Personal vs Public Achievement - TOEFL Speaking Practice Test (Independent)

The TOEFL Speaking Independent Section of the TOEFL iBT® exam measures your English speaking skills concerning a topic that is familiar to you. In this section, you will be provided with a prompt where you need to give opinion, provide reasons, and support the same with relevant examples. You have 15 seconds to plan and within 45 seconds, you are required to state your opinion and examples to support. The section aims to evaluate your ability to organise your ideas coherently and build clarity as well as coherence in your words with support for your ideas. The candidates are judged on fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary, and organisation as well. 

By attempting the TOEFL Speaking Independent Practice Test on 'Personal vs Public Achievement', your English competency can be measured by the ability to articulate the thoughts and organisation regarding relevant grammar and vocabulary. Therefore, your responses will be evaluated based on clarity, coherence, use of vocabulary, and pronunciation. Once you start practising, you will be able to develop the required skills and get familiar with the exam format as well.

Are you ready to improve your speaking skills? Let's attempt this test paper together!

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 personal achievements, such as learning a new skill or hobby, are more fulfilling than public achievements, like receiving an award or recognition. Which do you prefer and why?

Points to Remember

When addressing the question about personal vs public achievement, 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 - Personal vs Public 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.

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Mid-Level Answer Audio Transcript:

Rater’s Comment:

The response demonstrates significant language errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues in "Public achievements, like receiving an award, is nice" and tense inconsistency in "the progress I make was my own." Delivery is hindered by frequent filler words like "um," "uh," and "you know," which disrupt fluency and create unnatural pauses, as seen in "Um, when I learn a new skill, like, it gives me satisfaction." Speech clarity is compromised by choppy pacing and fragmented delivery. Content development is limited, with repeated phrases like "Personal achievements are more fulfilling" and a lack of supporting details beyond the basic example of learning to cook. The response earned a score of 1 due to its minimal content, coherence, and delivery issues. To improve, the speaker should focus on reducing filler words, ensuring grammatical accuracy, and providing more detailed support for their preference.

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 "when I learned to play the guitar, it was a deeply rewarding experience," demonstrating control over complex sentences. Sophisticated vocabulary choices like "intrinsic satisfaction" and "external validation" enhance the response's precision. The delivery is characterised by a natural flow and effective pacing, with clear articulation and smooth transitions, as seen in the seamless shift from personal to public achievements. The content is well-organised, with strong supporting examples, such as the personal journey of learning the guitar, which effectively illustrates the argument. The progression of ideas is coherent, leading to a compelling conclusion. The notable strengths include the use of precise language and coherent argumentation, which should be maintained.

Fantastic job working through this practice test! Looking to push your skills further? Now, you can access a plenty of practice test papers and be ready to help you tackle any speaking challenges you face.

Your dedication to practice will pay off!

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