Second language (L2) testing is often stressful for test takers, especially when they take high-stakes tests such as the TOEFL. On the iBT TOEFL independent speaking questions, for example, test takers are given 15 seconds to prepare to respond to a prompt (Educational Testing Service, 2008) and have only one chance to record their answer, which puts test takers under great pressure. However, the necessity of this stressful situation has not been empirically validated; that is, the effects of giving learners planning opportunities are unclear.