Customer Reviews

Preparation for the Computer-Based TOEFL Test: Powerprep Software

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

I used this program to gauge myself for the TOEFL test 2 days before the test date. It was incredibly accurate! I would encourage anyone who wants to estimate your score to use this.

Good things about the program: First, the questions in all 3 parts are at the same level of difficulty with the real TOEFL test. Second, the voice, tone, and pace of the speeches in the listening part will help you to be accustomed with the real test. Third, the program will help you to be familiarized with the pace of time limit in each section e.g., 15 minutes for 20 questions in structure section. Fouth, again, the score from the program is very accurate. My real test and the estimate from the program differ only 5-10 points

Things to improve: First, the type of questions are not as updated as it should have been e.g., the reading part of the program do not contain questions on "inserting sentences". Second, the program should have 2 separate set of questions. While I took my second test, some of the questions have already been used in the first test

What else? First, to see more TOEFL questions, try the free sample TOEFL test CD. It has more updated questions; however, it does not estimate your score. Second, try the TOEFL Test Preparation Kit. It has a lot of questions that you would not want to miss them.

Good luck on your test!

This software only helps you see how you'll score on the real exam and that's it! You can get an idea of how you'll score on the essay part too. There are several essays written by people who took the exam in the past. The ones with scores of 1 or 2 are really funny. I don't understand why one would take TOEFL with such terrible English. If you can understand what Americans are saying when they are talking slowly and clearly, and if you can read and understand articles in newspapers or magazines, you certainly don't need this software to tell you what your score range will be like. Take the real exam and see for yourself! You'll pass for sure. I took TOEFL 8 years ago with no TOEFL test preparation whatsoever and scored 617. TOEFL is an easy exam...but if your English sucks (sorry), then either take a TOEFL course or buy something which can teach you something, point out your weaknesses and give you plenty of exercise. THIS SOFTWARE WON'T HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH! As you can guess, it won't improve your score either! There are no answers to the questions on the exams so you'll never know which questions you answered wrong and what the correct answers are.

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The only reason I bought this product was because I had never taken a computerized exam and was scared that I'd screw up in the exam. Now I feel I paid too much just to get a feel for the exam. If you can read this review, you know enough about computers and you'll have no problems at all with the exam software.

Summary:
BUY IF you have perfect English, but you feel uncomfortable taking an exam not knowing what it will be like, and you don't mind spending this much money to see a sample exam.
DO NOT BUY IF you are not the person I've described above!

The listening section on Test 1 works fine only before the start of the test and voice is not coming up during the actual test questions. This doesn't reflect the company's professionalism, and i'm really upset about the way the software messed up with my preparation. I'm going to have to let BBB know about this complaint and let the rest of the aspirants know the mediocre quality of your product.
They must have real professionals devolop these kind of products. I'm a software professional too, i really didn't expect this out of your product.
Above that, the customer support is not operational 24 hrs a day, and i've been slogging these days with my preparation and could not reach your team when i really need help.

Hello.
I bought this software and It do not work on Windows 2000. I sent on mail to the customer service and the never answered me.
I've enough skills to install any software but this on just don't work... waste of money!

This software is very much like the real test, but it is pretty buggy and will crash fairly regularly. For one of the most serious problems, ETS sent a patch, but they claimed it was really a problem with my computer, even though this problems happen on every computer I've tried.

I expect more, especially when it comes from ETS. The excercise from the book were not helpfull at all and there are only a few tests. But, as I say if you don't have anything else this could give a realistic idea of the test.

I own the Powerprep for the GRE (it was helpful to me), but I was trying to find something about the TOEFL, and then when I started looking at the reviews, most of them where about the GRE, so watch out!

This is the only item you should buy if you feel confident about taking the CBT TOEFL test, that is your English is already pretty good. The GUI is the same as test day so at least there is no suprise. I could not get the program to work under WIN98 SE, the sound would not come on. However, and very surprisingly, it works fine under XP!
In sum, try to buy it used because it is not worth paying the full price.