Can You Write a TOEFL Essay?

It’s finally time to write… As we’ve seen before for the speaking, there are two different writing tasks:

Integrated
Independent

Here's the definition from the official ETS website:

One Reading/Listening/Writing task

Academic reading and lecture
Test takers must answer a question discussing the key points in the lecture and explaining how they relate to those in the reading passage
Reading passage appears first, then is removed from the screen during the lecture. Test takers can view the passage again while responding to the question
Test takers can take notes and use them to respond

One independent task about a familiar topic
- Test takers state, explain and support their response using personal knowledge and experience. This task is similar to the writing task on the computer-based TOEFL® test and the TWE® (Test of Written English™)
Trained raters evaluate test takers' ability to demonstrate an understanding of the material, as well as write clearly, accurately, and in a well-organized manner.

During the integrated task, before starting to write, you’ll read a short text and listen to a lecture. Than you have to combine all the information and use them to write a text. Here’s an example of how it works:

read a short text (3 to 4 paragraphs)
listen to a lecture (and take notes)
write, comparing what you read and what you heard (around 250 words)

In my opinion, this ISN’T a difficult task. But the main problem, again, is the time. And finally… I know you’re afraid of that, and for good reason! The TOEFL Essay (they call it independent writing) can make the difference between a good and a bad score. You have 30 minutes to write more than 350 words but it’s very easy to run out of time without even completing the first paragraph. The topic is always short and well described, but can be difficult to develop, especially because you may be very tired after 4 hours of test!

Source: www.mytoefl.com/2007/09/18/can-you-write-an-essay/

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