『新公式問題集 Vol. 3』はTest 2の方が難しいーーゴールデンウィーク集中演習・最終日

　エッセンスイングリッシュスクールの皆さん、こんにちは。7時間×4日間の集中演習、お疲れさまでした。80名という大盛況で、地方から参加してくださった方もあり、とても嬉しいです。

Our textbook was 『TOEICテスト新公式問題集〈Vol.3〉』. We did 400 questions in four days. That's two full tests' worth of material. Did you notice any difference between the two tests? Was one more difficult than the other?

My personal feeling is that Test 2 (Reading Section) is much more challenging than Test 1. In particular, the Part 7 passages for Test 2 were markedly（この副詞、今日出てきましたよね） longer than those for Test 1. Their vocabulary level was also higher.

『TOEICテスト新公式問題集〈Vol.3〉』 was produced by the same organization that produces the actual TOEIC: ETS. So you might wonder, if the difficulty can vary so much, are TOEIC scores reliable（これも復習です）? What if the next TOEIC just happens to be more difficult than usual? Would you be just unlucky in that case, and lucky in the opposite case?

Well, if you are willing to accept ETS's claims, there is no reason to worry. Your TOEIC score will be based on the number of questions you get right for each Section. That's called 素点. This number is then converted into a score through complex statistical procedures. So if one test is harder than another, the same 素点 will get you a higher score, and vice versa（逆もまた真なり）.

Now, compare the charts on page 4 and page 90 of the book's 『解答・解説編』. For example, if your 素点 for the Reading Section of Test 1 is between 71 and 75, your score will range from 275 through 330; the same 素点 range will get you a score between 340 and 390. That's a big difference, isn't it? (No statistical data were collected for『TOEICテスト新公式問題集〈Vol.3〉』, so you are given a "range" rather than a fixed score.)

What lesson can be learned from this? I think it's safe to say that you don't need to worry if you feel the questions are more difficult than usual as you take the test; everyone around you may be feeling the same, and that'll be taken into account when your 素点 is converted into a スコア. Don't get distracted by the difficulty of some questions. Just move on and do your best.

Oh, before I forget, I should upload a picture of myself. I talked about how better I look in real person than in photos, and asked a student to take a good picture of me. I then promised I'd post it here no matter what, so here it is:

Well... Life can be tough from time to time, we just need to keep on going...

By the way, I talked about TOEIC Blitz Radio. It will be broadcast online this coming saturday. The details are here at 神崎正哉さん's blog.