Every month, My Speaking Score enrols thousands of non-native English speakers who are preparing for the TOEFL Speaking section. Many are hoping (e.g. pharmacists) to reach the magic number of 26. But even after dozens of attempts, many still fall short. Why?
And why do test-takers who are on their 30th, 40th, 50th attempt continue to register for another TOEFL, believing somehow that "this time might be different"?
After transcribing and analyzing over 50 real customer calls with frustrated test-takers, I’ve identified five recurring problems that consistently block progress. These aren’t surface-level issues. They’re deep, structural misunderstandings that derail scores — even for hard-working learners.
In this article, I'll unpack each problem, show what the research says, and give you a roadmap to overcome them. Whether you’re on attempt #1 or #51, this post is for you.
1. False Confidence from Rehearsed Responses
Many test-takers submit polished, memorized responses that sound great — but don’t reflect their real ability. It’s like playing a song from memory vs. improvising live. One is safe. The other exposes your skill.
This is especially common on Task 1, where people prepare stock answers to familiar prompts. On My Speaking Score, we see inflated scores for rehearsed answers — but when users switch tasks or speak more spontaneously, scores drop sharply.
Why this matters:
ETS's SpeechRater and human raters are trained to detect overly formulaic or memorized responses. In fact, rehearsed delivery is one of the disqualifying factors listed in ETS's materials (e.g. see Davis L, Norris JM. Challenges and Innovations in Speaking Assessment. Routledge; 2024).
Symptoms:
- Your Speaking Rate is high, but Vocabulary Diversity is low.
- You get high scores on familiar tasks but crash on new ones.
- You feel confident practicing alone, but nervous in real tests.
What to do:
- Practice with new, unpredictable prompts weekly.
- Record and respond to spontaneous follow-ups.
- Use a “template plus flexibility” approach — not full memorization.
2. Inconsistent, Unguided Practice
“I just need a little more practice.”
That phrase shows up in nearly every customer call. But most people confuse testing with training. They submit response after response without a clear plan, like pulling a slot machine and hoping for a jackpot.
We call this the TOEFL Casino approach. It's exciting. It's fast. And it's ineffective.
Why this matters:
Research in second language acquisition is clear: deliberate, structured practice beats repetition. You don’t get better just by doing more — you improve by identifying mistakes, correcting them, and repeating the correction.
Anders Ericsson, in on of my favourite books, “Peak,” emphasizes that mastery requires focused, feedback-rich practice — not just time on task.
Common issues:
- No weekly goal (e.g., improve coherence or fix pronunciation).
- No plan for reviewing feedback.
- Burnout from repeating the same task (usually Task 1).
What to do:
- Follow a feedback → correction → reattempt cycle.
- Track progress by SpeechRater dimension, not just overall score.
- Change tasks weekly to keep your brain challenged.
3. Misunderstanding the Score Data
Many users see a number like 3.74 and immediately ask, “How do I make it 4.0?” But that number means little without context. The real question is: Why is it 3.74?
Most users ignore the dimension-level feedback — things like Discourse Coherence, Pronunciation, or Vocabulary Diversity — even though these are the actual levers you can pull.
Why this matters:
TOEFL Speaking is scored using multiple rubrics and AI models (like SpeechRater). Your final score is not magic — it’s built from a combination of measurable features. If you don’t understand what those are, you can’t improve.
Studies (Zechner et al., 2009) show that specific SpeechRater features — such as pause frequency, lexical richness, and topic development — strongly correlate with overall speaking scores.
Common mistakes:
- Obsessing over small decimal changes (e.g., 3.73 vs. 3.78).
- Ignoring SpeechRater dimensions like Grammar Usage or Coherence.
- Failing to map feedback to concrete next steps.
Sample Analysis: Solve the Right Problem
The strategy is to decide which problems to solve (see a sample SpeechRater report). Here's a simplified example how SpeechRater-focused prep works:
If you’re not looking at this level of detail, you’re flying blind.
What to do:
- Track your lowest 2 dimensions over time.
- Watch targeted videos or lessons that explain each feature.
- Focus on fixing one variable at a time — not the total score.
4. Technical and Delivery Problems
Even strong speakers can get dragged down by technical issues:
Speaking too slowly. Using too many filler words. A bad microphone. All of these reduce your score — and most users don’t even realize it.
Why this matters:
SpeechRater picks up things like speaking rate, pause frequency, and articulation. It doesn’t know why you paused. It just knows that you did. And it penalizes you accordingly.
My research confirms that poor audio quality, frequent disfluencies, and unnaturally slow speech all lead to lower fluency and pronunciation scores.
Key signs:
- Speaking Rate < 2.5 words/sec (roughly 150 WPM)
- Lots of “um,” “uh,” and mid-sentence restarts
- Flat or robotic tone
- Static or echo from poor recording environment
What to do:
- Use a clean mic — even basic phone headsets beat laptop mics.
- Train your brain for 150–160 WPM using sentence drills.
- Practice 15-second “pause-free” speaking exercises daily.
5. Crashing on Complex Tasks (Especially Integrated Tasks)
Task 1 feels easy — it’s personal, familiar, and predictable. But the integrated tasks? That’s where users struggle the most.
Why? Because those tasks require multi-layer processing:
You have to summarize a reading, capture speaker opinions, and/or explain academic concepts. It’s not just about fluency. It’s about structure, logic, and memory.
Why this matters:
Integrated tasks make up 2/3rds of your Speaking section. If you only perform well on Task 1, your total score will never cross 26. Won't happen.
Note: this will all change in 2026.
Common symptoms:
- Task 2: Confusing the reading with the speaker’s opinion
- Task 3: Skipping examples or misunderstanding the explanations
- Task 4: Giving definitions but failing to connect to the example(s)
What to do:
- Use consistent templates (e.g., “The reading states... The student believes...”)
- Master a 3-part response structure for each integrated task.
- Practice 2x more on Task 2 and 4 than Task 1.
Final Thoughts: You’re Not Alone
I've spoken with test-takers on their 5th, 30th, and even 55th attempt. I know, it's crazy.
These problems are fixable — but only when you treat TOEFL Speaking like a skill to be built, not a score to chase. TOEFL Speaking is a genre of English. And you need to learn it.
Moreover, when you replace guesswork with data, and "blind" repetition with deliberate practice, your progress becomes real. And measurable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is a “good” Speaking Rate for TOEFL?
Aim for 2.5–2.8 words per second — roughly 150–160 words per minute. Speaking too slowly or too quickly can both hurt your score.
What are SpeechRater dimensions, and where can I see them?
SpeechRater dimensions are the sub-scores used by ETS’s AI system to evaluate fluency, vocabulary, grammar, and coherence. My Speaking Score provides these dimensions in every detailed report.
Is Task 1 the most important?
No. Task 1 is usually the easiest. Tasks 2 and 4 are where most users lose points — and where improvement matters most.
What if my audio quality is poor?
Bad audio hurts your pronunciation and fluency scores. Use a quiet room and a dedicated mic or headset if possible. Avoid built-in laptop mics.
How many times should I practice per week?
Ideally: 3–5 structured practice sessions, each with a feedback-action loop. Passive repetition doesn’t work. Deliberate correction does.
Because data-powered prep shouldn’t be your last resort — it should be your first move.