For Busy Professionals | How to Improve Your Score with Just One Official TOEIC Practice Book

You are busy with work every day. Many of you are likely thinking, "I want to improve my TOEIC score," even amidst that.
However, studying aimlessly rarely leads to results.

Also, there is an overflow of information, including TOEIC preparation materials, apps, and online courses.

Have you ever experienced time slipping away while you were wondering where to start, only to realize, "The test is already tomorrow?!" I have been there too.

I will introduce the simple and time-efficient TOEIC preparation method that I established while working a full-time, five-day-a-week job to achieve my current TOEIC score of 905 (as of January 2025).

The only thing you will use in this article is one official TOEIC practice book! For you, who are busy, what you need is
a way to efficiently use one official practice book to reliably build your skills. The content is designed so you can practice it without strain, so please use it as a reference.

First, prepare one latest official TOEIC practice book

There are many TOEIC preparation materials, but the first thing you should tackle is the official practice book. This contains two sets of 200 questions in the same format as the actual TOEIC test. Since it is a practice book created by
ETS, the developer of the TOEIC test, there is no reason not to use it.

By solving problems at the same level and format as the actual test, you can get used to the question trends and patterns.

Rather than dabbling in various reference books, perfecting one book developed by the official source using the same process as the actual test is more effective for improving your score.

If you are preparing your materials now, I think you should buy the latest edition without hesitation!

Tips for staying consistent even when busy: Tackle it by Part

The TOEIC test has 200 questions in total, but if you try to solve 200 questions from the official practice book at once, it will take two hours, just like the actual test.
For busy professionals, it is not realistic to set aside a large block of time.

Also, people who are not used to studying often find that if they suddenly exert the intense concentration required to solve 200 questions, they cannot keep it up afterward.

There is no point in being satisfied just by finishing 200 questions.
The practice of thoroughly understanding the parts you got wrong and the reasons why, so you can get them right next time is what we call "studying"!

That might sound a bit harsh, but I am being strict because this is very important, and I want to minimize the number of people who put in the time and effort but do not see results...!

So, think of it like a long-distance run: slow your pace and aim to keep going for a long time. (By the way, I am terrible at real marathons.)

Therefore, I recommend breaking it down and solving it by part. As many of you already know, the TOEIC consists of Listening Parts 1–4 and Reading Parts 5–7.

Since this is a test solved in 2 hours, if you divide it by part, the time required for each is on average less than 20 minutes, making it possible to finish in a short time.

For example, Part 5 (30 short sentence completion questions) is estimated to take about 10 to 15 minutes, so you can work on it during spare time like before your commute or during your lunch break.

In this way, by repeating each part multiple times, such as Part 5 today and Part 6 tomorrow, you can steadily increase your accuracy.

As for Part 7, it takes about an hour to solve everything, so it is effective to set aside time on your days off or divide it into the first and second halves.

If you want even shorter units, it is perfectly fine to have a day where you only tackle one long reading passage from Part 7.
In fact, engaging carefully with just one question is the shortcut to improving your score.

The key to efficient TOEIC preparation is using an app for checking answers

To study efficiently while busy, it is also important to reduce the time spent checking answers as well.

I use an app called abceed which is compatible with the official TOEIC workbook introduced in this article. By the way, while there is a paid plan, the method I am introducing here can be used
completely for free. (*This is not an affiliate link; it is truly a recommended app.)

And as mentioned earlier, it is possible to work on it part by part.

While looking at the workbook and solving the problems, you can enter your answers into the app's answer sheet and press grade at the end to automatically score and analyze them.

You can buy the workbook itself as a digital book, but personally, I recommend practicing by flipping through the paper workbook since the actual test is a paper-based test.

Digitizing the process of entering answers and checking them is currently the best way

Since there is no need to manually grade, you can focus that much more on "finding the reason why you got it wrong" instead.

Surprisingly, many people are satisfied just by checking their answers, but what is truly important starts from there.
Organizing why you got it wrong and where you misunderstood is necessary for improving your score.

Specific study steps using the official TOEIC workbook and the abceed app

Now, let's look at how to proceed step by step.

[Step 1] Solve the first round by timing yourself for each part

[Step 2] Check answers using abceed and identify incorrect areas

[Step 3] Read the explanations and summarize the reasons for your mistakes in your own words

→ I summarized the reasons for my mistakes in a blank notebook and read through them daily.
By the way, I wrote in pink just because it's cute; I don't know of any psychological effects.

[Step 4] Review listening problems through reading aloud and shadowing
→ First, read the script in the explanation book aloud.
Once you get used to it, play the audio in the app and practice shadowing.

[Step 5] Repeat for a second and third time to ensure retention

Don't just finish the questions; focus on understanding and mastering the material. Before worrying about your overall TOEIC score, it will be easier on your mind to focus on increasing your accuracy rate for each part first. By repeating the questions multiple times, you will feel your speed and accuracy improve.

Tips for building a habit: Analog or digital?

To keep up with your studies, it is very important to create a habit of working on it every day and to make a habit of recording it.

If you have a favorite planner or calendar, you can mark the days you worked on your TOEIC preparation or put stickers on them.

You might think this sounds like something an elementary school student would do, but surprisingly, just keeping a record that says "I solved the workbook today" creates a sense of accomplishment and keeps your motivation going.

I put a heart on my calendar for the days I study for the TOEIC, and just looking at the row of hearts every day is soothing. It is also effective to set rewards for yourself, like ordering UberEats after 10 days of continuous study. (Is that just me?)

Also, if you manage your schedule with an app, I recommend adding your TOEIC study sessions to your calendar and setting a notification to go off when it is time.

If you use a "To-Do list," you should add your TOEIC study to your daily list as well.

To make sure you finish the official workbook, please make use of tools that support your daily progress.

Summary

Even busy professionals can significantly improve their TOEIC scores with the right approach.
The key is to break down one official workbook and work through it deeply multiple times.
And, use an app to support checking your answers.

Please give it a try starting today!
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