The good news, however, is that with diligent studying, many students are able to improve their language proficiency and meet score requirements, test experts say. Here are three tips to help you prepare. 

1. Give yourself time: Since each portion of the TOEFL examination requires in-depth knowledge of the English language, effective test preparation should span several months, according to KAPlan Test Prep representatives. 

There are many preparatory courses, companies, and books to choose from, but no MATter which route you select, make sure to take some timed prACTice tests over the course of your studies. Since the four-pArt test takes about three-and-a-half hours, mimicking the process before you take the real test can help boost your stamina, according to KAPlan Test Prep. 

2. Make it fun: Preparing for the TOEFL doesn't have to only include class sessions and preparatory books. For Romania native Ana Barbu, English cArtoons and movies were just as helpful—if not more so—than MATerials specifically geared to test prep. 

Tuning in to the CArtoon Network for shows like Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Laboratory while living in Romania helped Barbu prepare for the listening component of the TOEFL, she says. (College services director Zilkha recommends listening to radio news shows, too, which don't allow for students to BECome visually distrACTed.) 

If you have access to subtitled films, they can also help the study process, says Barbu, who recently completed a master's deGREe in Journalism at Syracuse University and now works as the director of web Communications at the College of Mount St. Vincent. 

"Subtitles on movies helped me hone my understanding of English idioms, and how native speakers used the language, rather than just reading whatever English manual we had or listening to a professor," she says.