Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Listening for the main idea - candidates listen to identify the overall ideas
expressed in the whole recording.
Listening for details – candidates listen for groups of words and phrases at
sentence level.
Listening for specific information – candidates listen for particular information
at word level.
Predicting – candidates try to guess key information contained in the recording
before they listen.
Inferring meaning – candidates listen to identify the difference between what
the speaker says and what they actually mean.
Identifying emotion – candidates listen to identify the mood of certain
speakers.
Listening for opinions – candidates listen to identify the attitude of certain
speakers.
Inferring relationships – candidates listen to identify who the people are in the
recording and what the relationship is between them.
Recognizing context – candidates listen to oral and contextual clues to identify
where the conversation takes place, who is speaking, etc.
HOW DO YOU ANSWER LISTENING PAPER ?
March 2017
Part I
For questions 1 to 3, write your answer in NOT MORE THAN THREE WORDS
1. Jamie Oliver has inspired Nadia’s ________________________
2. A chili and lavender milkshake was her ____________________
3. Nadia entered Master Chef New Zealand hoping to __________
Tips :
Answers are according to sequence.
to – infinitive - answer should be in its basic form
Example:
Climate change could cause Malaysia to ________(March 2014)
Izzat believes his son should join the Needlework
Club to encourage his son to ________(March 2017)
Reading and telling stories to her children inspired Dr Nora
Ahmad to _____________(Session 1 2018)
Modals – can, could, will, would, may, might, shall, should, must
Example:
According to the Deputy Prime Minister, to be eligible to study abroad,
students must ____________________ (March 2017)
Mild chillies grown in dry conditions will _________________(Session 1
2018)
A well-written job application letter will ________________(Session 3 2018)
Sentence structure that ends with because
18. Visitors enjoy eating the corn because ______________
19. The new checkout gadget facilitates shopping because _____
20. Supermarket also favour the device because________
(July 2014)
start your answer with nouns or pronouns (SUBJECT)
Session1 2019
For questions 4 to 6, write your answer in NOT MORE THAN FIVE WORDS.
Benefits of Gap Year Activities
• If you need to write two or three answers, join the answers by using a
conjunction ‘and’, don’t use comma (,)
e.g The three types of bees are a queen, worker bees and male bees
The three types of bees are a queen, worker bees, male bees (November 2017)
• Look at how the sentence ends….
Dust mites can survive almost everywhere especially
_______________countries.
Dust mites feed mainly on the __________________of humans and pets
(Session 3 2018)
For questions 9 and 10, choose one letter A to F from the box below to complete
each sentence.
A primary insomnia
B chronic primary insomnia
C secondary insomnia
D health problems
E metabolism changes
F sleeplessness
9 People who take more than 30 minutes to fall asleep for months suffer from
.
10 People who suffer from sleep loss may experience constant hunger and
Example Listening Paper
Speaking
800/2
SPEAKING 800/2
Skills involved:
Accuracy
Fluency
Appropriacy
Coherence and cohesion
Use of language function
Managing a discussion
Task fulfilment
Item Description
Weighting 15%
Duration 30 Minutes
Number of tasks Two
Task format Task A: Individual Presentation
Preparation: 2 Minutes
Presentation: 2 Minutes
1. Task Fulfilment
Understand the topic
Shows maturity in discussing the topic
Develop ideas successfully
Presents view points clearly
2. Language
Conveys meaning clearly
Uses appropriate and varied vocabulary
Links ideas effectively
Speaks using accurate grammar
3. Communication Ability
Speaks fluently
Pronounces words accurately
Use correct stress and intonation
Confidence during delivery
Interacts well and is able to maintain a discussion
Shows initiative and interest
Seating Arrangement
Candidates A Candidates B
Chief
Examiner
Examiner
Candidates D Candidates C
Some Useful Tips For Muet Speaking
Candidates
The first minute given to read the question, make sure to read the situation given
carefully and understand the requirement of the question.
Ask the examiner to explain the given situation or the meaning of any words that you
are not sure of before Task A starts.
Use the provide paper to draw four boxes like this
A B
C D
Instructions to candidates:
This test consists of two tasks, Task A and Task B.
Task A is carried out first followed by Task B.
You are given one minute to read the instructions and the tasks given.
Everybody has problems. Sharing your problems with someone helps to lighten the
burden. Suggest a person whom you might want to share your problem with.
Task A: You suggest confiding in your best friend. Why?
Task B: Discuss which of the following is the most suitable person whom you want to
confide in?
i) Your best friend
ii) Your siblings
iii) Your parents
iv) Your teacher
Strategies to tackle speaking
tasks
Task A
Preparation
Understand the task
Brainstorm/ List all ideas
Combine similar ideas – come out with 3 main points
Organize the points and elaborate. Use keywords and add linkers
Presentation
Deliver confidently. Use linkers and expressions to ensure a smooth flow
Listen as other candidates present.
Take down notes in point form
Strategies to tackle speaking tasks
Task B
Preparation
Understand the task
Decide to maintain or change your views presented in Task A.
Discussion
Present a new view or maintain your own view
Listen to others. Support or oppose their views.
Be courteous and use appropriate expressions.
Eliminate options by giving reasons.
Come to a group decision at the end of the discussion.
Example of speaking tasks
Instruction
1 minute – silent reading
Ask question or clarification
2 minutes – take down notes
2 minutes – presentation (Task A)
2 minutes – take down notes
10 minutes – group interaction (Task B)
The test ends
Situation
Kuala Lumpur will be hosting the Sea Games in 2017. What are some of the benefits
of hosting international sports events for Malaysia?
TASK A: In your opinion, hosting international sports events will attract foreign
tourists to visit Malaysia. Elaborate.
TASK B: Discuss which of the following is the most important benefit of hosting
international sports events for Malaysia?
i. Attracts foreign tourists to visit Malaysia
ii. Improves the standard of sports in Malaysia
iii. Enables Malaysia to be well-known all over the world
iv. Improves sports facilities in Malaysia
STATE THE SITUATION AND YOUR TASK. (if you are candidate A):
◦ Today, I am going to talk about/discuss some of the benefits of hosting
international sports events for Malaysia. In my point of view,………………….
Kuala Lumpur will be hosting the Sea Games in 2017. What are some of the
benefits of hosting international sports events for Malaysia? In my opinion,
hosting international sports events will attract foreign tourists to visit
Malaysia.
◦ The situation that is given today is some of the benefits of hosting
international sports events for Malaysia. In my opinion, hosting international
sports events will attract foreign tourists to visit Malaysia
Contents
◦ Firstly,/ First and foremost, this is because people from foreign countries will
take this opportunity to support their athletes or sportsmen.
They………………………………………………………………………For
example,………………………….In
addition,………………………………………………………..
◦ Moving on to my next point,/Secondly, these visitors will spend a few days or
weeks in Malaysia since the events usually will last for weeks.
They………………………………………………………………………For
instance,………………………….Furthermore,……………………………………
…………………..
◦ Lastly,/Finally,/Last but not least, the tourists may want to buy things to
remind them of their visit to our country.
They……………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………To
illustrate,………………………….Moreover,………………………………………
………………..
Conclusion
◦ In conclusion, hosting international sports events will attract foreign tourists
to visit Malaysia.
How to start Task B:
◦ CANDIDATE D: GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. TODAY/NOW, WE ARE
GOING TO DISCUSS which of the following is the most important benefit of
hosting international sports events for Malaysia. There are 4 benefits like
Attracts foreign tourists to visit Malaysia, Improves the standard of sports in
Malaysia, Enables Malaysia to be well-known all over the world and Improves
sports facilities in Malaysia.
◦ In my opinion THE MOST IMPORTANT BENEFIT of hosting international
sports events for Malaysia is attracts foreign tourists to visit Malaysia.
Why do I say so? This is
because………………………………………………………………………………..
.
◦ CANDIDATE B: I totally agree with you. / In addition/ Furthermore / Let me
add some of my points……………………………
◦ CANDIDATE A: I disagree with both of you because…..(give reason). I feel
that it may improve sports facilities in Malaysia.
◦ CANDIDATE C: Yes, I agree with you Candidate A. This is due to the fact
that…………………….
◦ CANDIDATE D: I partially agree with you. I feel
that…………………………………………………
◦ You have to keep the discussion going on for 10 minutes.
◦ Turn-taking is important. Random order.
◦ Prompt your friends if they are quiet:
◦ What do you think, Cand A?
◦ What is your opinion, Cand C?
◦ Do you agree with me Cand D?
How to make conclusion:
◦ In conclusion, we cannot agree on any of the choices given. We will discuss it
outside.
◦ In conclusion, we cannot come to an agreement. We will have to discuss this
later.
◦ In conclusion, the majority of us agree that the most important benefit of
hosting international sports events for Malaysia is attracts foreign tourists to
visit Malaysia (3 agree, 1 disagrees)
◦ Two of us agree that the most important benefit of hosting international
sports events for Malaysia is attracts foreign tourists to visit Malaysia
while the other two candidates think that it enables Malaysia to be well-
known all over the world.
Reading
800/3
READING 800/3
READING 800/3
QUESTION TYPES
Drawing conclusion
Based on the passage, we can conclude that…
What is the writer’s recommendation regarding….?
The examples above show that….
Summarizing – a brief statement that emphasizes the main idea of the text
Which of the following best summarizes the paragraph?
Which of the sentences below best summarizes the following statement?
Predicting outcomes – educated guess about what the writer is trying to say
What are the consequences of…?
What are the possible ramifications of the…?
Rise
Go up
Gain
Increase
Improve
Escalate
Incline
Rise
Fall/Drop
Go down
Loss
Decrease
Depreciate
Deteriorate
Decline
More than
Higher than
Most
Highest
Largest
Less than
Lower than
Least
Lowest
Smallest
O Constant
Stable
Equal
Steady
Gradual
Slight
Maintain
Minimum
Marginal
Sharp
Drastic
Steep
Strong/Weak
Maximum
Record High/ Record Low
Doubled/2 Times
Tripled/3 Times
Quadrupled/ 4 Times
Erratic
Fluctuating than
(+)
Profit
Growth
Production
Increment
(-)
Loss
Claims
Expense
Expenditure
Cost
Spent
Incur
Paid In
Paid Out
Trade
Invest
Import
Export
Start/Beginning
Mid/Middle
End/Ending
Quarterly (1/4)
Half (1/2)
Weekly
Fortnightly (2 Weeks)
Monthly
1st Quarter (Jan-Mar)
2nd Quarter (Apr-Jun)
3rd Quarter (Jul-Sept)
4th Quarter (Oct-Dec)
Annually (1 Year)
Biannually (2 Years)
Decade (10 Years)
Century (100 Years)
Reading Comprehension
Usually the difficulty level of the comprehension passages will increase with each
passage.
For each passage, there will be 7-8 questions that cover:
1. Content
2. Vocabulary
3. Critical Thinking
Use the anaphoric (before) or cataphoric (after) referencing technique to find the
answer.
Anaphoric reference (before the word):
A study was conducted on 200 Malaysian respondents. The researchers conducted
the survey by giving them questionnaires to answer.
1) The word ‘them’ refers to
a) the study
b) the respondents
c) the survey
d) the questionnaire
Reading Comprehension Tip No. 3
When you cannot locate the answer directly you need to ‘infer’, i.e. make intelligent
assumptions.
Eg. Many people bought the product. Profits increased due to high sales.
All of the following statements are false except:
a. The product was a failure.
b. The product was a success.
c. The product was expensive.
d. The product was easy to use.
* Pay attention to words like ‘except’ and ‘not’ as it may trick you into choosing the
wrong answer. Other common phrases used include: ‘Which of the following is true?’
For Vocabulary:
e.g. The word ‘___’ in line 3 refers to
1. Eliminate impossible answers.
2. Identify the root word.
3. Identify prefixes and/or suffixes.
4. Use anaphoric or cataphoric referencing.
5. Select the most likely answer.
For Prediction:
e.g. A suitable title for the passage is ______.
Read the text carefully before selecting the best title.
Drawing Conclusion:
Eg. It can be concluded that ______.
Read the entire text carefully
before summing it up.
General Tips
Q1: REPORT
7. 3 to 4 paragraphs only
10. Use variety of trend words – shows that you are proficient user of English
TREND WORDS
e.g.
Malora recorded the lowest number of online buyers in 2016 at 100 000
because of the least reasons that influenced online buyers namely price,
‘shipping cost’ and ‘product quality’.
Malora had the lowest number of online buyers in 2016 at 100 000 due to
three reasons that influenced online buyers such as price, ‘shipping cost’ and
‘product quality’.
Since Malora had the lowest number of reasons (3) that influence online
buyers (price, ‘shipping cost’ and ‘product quality’), the number of online
buyers was the least at 100 000 in 2016.
A complete report:
Number of Online Buyers in Three Online Shops (2012-2016) and Factors that
Influence Online Buyers in 2016
Figure 1 shows number of online buyers in three online shops (2012-2016)
and Table 1 portrays factors that influence online buyers in 2016. Generally,
number of online buyers in three online shops was influenced by factors that
influence online buyers in 2016.
Firstly, the number of online buyers in Malora decreased gradually from 420
000 in 2012 to 100 000 in 2016. Malora recorded the lowest number of online
buyers in 2016 at 100 000 because of the least reasons that influenced online
buyers namely price, ‘shipping cost’ and ‘product quality’. Meanwhile,
Lelong.com had higher number of online buyers at 600 000 because of the most
(7) reasons (price, ‘shipping cost’, ‘product reviews’, ‘product quality‘, ‘discount
offers’, ‘quick and easy return policy’ and ‘wide-range of payment methods’)
than the number of online buyers in Chipee at 500 000 in 2016 with four reasons
which were ‘shipping cost’, ‘product reviews’ ‘product quality‘ and ‘quick and
easy return policy’.
There was a gradual increase in the number of online buyers in Lelong.com
from 200 000 (2012) to 600 000 (2016). Chipee had the same number of online
buyers at 470 000 in 2012 and 2013. Then, the number rose slightly to 500 000
in 2015 and remained unchanged until 2016. Lelong.com had the highest
number of online buyers at 600 000 while Malora had the lowest number at 100
000 in 2016
In conclusion, number of online buyers in three online shops was influenced
by factors that influence online buyers in 2016.
(197 words)
QUESTION 2
STEP 1: BRAINSTORM
It is very important to make a list of ideas/main points. You may use various techniques
to develop argument/content:
1. List
2. Mind map
3. Table, etc.
STEP 2: ORGANISE
You MUST write
in an academic style, 5 paragraphs.
1. Introduction
2. Body (min x3)
3. Conclusion
QUESTION 2
• 5 paragraphs
o Introduction – include Stand and Thesis Statement
o Paragraph 1 - Topic Sentence
- Elaboration
- Examples
- Explain
- Mini conclusion - Concluding sentence – ties up the paragraph
o Paragraph 2 - Topic Sentence
- Elaboration
- Examples
- Explain
- Mini conclusion - Concluding sentence – ties up the paragraph
o Paragraph 3 - Topic Sentence
- Elaboration
- Examples
- Explain
- Mini conclusion - Concluding sentence – ties up the paragraph
o Conclusion – Restate Stand and Thesis Statement
- May express hope and recommendations
INTRODUCTION
HOW TO START:
It is often said that…./ Many people claim that…/In this day and age…./ In this modern
age…/ In the 21st century…/Nowadays…../ These days…./ We live in an age when
many of us are…..
…is a hotly-debated topic that often divides opinion.
…is often discussed yet rarely understood.
It goes without saying that…… is one of the most important issues facing us today.
- Stand
I totally agree that…/ I advocate the statement that…./ From my point of view, the
advantages seem to outweigh the disadvantages./ I support …/ I concur with the…..
I totally disagree that…./ I disagree with the statement that…./I object to the statement
that said….
I partially agree with the topic that…./ I agree to a certain extent that…..
• I totally agree that…/ I advocate the statement that…./ From my point of view,
the advantages seem to outweigh the disadvantages./ I support …/ I concur
with the…..
• I totally disagree that…./ I disagree with the statement that…./I object to the
statement that said….
• I partially agree with the topic that…./ I agree to a certain extent that…..
…..because there are three reasons to justify my view. (General TS)
…...because of pollution, human activities and development.(Specific TS)
• LINKER
• TOPIC SENTENCE
• ELABORATION
• EXPLANATION
• EXAMPLES
• MINI CONCLUSION
BODY:
2. Oct 2005
As our country progresses rapidly into the technological era, we are losing most of
our traditions and culture. How do you think this is true? Give your point of view
and support your arguments with reasons and examples.
3. April/May 2006
“Education today should focus on producing creative individuals.” Do you agree
with the above statement? Justify your stand, giving relevant examples where
appropriate.
4. Oct 2006
“In order for a country to achieve a developed nation status, it is important that the
young workforce prepares itself to meet present day challenges.” Do you agree with
the above statement? Justify your stand and support your arguments with
reasons and examples.
5. April/May 2007
“National Service trainees should be trained to use firearms as part of the National
Service Training Programme.” Do you agree with the above statement? Give
your point of view and support your answer with reasons.
6. Oct 2007
“Role models have an impact on one’s life.” Do you agree with the statement?
Justify your stand, giving relevant examples where appropriate.
7. April/May 2008
“Academic excellence guarantees a successful life.” Do you agree with the
statement? Justify your stand, giving relevant examples where appropriate.
Question 2 (WRITING 800/4)
With reference to the definition of modern gadgets given, do you agree that only
children over the age of seven should be allowed to use modern gadgets? Justify
your stand by giving relevant examples where appropriate. You should write at least
350 words.
“Urbanisation has brought harm to society.” Do you agree? Justify your stand by
giving relevant examples. You should write at least 350 words.
30. Session 3 2019 – Social Issues
“Traditional beliefs are widening the gaps between generations.” Do you agree?
Justify your stand by giving relevant examples. You should write at least 350
words.
PAST YEARS’ MUET WRITING QUESTIONS
QUESTION 1
Analyse and synthesise the life expectancy and A table and a bar
MARCH
cause of deaths among men and women in the graph
2013
different regions.
Analyse qualities of facilities available in three Two tables
NOVEMBER
colleges and link information to fees, scholarships
2012
and number of registered students.
Analyse primary and secondary school enrolment A table and a bar
JULY 2012 graph
in the three regions and link this with income level.
Compare and comment on the responsibilities of A table and
MARCH
male and female married professionals and link the newspaper
2012
information with the newspaper headlines. headlines
Analyse the findings of a survey conducted on A bar graph and a
YEAR END
consumers’ choice of venues for grocery shopping table
2011
and link to characteristics of shopping venues.
Analyse and synthesise profile of professionals to Two tables
MID 2011 their rankings of main goals for the year ahead
according to age group.
A line graph and a
Analyse and synthesise the number of air
YEAR END bar
travellers by airlines and air travellers’ rating of
2010 graph
satisfaction.
Introduction:
Expressing Opinion:
Introducing Points:
Contrasting:
Concluding: