TOEFL iBT Home Edition 2025 | Realistic points to note from my first attempt while pregnant
2025 Latest Edition! Changes to the TOEFL iBT Home Edition and realistic points to note are reported honestly by me, who took the test for the first time while pregnant. If you are planning to take the test or are considering it, please be sure to check this out.
▶︎ Background: Why take the TOEFL now?
Mid-pregnancy, a turning point in life.
It has been one year since I moved to the U.S. for my husband's work, and our stay duration is undecided. To broaden my future options and maintain motivation for learning, I challenged myself with the "TOEFL Home Edition."
It has been over 10 years since I last took an English test, back when I was a university student.
I am anxious about my actual conversational skills and have recently been relying on the translation app DeepL. I have summarized the realistic points to note that I felt as someone in that position.
[Preparation] What I did one week before the test
My goal this time was to get to know the test.
So, I didn't study specifically...
Even so, I did a little preparation to ensure I could complete it.
First, I booked the test online so I couldn't back out. (lol) I booked it about two weeks in advance, but I could have booked it for as early as three days later.
Speaking practice with ChatGPT (45-second response x 20 questions)
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Checked the 2025 TOEFL changes on YouTube
Shorter test time (to 2 hours)
Abolition of dummy questions
New writing format, etc.
Bought a whiteboard on Amazon (wiped off my daughter's scribbles the day before)
Devices used: MacBook Pro / Bluetooth mouse / Wired keyboard
[Environment Setup] A real experience where I panicked at the last minute
▷ The ideal testing environment is "completely office-like"
Wall decorations are not allowed.
→ Used tricks like covering them with bath towels
A chair is mandatory. Beds and sofas are not allowed.
→ (Due to the wall situation) Moved my daughter's toddler desk and chair into the bedroom to accommodate
They checked everything with the camera: the desk, the walls, both sides of the whiteboard, and even under the bed. It was also memorable that they asked if the bedroom door was the "Main entrance."
▷ Interaction with the Proctor is essentially a listening test
I went in on the day "not knowing what a Proctor was" (it means test administrator (lol))
Indian accent + phone audio quality
→ might have been the biggest Listening test of all...
I had trouble understanding the instruction to place my smartphone on the shelf behind me, and they said Oh my god... (lol)
If you are not used to communicating in English, use this as a warm-up (?)
[Impressions of each section]
📘 Reading (35 minutes)
There were two passages (20 questions each), with the themes of Mexican mural art and Australian coral reefs respectively.
I tried to read all the questions first and failed at time management. I even took notes, but honestly, that might not have been necessary.
It is possible to review your answers, and being able to jump from the Review screen was helpful.
I realized that the TOEFL Reading section tests your ability to read text quickly and grasp the content accurately. You need a strategy for how to read.
🎧 Listening (36 minutes)
Total of 5 sections: 2 conversations x 5 questions, 3 lectures x 6 questions
Some of the content:
Talking about Roman Britain in a professor's office
A student looking for assignment materials in the library
Research on the difference between bird calls and songs
A famous scholar of stratigraphy and their theory
The history of paper (from papyrus to Chinese paper)
Rather than taking notes, the ability to concentrate and understand on the spot is more important.
If you leave notes from the Reading section, it becomes difficult to use the whiteboard here, so you should get into the habit of erasing it after each section.
I regret that I left one question blank because I ran out of time...
🗣 Speaking (16 minutes)
Total of 4 questions:
1. Independent task: Pros and cons of using SNS or email within the university (15 seconds preparation, 45 seconds response)
→ I ran out of time while trying to state two reasons... I couldn't pull it together.
2. Integrated task: News about a garden being closed and a conversation between students opposing it
→ It was difficult to summarize the conversation content well and express my own opinion.
3. (My memory is fuzzy. About the timing of fish hatching? There was quite a long silence...)
4. Summarize a lecture on the classification of literature (Chronicle and Non-Chronicle)
→ I couldn't explain the examples well and it ended midway.
The preparation time for all of them is short, and I felt that the test really puts your English ability to summarize on the fly to the test. Value the feeling of "I managed to communicate it" rather than "I couldn't say it well."
✍️ Writing (29 minutes)
Question 1: In 20 minutes, summarize the counter-arguments to the benefits of digital teaching materials in education
→ I feel like I was too conscious of paraphrasing, and the originality became thin...
Question 2: In 10 minutes, an essay on "whether food should be produced domestically or procured internationally"
→ I tended to spend too much time on minor grammatical errors like verb tenses, singular/plural forms, and articles.
**Time is very tight.** It seems better to memorize templates and phrases in advance to write more smoothly.
[Summary after taking the test] Future measures and advice
After the test ended, a message like "The ETS Browser will shut down automatically" appeared on the screen, and then it shut down automatically.
I wasn't sure if I should turn off the Chrome camera, so I checked with the Proctor via chat (*a different proctor from the one during the test). I showed both sides of the whiteboard to the camera, got the OK, and finished.
🌟 Summary of what I learned this time
Took the TOEFL for the first time in my life at the end of my second trimester. The Home edition is possible for pregnant women to take if there are no health issues.
Think of the conversation with the Proctor as an "English warm-up" and go for it.
It is reassuring to have your work environment (desk, chair, and walls) perfectly prepared by the day before.
The results aren't out yet, but being able to "see the enemy" was a major gain.
It was an experience that made me want to try again in six months.
📝 If this article was helpful...
It would be a great encouragement if you could support me with a like or follow! I also welcome comments like "I took it too" or "I was worried about this part." I think it will be helpful for many people, so please feel free to write one.😊