TOEIC 730 points Strategy you should know if you aim <Explanation of everything from difficulty to study methods and reference books>

The TOEIC score of 730, which is said to be the entrance to advanced English speakers, is a score that is also advantageous when entering a university, finding a job, or changing jobs. However, there are many points to be worried about, such as "How difficult is it?" And "What kind of study is required to get 730 points?"

In this article, you can solve such questions and worries at once! Introducing TOEIC 730 points of difficulty to recommended study methods.

TOEIC 730 points of difficulty

Now let's take a look at the level of TOEIC 730 points, the percentage of people who have obtained 730 points, and the required study time.

TOEIC 730 points of level

The website of the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC), the implementing organization of TOEIC, explains the guidelines for each score as follows.

Source: PROFICIENCY SCALE ｜ IIBC

According to the table above, the TOEIC score of 730 is at the level of "having a foundation for proper communication in any situation." It is also said to be a level required for mid-career hires and transfers to overseas departments, and it is a score that people who are thinking about changing jobs should be aware of.

TOEIC scoring is statistically processed to eliminate differences between exams. Therefore, it is difficult to score by yourself, and it is possible to grasp the approximate correct answer rate by using the score conversion table. According to the score conversion table published in "Official TOEIC Listening & Reading Question Book 7", it is necessary to answer about 70% correctly for both listening and reading in order to obtain 730 points.

Conversion table for TOEIC 730 points and other English qualifications

To understand how difficult the TOEIC 730 score is, compare it with exams such as Eiken, TOEFL iBT, and IELTS.

From the above table, the level feeling of TOEIC 730 points is as follows.
· Eiken: Level 1
· TOEFL iBT: About 60 ~ 65
· IELTS: About 5.0 ~ 5.5

Compared to the Eiken, which is familiar to Japanese people, it is about the first grade, so you can see that the difficulty level is high. However, each test has different contents and characteristics, so please keep it as a reference only.

Percentage of people who have obtained TOEIC 730 points

According to IIBC data, the percentage of people who have obtained a TOEIC score of 745 or higher in the afternoon of September 2021 is 23.1% of the total. Therefore, it can be said that about 25% of the people get 730 points. In addition, the average score of the same time was 328.8 points for listening, 280.3 points for reading, and a total of 608.3 points.

Similarly, the percentage of people who have obtained a TOEIC score of 745 or higher in the morning of September 2021 is about 25.5% of the total. It can be said that about 27% of the people get 730 points. The average score for the same session was 331.4 points for listening and 284.9 points for reading, for a total of 616.2 points.

Source:
Details of average score / score distribution (277th) | IIBC
Details of average score / score distribution (276th) | IIBC

Study time required to get TOEIC 730 points

The amount of study time required to obtain a TOEIC score of 730 depends on each person's English proficiency. For example, if you currently have a TOEIC score of 650, it is said that you need about 225 hours. On the other hand, if you currently have a TOEIC score of about 450, you will need about 700 hours.

Generally, it takes 200 to 300 hours to improve the TOEIC score by 100 points. If you can secure 2 hours on weekdays and 3 hours on weekends, you can study about 70 hours in a month. Especially for working people who are busy with work, it is difficult to secure a certain amount of time. It is recommended that you study by making effective use of travel time and gap time.

Two Reasons to Get TOEIC 730 Points

You can get social benefits by getting 730 points of TOEIC, which is very difficult. Let's look at two reasons for each university and employment / change of employment.

[University] One of the application requirements and English exam exemption may be applied.

In the entrance examinations of universities and graduate schools nationwide, the TOEIC score is used for "English exam exemption", "recommendation entrance examination application requirements", "pass / fail judgment criteria", etc. For example, the Department of English Literature, Faculty of Letters, Tsuru University uses a selection method called "qualification evaluation type", and those who have obtained a TOEIC score of 730 are exempt from the English test. In addition, at the Department of English Literature, Faculty of Letters, Aoyama University, one of the application requirements is to have a TOEIC score of 730 or higher.

The required score varies depending on the school and faculty, so be sure to check the website before applying. Please note that these scores may change from year to year. Always check for the latest information, not last year's data.

Source:
English Literature Department Comprehensive Selection 2022 ｜ Tsuru University
2022 Examination Outline ｜ Aoyama Gakuin University

[Job hunting / change of job] The lowest line where English can be said as a strength

Even at work, the TOEIC score is a weapon. A survey of 304 listed companies in Japan (including 228 English-speaking companies) conducted by IIBC, the organizer of the TOEIC, found that 75% of companies use English for business. In addition, the TOEIC score that all employees feel is required to perform their duties is 600 points on average, and the international department is required to have an average of 750 points.

From this, it can be said that getting a TOEIC score of 730 will be advantageous when finding a job or changing jobs. In particular, if you want to get a job that uses English, 730 points is a good guide.

Source: 2013 "Survey on English Utilization in Listed Companies" Report | IIBC

How to study to get TOEIC 730 points

In order to get TOEIC 730 points, it is necessary to study the question fields in a well-balanced manner. Here, we will introduce how to study words, grammar, reading, and listening.

word

Most of the TOEIC Part 5 short-sentence fill-in-the-blank questions are about testing vocabulary and grammar. If you don't know a word, it will take longer than necessary to read a long sentence, so it's best to improve your vocabulary.

For learning words, it is recommended to use a TOEIC-specific word preparation book. The point is to choose not only headwords but also example sentences, Japanese translations, and explanations that are polite. Even if you try to memorize only the meaning of a word, it will not be easily fixed in your memory, so it is effective to memorize it in an example sentence.

If you can't make good use of the word countermeasure book, the first thing you should try is to check how many words you know on each page. If you don't know a word, practice only that word and check the example sentences and explanations. Test all the words again and practice only the ones you don't remember. By repeating this, the word can be fixed in the memory.

It is also recommended that you check the words that appear when you solve the problem book and create your own original vocabulary.

grammar

Only basic grammar is given in the TOEIC test. There are few maniac problems with a twist, so you can deal with them by keeping the basic grammar in mind. Grammar is the foundation of English. If you are studying without a solid foundation, you will feel that your English ability does not improve in the middle.

In order to develop the basic skills of grammar, it is recommended to prepare a countermeasure book as well as words. Choose the ones that are explained in detail for each item, and review the prepositions, pronouns, conjunctions, adverbs, tenses, etc. that are often asked in the exam to eliminate the holes in grammar. Since grammar questions are given in TOEIC Part 5, it is also effective to solve Part 5 repeatedly in a collection of questions. First, solve the problem, check the grammar book for any mistakes, and review them thoroughly.

By repeating this, you will acquire accurate knowledge. Part 5 is a part where it is easy to aim for a high score by getting used to it. Immediately before the exam, you can challenge past questions and touch a lot of questions as a shortcut to improve your score.

reading

The TOEIC test is a race against time. In order to solve all the problems within the time limit, it is also necessary to be able to read long sentences quickly. For speed reading, it is effective to read English in the English word order. When reading an English sentence, many people may translate it from the back according to the Japanese word order, but that method will take longer than necessary.

In particular, there are many cases where you run out of time due to the reading comprehension problem of Part 7, so practice reading and understanding from the beginning of the sentence. "Slash reading" is recommended. Slash reading is a method of separating each chunk of meaning with a slash (/) and reading from the beginning of the sentence.

Since the structure of sentences such as subject, predicate, and object is easy to understand, it is a training to understand sentences as they are in English without translating them into Japanese. The trick is not to try to translate it into Japanese, but to get a rough idea of the meaning. The faster you read, the more time you have to answer. Once you get used to speed reading, try "extensive reading" where you can touch a lot of sentences.

listening

When practicing listening, it's easy to think that you just have to listen to English, but in reality, it doesn't make sense to hear sounds that you don't understand. It is necessary to visually check the parts that could not be heard. "Dictation" and "shadowing" are recommended to improve your listening skills.

Dictation is the practice of writing down what you hear without looking at anything. Write down the English as you hear it, then check the script. You can understand the wrong cause, such as not knowing the word or not hearing the consonant connection. If you listen to English without looking at anything again, you should hear more sounds. When practicing dictation, be sure to prepare teaching materials with English scripts, Japanese translations, and sound sources.

Shadowing is a practice of pronouncing as if you were chasing an English sound source. Practice without looking at anything at first, and look at the script to visually check what you don't understand. It is also effective to use the app for listening measures. There are many free ones, so find the one that suits you best.

6 recommended reference books for those who are aiming for TOEIC 730 points

Here are 6 recommended reference books for those who aim for a TOEIC score of 730.

Full of tips for getting TOEIC 730 points based on thorough analysis!

A countermeasure book specializing in TOEIC 730 points " Capture in 2 months TOEIC (R) L & R test 730 points! 』. The strength of this book is that it is created by analyzing the test results of more than 300 monitors. Focusing on what is the difference between a person with a score of around 600 and a person with a score of 730 or higher, he claims that he can overcome his weaknesses in 40 days.

Another feature is that it is easy to continue studying for about 30 minutes a day. First of all, work on the exercises just like the actual exam, and confirm the techniques and points of the solution method explained carefully. After that, it is a flow of review test. It also comes with a quarter-sized mock test, so it's perfect for measures just before the actual production.

You can learn listening and reading every other day, so you will never get tired of it.

Bible for TOEIC word measures! There is also a smartphone app

A popular "golden phrase" series for learning English words. The author, who continues to get a perfect score on the TOEIC test, thoroughly analyzes and summarizes the English words that appear in the " TOEIC L & R TEST . Words for each level are recorded, including 600-point level, 730-point level, 860-point level, and 990-point level.

In addition to 300 words being taken up at the 730 point level, you can also learn 100 words for Part 1 measures, 88 polysemous words, and 120 fixed expressions. All words and phrases come with free voice, which is a nice point to check the pronunciation. It is also compatible with free smartphone apps, so it will be easy to use for learning gap time.

Great for dictation and shadowing practice

" The first TOEIC® L & R test" look-ahead "and the word exceeded 730 points! ", Which claims to acquire "look-ahead" that leads to the answer . If you can look ahead to the questions, you can shorten the learning time. Since the strategy for each part is explained logically, it is possible to increase the score of the part that you are not good at.

You will also understand why it is the answer, so you will be able to deal with similar problems next time. With audio download, it's perfect for dictation and shadowing practice. This book is recommended for those who want to know the tips for improving their score.

Let's aim for TOEIC 730 points by making full use of the solution technique!

" TOEIC L & R Test 730 Points How to Take", which is full of problems and solution techniques necessary to get TOEIC 730 points . This book is recommended for people who have exceeded 600 points but cannot easily reach 730 points.

Carefully explain the tips of the solution for each part. It is packed with research results unique to the author who has obtained the TOEIC perfect score 70 times or more. It is also possible to check your ability with the FINAL TEST, which consists of about half the number of questions in this exam. Audio CDs by narrators from the US, UK, Canada, and Australia are included, so you can expect to improve your listening skills.

You can study in the gap time with one 10-minute mini-test / h3>

" TOEIC L & R Test Level Questionbook 730 points exceeded " , which aims to help intermediate TOEIC students master basic grammar and solve difficult problems . This is a countermeasure book specializing in listening and reading.

This book uses a mini-test format of 10 minutes each, for a total of 24 times (12 times each for listening and reading), so it is easy to continue learning. It is also perfect for learning using gap time. In addition, you don't have to look up the dictionary every time because it has a "word list" to reach the target score.

From 470 points to 990 points, it is a series of 5 books by score, and it is also a point that you can study according to your level.

Careful commentary clears up your questions!

" TOEIC (R) L & R TEST 730 points capture complete package " that thoroughly analyzed the correct answer rate and the tendency of mistakes of English learners based on the results of the Z-kai original question monitor test . This is a book that can be efficiently studied by those who aim to obtain TOEIC 730 points.

Each unit can be tackled in about 20 to 40 minutes, so it is recommended for people who do not have time to study together. There are plenty of training questions and practical questions, including explanations of frequently-used exam questions. "Analysis" and "Strategy points" are explained carefully for each question, so you can understand why it is the answer.

Please also take advantage of the 200-question mock exam that is perfect for finishing your learning.