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PART A: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale for the study
There is no doubt that English has been playing an important role in the modern world
of highly advanced technology, information and business. Facts have shown that the
English language has become an indispensable element for success in the rapidly
changing, competitive world.
Understanding its importance in individual educational and occupational career, users
of English worldwide in general and in Vietnam in particular have had a growing
demand for mastering this international language. In addition, a widely accepted
English certificate such as TOEIC is a desire of many learners of English. In fact, today
the TOEIC test is one of the most common international recognized English
proficiency exams in the world. This is because TOEIC is now one of the most popular
assessments used by schools and employers to evaluate the English abilities of students
and employees (Tokunaga, 2008). To be specific, there has been a rising number of
companies in Vietnam and all over the world using the TOEIC for the purposes of
hiring new employees, and for promotion to higher positions. Apart from that, TOEIC
is gradually being used within educational situations. Specifically, according to Trew
(2008) a significant quantity of Vietnamese and international universities and colleges
used the test for the purposes of accreditation, course placement, and measuring
progress within a curriculum. Additionally, TOEIC has been adopted as a way of
screening candidates for their graduate programs, especially in the fields of business or
international studies by a growing proportion of educational institutions worldwide and
in Vietnam. In some cases, high TOEIC scores even bring candidates the right to apply
for scholarships or special certifications.
The desire for a satisfactory score makes TOEIC candidates put a great deal of effort in
preparing for the test. In Vietnam, some of them spend hours of self-learning at home
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while the majority attends English courses for their test preparation. These courses
have various length and syllabi depending on the levels and the goals of learners, but in
general they provide participants with both linguistic skills and test-taking skills.
TiengAnh123 English center, Hanoi is one of such places which provide learners with
instructions on how to achieve their desired scores. Courses have been given for
several years, and it is claimed by TiengAnh123 that its learners have made great
improvements after their courses. However, there has not been any investigation on
how much progress its participants have made so far.
The aforementioned reasons have brought the researcher a chance to carry out a
research project entitled A study on the improvements of learners studying TOEIC
preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center.
2. Aims and objectives of the study
The research project is aimed to investigate the improvements that TOEIC learners
have made after a preparation course at TiengAnh123 English center. The specific
objectives of the study are to identify the extent to which learners have improved their
test-taking strategies and their scores after attending a TOEIC preparation course
provided by this center.
3. Research questions
In order to achieve the research aims and objectives, the study is to find answers to the
following research questions:
1. To what extent do learners improve their TOEIC test-taking strategies after
attending TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center?
2. To what extent do learners improve their TOEIC scores after attending TOEIC
preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center?
4. Scope of the study
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Although TiengAnh123 is known as an English-teaching website in Vietnam, the
participants in their online courses are excluded from this project as they are all around
the country; therefore, it would be impossible for the researcher to get them involved in
the project due to the obstacles in time, duration and expense. Instead, the sample of the
study is composed of learners at face-to-face classes only because their profile and
course length and treatment are controlled.
Moreover, at the time of the research, TiengAnh123 was offering two kinds of TOEIC
preparation, one for getting learners to achieve at least 450 points in the achievement test
and the other is for the target of at least 650 points. Nevertheless, this study is only
aimed at the first kind of preparation because this one is more popular among learners
due to the fact that a TOEIC score of 450 points is a requirement for graduation given by
many colleges and universities in Vietnam.
Next, in terms of the improvements made by learners, the study focuses on the following
two aspects, i.e. their TOEIC test-taking strategies and their overall TOEIC scores at the
end of the course.
5. Significance of the study
The study is hoped to offer the researcher an insightful understanding of the effects of
the teaching and learning at TOEIC preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English
center. The findings of the study are expected to help the researcher identify what
aspect of TOEIC preparation is doing well and vice versa in this center. Accordingly,
suggestions can be made to enhance the strengths and improve the limitations.
6. Methodology of the study
To fulfill the research aims and objectives, a qualitative methodology was employed;
specifically, it conducted survey questionnaires on TOEIC learners. In addition, the
results from the pre-tests and the post-tests taken by these learners were compared and
4
contrasted. The detail of the methodology applied in the study is discussed in Chapter 2
of Part II.
7. Organization of the study
The study consists of three parts which discuss the following matters.
Part A: Introduction presents a brief introduction of the rationale, the aims and
objectives, scope, significance, methods and organization of the study.
Part B: Development is composed of three chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: Literature Review provides the theoretical knowledge and results from the
recent studies for the issues relevant to the field under investigated.
Chapter 2: Methodology describes the processes of sampling, designing research
instruments, collecting and analyzing data employed in the study.
Chapter 3: Results and Discussion presents the discussion of the findings of the study.
Part C: Conclusion summarizes the main findings, presents the limitations of the study,
and suggestions for further studies.

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PART B: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
I. Language tests and language test preparation
1. The need for language tests
As for Hughes (1989) although language tests are mistrusted by many teachers and
alternative types of assessment are suggested, they are still considered a powerful tool
for evaluating language users abilities and achievement. To begin with, tests are
needed within language teaching systems because they help provide information about
the achievement of learners in a second or foreign language. Furthermore, without
tests, British and American universities would find it almost impossible to select
students from non-English-speaking countries. The same is true for international
organizations hiring employees whose native or first language is not English. It is
commonly accepted that score reports from such tests as TOEFL, IELTS, or TOEIC
are one of the major requirements that applicants have to enclose in their application.
2. Kinds of language tests
In his book entitled Testing for Language Teachers, Hughes (1989, p.9) mentions four
kinds of tests namely proficiency tests, achievement tests, diagnostic tests and
placement tests.
Initially, proficiency tests are defined as a measurement of peoples ability in a
language regardless of any training they may have experienced in that language. As a
result, the content of a proficiency test is not based on the content or objectives of
language courses which test takers may have attended. Instead, it is based on a
specification of what candidates have to be able to do in the language in order to be
considered proficient. Some typical examples of this kind of tests would be the Test of
English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), The International English Language Testing
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System (IELTS), or the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC).
Hughes (1989, p.10) says the function of these tests is to determine whether candidates
have reached a certain standard with respect to certain specified abilities. Such
examining bodies are independent of the teaching institutions and so can be relied on
by potential employers, etc. to make fair comparisons between candidates from
different institutions and different countries. This study focuses on TOEIC test whose
details can be found in the later section of this chapter.
In contrast to proficiency tests, achievement tests are directly related to language
courses, their purpose is to measure the extent to which individual students, groups of
students or the courses themselves have made progress in achieving objectives.
Examples of this kind of tests can be seen in many teaching situations such as a test
given to students after an English reading comprehension course to check the
participants improvements after studying the course.
Another kind of test is diagnostic tests which are used to identify students strengths
and weaknesses in language learning and help teachers decide what should be taught to
the learners. For example, at the beginning of a course, the teacher gives the learners a
diagnostic test to see what areas of language need to be included in the syllabus. Or, in
the classroom, progress tests given during the course can also act as diagnostic tests as
they help the teacher and learners identify what areas will be looked at next on the
course.
Lastly, placement tests are to provide information which help place learners in a certain
teaching program which is appropriate to their abilities. In other words, they are used
to form equal level groups which are expected to better teaching and learning qualities.
For instance, an English teaching center may require registrants to do a placement tests
before putting them into classes suitable to their levels.
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As can bee seen, the four kinds of tests mentioned above are different in their purposes
and characteristics. In addition, the amount of preparation varies among them, too.
Proficiency and achievement tests, especially proficiency tests are those which
typically need more revision and preparation because they are tests with higher stakes;
therefore, the desire for guided test preparation and practice is greater. The next part
will be discussing the various aspects of test preparation.
3. Test preparation
3.1. Definition of test preparation
The well-known website Wikipedia defines test preparation as an educational course,
tutoring service, educational material or a learning tool designed to increase students
performance on tests
1
. In fact, test takers tend to spend time preparing for the tests they
are going to take. Some of them do practice test items via the Internet, some work
through exercises in practice books. Many others would pay for commercial forms of
preparation that may involve a formal class or even one-to-one tutoring (Briggs, 2009).
According to Robb and Ercanbrack (1999), in recent times there have been abundant
preparation programs for academic aptitude and language proficiency tests, which
constitute a vast industry within the private educational sector. Students attend such
programs with a strong desire for successful performance in the tests, and the higher
the stakes of a test, the greater the desire for guided test preparation and practice.
3.2. Types of test preparation
Although the term test preparation is commonly in the field of testing, different
authors have suggested different categories of test preparation.
To begin with, Anastasi (1981) specified three kinds of test preparation which may
have a considerable effect on test performance. The first is called test-taking

1
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_preparation
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orientation which is designed to ensure all test candidates familiarity with the general
procedures involved in taking a particular test. The second kind is termed coaching
which is usually characterized by intensive, short-term practice on item types similar to
those employed in the test. The third type is to provide participants with training in
broadly applicable cognitive skills.
Briggs (2009) mentions the typical elements of any test preparation which include
content review, item practice and orientation to the format of the test. He divides test
preparation into two main types namely informal or student-driven test preparation and
formal test preparation or coaching. The first type is characterized with students
activity of purchasing a book of practice exams for a nominal fee and using this as a
basis for preparation in the weeks leading up to an official examination. The other,
coaching, refers to the preparation that is given by an official instructor (i.e., a coach)
who drives students attention to specific test-taking strategies. Most coaching
programs require participants to pay a fee sometimes quite substantial - to attend. The
three most common forms of coaching include 1) classroom-based courses offered by
test preparation centers, 2) online coaching (with or without a virtual tutor) and 3)
private one-to-one or small group tutoring in-person.
Powers (2012) identifies two test preparation kinds which include test familiarization
and coaching. Test familiarization is quite similar to test orientation given about 30
years ago by Anastasi (1981) because it is to supply test-takers-to-be with general skills
for test taking and to get them familiarized with the procedures required to take a
particular test. Participants of this kind of test preparation are exposed to the kinds of
item formats they will encounter, the guidelines of guess making and time
management. Powers (2012, p.2) suggests that preparation of this sort is generally
considered desirable as it is supposed to get individuals to master the mechanics of test
taking; as a result, it will allow them to focus on, and accurately demonstrate, the skills
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and abilities under tested. Meanwhile, the other is named coaching which is typically
associated with short-term efforts aimed at teaching test-taking strategies or tricks to
enable test takers to beat the test; that is, to take advantage of flaws in the test or in
the testing system (e.g., never choose a particular answer choice if a question has these
characteristics).
To summarize, the aforementioned authors have different ways of classifying test
preparation with various names of the subtypes or with discrepant features of a
particular subtype. However, it can be seen that in any test preparation such as test-
taking orientation or test familiarization, test takers are all familiarized with the format
of the test, the skills and abilities to be tested and the ways to tackle the test so that they
can achieve optimum test results. This kind of knowledge refers to the so-called test-
taking strategies, which will be discussed in the next part of this chapter.
3.3. Test-taking strategies
This section deals with the definition and the categories of test-taking strategies, which
is considered as an indispensable component of test preparation.
3.3.1. Definition of test-taking strategies
An early definition is the one given by Millman et al. (1965) (as cited in Ritter and
Idol-Maestas, 1986, p.50) who suggests that test-taking strategies are ones capacity
for using test characteristics and formats and/or test-taking situations to raise test
scores.
Later on, Rogers and Harley (1999) mention specific test-taking strategies which
include: reading the instructions carefully, scheduling the allocated time appropriately,
making use of clue words in the questions, delaying answering difficult questions,
reviewing the work in order to check the answers, etc.
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Then, test-taking strategies are defined by Cohen (2000) as the consciously selected
processes that test-takers use for addressing language issues and the item-response
demands in the test-taking tasks at hand. As can be seen in this definition, two
important elements are mentioned, which are consciousness and goal-orientation.
As has been presented, although all the definitions show the nature and purpose of
test-taking strategies, it is clear that the definition given by Rogers and Harley (1999) is
the most detailed one.
3.3.2. Types of test-taking strategies
Cohen (1998) maintains that test-taking strategies consist of language use strategies
and testwiseness strategies. The first one, language use strategies are defined as the
ways test takers apply their knowledge of a second/foreign language so as to carry out
language tasks. Typically, four types of language use strategies (i.e., retrieval,
rehearsal, cover, and communication strategies) are used in a testing situation for the
purpose of storing, retaining, recalling, and applying the information for use on the test.
The later, testwiseness is not necessarily associated with the examinees language
proficiency, but rather is concerned with his knowledge of how to take tests.
Rezaee (2006, p. 155) classifies test-taking strategies into two types of general and
specific strategies. General strategies are those needed for any test such as reviewing
test content, reading the directions, using time effectively during a test, avoiding errors,
etc. Meanwhile, specific strategies are employed in the exact area of the subject matter
that is being tested; they deal with taking various kinds of tests such as multiple-choice,
matching, fill-in-the-blanks, essay, short answer, true-false, and problem solving.
According to Hirano (2009, p. 158), test-taking strategies can be categorized into three
following types:
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(i) Learner strategies which include the ways that test takers employ the skills of
listening, speaking, reading and writing, and the related skills of vocabulary, grammar,
and translation in addressing test items.
(ii) Test-management strategies which are characterized as consciously selected ones
used for giving meaningful and correct answers to test items. These strategies include
logistic issues, such as keeping tract of time and determining where to look for
answers.
(iii) Test-wiseness strategies which are strategies for using knowledge of test formats
and other peripheral information to answer test items without going through the
expected linguistic and cognitive processes. In other words, test-wiseness is the ability
to use special strategies to give correct answers without necessarily knowing the
content or skill that is being measured.
As shown above, the classification suggested by Rezaee (2006, p. 155) is clearly
different from the other two, while the later ones are similar in many ways. To be
specific, the nature of Cohens (1998) categorization is the same as that of Hiranos
(2009) and the difference only exists in the name of subtypes.
3.4. Previous studies on improvements of learners at language courses
Language test preparation courses in which the participants are given necessary
strategies for dealing with tests have been of great interest to researchers all over the
world. This section mainly deals with those studies that focus on the improvements of
learners at language test preparation courses.
It can be seen that research over time has suggested incompatible findings regarding
the effects of preparation programs on a variety of language tests.
First, the study by Brown (1998) investigates the performance on an IELTS test taken
by students in a ten-week IELTS preparation course and a more broadly focused on
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English for Academic Purposes course. The student groups mainly came from the
South-East Asia region, aged between 16 and 25 years old, balanced in gender
distribution and were typically enthusiastic, but characterized by diverse mother tongue
and cultural backgrounds as well as previous educational experience. This evaluation
project was conducted with a mixed research design, requiring the collection and
analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative IELTS test score data
generated by the writing sub-tests was collected through pre- and post-course testing of
both the program groups. Qualitative data was gathered through extensive classroom
observation procedures including document analysis of staff teaching records, and
informal interviews with both staff and students. The findings revealed that the IELTS
group has an improvement of nearly one band, while the other one showed a small
score decrease. Nevertheless, the sample sizes of the two groups in this study were
rather small (9 vs. 5) and only writing skills were studied. Therefore, it would be
impossible to generalize the effect of a language test preparation course on test
performance.
Next is The effect of background disciplines on IELTS scores by Celestine and Ming
(1999), in which the authors look at the extent to which test preparation affects IELTS
test scores of students from different disciplines. Three hundred and ninety-eight
IELTS candidates whose major was either Science or Arts were randomly selected
from the IDP Education Australia offices in Malaysia to participate in the project.
Using IELTS scores and questionnaires as research instruments, Celestine and Ming
(1999) found no significant difference in test results between those attending
preparation and those who did not. They suggested two reasons accounting for this
which include (i) the duration of the preparation program (i.e. a few months) is too
short if compared to the duration of the disciplines the student had undergone (i.e. two
years) and (ii) IELTS is a test of English proficiency; hence, the knowledge of test-
taking strategies cannot make any significant change to the scores gained.
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Of the greatest relevance to this study is the one carried out by Robb & Ercanbrack
(1999) which investigated the effect of direct test preparation on TOEIC gaining
scores. During the study, freshmen students (i.e., English majors and non-majors) at
Kyoto Sangyo University were divided into three treatment groups: 1) TOEIC
Preparation, 2) Business English and 3) General (four-skills) English. These groups
were treated separately since there were important differences in contact hours/week,
level of English, motivation and homework between them, which make integration of
the data unwise. The participants took the pre-test at the beginning of the school year
and took the post-test and completed a survey questionnaire at the end. The results
suggest that the TOEIC preparatory materials had a significant impact on improving
the non-majors reading component score. The authors came to a conclusion that direct
test preparation are not beneficial to students majoring in the English language, but
might have a great effect on boosting the score of the reading component of students
enrolled in a university-level general English course in Japan.
Another study, Elder and OLoughlin (2003) examines the relationship between
intensive English language study and band score gains on the IELTS. Specifically, it
investigates the process of a sample of 112 students from non English-speaking
backgrounds enrolled in intensive English language courses at one of four different
language centers in Australia and New Zealand. Progress is gauged in terms of score
gains on the academic module of the IELTS which was administered at the beginning
and end of a 10-12 week period of intensive English language instruction. Pre- and
post-study questionnaires were given to all participating students and semi-structured
interviews were conducted with a small number of students and some administrators
and teacher at each of the participating institutions. Data were analyzed using both
quantitative and qualitative methods. The study found a significant improvement in
English language proficiency, with students on average increasing their IELTS score
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by half a band. They found that the improvement was greatest on the Listening subtest,
and gains were likely to be greater for students with low initial English language
proficiency. They also discovered that a range of personal, instructional and
environmental factors were linked to these improved scores, but that these factors
varied from one language skill to another. However, Elder and OLoughlin (2003)
suggest the need for caution in interpreting these results, as these studies are measuring
average gains, and individual performance is highly variable.
Apart from the international studies, research papers on test preparation in the
Vietnamese context were also reviewed by the researcher of this study. One of those
related articles is Effects of Test Preparation on Test Performance the case of the
IELTS and TOEFL iBT Listening Tests by Nguyen (2007). In this study, the
relationship of two test preparation programs (the IELTS preparation course and the
iBT TOEFL preparation course) and the test performance of 95 Vietnamese test takers
destined for overseas study in English-speaking countries was investigated. The
research focuses on the listening sub-test of these two test batteries. The IELTS
preparation group was provided with instructions on IELTS 6 hours a week in which
about 1.5 to 2 hours were devoted to listening skills and doing IELTS listening practice
tests. The program lasted for 10 weeks. The English language proficiency of this group
of students ranged from IELTS band 5 to IELTS 6.5 with the listening sub-band from
4.5 to 6.5. The TOEFL iBT group was introduced to the TOEFL preparation program
for about 2 hours on the first day. After that, instructions were focused on teaching
listening skills in general and on the TOEFL iBT listening test in particular. For the
participants in the TOEFL group, the training for the TOEFL iBT listening test ran for
approximately 3 hours every other day and lasted for 2 weeks. The English language
proficiency of the TOEFL preparation group ranged from 35 to 50 on the TOEFL iBT
with the reading sub-band from 10 to 31. The time allocated for the preparation of the
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two groups and the level-off of their average scores were closely scrutinized so that the
two groups would be as much the same as possible. The students from the two test
preparation groups took both the IELTS and the iBT TOEFL listening tests at the
beginning and end of the courses. The research findings reveal that the effect of test
preparation can be seen more evident on the performance of the IELTS listening test
than on that of the TOEFL iBT listening test. Specifically, the IELTS preparation
group significantly outperformed the TOEFL preparation group on the IELTS listening
test. In contrast, the TOEFL preparation group performed better than the IELTS
preparation group on the TOEFL iBT listening test, but the difference was not
significant.
As reviewed above, the majority of those aforementioned studies focus on test
preparation courses which last a couple of months; however, they indicate different
effect levels of language test preparation on test scores. Therefore, it is likely that time
of preparation programs has little impact on test performance. Rather, the reasons
accounting for this discrepancy include the kinds of tests and/or test formats, the
sample sizes, the background cultures, and the language proficiency levels of the
studies participants.
II. The TOEIC test
1. What is TOEIC?
Trew (2008) points out that the Test of English for International Communication, or
TOEIC is used as a way of measuring the communicative ability of business people. It
covers the vocabulary and situations business people encounter when using English all
over the world. The typical test is composed of two papers, i.e. the Listening and
Reading Test, and the Speaking and Writing Test. Due to its popularity in Vietnam,
this study is focused on the Listening and Reading Test only.
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A summary of the TOEIC tests history and components can be seen in the table
below:
The TOEIC Listening and Reading Test 1978 1979 2006 Present
developed
administered
changed
two hours
200 multiple-choice questions
Listening
Comprehension
Section
4 parts
45 minutes
fewer photo questions in Part 1
set of questions in part 3 and Part 4
both recorded and written questions in
Part 3 and Part 4

Reading
Section
3 parts
75 minutes
error recognition questions in Part 6
text completion questions in Part 6
"double-passage" questions in Part 7
TOEIC scores range from 10 to 990 and there is no pass or fail mark. The score test-
takers receive for the Listening Comprehension section is added to the score they
receive from the Reading section. Only their correct responses are counted toward the
final score.
Section Score
Listening Comprehension 5 to 495
Reading 5 to 495
TOTAL 10 to 990
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(Lougheed, 2009: viii)
2. Suggested strategies test-takers need for success in the TOEIC test
Trew (2008) suggests that test takers should have both good test-taking skills and
linguistic skills in order to gain a satisfactory TOEIC score.
First, the test-taking skills that test-takers are advised to master include: (i) familiarity
with the test format, instructions and question types; (ii) good time management; (iii)
efficiency of information processing; and (iv) awareness of features that can make
incorrect answer choices attractive.
Apart from the test-taking skills, test takers need to have adequate linguistic skills for
good performance in the TOEIC test, which consist of (i) vocabulary and grammatical
understanding; (ii) familiarity with different native speaking accents; (iii) awareness of
English connected speech and (iv) understanding language in use (conversational
English).
In addition to the overall linguistic and test-taking strategies mentioned above,
according to Kanistra & Kollias (2008) TOEIC test takers should keep in mind the
following part-specific techniques:
In part 1- Photographs, the tactics include looking at and answering questions
about the photos before listening, marking the answers on the answer sheet upon
listening and eliminating distracters.
In order to answer as many questions in part 2 Question Response as
possible, students should first try to identify question types and predict the
possible answers before they listen to the responses. Furthermore, they should
be aware of distracters and avoid them when doing this part.
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Part 3 Conversations and Part 4 Talks require students to skim the questions
and answer choices paying attention to the key words before they listen. When
listening to the audio, students should keep their eyes on the key words in the
question stem and answer choices. Finally, students should mark the correct
answer choice as quickly as they hear it.
For tackling the questions in Part 5 Incomplete Sentences and in Part 6 Text
Completion, test takers should be well aware of the common question types as
each type requires different techniques. They are also advised to use the 2-pass
method and strictly follow the advice on time management.
Some key techniques to deal with part 7 Reading Comprehension are as
follows. Initially, students should spend at least 40 minutes on this part. Also,
they are advised to read the questions first and then use the appropriate skills
and sub-skills to answer the questions. Some other reading skills include using
key words to locate the relevant parts of the text and trying to guess unknown
words from context.
It can be said that those skills and techniques stated above are considered essential for
good TOEIC test performance; therefore, they should be included in any TOEIC
preparation course.
SUMMARY
In this chapter, the researcher has described elaborately the theoretical basis of the
study by defining and clarifying the various aspects of test preparation. More
importantly, the researcher has reviewed what related studies say about the discussed
aspects, which is hoped to provide a milestone background for the discussion of the
collected data.

19

20
Chapter 2: METHODOLOGY
This chapter presents the context of the study and the research methods involved to
answer the two research questions of the study.
1. Context of the study
The study was conducted at TiengAnh 123 English center which offers training in a
variety of English courses. The researcher surveyed learners who are studying in
TOEIC A classes which require participants to gain scores equivalent to between 250
and 300 points in the 990-point scale of TOEIC in the placement test. The learners are
mainly university students along with some employees in several companies in Hanoi.
They voluntarily pay tuition fee to take the course. The outstanding advantage of the
target training is the keen interest of these learners in English. Most of them are very
studious and purposeful in studying the TOEIC course because they want to meet the
graduation requirement set by their educational institutions or the application
requirement set by their potential future employers.
Each TOEIC A course lasts two months, with three 90-minute lessons every week.
Like any other preparation programs, these learners receive tuition in the format of the
TOEIC test, and frequent practice of the relevant skills to be tested. The course
employs a number of commercial TOEIC test preparation books by well-known
publishers such as Oxford, Longman, and Cambridge. Apart from the preparation
activities in class, the learners are required to complete a huge amount of practice
exercises at home. The course guarantees a post test score of at least 400 points to each
learner, if not, they will be offered another similar course free of charge if they wish to.
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2. Methodology
Sample TOEIC pre and post tests and learners survey questionnaires are respectively
carried out during the study procedure. Following is the detailed procedures of
collecting data through these research instruments.
2.1. Participants
The subject of the study involved 31 learners from three TOEIC A classes (one in the
morning and the other two in the evening). They come from different parts of the
country and are at the age of between 18 and 26. Most of them are studying at
college/university while the rest is working or looking for a job.
2.2. Instruments
In this study, qualitative data was collected with the use of learners survey
questionnaire for it provides space for respondents thoughts, and approaches. In
addition, the scores of the pre-tests and post-tests were used as they provided a quick
and easy way of looking at the improvements made by TOEIC learners.
The TOEIC pre-test and post test
The aim of the pre-test is to identify learners level of English before they are enrolled
in the course. The post test is to decide how much the learners have improved their
TOEIC scores after a direct preparation program. Because it is impossible for the
researcher to design a pre/post test which is the same as an actual TOEIC test;
therefore, two practice tests at the end of the book named Tactics for TOEIC Listening
and Reading Test (Trew, 2008) were used. Practice test 1 was used as the pre test and
practice test 2 as the post test. The format and level of difficulty of these two practice
tests are closely similar to those of an official TOEIC test.
The survey questionnaire for learners
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The aim of this survey is to explore the learners improvements in their TOEIC test-
taking strategies. (The questionnaire is attached in Appendix A.)
The questionnaire was designed with two main parts including 7 questions. Part one
consists of six questions regarding the learners general information which includes
their gender, age, working/study status, years of studying English, and pre-and post-test
scores. To answer these questions, learners ticked the most approximate boxes or wrote
in the given blanks. Part two comprises question number 7 which investigates the
improvements that learners have made after the course in terms of general and specific
test-taking strategies. This question was written using a 5-point Likert scale. Learners
answered this question by ticking the column which most reflects their thoughts. The
questionnaire was conducted in English as these learners level of English is good
enough to understand all the questions properly. It was administered after the learners
got their post test scores at the end of the course.
2.3 Procedures of collecting data
The survey was conducted by the researcher herself. During the procedure of data
collection, 42 copies of the questionnaire are administered to learners of three TOEIC
A classes at TiengAnh 123. The researcher went to all of the classes and instructed the
learners how to answer questions in the questionnaires. Although the survey
questionnaire is written in English, translation and explanation are utilized when
necessary so that the learners could understand the questions properly. The full
translation for the survey questionnaire for learners is not applied for their level of
English is good enough to perceive the core content of the questionnaire.
2.4 Procedures of analyzing data
There were actually 42 questionnaires sent out to the learners at three TOEIC
preparation classes, among them 39 were returned and 8 were not properly completed.
Therefore, only 31 questionnaires were analyzed. The responses include their general
23
information, their pre- and post-test scores, and their improvements on test-taking
strategies and scores are outlined and discussed in the next chapter. Wherever possible,
the information discussed is provided in diagrammatic form.

24
CHAPTER 3: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This chapter presents the results from and the interpretation of the data collected from
the questionnaires. Specifically, the presentation will deal with learners personal
information, an analysis of learners pre test and post test scores, and an analysis of
learners improvements on general and specific TOEIC test-taking strategies.
1. Learners personal information
Aspects of learners personal information provided are indicated in Figures 1.1 1.3
(relating to Questions 1 to 4 of the questionnaire)

Figure 1.1: Gender of learners
As can be seen, the number of TOEIC learners is divided rather equally between male
and female categories, 54.5% and 45.5% respectively.

45.50%
54.50%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
Gender
of
learners
Male
Female
25

Figure 1.2: Learners age
Nearly half of the learners are at the age of 18-21 years old while a third of them are
between 22 and 24. The smallest portion includes those who are 25 years old or older
with just more than 20.0%.
46.20%
33.70%
20.10%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
Learners' age
25 or older
22-24 years
18-21 years
26

Figure 1.3: Learners current status
The majority of learners are those who are studying at college/university with 70.4%.
The second largest group (20.3%) consists of those who are currently working. People
who are looking for a job comprise the smallest portion of 9.3%.
70.40%
20.30%
9.30%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
Learners' current status
Looking for a job
Working
Studying at
university
27

Figure 1.4: Learners years of learning English
All of the learners have more than three years of learning English. Specifically, half of
them have been studying English for 8-10 years, while a third of them has been
spending 4-7 years learning English. Nearly a fifth has been an English language
learner for more than a decade.
2. Research question 1: Improvements on TOEIC test-taking strategies
Question number 7 in the questionnaire explores the learners knowledge and usage of
TOEIC test-taking strategies, both general and specific ones to answer research
question 1.
When reporting the learners knowledge of TOEIC general test-taking strategies, the
researcher employed Oxfords (1990) key to understanding mean scores on SILL-
based instruments whose scale range is 1 to 5:
30.60%
50.30%
19.10%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
Years of
learning
English
1-3 years
over 10 years
8-10 years
4-7 years
28
- High awareness = 4.5 to 5.0 (always aware or almost always aware) and 3.5 to 4.4
(usually aware)
- Medium awareness = 2.5 to 3.4 (sometimes aware)
- Low awareness = 1.5 to 2.4 (usually not aware) or 1.0-1.4 (never or almost never
aware)
The responses to this question will be presented and analyzed as follows.
2.1. Improvements on TOEIC general test-taking strategies
Following is the responses received from the questionnaire for questions number 7.1-
7.9 regarding knowledge of TOEIC general test-taking strategies. The results are
displayed in table 2.1.
Strategy
number
Knowledge of Mean
1 test instructions 4.10

2 time to spend on each part of the test 4.06
3 identifying main idea questions 4.03
4 identifying detail questions 4.03
5 identifying vocabulary questions 4.03

6 identifying similar-sounding distracters 4.06
7 identifying meaning distracters 3.84

8 avoiding distracters in the test 4.00
29
9 guessing when I dont know the answer 4.06
10 working quickly but carefully 4.16

11 marking only one answer per question 4.23

12 sticking to only one answer for all the
questions I dont know the exact
answers
4.16
Table 2.1: Mastery of TOEIC general test-taking strategies
As reported in Table 2.1, the mean scores for the twelve strategies ranged from 3.84 to
4.23. According to Oxford (1990), this is an indication for high awareness. Therefore,
it can be concluded that after a TOEIC preparation course, learners are well aware of
general strategies for test taking. None of the ten strategies got a mean score which is
higher than 4.5 points; hence, it can be said that no strategy always received awareness
from the learners. The four most familiar strategies to the learners include knowledge
of marking one answer per question, working quickly but carefully, choosing the same
option for all remaining questions, the test instructions with means of 4.23, 4.16, 4.16,
and 4.10 respectively. Knowledge of allocating time in the test, identifying similar-
sounding distracters, making a guess when an answer is not obvious, various question
types in the test including main idea, detail, and vocabulary questions, and ways of
avoiding distracters are the next most familiar strategies with mean scores ranging
from 4.00 to 4.10. The least acquainted strategy is awareness of ways to identify
meaning distracters with a mean of 3.84. This is because of the complexity and
frequency of this type of distracter in the test, which could be a reason for learners to
find it more difficult than other strategies.
2.2. Improvements on TOEIC specific test-taking strategies
2.2.1 Specific test-taking strategies for part 1
30
Strategy
number
Part 1 test-taking strategies Mean
1 - Before listening, identify all words about photos 4.06
2 - Before listening, self-ask and self-answer questions
about photos quickly
4.16
3 - While listening, avoid similar-sounding distracters 4.03
4 - While listening, avoid meaning distracters 3.77
5 - Only mark answers after listening to 4 choices 4.03
Table 2.2: Mastery of TOEIC part 1 strategies
As can be seen from table 2.2, the mean scale is between 3.77 and 4.16, which
indicates that learners are highly aware of suggested strategies for TOEIC part 1.
However, this also means that they are usually, but not always or almost always, aware
of using these strategies when doing the part. In more detail, respondents are the most
aware of self-asking and self-answering questions about photos quickly before they
listen to the audio. The next most mastered strategies include identifying all words
about photos before listening, avoiding similar-sounding distracters while listening,
and only marking answers after listening to 4 answer choices with means of 4.06, 4.03,
and 4.03 respectively. The strategy which has got a mean of 3.77, the lowest, is
avoiding meaning distracters while listening. This may be due to the fact that meaning
distracters are difficult to identify to the learners, which is also found out in the
previous question.
2.2.2 Specific test-taking strategies for part 2
31
Strategy
number
Part 2 test-taking strategies Mean
1 - Before listening, check part 1 answers quickly
again
4.0
2 - Before listening, preview quickly part 3 4.06
3 - While-listening, focus on audio and answer sheet
only
4.03
4 - While-listening, identify question types 4.13
5 - While-listening, take notes of question words 4.16
6 - While-listening, avoid similar-sounding
distracters
4.22
7 - While-listening, avoid meaning distracters 3.77
8 - Only mark answers after listening to 3 choices 4.03
Table 2.3: Mastery of TOEIC part 2 strategies
Similar to part 1 strategies, those strategies for dealing with part 2 TOEIC are all well
mastered by the learners. In more detail, the strategies of identifying question types,
taking notes of question words and avoiding similar-sounding words are the most
highly mastered with means of 4.13, 4.16, and 4.22 respectively. The reason for this, as
for the researcher, is the fact that these strategies are considered the most basic and
important for success in part 2. Means of between 4.0 and 4.1 include the four
strategies of checking part 1 answers quickly before listening, previewing part 3
quickly before listening, focusing on audio and answer sheet only while listening, and
only marking answers after listening to 3 choices. The strategy of avoiding meaning
distracters while listening, again, is the only strategy which got a mean of below 4.0.
32
As mentioned before, these distracters take more time and effort to identify; as a result,
it would be more difficult for the learners to identify and avoid them.
2.2.3 Specific test-taking strategies for part 3 and part 4
Strategy
number
Part 3 & part 4 test-taking strategies Mean
1 - Before listening, look at questions and answer choices quickly 4.19
2 - Before listening, predict context 4.13
3 - While-listening, avoid similar-sounding distracters 4.22
4 - While-listening, avoid meaning distracters 3.77
5 - While-listening, mark answers quickly 4.21
Table 2.4: Mastery of TOEIC part 3 and part 4 strategies
As presented in table 2.4, the learners knowledge of TOEIC part 3 and part 4
strategies is quite good, although none of the strategies is always used by the learners.
To be specific, the strategies of avoiding similar-sounding distracters while listening
and marking answers quickly while listening got the highest means of more than 4.20.
The second place belongs to the strategies to be used in the pre-listening phase which
include previewing questions and answer choices quickly and predicting context with
means of 4.19 and 4.13 respectively. Similar to in part 1 and part 2, avoiding meaning
distracters while listening is the strategy that got the lowest mean of 3.77; therefore, it
can be said that this strategy seems to be the most difficult to master among the TOEIC
listening strategies.
2.2.4 Specific test-taking strategies for part 5 and part 6
33
Strategy
number
Part 5 test-taking strategies Mean
1 - Spend no more than 30 seconds per question on part 5 4.09
2 - Spend around 10 minutes on part 6 4.22
3 - In part 6, read more than one sentence to find the answer when
necessary
4.13
4 - Use context for word choice questions 4.13
5 - Use grammar clues for word choice questions 4.23
6 - Look at suffixes for word form questions 4.35
7 - Look for time clues for verb questions 4.22
Table 2.5: Mastery of TOEIC part 5 and part 6 strategies
In general, it can be said that the learners are highly aware of TOEIC part 5 and part 6
strategies because the mean range is from 4.09 to 4.35, none of them got a mean below
4.0. The highest mean of 4.35 belongs to the strategy of using suffixes for word form
questions which is quite well-known to many English learners. The second most
mastered strategies are those of part 6 time management, using grammar clues for word
choice questions, and using time clues for verb questions with means of 4.22, 4.23, and
4.22 respectively. Reading more than one sentence in some cases in part 6 and using
context clues for word choice questions got the same mean of 4.13. The strategy of part
5 time management got the lowest mean of 4.09 as many TOEIC candidates find it
hard to complete this part in only 20-25 minutes.
2.2.5 Specific test-taking strategies for part 7
Strategy Part 7 test-taking strategies Mean
34
number
1 - Spend at least 45 minutes on this part 4.09
2 - Read questions carefully and identify key words before
reading texts
4.06
3 - Identify easier questions and do them first 4.10
4 - Use skimming skill for main idea questions 4.0
5 - Use scanning skill for detail questions 4.0
6 - Use context clues for vocabulary questions 4.0
Table 2.6: Mastery of TOEIC part 7 strategies
Table 2.6 shows that the mean range of part 7 strategies knowledge is from 4.0 to 4.1,
which is indicative of high awareness. Those strategies of time management, reading
questions and identifying key words before reading texts, and identifying easier
questions and doing them first are the most mastered strategies which got means of
4.09, 4.06, and 4.10 respectively. These are the strategies needed for all kinds of texts,
and all question types in part 7. The second group comprises of the strategies for three
specific kinds of question with the same mean of 4.0.
3. Research question 2: Improvements on TOEIC pretest and post test scores
As mentioned in chapter 2 Methodology, learners were given a sample TOEIC test at
the beginning of the course and another one at the end. These test papers were marked
by the teachers, and then their scores were informed to the learners. The learners, then,
provided their received scores in their questionnaires. As such, the raw score data for
each learner in the study is displayed in the following table.
Learner Reading Listening Total
35
Pre-test Post-test Pre-test Post-test Pre-test Post-test
1 150 220 120 230 270 450
2 155 200 125 250 280 450
3 160 220 130 230 290 450
4 150 210 125 250 275 460
5 125 210 130 260 255 470
6 130 220 120 240 250 460
7 140 210 135 250 275 460
8 135 220 140 240 275 460
9 145 215 120 245 265 470
10 140 225 130 245 270 470
11 130 220 135 260 265 480
12 160 250 140 300 300 550
13 155 200 145 340 300 540
14 145 245 150 300 295 545
15 140 255 155 350 295 605
16 145 295 155 325 300 530
17 140 195 150 305 290 500
18 150 205 140 220 290 425
19 130 215 150 225 280 440
20 130 200 145 260 275 460
21 130 215 155 240 285 455
22 130 210 140 240 270 450
23 145 220 125 245 270 465
24 145 215 130 255 275 470
25 125 205 155 270 280 475
26 120 210 150 270 270 480
27 140 220 140 265 280 485
28 135 245 145 220 280 465
29 150 215 140 245 290 460
30 140 225 150 265 290 490
31 145 200 145 275 290 475
Table 3.1: TOEIC pre- and post-test raw score data
The first column from the left in Table 3.1 displays the numbered names of the TOEIC
learners. Each column thereafter indicates the TOEIC score gained by each learner in
terms of Reading, Listening, and Total.
36
At a glance, as can be seen from table 3.1, all the learners have improved their scores
between the pre- and the post-tests. However, the extent of the improvements is not the
same among them; this is due to the fact that the learners frequency and amount of
practice outside the class usually vary. Also, their behavior on the test day can be a
reason which accounts for this difference.
In order to discover the gain achieved by each learner during their course of
instruction, it is necessary to find out the minimum, maximum and mean score of each
component in each test. This kind of information is shown in the following table.

TOEIC
Score
Reading Listening Total
Pre-test Post-test Pre-test Post-test Pre-test Post-test
Minimum 120.00 195.00 120.00 220.00 250.00 425.00
Maximum 160.00 295.00 155.00 350.00 300.00 605.00
Mean 140.0 220.0 140.0 262 280.0 479.0
Table 3.2: TOEIC pre- and post-test minimum, maximum, and mean score
The score range in the pre-test is 120-160 points for Reading, 120-155 points for
Listening, and 250-300 points for Total. On average, a TOEIC learner scored
equivalently to almost 280 points in the pre-test, with about 140 points for each
component. This score indicates that learners took the course with their quite equally
developed listening and reading skills.
Meanwhile, in the post test, TOEIC learners scored between 195 and 295 points for
Reading, between 220 and 350 points for Listening, and between 425 and 605 points
for Total. The average score is approximately 220, 260, and 470 points for Reading,
Listening, and Total respectively.
37
Therefore, it can be seen that there has been a big change between the pre-test and post
test scores, both in each component of the test and in the total score. The detailed score
change is presented in the figure below.
Score
TOEIC
N Mean Minimum
Change
Maximum
Change
Reading 31 79.0 45.0 150.0
Listening 31 122.6 75.0 195.0
Total 31 199.0 135.0 310.0
Table 3.3: Detailed score change between pre-tests and post-tests
Table 3.3 shows that the three TOEIC classes (n=31) has a mean score change of
199.0, that is, an improvement of nearly 200 points. The range of score changes is from
a minimum of 135.0 points to a maximum of 310.0 points. Specifically, for Reading,
there is a mean increase of 79.0, and the score change range is between 45.0 150.0
points. The Listening component has experienced a mean score change of 122.6, and
the change range is from 75.0 points to 195.0 points. Accordingly, the mean score
change of Listening is more than 40 points higher than that of Reading. In the
researchers point of view, learners have improved their listening scores better than
their reading scores because TOEIC listening is quite new and attractive to them;
therefore, it is easier for them absorb the listening skills that are taught by the teachers.
In conclusion, the learners have greatly improved their understanding and usage of
TOEIC test-taking strategies, which have resulted in their significant improvements in
TOEIC scores.


38










PART 3: CONCLUSION
This study has investigated the improvements made by TOEIC learners after a direct
preparation program by carrying out a research project at TiengAnh123 English center.
The improvements were explored with regard to two aspects, i.e. test-taking strategies
and scores. All the findings from the survey questionnaires were analyzed and
discussed in the previous part. The summaries of the findings and the conclusion for
the research are presented as follows.
1. Summary of the study
The study aims at addressing the two research questions regarding learners
improvements after studying at TOEIC preparation classes. Based on the data collected
from the pre- and post-tests and the survey questionnaires for learners at TiengAnh123
English center, answers to the two research questions are gained.
39
Research question 1: To what extent do learners improve their TOEI C test-taking
strategies after attending TOEI C preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English
center?
The results from the learners survey questionnaires suggest that TOEIC learners have
significantly improved their knowledge and usage of both general strategies for the
whole test and specific test-taking strategies for each part in the test.
Research question 2: To what extent do learners improve their TOEI C scores after
attending TOEI C preparation classes at TiengAnh123 English center?
According to the findings of the study, in general, TOEIC learners with 250-300 points
in the pre-test have made a nearly 200-point improvement after a two-month
preparation course. In addition, their listening scores have experienced a better score
increase than their reading ones.
2. Implications of the study
Based on the findings of the study, there are some implications in the research as
follows.
First and foremost, the study has shown that test preparation has a significant effect on
test scores; as a result, test candidates are advised to spend time and effort making
revision and doing practice tests before taking a standardized test like TOEIC.
In addition, the findings for the two research questions have confirmed the correlative
relationship between test-taking strategies and test scores. Specifically, learners
improved test-taking strategies have resulted in their improved test scores. Therefore, it
is suggested that teachers should pay adequate attention to the instruction of knowledge
and usage of test-taking strategies in teaching test preparation lessons to their learners.
40
3. Limitations of the study
The study has offered some insightful findings, yet, like many other studies, there are
still some limitations.
With regard to sample size, the study is limited in the fact that the responses from only
31 learners make it difficult to generalize the improvements made by TOEIC learners
after a direct preparation program.
Moreover, in terms of methodology, only survey questionnaires were given out at the
end of the course, no interview or observation was carried out. This could be a reason
for not thoroughly comparing the improvements on test-taking strategies between
before and after attending the course.
4. Suggestions for further study
According to some limitations of the study, there are some suggestions for further
researchers.
Firstly, this study has researched only 31 TOEIC learners which was a rather small
sample. Similar projects can be carried out with a larger number of participants.
Next, the participants of the project were those with a pre-test score of between 250
and 300 points. Therefore, further researches may focus on the learners who get a
different starting score.
In addition, other studies might be on the same issue but employ other methodologies
like case study or class observation or interview.
Last but not least, the study has found out that learners have improved their listening
scores better than their reading ones. As a result, other studies might go further into the
issue by finding out the actual reasons accounting for this.

41
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