- In Listening, use the example at the beginning of the first section to familiarize yourself with the sound, the situation, and the speakers.
- Keep listening until the recording stops, looking only at the questions that relate to the part being played.
- There are often pauses in the recording between different sections. Use these to prepare for the next set of questions.
- Answer Listening questions in the order they appear on the Question Paper. Remember that they normally follow the order of the information in the recording.
- At the end of the recording you have some time to transfer your answers to the Answer Sheet. Check your grammar and spelling as you do so.
- In Academic Reading, begin by going quickly through each passage to identify features such as the topic, the style, the likely source, the writer’s purpose and the intended reader.
- As you read, don’t try to understand the precise meaning of every word or phrase. You don’t have time, and those parts of the text might not be tested anyway.
- Reading tasks sometimes have an example answer. If this is the case, study it and decide why it is correct.
- Some tasks require you to use words from the text in the answer; in others you should use your own words. Check the instructions carefully.
- The instructions may also include a word limit, e.g. Use no more than three words. Keep to this by avoiding unnecessary words in your answer.
