Make sure you understand the TOEFL

The TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. It is an English proficiency test produced by an American company called ETS. It measures your English reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills, and your ability to succeed at an English-speaking university.
Each section has a score out of 30, for a total overall score of 120. You don’t pass or fail the TOEFL. Each university requires a specific score. Sometimes universities require a specific score for each section of the test, for example 24 out of 30 in the speaking section. Before you begin studying for the TOEFL, research the universities you want to attend and find out what score you need.

You should give yourself 6 months to 1 year to be fully prepared for the test, especially if you have never taken the test before.

When you sit down at the computer to take the test, nothing should be a surprise. You should know every reading question, every listening question, every speaking task, and every writing task on the test. You should know exactly what you have to do to answer every question properly.

You should also know the exact score you need to achieve for each university you want to apply to. Some schools require just an overall TOEFL score, but some schools require specific scores in each section. You should know exactly what you need to do get the required score.

Do not try to prepare for the test alone. Buy a textbook (see my recommended books in the Resources section below.) Work with a teacher, either in a course or in private lessons. You need someone to help you with your pronunciation, and to assess how you’re doing in the speaking and writing sections. Talk to friends who have taken the TOEFL. Who did they study with? What score did they get? What would they have done differently? Check at a university or college near you. Do they offer a TOEFL course? There are also several TOEFL instructors online. Do you know anyone who has studied with them?