According to ICON+, a TOEFL Singapore specialist, most students prefer to think that independent speaking tasks are one of the easiest among the spoken tasks, when compared to integrated ones. This thought can be true so long as you know how to take advantage of that one minute that you have for each independent speaking task. Having 15 to 20 seconds of preparation time and subsequently speaking for 45 to 60 seconds can be daunting for many TOEFL IBT test takers.
Infact, most students find it rather difficult to either fill in the time given or fit in all they have to say in their TOEFL, which stands for Test Of English As A Foreign Language, independent speaking test. The key to success is splitting the response period into 3 proportional parts, each of them devoted respectively to: stating your opinion, presenting at least two reasons that would justify your stand and providing some examples. By speaking a bit faster, when you have more things to share, or slowing down, when you feel that this topic is not your cup of tea, you can take control of your time. Last but not least, make sure the pace of your speech sounds natural!
