Inside the Digital Hagwons : High-Stakes Reading Test Preparation in Korea

High -stakes reading tests significantly influence one's future success , leading many second language learners to engage in intensive test preparation. This study examines nine TOEFL reading preparation lectures from two popular cram schools, or (sic)(sic) hagwons , in Korea, with a total duration of five hours and thirty-nine minutes. Test preparation activities were analyzed using Messick ' s (1982) types of test preparation and Cohen ' s (2022) types of testtaking strategies. The findings indicate that, unlike previous studies on writing test preparation, construct -relevant content such as reading component abilities and reading strategies were predominantly taught. However, vocabulary knowledge was often instructed in isolation from context, with a focus on breadth rather than depth. Test -taking strategies, including reading strategies, test -management strategies, and test -deviousness strategies, were taught both implicitly and explicitly. The potential effects and limitations of instructions within the narrow scope of TOEFL on learners ' long-term development are discussed.