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IDENTIFYING THE STUDENTS’ DIFFICULTIES IN 
COMPREHENDING TOEFL READING TEST 

 
Dahlan 

State Islamic University (UIN Alauddin Makassar), Indonesia 
dahlanrida7279@gmail.com 

 
 

ABSTRACT 

The study aimed to find out the Students’ difficulties in comprehending TOEFL reading Test. 
The description of the data through the question as explained in the previous section showed 
that the students have some problems or difficulties in TOEFL.  There are five items of the 
difficulties faced by students of fourth-semester students of IAIN Palopo in the Academic 
year 2016/2017 about determining the main idea, supporting detail, vocabulary, reference 
and inference. Those facts are also backed up by the result of the questionnaire which show 
that those items must be considered to be resolved. 

Key Words: Reading Comprehension, Students’ Difficulties, TOEFL Test 

 

INTRODUCTION 

English is an international language which is learned all over the word. In education 
English has been chosen as one of the subject that should be mastered by the student; in 
junior high school, senior high school, and university level. In Indonesia teaching English 
focuses on four basic skills, namely; listening, reading, speaking and writing, one of the fair 
raise skill which is very important in learning English reading. Kinds of reading which have 
been recognized comprehensively is become one of basic skill but it regarded as difficult one 
by the student. They think that reading is required a lot of vocabulary to understand the 
given passegges.In reading there are a few things to note, for example, punctuation in 
reading the text, how to capture the intent of the text, and the difficulty in understanding a 
passage, so that the reader can get clear information from a text that was written by an 
author. Moreover, a reader should pay attention word for word from the text so that use 
pronoun can get the meaning and purpose in reading the text. 

One of them most complaints is difficulties in doing the TOEFL test that is a test of 
English language proficiency and become a global standard for viewing one’s ability in the 
English language as a whole therefore, it becomes very important the understanding because 
TOEFL is a test used to determine ability to master English especially related to the academic 
purposes. TOEFL test is designed to measure the English language proficiency for those 
whose everyday language is not English. TOEFL is a common requirement when we want to 
apply for scholarship abroad or work requirement in many companies. To be able to do the 
TOEFL test well and get a high sore, in accordance with the allocation of time, it takes the 
right technique. One alternative that can be applied is difficulties in comprehending Reading 



  
 

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TOEFL. When looking for details, we expect students to concentrate on the minutes of what 
they are reading. 

By using technique the participant can cover the whole problem on the items on the 
TOEFL test is very varied and has a difficulty level is quite high. The writer chooses this 
technique because it is considered to help to plan, communicate, become more creative, save 
time, solve problems, focus, organize and clarify thoughts, recall them better, learn faster 
and efficient, and see the whole picture. Achieving a high TOEFL scores particularly in 
reading comprehension is often a problem for most people, especially those who are 
required to take the test because many students who cannot read fast and understand 
quickly because lack of rich vocabulary of well-established. So wealth richer vocabulary 
possessed the more easily achieve fast read and understand quickly. The lack of ability in 
comprehend the reading text, be, such as; inability in scanning, skimming, guessing meaning 
from the context, etc. The students unable in getting the message from the text and they will 
be failure in answering the question related to the text. 

METHODS 

The method that applied in this research was quantitative descriptive method. It is 
used to give description about students’ difficulties in comprehending TOEFL Reading Test 
at fourth semester of IAIN Palopo. 
 
Design  

Design in uses research was a questionnaire distributed to students in the fourth 
semester of study completed S1. This questionnaire which gives data related to teaching 
reading TOEFL test to be resolved as a condition to determine how well the students’ answer 
the questions that have been created. The questionnaire consisted of 50 questions and 10 
types in the TOEFL. 

 
Population and Sample 

The population of this research wereall of the fourth semester students of IAIN 
Palopo. The number of population was 124 students from four classes. They are A, B, C, and 
D. Sample was a part of population that can represent all of population. In this case, the 
researcher applied purposive sampling, it can represent a class A in fourth semester because 
the English language proficiency is tolerable another classes. The researcher took 20 
students in class A of IAIN Palopo.  
 
Instrument the Research 

TOEFL Reading Test 

By using a TOEFL Reading test in the form of multiple choicequestionsconsistingof50 
questions, that asking about the students’ difficulties in IAIN Palopo. 
  



  
 

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Questionnaire  

Questionscreated by the authors is the question to the students about what the 
difficulties faced in working TOEFL reading test. The number of question consist 8 (eight) 
question and have three multiple choice namely strongly agree (SS), agree (S), and easy (M). 

Procedure of Collecation Data 

The procedure of the research following steps: 
1. The writer explained little about TOEFL reading  
2. The writer conducted test and questionnaire, and then explained how to do the test. The 

time for doing the test took 55 minutes and questionnaires will be taken 15 minutes. 
3. The writer analyzed the result of the test and questionnaire. 
4. Classified the data based on the students ability and students difficulties in TOEFL 

reading. 
 

Technique of Data Analysis 

In analyzing the data the writer used descriptive analyzing the data: 

Test  

The writer analyzed the ability of the fourth semester at IAIN Palopo in TOEFL 
Reading Test by using the following: 
 
Scoring the students answer  

Score =
Total Correct Answer

Total Test Item
X 10 

 
Classifying the students score based on the following classification  

M=
∑×

𝑁
 

 
Where: 

M= Mean Score 
∑×= Total Score 
N= Total Sample 
 

Classifying the students score based on the following classification  

Excellent  : 9.6-10 
Very good  : 8.6-9.5 
Good   : 7.6-8.5 
Fairly good  : 6.6-7.5 



  
 

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Fairly    : 5.6-6.5 
Poor  : 3.6-5.5 
Very Poor   :0-3.5 

Questionnaire  

To analyze then responses in comprehending TOEFL reading test at fourth semester 
of IAIN Palopo, the writer used percentage of the questionnaire the writer used the following 
formula: 

 

P =
Fq

N
x 100% 

 
Where: 
P  = Rate percentage 
F q  = Frequency of Respondent 

  N = Total Sample 

RESULTS 

TOEFL Reading Test 
Table 1. The score of TOEFL Reading test  

 

No Respondent Correct answer Score 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

R1 

R2 

R3 

R4 

R5 

R6 

R7 

R8 

R9 

R10 

R11 

R12 

23 

17 

17 

17 

18 

18 

15 

15 

15 

18 

16 

15 

4.6 

3.4 

3.4 

3.4 

3.6 

3.6 

3 

3 

3 

3.6 

3.2 

3 



  
 

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13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

R13 

R14 

R15 

R16 

R17 

R18 

R19 

R20 

13 

13 

12 

11 

11 

11 

13 

16 

2.6 

2.6 

2.4 

2.2 

2.2 

2.2 

2.6 

3.2 

 N=20  95 

From the table 4.1, there are only 4 students who scored 4.6, 3.6, 3.6 and 3.6. The 
other students got very less than the maximum value. Means can be seen students still have 
difficulty in TOEFL reading test. 

 
Table 2. Rate percentage of the students score in TOEFL Reading test 

 

No Classification Score Frequency Percentage 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

Excellent  

Very good 

Good 

Fairly good 

Fairly 

Poor 

Very poor  

9.6-10 

8.6-9.5 

7.6-8.5 

6.6-7.5 

5.6-6.5 

3.6-5.5 

0-3.5 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

13 

7 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

65% 

35% 

   20 100% 

 
  



  
 

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1. Questionnaire  
Table 3. The answering question in TOEFL reading Test 

No Classification Frequency Percentage 

1 

2 

3 

Very difficult 

Difficult 

Easy 

2 

14 

4 

10% 

70% 

20% 

 Total 20 100% 

Source: number 1 questionnaire  

DISCUSSION 

The description of the data through question as explained in the previous section 
showed that the students have some problem or difficulties in TOEFL reading. Student 
difficulties in comprehending TOEFL reading test at fourth semester in IAIN Palopo. In 
reading TOEFL test, there are five items among the five items to the difficulties faced by 
students fourth semester class A are the supporting details, because the average student in 
the TOEFL test carried there are some students who go a very minimal value of item is in 
reading TOEFL test. As for the y difficult problem answered by students of fourth semester 
is IAIN Palopo: 

Main Idea 

33. Some scientists believe that the African bees which have devastated the Latin American 
beekeeping industry will be come gentler as they interbreed with the previously introduced 
European varieties. 
a. European bees will not be advantageous to the Latin American beekeeping industry  
b. African bees are ferocious and destructive  
c. The Latin American beekeeping industry bees interbreed 
d. African bees as well as European bees live in Latin America 

 
37. Elephants are slowly becoming trapped in isolated forest enclaves completely surrounded 
by land cleared for agriculture.  
a. Hunters are trapping elephant’s in isolated forest enclaves to get their ivory tusks. 
b. People are destroying the elephant’s habitat to make farms 
c. Elephant’s would have to cross through farmland to migrate to different forests  
d. People are trapping elephant’s to use them for clearing land for agriculture 

Supporting Details 

44. “Medical authorities have been reluctant to support the findings of some nutritionists that 
vitamin C given in large doses can prevent the common cold 



  
 

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a. Medical authorities support the nutritionists’ views about the value of vitamin C in 
preventing the common cold  

b. Nutritionists have found that medical authorities are not in favor using vitamin C to prevent 
the common cold 

c. Some nutritionists have found that large doses of vitamin C doses of vitamin C can prevent 
the common cold, but this has not been completely accepted by medical authorities  

d. According to nutritionists and some medical authorities, the common cold can be prevented 
by giving large doses of vitamin C” 
 

45. “A silver compound has been found to kill parasitic protozoa which are  carried  by the 
dreaded tsetse fly causes sleeping sickness 
a. The dreaded tsetse fly causes sleeping sickness and kills the parasitic protozoa used for 

finding silver compound  
b. It has been found that the silver compound which is carried by the dreaded tsetse fly and 

causes sleeping sickness kills the parasitic protozoa 
c. Sleeping sickness, which is caused by the dreaded tsetse fly, has been found to kill the 

parasitic protozoa in silver compound  
d. Parasitic protozoa which causes sleeping sickness and are carried by the dreaded tsetse fly 

can be killed with a silver compound” 

Vocabulary 

8. The false theory of spontaneous generation was disproved by Louis Pasteur  
a. Sagacious     c. circumstantial  
b. Automatic    d. surreptitious 

Reference 

13. Researchers believe that MAO (Monoamine Oxidase) in the brain has an effect on behavior 
by breaking down the chemical neurotransmitters that carry messages between neurons.  
Scientists have found a connection between levels of MAO and adult behavior. 
One study found approximately the same range of MAO levels infants and adults.  
a. MAO and behavior patterns  c. one study MAO 
b. What is MAO    d. MAO’s effect on adults behavior  

 

Inference 

Questions 21-30 

A relatively new feature of radio broadcasts in Unites States is the call-in therapy shows , in 
which callers get the opportunity to air problems, however intimate while the hosts offer 

 



  
 

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line 5  them free, and immediate, advice.  The started, like so many other self-help psychology 
ideas, in California in the early 1970’s, but now they have spread to many other parts of the 
century and enjoy considerable popularity. 
This phenomenon certainly doe not please all psychologists and the shows have line 10 become 
a matter of some concern to their professional association, the APA. 
Presents APA guidelines merely prohibit psychologists from diagnosing problem,  
line 15 or from offering psychotherapy on the radio, while the earlier ones had prohibited all 
giving of advice outside die traditional therapist-patient relationship. This prohibition fails to 
satisfy many psychologists. Some consider all giving of psychological advice  
line 20 over die radio totally unacceptable, but there are others who believe there should be 
even more of it.  

The former are typified by a hasting Center psychiatrist. Who describes the 

line 24 activity as “disgusting”. On one occasion, he backed up view by  

line 25out of a radio program when the host insisted he answer listeners’ calls. But radio 
therapy hosts, who are mostly attractive, youngish and qualified women, are fully capable of 
backing up theirs, and do so charmingly and effectively, as might be  
line 30 expected from professionals combining psychological expertise with entertainment 
know-how.   

 
23. This phenomenons (line 9) refers to 
a. the fact that the shows started in California  
b. the fact that callers air intimate problems 
c. the fact that the shows started in the early 1970’s 
d. the fact that shows enjoy considerable popularity 

The previous most of questions difficulty students choose answer C, where as the 
correct answer to question no44isD. Supporting Details of matter we can see the in fourth 
semester students still lack of understanding of the content or context of the sentence 
reading in reading it. Most students rely on the ability to guess without regard to reading the 
text well. Besides subsequent difficulties faced by students are the main idea item, reference, 

and inference, where as the vocabulary items fourth semester classes a student has been able 
to answer well although the answer is far from perfect. There are several issues which in a 
sense is hard on them about the reference and the main idea. 

The students difficulty in answering the questions in the test TOEFL reading is 
because they are lazy students read about there dingiest tool on grand the vocabulary used 
in the reading TOEFL rarely used so that students can only rely on guesses answer. That is 
why the answer TOEFL class (A) fourth semester students are still far from perfect. The 
others cause is the difficulty of students in findings main idea in TOEFL read; it can be seen 
on the table 4.9. Seven students said very difficult, ten students said difficult, and just four 
students said easy. It also cause of lack of student lack of speed read as seen on the table 4.10, 
ten students said difficult to the speed reading in TOEFL reading test. Some students also 



  
 

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difficult in when reading the literature, understand the information written in the TOEFL 
reading test, as seen on the table 4.11, but a half of the respondent took in this research said 
easy to reading literature the information written after reading TOEFL test in a passage. For 
the question number 8, sixteen students said difficult, four students said easy, and none 
students’ said very difficult of TOEFL reading test. 

Some students are difficult in using expression when is working TOEFL reading test, 
it can be seen 4.8 were two students chose very difficult, nine students said difficult, and nine 
said easy. It means that almost a half of the students taken as sample in this research easy to 
use expression in TOEFL reading. From the eight questionnaires, just two questions that is 
most of the students said easy. It is the questionnaire number five and six easy notice the 
punctuation when is working or reading in TOEFL test.   

CONCLUSION 

Student difficulties in comprehending TOEFL reading test at fourth semester of 
English Department in IAIN Palopo 2014/2015 academic years in TOEFL reading are: 
1. Difficulties in comprehending TOEFL reading test. In vocabulary items, the fourth 

semester students is much more able to answer questions TOEFL test well in the appeal 
other items, readings that is too long to make students become bored to read, the 
students on average fourth semester playing is difficulties in this item, because the 
vocabulary is still rarely use dignitary in every day, the students rely solely on answers 
guess that makes no right answer, and the items inference students almost answered 
with good about the test. 

2. The students responses about TOEFL reading test. The researcher think there are three 
difficult faced by students in TOEFL reading test, namely: 1). Limited time, 2). Limited 
vocabulary, and 3). Lack of concentration. Therefore, in the work or answer questions 
TOEFL reading must use time as efficiently as possible, in addition to the students in 
required to reproduce in required to reproduce the vocabulary before taking the test 
TOEFL vocabulary before reading. Because in reading there are lot of difficult vocabulary 
understand and students are suggested to concentrate on the work TOEFL test.  

 

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