Some people argue that students should be required to take classes outside their major field of study in order to receive a more well-rounded education. Others believe that students should focus exclusively on courses directly related to their chosen career path. Which approach do you think is better for students' long-term success? Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
TOEFL Independent Writing Scoring Rubric
Position: Clear and consistent stance on the topic
Argumentation & Examples: Sufficient reasons with specific examples
Structure & Coherence: Logical organization and progression
Language Use: Vocabulary variety, grammatical accuracy, fluency
Scored 0-30 based on holistic scoring (original 0-5, scaled to 30).
Answering Tips
Spend 2-3 minutes planning your position
Use the structure: Introduction - Body 1 - Body 2 - Concession - Conclusion
Develop each body paragraph with: topic sentence + explanation + specific example + summary
Use specific examples with names, data, or real events
Reserve 2-3 minutes at the end to check grammar and spelling
