Common mistakes to avoid when preparing for the TOEIC exam.

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) is a very popular English certificate in Vietnam, especially among students and working professionals. It's a valuable "passport" that helps you graduate, get a job, or advance in your career.

However, many people, despite spending months studying, still fail to achieve their desired score. This isn't necessarily due to a lack of ability – it's because they're studying the wrong way. Below are the most common mistakes when preparing for the TOEIC exam, along with effective solutions, brought to you by Lingoland for TOEIC Test.

1. Unable to determine my current skill level.

Many students hastily download tons of TOEIC materials online and jump straight into studying without knowing their current level. The result is scattered learning, quick discouragement due to lack of progress, and even repeated attempts without seeing improvement.

📌 Solution:

Before you begin, you need to take a TOEIC level assessment to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

With Lingoland, you can take a free TOEIC practice test. The system will automatically analyze your score, assess each skill, and suggest a personalized learning plan tailored to your goal (450+, 600+, 750+...).

2. Setting unrealistic goals without a clear roadmap.

Many people study for the TOEIC exam because they are "forced" to – needing a diploma, or required by their company – but they don't have a clear target score.

Others set a goal of "800 points in 2 months" even though they were already at 350 points – which caused them to lose motivation halfway through.

📌 Solution:

Let's start by answering the following questions:

• Why do you need a TOEIC certificate?
• What score is sufficient for your goal (450+, 600+, 750+…)?
• How many hours a day can you study?

Once you have the answer, you can break down the big goal into smaller, more specific stages.

For example: "From 350 to 500 in 2 months", then "from 500 to 700 in 3 months".

The Lingoland app helps you set specific TOEIC score goals and track your progress in each skill (Listening – Reading). The system automatically adjusts the difficulty of the lessons according to your learning progress – keeping you on track without feeling overwhelmed.

3. Focusing only on solving problems without bothering to correct them.

This is an extremely common mistake!

Many students believe that "the more practice problems you do, the better you'll become," but in reality, if you don't correct your mistakes after each problem, you'll repeat the same errors without realizing it.

📌 Solution:

Whenever you take a test, note down common mistakes and categorize them by skill: misunderstanding the meaning, grammatical errors, lack of vocabulary, etc.

Lingoland offers automatic scoring and correction of answers, along with detailed explanations for each response. After each test, you'll know exactly which areas you need to improve, allowing you to focus your learning more effectively.

4. Incorrect listening practice methods.

TOEIC listening practice isn't simply about "listening as much as possible."

Many people listen passively, or turn on audio files without focusing on analyzing the content, leading to listening a lot without understanding.

📌 Solution:

Practice active listening: listen – take notes – compare with transcript – analyze sentence structure.

On Lingoland, the TOEIC Listening Practice section is divided into Parts 1–4, with transcripts, key vocabulary, and contextual exercises to help you understand deeply, not just guess the meaning.

5. Not managing time properly when practicing exam questions.

The TOEIC is a test with a strict time limit (2 hours for 200 questions).

Many people practice at home too freely, without time limits, so when they take the actual exam, they easily run out of time and lose their composure.

📌 Solution:

For each full practice test, time yourself exactly as you would during the actual exam.

Lingoland features a TOEIC practice test mode with a countdown timer, helping you improve your time management skills – a crucial element for achieving a high score.

6. Studying in a rambling, unfocused manner.

Another mistake is trying to learn everything at once – studying advanced grammar, specialized vocabulary, and doing difficult practice tests simultaneously – which overwhelms the learning process and makes it less effective.

📌 Solution:

You should study specific TOEIC topics (Office, Travel, Business Meetings, etc.) and review vocabulary for each part of the exam.

Lingoland provides two sets of essential TOEIC vocabulary (600 & 1600 words) divided by topic and level, along with practice exercises to help you memorize quickly and retain the information for a long time.

7. Lack of consistency – irregular learning

TOEIC is a cumulative process. Studying intensely for one week and then skipping two weeks will cause you to lose momentum and have to start all over again.

📌 Solution:

Maintain a study routine of 30 minutes to 1 hour each day.

Lingoland features automatic study reminders and a study streak tracker to help you stay motivated and avoid giving up halfway through.

Summary

To achieve your desired TOEIC score, you don't need to study a lot – you need to study the right things.

Avoid mistakes such as studying without a plan, only doing practice problems without checking for feedback, or setting unrealistic goals.

Instead, build a personalized roadmap, track your progress clearly, and focus your training on the right areas.

👉 With Lingoland for TOEIC Test, you will get:

• Free entrance level test.
• A personalized learning path tailored to each individual skill.
• TOEIC vocabulary sets of 600 and 1600 words.
• The practice test is very realistic, with automatic scoring and error correction.
• Clear progress tracking and target scores.

🎯 Download Lingoland for TOEIC Test now to avoid mistakes and start your effective TOEIC test preparation journey – achieve 750+ this year!