I’ve spoken with thousands (10s of thousands?) of TOEFL test takers over the years.
Most of them are capable English users.
Most of them are also unskilled TOEFL test takers.
That combination is completely normal.
TOEFL Speaking Is a Skill
TOEFL Speaking is not a test of “general English ability.” It is a highly constrained performance task with specific timing, structure, and scoring logic.
In fact, most native English speakers would struggle badly on TOEFL Speaking without preparation. They speak naturally, interrupt themselves, hesitate freely, and rely on shared context. TOEFL Speaking rewards none of that.
To score well, you need to become good at TOEFL Speaking, not just good at speaking English.
That distinction matters more than most people realize.
The Core Mistake Most Test Takers Make
Many test takers assume that if their English is strong, their TOEFL Speaking score will take care of itself.
It doesn’t.
Others “work on speaking” in a vague way. They practice more. They watch videos. They ask teachers for opinions. They focus on what feels difficult rather than what actually costs points.
Without data, preparation turns into guessing.
A Data-Powered Approach to TOEFL Speaking Prep
At My Speaking Score, we recommend a data-powered, self-guided approach. The idea is simple: measure first, then decide what to work on.
Here’s what that looks like in practice.
First, use SpeechRater to establish your baseline at the task level. Even if you think you know your overall level, that number hides important differences between tasks. Task-level scores reveal where points are actually being lost.
Second, identify which tasks need the most attention. TOEFL Speaking tasks are not interchangeable. You might pause too frequently in Task 1, struggle with pacing in Task 2, or show vocabulary limitations in Task 4. Treating all tasks the same is inefficient.
Third, use your data to decide what skills to prioritize. You can paste a screenshot of your SpeechRater data into your preferred LLM, or use the chatbot inside My Speaking Score, to translate scores into concrete training decisions.
The goal is not more practice. The goal is targeted practice.
Why This Approach Works
Most test takers guess their level. Guessing feels harmless, but it usually leads to the wrong focus. Strong English speakers often assume they are “fine” and miss structural or delivery problems. Others fixate on grammar even when grammar is not limiting their score.
I recently spoke with a German test taker who was highly stressed about grammar. His grammar was nearly perfect. His real issue was speaking rate and pause frequency. Those features were costing him points on every task, but he wasn’t working on them at all.
This is what flying blind looks like.
Data removes that blindness. It tells you where the friction actually is.
Another reason this works is speed. Feedback that is delayed, vague, or inconsistent kills motivation. Many learners rely on teacher opinions. Teachers are excellent for reassurance, encouragement, and strategy. But unless a teacher is using objective scoring data, they are still offering opinions.
Opinions do not scale. Opinions are hard to verify. Opinions often contradict each other.
Data is immediate and consistent.
Finally, there’s a more basic point about measurement. Some things require human judgment. Politeness, persuasiveness, emotional tone. TOEFL Speaking scoring is not one of those things.
You do not need a human opinion to measure pause frequency, speech rate, or task-level performance patterns. A human cannot reliably track the distribution of pauses inside a 45-second response. A scoring system can.
Use humans for human problems. Use data for measurement.
The Takeaway
Strong English is a starting point, not a strategy.
TOEFL Speaking rewards specific behaviors under specific constraints. If you want predictable improvement, you need visibility into how you are actually being scored.
Measure first. Decide second. Practice with intent.
That is what data-powered TOEFL Speaking prep looks like.