Independent vs Guided Travel - TOEFL Speaking Practice Test (Independent)

Scoring in the TOEFL Speaking section needs you to focus on preparation and attempt realistic practice tests. To help you with the skills, we've created personalized TOEFL Independent Speaking Practice Tests with Sample Answers. These tests simulate actual exam conditions, highlighting your strengths and weaknesses, and familiarizing you with the assessors' criteria.

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:

When planning a holiday, some people prefer independent travel, where they organise everything themselves, while others choose guided tours, where everything is planned for them. Which do you prefer and why?

Points to Remember

When addressing the question about independent vs guided travel, consider these key points to craft a well-rounded response. You must clearly state your position and provide specific reasons to justify your opinion. Include relevant examples and maintain a clear, logical organization. Your response should be concise yet detailed enough to demonstrate your speaking abilities within the time limit.

Answer Key with Explanation for TOEFL Independent Speaking Test - Academic vs Athletic Achievement

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 in "it give me more freedom" and tense inconsistency in "I was able to, uh, visit the museums I like." Article usage is generally correct, but the response lacks variety in sentence structure. Delivery is hindered by frequent filler words like "um," "uh," and "you know," which disrupt fluency and create unnatural pauses, particularly before "I can choose where to go" and "visit the museums I like." Speech clarity is affected by these hesitations, leading to a choppy and fragmented delivery. Content development is limited, with repeated phrases like "independent travel is more flexible" and "I think it is better because it is more flexible," indicating a lack of depth and supporting details. The response earned a score of 1 due to its minimal content and coherence, frequent language errors, and delivery issues. To improve, the speaker should focus on reducing filler words, enhancing grammatical accuracy, and providing more varied and detailed content.

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 "This flexibility is something guided tours often lack," and sophisticated vocabulary, including "tailor my experiences" and "cultural immersion." Complex sentence constructions are evident in phrases like "While guided tours offer convenience, the personalisation and deeper cultural immersion of independent travel make it my preferred choice." The precise word usage enhances clarity and engagement. Delivery is characterised by a natural flow and effective pacing, with clear articulation and smooth transitions, as seen in the seamless shift from discussing flexibility to cultural engagement. Content is strongly organised, with effective supporting examples, such as the art galleries in Florence and the conversation with a local chef, demonstrating clear idea progression and coherent arguments. The response's notable strengths include its sophisticated language and coherent discourse, which should be maintained.

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