that momentum rolling!

Check out more Speaking practice tests which closely resemble the actual exam format. These are specifically curated to boost your TOEFL Speaking skills while noting the areas of improvement.

You're headed in the right direction so let's continue mastering the Speaking section!

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