STUDENTS’ PREDICTED VS. ACTUAL TOEFL SCORES: FINDINGS FROM A SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY

  • Arni Sukmiarni Universitas Nasional PASIM
Keywords: English proficiency, TOEFL, self-assessment, predicted TOEFL score, learning strategies

Abstract

This study aims to explore students’ self-assessment of their English proficiency on the TOEFL test by predicting their anticipated scores with the actual results they achieved. The students performed a self-assessment consisting of a set of questionnaires about how they thought they would do on the TOEFL test, about their skills of listening, reading, grammar, and sentence structure, and their confidence when doing TOEFL practices and strategies. The results show that most students’ predictions of their TOEFL scores were rather close. The responses to students’ predictions indicate that some students think that they are less capable than they really are, while others seem to have a slight tendency to overestimate. Overall, the results indicate that the students need more personalized TOEFL learning strategies, with an emphasis on regular practice.

 

References

Arias, F. (2005). Self-assessment of English proficiency: Does it correlate with actual performance? Language Testing, 22(2), 255-277.

Boud, D. (1995). Enhancing learning through self-assessment. Kogan Page.

Cizek, G. J. (2010). The validity of self-assessment: An examination of the test scores and the discrepancy between predicted and actual outcomes. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 29(1), 9-15.

Falchikov, N. (2005). Improving assessment through student involvement: Practical solutions for aiding learning in higher and further education. Routledge.

Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121-1134.

Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.

Rezvani, R., & Khadivikia, F. (2025). IELTS and TOEFL applicants’ self-assessment and actual test performance: A mixed-methods study of relationship and variation. Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies, 12(2), 75–98. https://doi.org/10.30479/jmrels.2024.20367.2378jmrels.journals.ikiu.ac.ir+2noormags.ir+2

Riazi, A. M., & Lodi, M. (2005). Predicting performance on the TOEFL test: A longitudinal study. Language Testing, 22(3), 344-360.

Tullis, J. G., & Benjamin, A. S. (2011). The testing effect in a self-paced classroom. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 23(3), 402-418.

Veenman, M. V. J., Van Hout-Wolters, B. H. A. M., & Afflerbach, P. (2006). Metacognition and learning: Conceptual and methodological considerations. Metacognition and Learning, 1(1), 3-14.

Zimmerman, B. J. (2002). Becoming a self-regulated learner: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(2), 64-70.

Published
2025-06-30
How to Cite
Arni Sukmiarni. (2025). STUDENTS’ PREDICTED VS. ACTUAL TOEFL SCORES: FINDINGS FROM A SELF-ASSESSMENT SURVEY. Jurnal Sastra - Studi Ilmiah Sastra, 15(1), 81-88. https://doi.org/10.56413/studi ilmiah sastra.v15i1.529