TOEFL iBT

WAIT! I still have GMAT on my schedule!
Torture isn't over yet, I guess.

Hola,

Huff...I took the iBT last Sunday and it felt messy. There were like 50 kinds of wrong things that day and every single of them managed to ruin my test day.  Do you know the iBT? it is basically TOEFL. It measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. And it evaluates how well you combine your listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks. Those four sections take approximately 4.5hours to complete with 10 minutes mandatory break.

I have planned to take this test since few months ago. I already considered my schedule on weekends, my periods (because I tend to have flu-like symptoms near my periods), my study and works at the office, the routes to go to the test center, etc. But still, I missed something. Apparently, two days ago was A CAR FREE DAY! I had to find other routes to go there and I have like zero sense of direction and and and I get panic easily. Fortunately, I went out two and a half hour before the test began (8.00) and got there at 7.15. Thank God.

Next, the order I printed from ETS website said "Plaza Sentral 17th floor" and at 7.30 (reporting time) the office was still locked and latched! I thought 'WTH'?  The other test takers and I were sitting on the floor, waiting for the office to open. At 7.45, one of the test takers took a phone call from someone who said that the test will be held in 15th floor. Damn it. No one told us about this! We crammed into one elevator and rushed to 15th floor. So much for 'relax before the test'.

Next, I queued for about 10 minutes (the test was late, of course), got my pict taken, and the staff at the test center gave me a locker to put my things.  They acted like nothing happened. No apology for the misinformation (or perhaps it was better that they did not apologize because if they did, the test might be started at noon) or any explanation about it.  They put me in a room with whole bunch of other test takers. At first I felt like "okay, I'm going to work on my own and forget about the others" and then...well, I was wrong. Counted the eggs too soon.

The only section completed with no accident was the reading section. I mean I like reading so much, it did not even feel like a test. I just hope that my understanding about the passages presented was as good as my passion in reading.  The second section was listening. I have trouble on this one because I really have bad bad concentration. In classes, usually I divert my attention to my lecturer's face from time to time to avoid some kind of hearing fatigue (well, I diverted my attention too much when it comes to Amin Wibowo though. Cute hair, flirty eyes, and...hahahah. I can do this all day, you know). I always lost the last two minutes of each lecture or conversation. It was messy. I just guessed some of the answers and went to my 10 minutes mandatory break.

The third section, speaking, was the worst of all. Remember when I said, "I'm going to work on my own and forget about the others"? Well, it did not happen because of two reasons. One, there were so many test takers and our voices collided. The headphone did not really do a good job for that matter. Two,  fluent conversations between my peers and their computers had managed to shrink my confidence. Hahah. Sugeng Trimartono (my 'crazy' English teacher) already told me that I did not need to compete with others, but still. In short, 'stuttering' was the song of the day.  The last section, writing, was (I think) better than speaking section. I could put two pretty good essays even though I thought I saw a minor typo in a glance.

I am happy the test is over and now, I am just waiting for the result. Should be posted 10 workdays after the test.  I'll tell you my score! promise.

TTFN!
Dya



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