Last Updated: June 16, 2021
Best Prep Books for TOEIC
TOEIC is a standardized test for assessing the proficiency of language candidates have in English as is required in a workspace. Unlike examinations like TOEFL and IELTS, the TOEIC examination provides candidates with the opportunity of attempting the test for the different facets of language proficiency that they will have to demonstrate at their workspace. The test has been split into a Listening and Reading test and a Speaking and Writing which out of which the Speaking and Writing sections of the test can also be taken separately.
Though the validity of the test is only two years, candidates are provided with the opportunity of taking the test as many times as required in their lifetime. The scores from the TOEIC test are generally used by freshers as a means of boosting their career search and also by employees who plan on getting promoted. Preparing for the TOEIC test can seem challenging to candidates who are already employed but can be easily done through prep books that are best in the market.
Barron’s Test Prep- TOEIC SuperPack- 3rd Edition
The TOEIC SuperPack has been created by Barron’s Educational Series and was published in the year 2019. The book costs $59 and contains content for both the TOEIC Listening and Reading test and the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test. This book consists of a total of 1456 pages split across 3 different books- each dealing with a different section of the test. The three books are titled Barron’s TOEIC with Downloadable Audio, Essential Words for the TOEIC, and TOEIC Practice Exams with Downloadable Audio.
- Barron’s TOEIC contains 4 full-length model tests for practice along with 6 other full-length model exams in the TOEIC Practice Exams book.
- There is an extensive review made available for language prep.
- Provides online access to audio tracks for the listening section.
- It contains a vocabulary enhancement tool of 600 words that recur in the test.
Kaplan’s TOEIC Prep Plus- Listening and Reading Test 2019-2020
The Kaplan TOEIC Prep Plus focuses on the different tests under TOEIC and has a better review for the prep book concerning the Listening and Reading test. The book costs just $29 and has a better rating for the 2019-2020 version when compared to the latest edition. The book offers candidates practice questions, content review, full-length question papers, and other features in order to aid candidates in the endeavor of cracking the examination.
- Contains over 900 practice questions split between the Listening and Reading sections.
- Contains a CD and online access to listening and speaking practice questions.
- Easy to read review of content
- Reviewers claim that there are typos but not significant enough to hinder learning.
- Contains test-taking strategies that can prove helpful in cracking the test.
Barron's TOEIC Practice Exams-5th Edition
The 5th edition of Barron’s Practice Exams is the latest one from the Barron team in the series that has always remained a best-seller among prep books. The book costs a total of $31 and is an investment that revivirtuewers say is worthwhile for the candidates taking the test. This book is for candidates who have prior knowledge of the test format and content and requires them to hone their skills before the test.
- Contains 6 full-length practicvirtue tests.
- Provides online access to audio for listening comprehension.
- Contains in-depth explanations for questions.
- The paper quality of the book has been compromised but this does not compromise the quality of the content.
Cambridge Grammar and Vocabulary for the TOEIC Test
This book is the first edition of its kind published by the Cambridge University Press for helping students prep for the TOEIC examination. The book costs $15 and contains only 272 pages in all. It is focused on the basics of the English language that can help candidates prepare for the test by learning more of the language. It is recommended by reviewers as a purchase for beginners since candidates will then be able to learn the basics of the language before building on it and preparing strategically for the examination. Though the book has not been published in the recent past, its popularity for the same has not dwindled over time. The content of the book is mainly focused on only grammar and vocabulary but at the same time the book contains
- Explanations of different parts of the examination.
- An examination model after every 5 topics that are covered.
- Comprehensive review of content from basics to an advanced level.
- Listening section is slightly different from the official exam.
- Cost-efficient and focused on self-study.
Preparing for TOEIC
ETS offers candidates the option of preparing for the TOEIC examination through their online courses. The courses aim at covering the different sections of the examination and at the same time provide candidates with an approach that can benefit them more in the examination and gain decent marks while cracking it.
TOEIC Official Learning and Preparation Course -
The course deals with real-life situations and is made accessible 24 hours through the week for candidates who require content but is willing to prepare for the examination by themselves. They provide over 1000 questions which are the closest questions can get to the official examination since they have been created by the creators of the examination. In order to apply for the official TOEIC course offered by ETS, candidates will have to contact their EPN members and order the course.
The course will contain 3 learning modules each of a different difficulty level allowing candidates to pace their study and approach the content from the level of knowledge they have rather than catering to the difficulty levels that are offered by the different online courses. There are 8 topic-based units for each of the modules dealt with in the course.
At the same time, they provide interactive exercises which are taken from workspace experiences based on which the official test will also have its content. The voice narration for the listening section exercises is provided in the same voices that will be available for the examination making it easier for candidates who have practiced the exercises with the course.
Candidates will be able to take a diagnostic test even with the course which will provide them with a score report estimating the score they will receive if they attempted the official TOEIC examination at the level they are currently in and providing them with an idea of how much they have to improve in order to get the score they desire or require.