ETpedia Exams - 500 Ideas For Preparing Students For EFL Exams

ETpedia TM
Exams
500 ideas
for preparing
students for
EFL exams
Louis Rogers and John Hughes

with Vanessa Reis Esteves
Series editor: John Hughes
www.myetpedia.com
ETpedia
Exams
© John Hughes and Louis Rogers
The authors have asserted their rights in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act (1988) to be identified as the authors of this work.
Published by:
Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham, 25 Cecil Pashley Way,
Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF
UK
Tel: 01273 43 49 43
Email: info@pavpub.com
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First published 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher and the copyright owners.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Photocopying permission
The resources in the Appendix may be copied, without fee or prior permission, by the
purchaser subject to both of the following conditions: that the item is reproduced in its entirety,
including the copyright acknowledgement; that the copies are used solely by the person or
organisation who purchased the original publication.
ISBN: 978-1-911028-80-2
PDF ebook ISBN: 978-1-911028-81-9
Authors: John Hughes and Louis Rogers, with Vanessa Reis Esteves
Development editor: Penny Hands
Copy-editor: Gill Langham
Production editor: Mike Benge, Pavilion Publishing and Media
Cover design: Emma Dawe, Pavilion Publishing and Media
Page layout and typesetting: Emma Dawe, Pavilion Publishing and Media
Printing: Ashford Press
Contents
Introduction
10 reasons for using this resource.................................................................................6
10 ways to use this resource.........................................................................................8
10 facts about the authors..........................................................................................10
Preparing to teach exam classes
Unit 1: 10 reasons why your students need to pass the exam....................................12
Unit 2: 10 ways that exam preparation lessons are different from teaching
general English............................................................................................................14
Unit 3: 10 exams that you might have to prepare students for...................................16
Unit 4: 10 exam terms used in exam literature...........................................................19
Unit 5 10 questions to ask students at the beginning of an exam course .................21
Unit 6 10 similarities and differences between paper-based and computer-based
exams..........................................................................................................................23
Exam skills
Unit 7: 10 tips for providing exam practice in the classroom......................................26
Unit 8: 10 tips for managing student expectations.....................................................28
Unit 9: 10 questions about the exam that students should be able to answer
before the exam..........................................................................................................31
Unit 10: 10 study skills to teach your exam students..................................................33
Unit 11: 10 mistakes that candidates often make that can be easily avoided............35
Unit 12: 10 classroom activities for checking exam knowledge and strategies .........38
Unit 13: 10 Strategies and activities for preparing young learners for exams............41
Preparing students for writing exams
Unit 14: 10 types of text that students have to write in exams...................................46
Unit 15: 10 ways to generate ideas and plan writing..................................................48
Unit 16: 10 ideas for teaching opinion-based essays..................................................51
Unit 17: 10 ideas to develop paragraph and sentence structure................................54
Unit 18: 10 tips and activities for working with graphs and charts..............................57
Unit 19: 10 tips and activities for working with processes, diagrams and maps.........60
Unit 20: 10 tips and activities for working with emails, letters and business writing..63
Unit 21: 10 tips and activities for working with reports, proposals and articles..........66
Unit 22: 10 tips on how writing exams are often graded............................................70
Unit 23: 10 ways to give feedback on writing for exams............................................72
Grammar and vocabulary exam preparation
Unit 24: 10 types of questions that exams often include to test grammar and
vocabulary...................................................................................................................76
Unit 25: 10 things to say to students when preparing for an exam that tests grammar
and vocabulary..................................................................................................................... 80
Unit 26: 10 ideas for integrating grammar in the exam classroom.............................82
Unit 27: 10 ideas for integrating vocabulary in the exam classroom .........................87
Reading exam preparation
Unit 28: 10 text types often used in reading exams....................................................92
Unit 29: 10 question types often used in reading exams............................................94
Unit 30: 10 strategies to teach students for the reading exam...................................97
Unit 31: 10 activities for developing a student’s ability to read for global items........99
Unit 32: 10 activities for developing a student’s ability to read for individual items.102
Listening exam preparation
Unit 33: 10 text types often used in listening exams................................................106
Unit 34: 10 question types often used in listening exams........................................108
Unit 35: 10 strategies to help students before, during and after listening...............111
Unit 36: 10 activities for developing listening skills with exam recordings...............114
Unit 37: 10 activities to improve micro-listening skills..............................................117
Speaking exam preparation
Unit 38: 10 tips and activities on predictable language used in speaking exams....122
Unit 39: 10 sets of questions that are often asked in exams.....................................125
Unit 40: 10 speaking activities with exam photographs............................................127
Unit 41: 10 tips and activities for responding to a text (written or listening)............130
Unit 42: 10 activities for practising monologues and presentations.........................133
Unit 43: 10 game-like activities to develop a candidate’s discussion skills...............135
Unit 44: 10 typical exam discussion topics to practise regularly in class..................139
Unit 45: 10 tips on how speaking exams can be graded..........................................141
Unit 46: 10 ideas for giving feedback on speaking for exams..................................144
Writing your own exams and further development
Unit 47: 10 tips on writing your own exams..............................................................148
Unit 48: 10 tips for writing young learner exams......................................................150
Unit 49: 10 ways to find out more about an exam before you start teaching it........152
Unit 50: 10 further resources about exams and teaching exams..............................154
Appendix......................................................................................................................157
Main ELT exams at a glance........................................................................................189
Introduction
10 reasons for using this resource
1. Everything in one place

English language teachers who prepare students for exams and tests can find
supplementary resources, teaching ideas, activities and tips in a multitude of places.
The shelves of the staffroom may be full of published resource books and they may have
access to folders of materials created by colleagues. Internet search engines provide links
to thousands of websites offering instant lesson plans and ideas. The sheer amount of
available material can be overwhelming, and finding a tip can be time-consuming. The aim
of this book is to bring a collection of resources together in one place for faster reference.
2. From teaching English to exam preparation

One of the biggest challenges for teachers of exam classes is how to balance exam
preparation with the need to keep improving a student’s general level of English. The 50
units in this resource try to balance those two demands with a range of activities that offer
language practice for everyday life with the requirements of the exam.
3. Units of 10
Each unit contains 10 points. These can take the form of tips, ideas, examples of question
types or checklists of general guidelines. Why 10? Because we believe that
Introduction
a list of 10 provides enough information to both inspire and encourage you to develop
your skills further.
4. New teachers
If you are just starting out in English language teaching, you might not have received
much previous training in what ELT exams tend to be like. You may be wondering in what
ways exam preparation courses differ from general English ones. This resource gives you
an extensive introduction to every aspect of exam teaching, which will get you up to
speed before entering the classroom.
5. Experienced teachers
If you have been teaching exams for a while, this resource may both remind you of the
techniques needed for exam preparation and also give you some fresh ideas for your lesson.
6. Studying for an ELT qualification

Perhaps you are planning to take the Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT), or studying for
another teaching qualification, such as a CELTA or Cert TESOL. On these kinds of courses,
you will need to be able to demonstrate knowledge of key exams and the basic principles
of how exams are written. For teachers taking higher-level qualifications, such as the
DELTA, Diploma in TESOL or an MA with a component in exams and testing, this book will
be an invaluable reference.
7. Writing your own exams and tests

Maybe you are a teacher who has to write tests and exams from time to time, or you are
a published writer who needs to include exam practice or tests in your materials. If so, this
resource offers a useful set of checklists that you can turn to when you’re in need of a few extra
ideas – or looking for a quick alternative way to design a test or write a type of question.
6 ETpedia: Exams © Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd and its licensors 2018.
8. Teacher trainers
If you are a teacher trainer, senior teacher or director of studies who delivers staff training
on a range of topics, then use the lists of ideas that this resource offers as the basis for
training sessions related to teaching exam classes.
9. Additional materials and advice

At the end of this book, you will find an Appendix with additional photocopiable materials.
These can be used as they are, or adapted and developed to suit your own context.
Throughout the book you will also find quotes from experienced teachers, sharing their
views, ideas and experiences on preparing students for exams.
10. More time

If you are familiar with the other ETpedia resource books, you’ll know that the books aim
to save you time. The one thing that all teachers (and full-time materials writers) say they
lack is time. We hope that by sharing this collection of ideas, based on our many years of
experience of writing for our own classes and, later, as published authors, we can save you
time when it comes to producing your own materials.
Introduction
“ETpedia saves hours of planning
time and opens opportunities
for variation, adaptation and
even creating my own materials
inspired by the ideas it offers.”
Ayat Al-Tawel, English teacher, Egypt
ETpedia: Exams © Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd and its licensors 2018. 7
10 ways to use this resource
This resource has been written for teachers who are preparing students for exams.
It could be for internal exams used by the school you work in, or it could be for an exam
set by an external exam board such Cambridge First or the IELTS exam. It can be read
and used in different ways according to your needs, interests and level of experience.
1. Cover to cover
If you are new to teaching and preparing students for a specific exam, then you might
be using this resource as an introductory text to the subject. If so, it’s worth reading the
book from cover to cover in order to get a thorough overview and grounding in how to
approach teaching an exam course for the first time.
2. Read a section
The contents page will direct you to different sections containing groups of units. If your
exam doesn’t involve a speaking exam, then you can ignore the section on speaking for
now. On the other hand, if you have to prepare students for a writing exam, then that
section will support you with a wealth of background knowledge and classroom activities.
3. Go to the unit
Introduction
If you have been teaching exam courses for a while and you are teaching the same
lesson again, go straight to the relevant unit for some ideas to help you find new ways of
doing things.
4. Planning your exam lessons

There are differences in emphasis between teaching general English and preparing
students for an exam. This affects the way you plan a lesson and the type of approach
you take. By dipping into the relevant section or unit, you’ll find plenty of straightforward
advice on how to adjust your lesson planning accordingly.
5. Get inside the examiner’s mind

When teaching new exams, it’s always useful to understand why an exam is structured the
way it is or what the examiner is testing. Because this book has been written by people
who have also written exam materials, it helps you to get the ‘inside story’ on analysing
question types.
6. Supplement your coursebook

Teachers sometimes find that they need to offer their students more practice than is found
in their coursebook, or that the coursebook material needs to be adapted to suit their
students’ exam needs. You will find plenty of ideas in this book to help you supplement
and enhance your existing resources.
7. Quick reference
With so many exams available now, it’s hard to keep up with all the requirements. In the
appendix you’ll find one-page summaries of the main exam suites. Unit 50 gives you tips
on other resources you can refer to.
8. Writing your own exams and tests
Most teachers also have to prepare their own exams and tests from time to time. You’ll find
plenty of units in the book with outlines of the typical text types you could include on
different exams and suggestions for the different types of questions you could use. Units
47 and 48 also give advice on how to write your own exams and tests.
9. Sharing ideas
When you work with other teachers, you often find that a colleague needs help with a class
or a lesson. Or perhaps they can’t find a suitable activity to help their students improve
their skills in a particular area. Use ETpedia with your colleagues and point them to the
right unit.
10. Write your own ten

ELT materials writing is constantly evolving, particularly in the area of online materials.
As you explore the subject more deeply, and expand your own skills, you are bound to
come up with your own ideas and find aspects of materials writing for which you would
like to make your own list of ten tips. Add your ideas to page 230 and share them with
colleagues who are also writing their own materials. You could even share them with the
Introduction
whole world by visiting www.myetpedia.com, where we regularly post lists of ‘10 ways’
from people who use the ETpedia books. Visit the website for information on sharing
your ideas.
“My teachers and I have

successfully contributed in the
past to the myetpedia.com
blog and it’s a great platform
and springboard to share your
ideas with like-minded teachers
from around the world.”
Glenn Standish, Director of Studies, IH Toruń
10 facts about the authors
Louis Rogers…
XX has prepared students for a wide range of exams including BEC, Cambridge First,
Advanced and Proficiency, IELTS and TOEFL.
XX has authored and co-authored numerous exam books including IELTS Intensive
(DELTA), Proficiency Masterclass (OUP) and Foundation IELTS Masterclass (OUP).
XX has written high-stakes English exams for university entry, and online tests and test
CD-ROMs for major general English courses.
XX was the 2014 joint winner of an ELTon award in ‘Innovations in Learner Resources’.
John Hughes…
XX has prepared students for English exams including Cambridge First, Advanced, BULATS
and BEC. He has also been an examiner for the Cambridge and Trinity exam boards.
XX wrote the exam preparation books Spotlight on First and Success with BEC Vantage
(National Geographic Learning).
XX originated and wrote the very first ETpedia title for Pavilion Publishing. He is now the
Introduction
series editor for the ETpedia resource series and regularly writes blogposts for www.
myetpedia.com.
Vanessa Reis Esteves…

XX is a well-known specialist and presenter in the field of ELT for Young Learners and
teenagers, and has prepared young learners for the Cambridge Young Learners exams.
XX is the author of ETpedia Young Learners, and has co-authored coursebooks for young
learners and teenagers in Portugal.
XX is currently working on her PhD in 21st Century Skills and Learning.
Thanks and acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank everyone involved in the development of ETpedia Exams, in
particular Penny Hands and the team at Pavilion Publishing, including Emma Grisewood. We’d
also like to thank Michelle Hunter, Glenn Standish, Mersedeh Badrian, John Anderson, Nick
Thorner, Harry Hall and Glenys Davis for their feedback, and all the English exam-class teachers
who allowed us to share their thoughts and expertise in the quotes.
Preparing to teach
exam classes
Teaching English involves helping students to learn language (i.e. vocabulary, grammar,
pronunciation) and the four skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Teaching English on
a course where students take a final exam has the added dimension of needing to ensure
that students are familiar with the format of the exam and that they have the skills needed to
achieve the best possible grade or score.
Making the transition from being a teacher of language to being someone who also builds
students up for the big day – rather like a sports coach – can be challenging if you’re doing
it for the first time. Even experienced teachers must always be well prepared because exam
courses by their nature can be stressful, and students are investing time, effort and often
money in something that could affect their long-term future.
This first section introduces the key issues of exams, including firstly the varied reasons why
students take exams, and secondly the main differences between normal everyday teaching
and exam preparation courses. The section also provides an instant overview of some of the
mainstream exams that students often take and a reference guide to key terminology you need
to become familiar with. There is also a set of questions that you will need to ask students at
the beginning of an exam course and a comparison of exam preparation for paper-based and
computer-based testing.
10 reasons why your students
need to pass the exam
When you start preparing students for an exam, it’s always important to find out why
they are taking it. Their motivation for taking it could be ‘intrinsic’ (that is, coming from
a personal desire for achievement) or ‘extrinsic’ (coming from external demands such as
university entry). Here are 10 common reasons why students take exams.
1. A state requirement
For students in the state school system, all students might be required to study English as
part of the school curriculum and to take an exam at the end. This is typical for teenage
students and, if studying the English language is obligatory, you will often be preparing
classes of mixed ability and of mixed levels of motivation. However, the main goal will be the
same for all – to pass the exam in order to proceed further through the education system.
2. Challenge and enjoyment

Some students take exams because they enjoy them. They like the challenge of setting
themselves a personal goal. Having an exam to aim for can be especially useful if a
student has been attending English classes for some time but is starting to lose interest
and needs an extra boost of motivation. The looming date can be just what a student
needs to invigorate their learning.
3. A general professional qualification

Unit 1
Students in work, or those looking for a job or a new career move often need a
qualification in English. This might be a work-related qualification such as the Cambridge
English Business English Certificate, although many employers are mainly interested in
a qualification that indicates the job applicant’s general level of English. In such cases, a
certain score from an IELTS exam will also help the student with their job search.
4. A specific professional qualification

Some students might need to pass a specific English exam (or a specific exam in English)
in order to get a job or stay in their job. One example of this would be the ‘English
Proficiency Test for Pilots’, which a pilot must pass in order to meet the ICAO (International
Civil Aviation Organization) language proficiency requirements. The test focuses on
speaking and listening skills within the context of piloting situations. For this kind of test,
the teacher will need to research the contents of the exam and decide if they are able
to prepare the students for it, since this type of exam will require an understanding of
specialised concepts and terms.
5. Entry to university and further education

Any student who intends to study English at university after leaving school will need an
exam qualification. If a student plans to study overseas at a university in a country where
English is the first language or the official language of education, they will need to pass an
exam at a certain level. Most universities will look for a score of between 5.5 and 7 on an
IELTS exam or a TOEFL score of between 80 and 100. Most universities state their English
language entry requirements on their websites. Sometimes a university’s requirements will
vary depending on the subject a student is applying for.
6. Visa requirements
A student who needs a visa to enter an English-speaking country with the intention of
living and working there may need to demonstrate a level of English. Take the case of a
student applying for a general visa to enter the UK as an example: if the student has no
family connections, they will need a recognised exam qualification equal to a C1 level of
English (based on the CEFR levels). If they are the spouse of a UK citizen, the minimum
level would be A1. Similar schemes will apply to many other countries where English is
the first language. Students in this situation are usually highly motivated to work hard;
however, they will sometimes need to take the exam before you feel they are ready to
achieve the necessary score (see Unit 8 on managing students’ expectations).
7. To gain credits at university

In a number of countries, students are increasingly taking general English or academic
English modules as part of their degree. The degree itself might be in the student’s own
language, but they may be expected to take and pass English language modules as part
of their course. This is especially common in the case of degrees that have an international
focus. Sometimes, external English courses count towards these credits. For example, an
exam passed by way of a private language school may gain a student exemption from the
English modules at their university.
Unit 1
8. To graduate from university
In some countries, students study their degree through the medium of English. There is
nearly always a minimum level of English required to gain entry onto this type of course.
Students may also need to gain a minimum score in IELTS or another exam in order to
graduate from their course.
9. Proof of ability
Many students can reach a high level of English through self-study or by attending courses
without ever actually taking an exam. While this type of informal learning can enable them
to do their job perfectly well in English, it still means that they do not have any official
evidence of their language skills. Gaining a certificate in an international exam allows
students to formally demonstrate their ability to others.
10. Other stakeholders

Sometimes the requirement to pass an exam doesn’t come from the student, but from
another stakeholder such as the class teacher or a student’s parents. Class teachers might
introduce the idea of taking an exam for various reasons; maybe they feel that the course
needs a more clearly defined aim, and that the students will benefit from that. Parents
might want their children to take an exam as it provides formal evidence of progress.
10 ways that exam preparation lessons are
different from teaching general English
Many English teachers who enter the classroom are well prepared with resources and
activities for teaching general English. When you teach an exam class, you are still
teaching English, of course, but the focus can be quite different and it’s important to be
aware of the differences and to respond accordingly. Whether you see these differences
as positive or negative will be up to you as a teacher.
1. A single aim
Sometimes on a general English course it can feel like there are many different reasons
for students being in the classroom. You might have some students who need English to
help them with their work, some who need it to support their academic studies, and some
students who just attend for pleasure. In an exam class, the students have more or less
the same aim – to pass the exam. That makes the overall goal of your course much clearer
than it sometimes might be.
2. Motivation
Theoretically, if all the students are aiming to pass an exam, their levels of self-motivation
should be very high and they will work hard. This is generally true except, sometimes, in
the case of students who have been told that they must take an exam (for example, by a
parent) but who don’t personally see any good reason to do so.
3. Level
Unit 2
Placing your students at the correct level on exam courses becomes more important
than it might on a general course. In general English lessons, teachers can adjust their
teaching to the level of the students. On exam courses, you have a responsibility to
teach to the level of the exam rather than to the level of the students. Note that the
placement test that decides if a student is ready to prepare for the exam in the time
given must be reliable.
4. Age and interests of the students

Some exams are written with a particular age group in mind; for example, some exams
are unsuitable for younger learners. If the paper that tests writing skills requires students
to write a formal piece of correspondence applying for a job, younger students, who are
unlikely to have any real-world experience of this, should be advised to join a different
class and prepare for an alternative exam.
5. Exam skills
The biggest difference between teaching an exam class and teaching general English is,
without a doubt, the need to teach students about the exam and how to approach each
question. This kind of work often feels as though it has less to do with teaching the English
language itself and more about equipping the students with the strategies and awareness
they’ll need to navigate the exam.
6. Syllabus design and materials

If you know the skills and aspects of language that an exam will test, the syllabus almost
writes itself in a way that a general English course doesn’t. You know what task types
have to be included, and what aspects of English will need to be taught. Copies of past
papers are a good indicator of what needs to be included on the syllabus and past papers
will also provide useful preparation material. In addition, many publishers produce exam
preparation coursebooks for the main exams (for example, IELTS), and these can form an
integral part of your course design and lesson material.
7. Planning lessons and time-management

When you plan a lesson or a course, it’s important to balance students’ English needs with
their exam preparation needs. Imagine you are teaching on an intensive IELTS preparation
course that lasts two weeks, leading up to the exam itself; in this situation, the course will
mostly involve orientating students to the exam and giving them lots of exam practice
because it is not possible to improve the level of their English significantly in two weeks. On
the other hand, if you are teaching a year-long course (perhaps 120 hours of classroom time
with additional time for homework), you can realistically try to raise the level of the students’
English and then gradually introduce more exam practice as the course progresses.
8. Reflecting the exam task types in your lessons

Two of the most common questions from students preparing for an exam are: ‘Is this in the
exam?’ and ‘How will this help me pass the exam?’ So, when you’re planning your lessons,
it’s always worth thinking of what your answers would be to those questions.
Problems are likely to occur if, for example, you get students to do a fun roleplay activity
Unit 2
and they then discover that roleplay isn’t actually one of the tasks in the exam. Similarly,
if you ask students to write a story for homework but storywriting is not a task type in the
writing exam, they might question your methods. You might, of course, have very good
reasons for setting up a roleplay or for getting students to write a story in an exam class:
perhaps it’s to practise some new grammar or vocabulary in context. But as a general
guideline, it’s usually wise to set activity types that reflect the format of the exam and if
you stray from the format of the exam, explain clearly your reasons for doing so.
9. Focus on accuracy over fluency

In general, exams are marked according to whether the questions are answered accurately; this
is especially true on papers testing reading and listening skills or exams with a focus on correct
grammar and use of vocabulary. On writing and speaking papers, however, other criteria could
be graded according to use of structure in writing or communicative competence in speaking.
However, even for these papers, marks will be gained or deducted for accuracy. Whether you
agree or disagree with the idea that exams reward accuracy over fluency, the fact is that most
of them do. As a result, teachers in exam classes will tend to praise accurate production over
fluency more often than they might on a general English course.
10. Maintaining the momentum

This final point relates back to the issue of motivation (see point 2 above). Perhaps the
biggest challenge faced by many teachers of exam classes is keeping students interested
while continually reflecting the format of the exam. Over time, even the most motivated
students can find exam preparation relentless, with the exam task types seeming
inauthentic and lacking in fun. As a teacher, you might feel like a sports coach trying to
prepare an athlete for a major championship: you want your students to reach their peak in
time for the big day, but you don’t want them to be ready too early and lose momentum.
10 exams that you might have
to prepare students for
There are many different exams that you might have to prepare students for. Some
of these are lower-stakes tests, such as ones that measure progress in a course or
assessments that take place at the end of term. High-stakes tests include national
English exams, university entrance exams and other formal, summative tests. Since each
country will have a slightly different set-up, this section will focus on exams that are
taken throughout the world. On pages 189 to 229 of the Appendix you will also find a
more detailed summary of each of these exams.
1. IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

IELTS is a proficiency test of English that scores all candidates on a scale of 1 to 9 with
increments of 0.5 in between. There are two versions of the IELTS test: IELTS Academic
and IELTS General Training. Far more candidates take the academic version than the
general one. IELTS Academic is taken for many different reasons, but one of the most
common is to gain entrance to a university. Unlike many other exams, the grade a student
receives on an IELTS exams is only valid for a certain amount of time.
There are four sections to the test: reading, writing, speaking and listening. The
reading test (60 minutes) consists of three texts totalling around 2,200 words, with 40
comprehension questions. The listening test (30 minutes) tests candidates’ comprehension
of a dialogue and a monologue, both representing everyday situations, and a third one
set in an academic situation. Each section has 10 questions. The speaking test lasts 12 to
Unit 3
15 minutes and consists of three parts. Part 1 contains general personal questions, part
2 is a two-minute monologue and part 3 is made up of further questions about the topic
from part 2. The writing section (60 minutes) requires candidates to respond to an essay
question relating to a visual stimulus such as a graph, a map or a diagram. IELTS General
Training is the same as IELTS Academic with regard to speaking and listening. The IELTS
General reading test uses slightly different genres, though, and the writing test requires
students to write a letter rather than respond to a visual stimulus.
2. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

The TOEFL test is similar to the IELTS test in that one of the most common reasons to
take it is to gain entrance to a university. Nowadays, TOEFL is mostly taken online. Like
IELTS, the test includes four sections: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The reading
section lasts 60 to 80 minutes and requires students to answer 36 to 56 questions on three
or four academic texts. The listening test lasts 60 to 90 minutes with 34 to 51 questions.
Candidates answer comprehension questions on recorded lectures, classroom discussions
and academic-related conversations. The speaking section lasts 20 minutes and requires
candidates to (1) complete six tasks involving expressing an opinion on a familiar topic
and (2) to speak based on reading and listening tasks. This usually involves summarising or
comparing opinions from the texts in response to a prompt. In the writing section students
have to write essay-style responses based on reading and listening tasks.
3. Cambridge general English exams

Cambridge Assessment offers a wide range of exams, and is one of the key stakeholders
in IELTS. For general English, they offer a suite of exams that test students at different
levels. These are:
A2 - Key
B1 - Preliminary
B2 - First
C1 - Advanced
C2 - Proficiency
The two lower levels have three papers; (1) reading and writing, (2) speaking and (3)
listening. The three higher levels have four papers: (1) reading and English in use, (2)
writing, (3) speaking and (4) listening.
4. BEC
Also run by Cambridge Assessment are the business English exams known as BEC
(Business English Certificate). These are only offered at the levels of Preliminary (B1),
Vantage (B2) and Higher (C1). The Preliminary exam consists of three papers: (1) reading
and writing, (2) listening and (3) speaking. The two higher levels have four papers, with
separate sections for reading and writing. The tests follow a similar format to the general
English exams but all of the contexts reflect work-related situations.
5. Cambridge Young Learners

Another important set of exams offered by Cambridge are the Young Learner exams. These
Unit 3
are offered from pre-A1 to A2 levels, and are known as Starters (pre-A1), Movers (A1) and
Flyers (A2). All three levels consist of three papers: (1) listening, (2) reading and writing, and
(3) speaking. The lowest level lasts 45 minutes and the highest level lasts just over an hour.
The format is different from many other exams due to the lower level. The listening test
involves lots of visuals that students have to colour in, match or select. The reading test also
involves pictures with matching and description tasks. Many of the texts are story-based and
the tasks frequently involve gap completion. The speaking test also revolves around visual
stimuli, with candidates continuing stories and describing differences. (See also Units 13 and
48 for more information on teaching and writing exams for young learners.)
6. BULATS (Business Language Testing Service)

BULATS is another test offered by Cambridge English. This test assesses people’s ability
to communicate in a work context. The test is done online and has three main sections: (1)
reading and listening, (2) speaking, and (3) writing. Students do not have to take all three
sections; they can be assessed on only one. Typically, this test is used to shortlist people for
interviews and to identify training needs within a company. The reading and listening test is
adaptive so there is not a fixed number of questions; there are seven sections, each of about
250 words and candidates get 60 minutes to complete it. The speaking test consists of five
sections and lasts 15 minutes. There are general questions first, followed by sentences to
read aloud, then two presentations and responses to fixed questions. The contexts are all
business-related. In the writing section, candidates write an email and a short report.
7. PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English)

PTE Academic is a test offered by Pearson. It is used in much the same way as TOEFL
and IELTS to gain entrance to universities and colleges around the world. PTE Academic
assesses listening, reading, speaking and writing, all on-screen. To complete a PTE
Academic test, candidates need to attend a secure Pearson test centre. Candidates use
a computer and a headset to listen to, read and respond to questions. The test lasts
three hours and there are three main parts: (1) speaking and writing, (2) listening and (3)
reading. There are 20 different question formats, ranging from multiple choice through
to essay writing and interpreting information. Like other exams aiming for university
entrance, candidates hear excerpts from lectures, view graphs and charts, read academic
texts and write essays.
8. Trinity GESE (Graded examinations in spoken English)

and ISE (Integrated Skills in English)
Trinity’s two main exams are the GESE and ISE. The GESE (Graded Examination in Spoken
English) is a one-to-one interview involving different types of speaking task and some
formal listening tasks at higher levels. The ISE (Integrated Skills in English) assessment
tests all four skills in two papers: (1) reading and writing and (2) listening and speaking.
In the reading and writing paper there are four parts. There are two reading tasks, one
reading into writing task and one writing task. The speaking and listening section consists
of two listening tasks, one spoken topic task where candidates are given a prompt card to
speak about and one conversation task.
9. TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)

Unit 3
TOEIC is offered by the same organisation as the TOEFL exam (ETS, which stands for
Educational Testing Service). The TOEIC listening and reading test is used by candidates
to prove their ability in English for the workplace. The test lasts two and a half hours
and students have to answer 200 questions in total, as well as completing biographical
information. In the speaking and writing test, students have 20 minutes to read a text
aloud, describe a picture, respond to questions, propose a solution and express an
opinion. In the writing test, students have an hour to (1) write sentences responding to
pictures, (2) respond to a written request and (3) write an essay.
10. Password
Password is another test that focuses on skills and is commonly used as an entrance exam
to universities. Like other exams in this area, it is a proficiency exam testing from A2 to C1
and it takes three hours. The test is run in two parts. Part 1 tests reading and writing. The
reading section has five parts and takes one hour and fifteen minutes. The writing part
requires students to choose between two essay topics. Part 2 tests listening and speaking.
The listening section contains five parts and lasts one hour. The speaking section also
contains five parts.
10 exam terms used in exam literature
Over the years, examination papers and literature have developed their own terms and
jargon. When you first meet some of these, it can feel quite daunting; for example,
questions are sometimes called ‘items’ and a space to write an answer is called a
‘lozenge’. Here are 10 terms it’s worth becoming familiar with (and being able to explain
to students on some occasions). The first seven terms relate to exam tasks that involve
writing down your answers. The last three terms are specific to speaking tests.
1. Item
An item is a statement containing a gap, or simply a writing line where students have
to write a letter, a number, a single word, a phrase, a sentence or a paragraph. It’s more
commonly referred to by teachers as a ‘question’, even though it often doesn’t comprise
an actual question.
2. Key
The key is the correct answer to an item or a list of correct answers to a set of questions.
3. Rubric
The rubric is a statement giving instructions on what the candidate must do; for example,
‘Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb given in brackets’.
4. Options
Unit 4
In a multiple-choice question, the options are the various possible answers, in the form of
words or phrases that a candidate must choose from.
5. Cloze
A cloze test is a whole text (for example, a paragraph) from which words have been
removed. The candidate has to complete the text by filling in the gaps with suitable words.
6. Multiple choice and multiple matching

Multiple choice is task that requires the candidate to choose one answer from several
(usually three or four) options. Multiple matching presents the candidate with a list of
numbered items and a list of lettered responses. The candidate has to link each numbered
item to its corresponding (i.e. matching) response.
7. Lozenge
A lozenge is a space on an answer sheet that the candidate has to fill in with their answer
to a multiple-choice question. In computer-based exams, a lozenge consists of a dot in a
circle that the candidate has to click on to select the correct answer.
8. Assessor and/or interlocutor

In a speaking exam, the assessor is the person who grades the candidate’s performance.
The interlocutor is the person who interviews the candidate. In many exams the assessor
and the interlocutor are the same person.
9. Long turn
A long turn is any part of a speaking exam in which the candidate has to speak on their
own for a period of time. For example, the candidate might be asked to talk about a
picture (see Unit 40) or to give a short presentation (see Unit 42)
10. Collaborative task

A collaborative task is part of an exam in which two candidates are put together
to discuss something (i.e. they ‘collaborate’). They are then assessed on their
communicative speaking skills.
“Sometimes teaching students the

terms to refer to the different parts
of the exam can help. For example,
the term ‘multiple matching’
helps students to understand the
task in a practical way. But always
follow-up by asking students,
Unit 4
‘How are you going to approach

this part of the exam?’ to make
sure they really understand!”
Judith Richardson, IELTS teacher, UK
10 questions to ask students at
the beginning of an exam course
As with any kind of English course, you’ll want to know as much as possible about your
students from the outset. Some of the points outlined below might seem obvious; however,
on exams courses it’s often easy to overlook the individual student and their needs because
everything tends to be so focused on the final exam. Asking certain questions is also a
way to highlight to students what a big commitment they are taking on (also see Unit 8
on managing student expectations). You can either ask students these sets of questions
individually or you could use them on the first day of the course: students work in pairs,
ask each other the questions, and then report back to the rest of the class what they have
discovered. You could also make copies of page 158 of the Appendix with these questions.
Students can write down their answers and hand the page to you if that’s more appropriate.
1. Personal information
Start with the obvious. Personal information questions are often asked in the speaking
section of exams, and the way a candidate responds will give an instant indication of how
prepared (or otherwise) they are. Note that asking for a student’s age only applies in the case
of younger learners, teenagers and young adults because this might affect which exam they
take; for example, the Cambridge First exam has a schools version and a general version.
What’s your name?
Where are you from?
How old are you?
Unit 5
2. Areas of work or study
Find out about the student’s area of work or study, as this may affect which exam they take.
For example, a person who works in business might be choosing a general exam such as
Cambridge First, when in fact Cambridge English: BEC Vantage could be more appropriate.
What’s your job?
Are you a student? What do you study?
3. Free time and interests

Even though your students are taking an exam, it’s still important to find out about their
interests and, where possible, to try to link these to the exam content. They are highly
likely to be asked about their free time in the exam speaking task.
What do you do in your free time?
Do you play any sports?
What’s your favourite hobby?
What do you like doing with friends at the weekend?
4. English-learning background
Students’ answers to these questions are significant because you will find out if they have
a formal learning background in English. If they have, they might be familiar with many of
the exam-type tasks. If a student comes to the course with a high level of English but they
have learnt it with no formal teaching (for example, maybe they lived and worked in an
English speaking country), their level might be right but they will need help with handling
certain types of exam question.
How long have you been learning English?
Where have you studied English?
What courses have you taken?
5. Exams and qualifications

As well as asking a student about any previous English exams they have taken, try to find
out about their experience of exams in general. Past experience of preparing for and
taking any kind of exam will come in useful for the course.
Have you ever taken any English exams before?
Do you have any qualifications in English?
What other exams have you taken?
6. Reasons for taking the exam

Students have all sorts of reasons for taking exams; maybe they need it for their job or for
school. In some cases, students just want to find a new motivation for learning English.
Why are you taking this course/this exam?
What do you need this exam qualification for?
7. Self-study time
Unit 5
This is an important topic. Some students might not have realistic expectations about what
it takes to pass an exam or what they can achieve in the time they have outside the lesson.
(See also Unit 8 on managing expectations.)
How many hours of homework can you do per week?
What other commitments might affect your self-study time?
8. Knowledge of the exam

Ask students what they already know about the exam. This will enable you to check that
any information they do have is correct. If they say they don’t know much about it, you
can provide them with the information they need and make sure they realise what they are
committing themselves to.
How much do you know about the exam?
Have you looked at any sample exam papers?
9. Strengths and weaknesses

It’s a good idea to ask the students to assess their own strengths and weaknesses in
relation to the exam. While you can also establish their current level by giving them a
placement test (or maybe even a past paper), asking the students themselves tells you
how aware they are of their own abilities and whether their own perceptions are realistic.
Which parts of the exam do you think will be the easiest/most difficult for you?
What areas of English will you need to improve the most for the exam?
10. Availability for the exam

Check that the students will be available when the exam takes place. It’s best to clarify this
before they start the course!
The exam takes place in … [give date]. Will you be available at this time?
10 similarities and differences between
paper-based and computer-based exams
Increasingly, exam boards offer students the choice of taking an exam either on paper
or on the computer. Your own school or institution might offer one or the other or both.
It’s worth establishing early on how students will take the exam and tailoring your exam
preparation to that format. The following list provides points to consider, and highlights
some key issues that might affect a candidate’s performance.
1. Checking the equipment

In paper-based exams, sound levels of recordings for listening tasks will be controlled by
the invigilator. In a computer-based exam, on the other hand, a candidate might need to
check sound levels on their individual computer and ask for help if it isn’t working properly.
The same is also true if candidates have to use a microphone. They will need to first check
their voice levels for recording.
2. Navigation
Some candidates comment that a paper-based exam makes it easier to jump to a different
part of the exam and complete that, before going back to tackle a question they find more
difficult. With computer-based testing, the candidate often does not have this freedom;
they have to answer whatever appears on screen. Some exams, however, do allow you to
move to later sections before completing earlier sections. If this is the case, students need
to know how to navigate the relevant screen instructions and menus.
Unit 6
3. Pen or keyboard?
As increasing numbers of students do the majority of their writing with a keyboard, it
can be quite a shock to suddenly have to write with a pen for an extended period time.
Equally, some students aren’t familiar with keyboards, so they will need practice. It’s a
good idea to take this sort of decision early so that students can get used to using the
equipment they will be using in the exam.
4. Word count in writing exams

One nice feature of some computer-based writing tests is that the screen shows the
candidate how many words they’ve written, enabling them to easily stay within the
specified word count. For paper-based exams, students need to get familiar with word
counts and how much they have to write on the page.
5. Speaking to a person or to a screen

Some speaking exams require students to attend a face-to-face interview. While this might
be stressful, it seems like a natural way to test speaking – with someone listening and
responding to what the candidate says. Computer-based speaking tests, on the other
hand, sometimes require the student to respond to a variety of tasks by speaking into a
microphone (while the computer records their voice). This means that candidates need
to work on becoming familiar with the concept of speaking to a computer that does not
provide any of the visual responses they might expect from a person.
6. Editing and correcting
Computer-based exams let you correct and edit answers in the same way any word-
processing software does. Some candidates regard this as an advantage, as correcting and
editing with pen and paper can become messy and confusing.
7. Results
Some students might ask you if there is any difference in the results they might get,
depending on whether they take an exam on paper or on screen. The main examination
boards would say there is no difference, based on their research into this aspect of
examining. So you can reassure students that their result will be the same, whichever
format they go with. (For more detailed research on this topic, see https://www.ets.org/
research/policy_research_reports/publications/chapter/2014/jsol)
8. Receiving results
In general, a computer-based exam can provide you with your final results more quickly
than a paper-based one.
9. Adaptive testing
The increased use of computer-based testing means that some tests will vary in length and
format if they are designed to adapt to the candidate’s answers. The candidate answers a
Unit 6
question and the computer chooses the next question based on whether the answer was
right or wrong. The test continues in this way until the program establishes the student’s
level. This can be useful for placement testing; it does, however, mean that every student
takes a slightly different test. This can be disconcerting for students so they need to be
made aware of it in advance.
10. On the day

On the day of the exam, there is not much difference in the exam format itself. Students
are often required to bring ID along if it’s a public exam, and they might need specific log-
in details for a computer-based exam. For both paper-based and computer-based exams,
candidates are normally allowed to make notes, so they should bring pens, pencils, erasers
and any stationery allowed. Some (but by no means all) examinations also allow students
to bring in a dictionary.
Exam skills
This section looks at the range of skills your students will need to develop in order to take
an exam. Even when a student has the right level of English to pass or get a high grade in
the exam, their final mark can be adversely affected by a lack of awareness of what an exam
consists of and how they should approach exam preparation.
Unlike later sections in this book, all the exam skills covered in this section tend to be
universally true and the advice is useful for any part of an exam regardless of whether it’s
testing reading, writing, speaking, listening or explicitly assessing grammar and vocabulary.
The seven units focus on classroom practice and ways to raise your students’ awareness of what
taking an exam is like and how they should be realistic about what it requires. In particular,
there are suggestions for developing students’ exam study skills and ways to turn their
weaknesses into opportunities for learning.
The section also looks at ways to handle the dilemma of needing to teach and improve
students’ English while also preparing them for the exam. For example, Unit 12 includes
the type of activities we normally use for language teaching but it can also provide exam
awareness. The final unit in this section offers additional advice to anyone preparing younger
learners for exams.
10 tips for providing exam
practice in the classroom
There are various ways in which an exam preparation class is different from a general
English class (see Unit 2), and one important way is that you will have some lessons
where you want to simulate exam conditions. Setting aside time for students to take
past papers and experience the demands of the exam is particularly helpful when you
are close to the date of the exam. The experience means that students can identify any
unforeseen problems and deal with them in good time.
1. Using past papers

Most exam boards offer past papers; some publishers produce books of ‘practice papers’
– exam papers that have been written to emulate the actual exam. (Note that these papers
are often written by people who also write real exam papers.) Many teachers give students
these practice papers as homework, but it’s also a good idea to use them to create exam
conditions in your classroom.
2. Seating
Most exam boards will have specifications on the distance between the candidates in an
exam. Although you probably won’t be able to simulate this exactly in your classroom
because you’d need a very large room, try to seat students separately and as far apart
as possible so everyone gets a feel for what it will be like on the actual day. For speaking
exam practice, set up the room with the examiner’s chair and the student’s chair as it is
Unit 7
likely to be in the real exam.
3. Timings
When students take a past-paper exam, make sure you use the exact timings indicated on
the exam paper. If you are only having students take one or two of the questions, calculate
approximate timings by dividing the total time for the exam by the number of questions,
or according to the weight of marks given for the question. Completing an exam question
in the set time is one of the key things that any student should be given an opportunity to
practise so that they use time appropriately in the exam itself.
4. Instructions
If the person running the exam is supposed to give or read out instructions with the paper,
try to do this word for word when you do exam practice with the students.
5. Instructions and questions for speaking exam practice

When practising part 2 of the IELTS speaking test, don’t just give the topic card to
students; say the instructions as well. For example:
OK, next I’m going to give you a card with a topic on it. I’d like you to talk about it for one
to two minutes. Before you start talking, you have one minute to think about what you’re
going to say. You can make notes if you wish. Do you understand?
If students aren’t familiar with these instructions, they might be confused by them on the
day of the test.
6. Answer sheets
Many major paper-based exams come with an answer sheet. Students have to make sure
they transfer all their answers onto this sheet at the end. If students are not familiar with
the layout, they might easily make a mistake and fill in the wrong boxes, so try to use real
answer sheets with the students in class. (It also speeds up marking afterwards.)
7. Cheating
If a student leans over to look at a peer’s answers, speaks to another student, or does
anything that a real examiner would interpret as cheating, explain to the student that they
could be disqualified for such actions in the real exam. In many cases, students are not
intentionally cheating; when they are doing exam practice they are often looking around to
check that they are following the correct exam protocols rather than trying to copy another
student’s work. However, it’s better that they understand at the practice stage what does and
doesn’t warrant disqualification, rather than discovering it on the day of the exam.
8. Hide the speaking questions

In most classes you will probably have a coursebook to follow. One of the problems with
this is that the speaking test questions will be written down in front of the students. When
it comes to a pairwork task in which one student is the examiner and the other is the
candidate, the student answering the questions has time to read and think about their
Unit 7
responses. In the actual test they will just hear the questions and have no thinking time. To
better simulate the real test, copy some of the speaking questions onto sheets of paper.
Give the questions to the person playing the role of the examiner for them to read aloud
to their partner.
9. The right number of questions

Many exam preparation coursebooks provide fewer questions for each section than
candidates will find in the actual exam. This is usually because of space restrictions in
the book. Always check the format of the exam and compare the number of questions
in each section. Draw students’ attention to any differences. Students can be shocked to
suddenly find their reading text is not 400 words with six questions but in fact 800 words
with 12 questions. Similarly, for the speaking part of the test, many books do not include
the full number of questions. For example, in IELTS, part 3, there are between six and nine
questions, but many IELTS preparation coursebooks will only have three or four. If this is
the case with your coursebook, you could write some additional questions before class.
10. Exam administration

On the day of the exam there will usually be a few simple administrative procedures that
students have to follow, such as showing their ID and confirming their name. Although
minor, this type of thing can unsettle students if they are not prepared for it. Before the
exam, try to replicate the procedures so that students know what is going to happen.
10 tips for managing
student expectations
Students often have a target in mind and a timeframe in which they hope to reach
it. This might be linked to another objective, such as obtaining a place at university.
Unfortunately, students often have unrealistic expectations regarding how quickly they will
reach this target. You can use the following strategies to try to manage their expectations.
1. State lesson objectives

At the start of a lesson, display a slide or write to one side of the board what students can
expect to achieve in each lesson. For example:
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
XX analyse an essay question
XX brainstorm ideas for an essay
XX organise and structure your response
It is important to do this so that students know the limitations of what can be achieved in a
single lesson.
2. Differentiate your lesson objectives

In exam classes such as TOEFL and IELTS, it is quite common to be teaching mixed-ability
groups. You may therefore need to set a variety of objectives and word these differently.
For example:
Unit 8
XX All of you will be able to give an opinion and support it with two reasons.
XX Some of you will be able to justify the arguments.
XX Some of you will be able to use complex sentence structures to do so.
3. Personalise success criteria

Once you have taught a class for a few lessons and marked their individual work, it is a
good idea to set individual criteria for measuring success. At the start of a lesson you can
ask students to write down one or two goals based on feedback you have previously given
them. For example:
My goal: To use a wider range of grammatical structures.
Doing this can help students focus on an additional personal target while writing.
4. Explain the progression in band scores

There is no one-size-fits-all response to the question: How long will it take me to improve
my IELTS/TOEFL score? A student may already have a score of 5 in IELTS and need a score
of 5.5 to get onto their course. This might sound like a small increment, but it can take as
long as six months to improve one’s score by half a band. Make sure students are aware of
how long it can take to improve their score.
5. Keep a diary
Often, students will expect to make rapid progress, when in reality they are not putting in
enough hours or effort to match their expectations. Ask students to start a diary recording how
often they practise and what it is they are practising. Review these regularly with students to
discuss when they need to do more work and what they need to work on to improve.
6. Conduct a needs analysis
At the start of a course it can be good to discuss with your students what their
expectations and needs are. You can create one specific to the exam you are teaching
by creating a table such as this one:
I can do I can do this I find this

this without most of the difficult but can I can’t do this
problems time do it with help
Generate ideas for

an essay
Speak confidently
and fluently for
two minutes on
any exam topic
Write an overview
Unit 8
sentence of a
graph
This will help you to structure your course and to prioritise aims. Once you have analysed
it and planned the course in more detail it will also help to show students what is possible
in the number of hours available in the course.
7. Use previous students as an example

If you have students in your school who have previously studied for your exam, they can
be a good resource. For example, if you have an FCE course and the school also runs
a CAE course with a former FCE student in it, then they could help you. Ask one of the
students to come to speak to your class about how they achieved the score they did, how
much work they had to do and what priorities they set. They can then take questions from
the class. Students often respond better to the experiences of other students than they do
to advice from a teacher.
8. Highlight the importance of attendance

Students often have many other pressures on them or may not be fully committed to a
class so that they end up missing some lessons. There are those who will still pass the
exam despite this, but others do not fully realise the importance of attending classes. In
some contexts there can be a direct correlation between attendance and scores. When
you teach a class, record their absence rates and their final score. If you find a correlation,
display this in the form of a graph at the start of a course. This can help to highlight the
fact that their attendance is needed to achieve their aim.
9. Over-enthusiastic students
Some students will be incredibly enthusiastic and want to constantly give you work to mark
and check. They may also try to get a lot of individual attention both inside and outside
the class. While their commitment is laudable, it is important that they realise you have
limited amounts of time. If all your students in all your classes took the same approach,
you would not be able to cope. At the start of the course, think about how many hours
you have outside classroom time for looking at students’ work. Then work out how many
essays, reading test answers, etc. you can look at in this time. Tell students how much
work you are able to look at each week so that they are aware of the maximum amount of
feedback you can provide.
10. Focus your feedback

If you try to comment on every issue you come across in a student’s work, especially in
writing and speaking, the amount of feedback can be overwhelming for them. Based on
the criteria for the exam you are teaching, choose a maximum of three areas to focus your
feedback on each time. These can be different for each student. Explain to the students
that you have not corrected everything, but only the things they should prioritise. This can
help to manage their expectations of your feedback and also allows them to focus their
efforts on improving key areas. It’s important that students realise they cannot improve
everything at once.
Unit 8
“In our context, it can happen that

school-aged students who are
taking other exams also want to
take an additional English exam
in the same year. However, we
strongly advise against doing this
as most students really don’t have
a realistic amount of time to juggle
their exam preparations. Make
sure the student is aware of the
workload before he or she signs up
for your exam-preparation course.”
Glenn Standish, Director of Studies, IH Toruń
10 questions about the exam that students
should be able to answer before the exam
Part of a student’s exam preparation is to memorise the key points about an exam
before they walk into the exam room. Here is a checklist of 10 key questions to answer.
You can also find a photocopiable version of these questions on page 159 of the
Appendix which you could give to your students in class as a way to check that they
know the key information.
1. Is the exam paper-based or computer-based?

Increasingly, exams are being taken on computers and this will affect the students. If they
have been working in the classroom using pen and paper, they will need to be aware
that they will suddenly have to switch to a keyboard (or vice versa). Ideally, in the last few
weeks, you will provide exam preparation which reflects the actual format.
2. How long is the exam?

Students need to know not only the length of the whole exam but also how much time is
allocated to separate papers. They will also need to know how long (approximately) they
should spend on each part of the exam so they don’t run out of time on any questions or
spend too long on one part with fewer marks than another part that offers more marks.
3. How many papers are there?

Students needs to know how the entire exam is divided up; for example: are there
Unit 9
separate papers for reading, writing, speaking and listening or are some combined and
taken at the same time?
4. How many parts are there in each paper?

Most exam papers are divided into parts; a listening paper is likely to have different parts
for each recording that is played.
5. What is the format of each part?

Before taking an exam, students should be able to tell you how many parts there are on a
paper and also what the format will be. If it’s a reading paper, they ought to know which
part is a longer text with multiple-choice questions and which part is a series of short texts
with some kind of matching activity. In the case of a listening paper, students should know
how many times they will hear a recording and plan accordingly.
6. How many questions are there in each part?

In papers such as those assessing reading and listening, each part will have a number of
questions; students should know how many there are in each.
7. How many marks are there for each question or part?

Knowing the maximum number of marks that can be awarded for each question allows
students to plan how much time and effort is needed for each part or question in an exam.
For some exams this is easy; if you have an exam based around grammar with 100 questions
and one mark per question, it’s fairly obvious. However, for a writing exam, where it’s easy for
a student to lose track of time and spend too much time on one question and not enough
time on the next, they need to think about the maximum number of marks that can be
awarded for each question and only spend a certain amount of time on each.
8. Where do I write the answers?
If students are taking the exam on a computer, it will probably be obvious where to click or
type. But if they are taking a paper-based exam, they need to know if they should write on
the question sheet or if they should be writing on a separate answer sheet. If they need to
write on the question sheet and then transfer answers onto another sheet, make sure they
are familiar with the format of the answer sheet. (There are cases in exams where students
have thought they answered everything but in fact they hadn’t transferred the answers
onto the answer sheet, so scored no marks.)
9. When and where is each exam?

The date and time for each part of an exam will vary. Some parts of an exam, such as a
reading paper, will be taken by everyone at the same time around the world. Also, make
sure students are aware that although an exam might start at 9.30am, candidates will
probably be required in the exam room 20 or 30 minutes before it starts. Other exams,
such as a speaking exam, will take place over a few days with everyone having different
time slots, so students need to double-check the time they should arrive.
10. What are the rules on the day of the exam?

Students need to be prepared for the day of the exam and make a list of what they need
to bring and what they are allowed and not allowed to do. For example, do they need to
Unit 9
bring their own pen and pencil? Will they have to leave their bags and coats outside the
exam room? If the speaking exam is done in pairs, will they be able to do it with a friend or
will it be with someone they don’t know? Do they need to take some form of identity with
them? All these questions will be answered in the literature from the exam centre. Make
sure students have read it, understand it and know it.
“Ask students to imagine they

have been presented with a
test they don’t have enough
information about. In groups, they
brainstorm questions to ask the
teacher. Introduce an element of
competition by offering a small
reward to the group which comes
up with the most questions.”
Anthony Manning, author and teacher
10 study skills to teach your exam students
It is a good idea to encourage good study habits in students outside class. Under
pressure, students can easily be tempted by distractions or procrastinate on a task.
Some can even spend more time creating a study plan than actually studying.
1. Limit distractions
Too often, students have to cope with endless distractions, for example, the internet, their
phone or friends and family. Encourage students to keep a log of the things they do while
studying. For students who are too distracted by their phone, you could encourage them
to install an app such as Offtime. This allows them to (selectively) block texts and calls,
and limits the use of the type of apps that send notifications. Using such an app can make
students more focused.
2. Use flashcards
Flashcards are a great way for students to test themselves on the meaning of words.
However, it’s important that they try to move beyond using them to learn the definitions
of words only. Tell students that each time they test themselves on a meaning, they
should add another piece of information to the card. For example, they might add the
pronunciation, example sentences, other forms of the word, collocations, translation,
etc. This will make the cards more interactive and help to improve active knowledge as
well as passive knowledge. For students who prefer to work on-screen, there are apps for
Unit 10
producing study cards, for example, Quizlet, Cram and StudyBlue.
3. Do past papers, but with specific aims

Past papers are an effective way for students to familiarise themselves with the exam
format. Most major exam boards have free past papers on their websites. There are also
past-paper books available. One way of using past papers effectively is to focus students’
attention on a particular skill. Each time you teach a new skill, such as a reading or
listening skill, ask students to apply it to their test practice. Give students a specific time to
aim for, or a specific number of questions to complete successfully. Students often struggle
on the day with their time management, so encouraging good practice while studying can
help their performance on the day.
4. Explain your answers to others

Once students have completed a past paper, they can work with a partner and explain
their answers to each other. This process helps students to analyse why they have chosen
particular answers. This can either be set as a regular activity after completing a past paper
in class or it can also be done outside class, with students working in study groups.
5. Take regular breaks

Many students often set overly ambitious self-study timetables. For example, they might
allocate four hours one evening to practising the writing paper of an exam. This can
actually be counterproductive; their performance is likely to get worse as time progresses.
Taking regular breaks can help students to refocus and enhance performance. This can be
especially true if the student is trying to commit something, such as a set of vocabulary,
to memory. Long-term retention of knowledge tends to improve with regular breaks. Ask
students to show you their study timetables and then discuss or suggest points where they
may want to take more breaks.
6. Practise different techniques
There are lots of different techniques students will learn in class, from each other or online.
There is no particular best method for all students. For example, when it comes to reading
papers, some students prefer to read the text and then the questions, whereas others
prefer to read the questions and then the text. Neither one can claim to be more effective
than the other for all students, so it is important that they regularly try both strategies to
find out what works for them. Similarly, there are lots of different ways to brainstorm ideas
for an essay. Students should try a variety of different methods (see Unit 15 for ideas) to
see which ones are most effective for themselves.
7. Use time circles

Use the time circles on page 160 of the Appendix to help students be realistic about how
they manage their time. Students shade each area to represent how long they currently
spend on each activity. They then discuss with a partner which activities take up too much
time and which do not receive enough time. They then shade the second circle showing
how they plan to spend their time.
8. Increase writing speed

Students often find timed writing challenging because they do not generally spend
Unit 10
much time actually writing with a pen. Any sustained writing is usually done on a
computer now, but some exam formats still expect students to write by hand. Practising
writing speedily by hand can help students in an exam. Ask students to spend 10
minutes every day writing quickly by hand. The topics can be simple, and anything the
student chooses. Each time students write, they should try to increase the number of
words they produce.
9. Chunking
Students often learn words individually, but it is generally more efficient to learn them
in chunks, i.e. as collocations or fixed phrases that students can use in writing. There
are plenty of resources available to help students learn the most common phrases and
collocations found in academic texts. One such list is the Pearson Academic Collocation
List, which is available for free at: https://pearsonpte.com/organizations/researchers/
academic-collocation-list/. These collocations are not specific to any one academic
discipline but are found in all disciplines.
10. Encourage reflection

When students have done a practice test, they often focus only on the score they
achieved, without reflecting on how they got that score. Most students receive feedback
from teachers, but this is often limited due to time constraints. For this reason, students
need to practise reflecting on their own work. For example, ask them to record their own
answers to the speaking section of the test. When they listen back, students should ask
themselves questions such as: Did I make any grammatical errors? Did I use the time
effectively? Did I organise my ideas clearly? Did I speak too quickly or slowly? Did I pause
too often? A few days later students should record their answers again, trying to improve
on any weaknesses they noticed.
10 mistakes that candidates often
make that can be easily avoided
Candidates often lose marks by making simple mistakes that can easily be avoided.
Many of these oversights are connected to understanding the task or rubric. Others
are related to specific exams or sections of exams. Making students aware of these and
practising completing them correctly can help to increase a student’s score.
1. Number of words
Many gapfill tasks will contain an instruction in the rubric such as: ‘Write NO MORE THAN
TWO WORDS OR A NUMBER in each gap’. Students frequently drop marks because they
do not pay attention to this and they write too many words. Even if two of the words they
have written are the correct ones, they can drop marks if, for example, they have written four
words in the gap. They need to select the two that are necessary to complete the answer.
2. Word formation
In gapfill tasks, the grammatical form of the missing word is usually specified. For example,
the gap might require an adjective plus a noun, a singular noun or a noun plus a noun. If
a student selects a verb from the text to complete a gap that requires a noun, then they
have chosen the wrong answer. Students should always check the grammatical sense of
the full sentence once the gap has been completed.
3. Transferring answers
Unit 11
Some tests require students to transfer answers to another sheet. This can cause them
to lose marks in a number of ways. First, they may not realise they need to do this and
leave their answers on the question sheet. Second, they may not realise how long this
task can take. As a result, they spend time checking their answers on the answer sheet
and do not leave enough time to transfer the answers. Finally, they might transfer answers
inaccurately, for example, they might have the correct answer on the question sheet, but
because they have missed one answer on the question sheet, they might write this answer
in the wrong gap on the answer sheet. For example, they might put the answer to number
5 in the gap for number 4.
4. Misunderstanding the task

Sometimes students misunderstand or misread the task they are given. For example,
an essay question may want them to focus on cause and effect but the student writes
an essay that looks at the topic from a problem/solution perspective. Students need to
carefully read all parts of the question to make sure they cover everything and from the
angle specified.
5. Not understanding the marking criteria

Many students tend to pay too much attention to grammatical accuracy in speaking and
writing. While accuracy is important, it is only one of four or five categories on which the
student will be graded. In speaking tests, some candidates will self-correct a lot and focus
on producing accurate sentences. However, this tends to limit the range of sentences
they use and thus end up limiting even their grammatical performance. It can also have a
negative effect on other areas such as their fluency. Make sure students are aware of the
exam criteria and that they focus on all elements rather than just one.
6. Over-interpretation of a visual
Many writing tasks contain a visual such as a graph that requires students to describe
and compare data. They often do not require students to interpret the data. In fact, in
some exams you can be marked down for doing this. If interpretation is allowed, then it
usually requires students to do so with caution and to demonstrate this hesitancy using
cautious language such as modal verbs. Students should largely be encouraged to confine
themselves to describing and comparing.
7. Poor structure
Too often in writing exams, students read the questions and simply start writing. What then
appears on the page is a stream of consciousness. This means students end up writing
essays that have no clear line of argument and paragraphs that do not have a single focus.
Sometimes students fail to include any paragraphs at all. Organisation in many written
exams counts for around 20 to 25% of the mark. Spending a few minutes planning and
brainstorming can help enormously to improve this area. See Units 13 and 15 for ideas on
how to work on this.
8. Poor time management

This tends to be one of the biggest issues in reading and writing papers. There are
Unit 11
tips for improving writing and reading speed in units 10 and 30. However, one of the
most basic things that can help students to deal with this issue is simply disciplining
themselves with their time use. If the reading test has three texts of equal importance
and the test is an hour long, students need to set themselves a strict limit of 20 minutes
per text. If they run over by just two or three minutes on the first two texts, then they
have lost 25% of their time available on the last paper. Note also that they should learn
to allocate time based on the relative weight of a section. For example, if the writing test
is one hour long, has two sections and the first section is worth 30% of the marks, they
should limit themselves to 15 to 20 minutes for that first section. Practising the test with
strict timings in class can reinforce this.
9. Not looking forward in the listening test

The listening section can be challenging because students are expected to listen, read and
write at the same time. At the start of most listening tests, students are given a couple of
minutes to read the questions; it is important that they do this, and that they think about
the order information comes in. Too often, students are listening for an answer and before
they know it, the audio is actually four questions further ahead. In listening tests, remind
students to constantly look at the questions coming up so that they know when to move
on to the next question.
10. Short simplistic answers

This can be a problem in the writing section of an exam but is more often the case in
speaking. Rather than seeing the interview as an opportunity to showcase their ability
in the language, students often revert to short, one- or two-word, answers. This does
not give the marker much to judge the student by. Students should frequently practise
extending their answers. For example, many exams have a few short personal questions
at the start, such as, ‘What was your favourite subject at school?’ or ‘What do you like
most about your home town?’ Inappropriately short answers might be ‘Maths’ and
‘The shopping mall’. In order to help students to practise extending these answers, put
students in pairs and give them a set of questions to ask and answer. Students should
time their partner’s response. The person speaking should aim for two- or three-sentence
answers that last about 20 seconds each. Here are some example questions:
Where is your home town?

Do you like your home town?
What do you study?
Why did you choose that subject?
What did you enjoy doing as a child?
Is fashion important to you?
What kind of clothes do you like to wear?
What is your daily routine?
What do you do in the evenings?
Unit 11
“Firstly, I encourage my students
to think about time management
while taking exams. Students should
glance through the exam paper
thoroughly to see how much time
they can devote to each question.
Secondly, students should read the
exam questions correctly, focusing
on key words and phrases and try to
build connections with the course
content. Finally, students should start
the exam confidently and focus their
attention on what they know rather
than what they do not know.”
Magda Dygała, teacher and trainer, Poland
10 classroom activities for checking
exam knowledge and strategies
Most of the following activities are typical of the activities that teachers use in their
general English classrooms. The difference is that these ones are all adapted to raise
awareness of what the exam requires, or they check that students remember the key
information about the exam.
1. Treasure hunt quiz

Write a set of questions (on the board or on a handout) about the exam that encourage
students to look for the correct answers. Either they could look online at the exam
information pages or you could provide them with an exam booklet from the exam board.
Typically, questions would look like this:
XX How long does the reading exam last?
XX How many questions are there in the listening exam?
XX How many words can you write in your answers to part 2?
2. Numbers quiz
A lot of information about examinations includes numbers relating to the number of parts
or the number of questions, the length of different parts of the exam, the number of marks
you can receive for each part or question, and so on. The following activity needs very little
preparation but provides a quick warmer or filler in any exam lesson. Pick out some numbers
Unit 12
from different parts of the exam and write them on the board. For example: 4 (= the number
of parts) 75 (= the number of minutes for the reading exam), 25 (= the number of marks on
the language paper), and so on. Students work in small teams of three or four and try to
guess what each number refers to. The team with the most correct answers is the winner.
3. True/false comprehension questions

Take part of a text about the exam and turn it into a reading comprehension exercise. For
example, if you were working from the text below, you could write the questions in a true/
false format:
1. The reading exam has four different parts. T/F
2. Each part has equal marks. T/F
3. You should write all your final answers on the question page. T/F
The reading exam lasts 75 minutes and consists of four parts. There are a maximum of
15 marks per part and the final mark is out of 60 marks in total. At the end of the exam,
candidates must write their answers onto a separate answer sheet.
4. Information gap
The following activity also requires a piece of text about the exam, which you turn into an
information gap activity. It takes some time to prepare but it checks students’ understanding
of the exam in the form of speaking practice. Cut and paste the text and make two different
copies by creating a Student A version and a Student B version, like this:
Student A
The reading exam lasts (1)________ minutes and consists of four parts. There are a
maximum of 15 marks per part and the final mark is out of (3)_________ marks in total. At
the end of the exam, candidates must write their answers onto a separate answer sheet.
Student B
The reading exam lasts 75 minutes and consists of four parts. There are a maximum of
(2)_______ marks per part and the final mark is out of 60 marks in total. At the end of the
exam, candidates must write their answers onto (4)________________.
Students look at their text and prepare questions to ask in order to get the missing
information and write it in. For example:
Student A: How long does the reading exam last?
Student B: Seventy-five minutes.
5. Find the mistake

Still using the idea of editing an exam-related text, add 10 mistakes into the text and tell
students to find them. This is a good reading exercise and best given to students just
before the exam to check that they are completely familiar with the exam format. So, the
example exam text could be changed to read:
Unit 12
The listening exam last 75 minutes and consists of four questions. There are a maximum of
50 marks per part and the final mark is out of 100 marks in total. At the end of the exam,
candidates must write their answers onto an attached answer sheet.
6. Dictation
Dictation is great all-round language practice as it involves listening, reading and writing
(and speaking if students take turns to read the text out). Read aloud the information
about an exam while students try to write it out. Then give them a copy of the information
so they can check their answers.
7. Which one is false?

As a quick lead-in to an exam knowledge lesson, ask students to individually write three
sentences about the exam you are focusing on in the lesson that day; for example, the
listening exam. Students write two sentences they know are true about the exam and one
sentence that is false. Then they read the sentences to their partner who has to try and
decide which fact is incorrect. For example:
Student A: In the listening exam, you hear the recording once. You write your answers on a
separate answer sheet and you have time to read the question before you listen.
Student B: The first one is false. You hear the listening twice.
8. Rules and anti-rules

If you have spent the lesson working on one part of the exam in particular, the final task
can be to put students in groups and ask them to write five useful rules for anyone taking
the exam, such as ‘You should bring a spare pen’ or ‘You are not allowed to speak to
anyone else’. A fun alternative is for students to write ‘anti-rules’, giving very bad advice.
For example: ‘Don’t bother to bring in a spare pen’ or ‘You can chat to the person next to
you if you need help’. Having students write the complete opposite of the real rules allows
them to be imaginative, but it also ensures they are aware of all the key rules of taking
the exam. Alternatively, the students could create colourful posters to teach future exam
students about the rules of different parts of the exams.
9. Exam jargon
As students come across jargon and terminology relating to the exam, write it down on
separate pieces of paper and keep them in an envelope. The terms could be words like
invigilator, open cloze, gap, multiple matching, tick, register, key word transformations,
delete, items (see Unit 4 for more). When you have more than 10 new terms, start a lesson
off by asking students to get into pairs. One student picks a piece of paper out of the
envelope and has to define the term without using the word itself. Their partner has to
guess it. They can then draw another piece of paper. If you spend a few minutes on this
activity from time to time (as a filler), the students will eventually become confident with
the terms and not be daunted when they come across them in the actual exam.
10. A future interview

The idea of a future interview based on a creative thinking idea from a book by Jurgen Wolff
(Wolff J (2009) Creativity Pearson, p. 58-9); it can be usefully adapted for exam classes.
Unit 12
The basic idea is that students think about how they will achieve their future goal of
passing the exam. Write these five questions on the board:
XX What’s the best thing about having passed your exam?
XX What was your biggest motivation?
XX Think of one obstacle. How did you overcome it?
XX Which people helped you pass the exam? How?
XX What advice would you give someone else who is going to take the exam?
Put students in pairs and tell them to imagine that it is the future and they have just passed
their exam. They take turns to interview each other with these five questions. The process
makes students think about what they will need to do in order to pass the exam. Note
that you can also set this as a writing activity for homework, with students writing their
responses to the questions and reporting back to the whole class: it’s useful for students
to share their ideas and future advice. (See page 161 of the Appendix for a photocopiable
page with these questions.)
10 Strategies and activities for
preparing young learners for exams
It’s common in many schools for younger learners to be assessed in some way through
testing and exams. Cambridge exams offer a suite of three exams (see Unit 3, tip 5), so it’s
an area that teachers should be prepared for. A common concern is that a young learner
might get overwhelmed on the day of an exam. To reduce their stress, it is important to
make exam preparation a regular part of the teaching and learning process, and to start
preparing young learners for the final exam right from day one. These strategies and
activities will help you to get your young learners ready for the big day.
1. Teach and make exam techniques transparent

Invest time in making children ‘test wise’ as you teach them the target vocabulary and
grammar for the exam. Share and discuss the learning objectives of each lesson and help
the children see how these are tested in the exam. Discuss exam-type questions with
the children to make sure that they understand what the exam will be like and how to
successfully complete each different exercise type. Remember to exemplify a new task or
exercise for the children and to only get them to try it themselves after they have clearly
understood what needs to be done and how they need to go about doing it. After the
children have had a go, always stop to give them immediate concrete feedback on their
performance so that they know what to change next time they have another go. Help the
children get into exam mode naturally and effortlessly by decorating the class with visual
and colourful posters of the kind of language they should use in the exam.
Unit 13
2. Focus on interpreting instructions and understanding rubrics
Always bear in mind that children don’t come equipped with a teacher’s brain, which
means that when they look at an exam, they don’t impulsively know what to do or how
long to spend on each exercise. As a follow-up to making the children ‘test wise’, dedicate
the first five minutes of every practice test to reading through the entire test with them.
At this stage, the children aren’t allowed to write anything on the exam paper, they should
simply focus on the number of questions, the question types and the length of the test.
Gradually withdraw this support so that the children learn to do this on their own to
manage the time that they have during the test.
3. Practise skills in context

Intense exam preparation is extremely tedious for children, who are naturally drawn to play
learning and who shy away from boring and repetitive tasks. Young learners will switch
off after only a few minutes of exam drill exercises. To lessen the need for intense exam
preparation immediately prior to the exam, try practising an exam skill in context in every
lesson. Points 6–10 will give you a few ideas to help you bring in various child-friendly
activities that prepare them for the exam naturally and effortlessly.
4. Make short demonstration videos

Many children have trouble doing the speaking part of an exam because having to interact
with another child in front of two adults can be stressful, as can having limited language
skills and not knowing what to say in the exam. Build up the children’s confidence by
videoing children their own age and from their own cultural background demonstrating
the speaking tasks to them. These videos will have a dual effect: first, they will immediately
show children what to do and, second, they will demonstrate that children just like them
can easily do the task with just a little practice. Once the children have watched the
videos, dedicate a few minutes to talking about them. Ask questions like:
What did the children in the video do?
How did they complete the task successfully?
What words and sentences did they use?
As a follow-up, involve parents by giving them the speaking prompts and language
functions in the video so that they can practise at home with their children. To train writing
skills, give parents writing checklists that they can look at with their children to see whether
their work meets exam requirements.
5. Use materials that are like the exam materials

Reduce exam anxiety by teaching with similar materials to those the children will find
in the exam. This will help increase the children’s self-confidence and improve their
exam performance by guaranteeing that they aren’t caught off their guard in the exam.
Remember to make learning visible when using these materials. Help children by
promoting ‘think-aloud’ moments to raise awareness of the thinking process and the
learning strategies that the children should use when doing each exercise.
6. Record children’s progress

Unit 13
Boost the children’s motivation throughout the exam preparation process prior to the
exam by helping them see the progress they are making. Make an individual exam
passport with a few visa pages for each skill. Then, as the children successfully complete
the exam tasks you set them in class, stamp the progress the children have made and
encourage them to share it with their families by showing them all the skills they have
mastered for the exam.
7. Spice up exam practice work

Preparing children for exams implies doing a lot of boring drill work and tedious exam-
like exercises. These can be very boring for children, who love fun and games and don’t
like to sit still for longer than 10 minutes. Divide the children into groups and make
exam preparation tasks into a group competition. This will stimulate children’s natural
competitiveness and encourage them to work hard while having fun. Remember to add a
time factor to each task to make the competition even more challenging.
8. Organise a spelling bee

Many exams require children to be able to spell correctly. Some children have difficulty
mastering literacy skills and continually confuse certain letters, particularly when their
L1 doesn’t follow the Latin alphabet. Work on this exam skill whenever you teach new
vocabulary. Make sure that one of the practice exercises is always a spelling exercise. Hand
out weekly spelling lists and hold a spelling bee championship at the end of every week to
encourage children to become English spelling champions. Record the name of the winner
on an achievement poster and give the overall spelling champion of each term a small
prize to make them feel special and to keep motivation levels high.
Unit 13
9. Transform children into your personal examiners
Use the images in the coursebook that you are using to help the children prepare for
the exam. Ask them to look at an image carefully for a few seconds and then close their
books. Next, ask them to tell each other what they can remember about the image. Then
get them to open their books and check that they haven’t forgotten any details. Vary
the activity by getting one of the children to add a few false details to their description.
Challenge the other child to become an image detective and to make a beep sound
every time they spot one. Once each pair has completed the task, get them to invent T/F
questions about the image for another pair to train their interpretation skills for the exam.
10. Play vocabulary games

Whenever you have a few minutes to spare in class, play a game with the words on the
Cambridge vocabulary list of the exam level the children are preparing for. A fun game is
‘Broken Telephone’: get the children to stand in a line and whisper one of the words on
the list down the line to the next child. After hearing the word, the last child runs up to
the wall and touches the word/flash card corresponding to the target word they heard.
Another option is to play a fly swatter game in which you say words out loud and the
children hit the corresponding word/flash card on the wall with a fly swatter. Divide the
class in two and choose a representative from each team to make the activity even more
Unit 13
fun and challenging for everyone. Involve the whole class by getting the children to shout
out the words the swatters should hit.
You’ll also find more tips on ways of evaluating and testing young learners in ETpedia Young
Learners, Unit 47.
Preparing students
for writing exams
Students’ written work is assessed through a variety of different text types, for example, an
essay, a report, a book review or an email. The text types that are used depend on the context
students are studying in, but whatever the text types are, most writing exams are assessed in a
similar way. Often, students will have to produce two pieces of work: one major piece and one
minor. Typically, they will be judged on structure, grammar, vocabulary and task completion
(i.e. whether they have fully answered the question), with some exams also looking at register.
While in some ways you may approach each text type differently, there are still plenty of skills
that are common to all genres, no matter what the exam.
Process writing is the method by which students learn to follow methodical steps in their
writing. These include analysing the question, brainstorming ideas, planning and organising
the content and proofreading their own work. This section provides ideas for developing
these skills. After focusing on a wide range of genres, we finish by looking at ways of grading
students’ work and providing feedback.
10 types of text that students
have to write in exams
Whichever written exam you are preparing students for, there are certain text types that
they will need to master. Many exams include a shorter and a longer piece of assessed
work, with the former carrying fewer marks. Ensuring that you make use of a variety of
different text types means that you can prepare students for any writing exercise that
they may come across in the writing section of their exam.
1. Essays
This type of writing task is one of the most common across a number of different exams.
Although word counts vary, exams typically ask for the question to be answered in 200
to 300 words. The essay question might assess the candidate’s ability to express cause/
effect, problem/solution, arguments for or against, etc. or it might require them to write a
discursive piece in response to a short reading text.
2. Articles
Some exams ask candidates to write an article on a particular topic. Candidates will also
usually be given other information to think about, such as who the audience is or what
type of publication the article is for. In this situation, candidates should consider the style
of writing as well.
3. Reports
Unit 14
In tests that require students to write a report, the candidate will usually be given a context
to report back on. The prompts given will naturally elicit certain structures from a student. For
example, the last section of a report often requires students to make future recommendations.
4. Letters
In a similar way to reports and articles, students will usually be given a short scenario to
give a context to their letter. The instructions will also usually indicate the level of formality
the student needs to write in. In general, most letter tasks tend to be more formal,
especially in exams that require longer letters. More informal correspondence-based
writing usually requires students to produce an email.
5. Memos and emails

In many exams that require students to write a memo or an email, this is the shorter of two
writing tasks. It usually requires students to write a short email or memo communicating
basic factual information from prompts given. As with letters, the level of formality will
usually be indicated in the instructions.
6. Book reviews
Some exams give students the option to write a book review. In exams where this is the case,
such as CPE, students are given a reading list of books in advance. These constantly change,
and in the case of CPE, the relevant texts for any time period can be found on their website.
Students must read the text before the exam to be able to complete the task on the day.
7. Graphs
Some tests, such as IELTS, contain a shorter and a longer writing task. Often, the first
task is based on a graph, a map, a diagram, a table or a flowchart. Describing graphs
can largely be divided into two main task types: one involves comparing two sets of data,
for example, the situation at two fixed points in time. The information for this task type is
usually shown in a table, a pie chart or a bar graph. The other requires students to describe
trends. The information that this task type is based on is most commonly shown in a line
graph, but also sometimes in a bar graph.
8. Maps
Much like tasks that require students to describe graphs, this task frequently elicits
comparisons. In this case, though, students will be given two maps from different points in
time. The map could represent an area of a town, a park or an office, for example, where
some changes or developments have taken place. Students will need to be able to talk about
how things have changed by referring to the maps. They will also need to be able to describe
the location of items on a map. You can use the maps on page 168 of the Appendix.
9. Processes and flowcharts

Here, students are given an image that highlights the stages in a process, such as making
cheese. Typically, this type of task elicits a lot of passive structures and phrases to indicate
stages that are gone through and the order in which they are done.
Unit 14
Olive oil process
picking washing mashing
stones olive
removed paste
bottled oil oil extraction
10. Proposals
In some exams, such as BEC, students are given information about a situation. This might
be written communication such as an email, a letter or an advert; alternatively, it could
be visual, in the form of a graph or chart. Using this information, and the prompts given,
students have to write a proposal to a given person. Typically, this involves using the
language of describing, summarising, persuading and recommending.
10 ways to generate ideas and plan writing
One of the biggest challenges for many students in exam writing is simply generating
ideas. Often, they can be asked to discuss a topic to which they have rarely given any
consideration, so it’s important to provide them with plenty of opportunities to discuss
and generate a wide variety of ideas.
1. The media
Most essay questions are written to be as widely accessible to students as possible.
However, a common complaint from students is ‘I don’t know anything about the topic’.
Encouraging students to become more engaged in topical issues via newspapers,
magazines and the TV can make them feel more confident discussing issues that wouldn’t
normally be familiar. This can also include reading the news in their L1 so they are familiar
with topical issues.
2. Infographics
Infographics contain lots of small pieces of information on a topic. Many are available on
websites such as Pinterest. Other websites, such as infogram.com and piktochart.com,
allow you to write your own. These can be a great way of generating ideas for students to
use in their essays. For example, take the following essay question:
Many people find it difficult to balance their responsibilities at home and at work. What are
the reasons for this? How can people balance their responsibilities?
Unit 15
A quick way to give students lots of ideas for this essay question would be to put
information into an infographic. For example, you might provide information about
the number of women working, the number of children in childcare or the number of
children looked after by their fathers. Students can then discuss the essay question using
this information. Questions for discussion might be: why do both parents work in many
families? What might be the effects of higher childcare costs?
3. Free speaking and group discussion

Free speaking can be a great way to generate ideas. Many exams contain speaking
questions that elicit for/against opinions or ask for the student’s standpoint. So, discussing
essay questions may also be of benefit to the speaking section of the test. Ask students to
work in groups of three or four. Give each group member a different essay question. One
student reads their essay question to the group. Without preparation, this student then
speaks for two minutes on the essay question. Once they have finished, the group discusses
the student’s ideas. Other students should suggest additional ideas that the person might
want to include. The group then repeats this procedure for each essay question. This kind of
spontaneous speaking and thinking task can really help students to develop ideas.
4. Process writing
Process writing is an approach to writing that breaks the overall task down into smaller
stages. In an exam, it is good to encourage students to break an essay down into the
following stages: task analysis, brainstorming, writing a thesis statement, organising ideas,
writing topic sentences, developing paragraphs and proofreading. The first five of these
should be done in the first few minutes of an exam. When you set students an essay task,
give them five minutes to first analyse the question, then brainstorm and organise their
ideas and finally to write a thesis statement and two to three topic sentences. At the end
of a writing task, ask students to stop three or four minutes early to proofread their own
work. Students often need lots of encouragement to get into this habit.
5. Task analysis
When answering essay questions, students should analyse the different parts of the
question so that they know how to approach it. Many essay questions in exams can be
broken down into (1) the topic, (2) the issue and (3) the instruction. For example:
1. People are increasingly using the internet to socialise.
2. Some people think this has made people closer, while others think people are
more isolated.
3. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Encourage students to analyse questions using this method so that they have a better
understanding of the task. In exams that award marks for task response, such as IELTS,
doing this may help achieve a better mark in this section.
6. Brainstorming
Students often lose marks for poor structure because they do not spend enough time
at the start of an exam developing and organising their ideas. As a result, the ideas can
read like a stream of consciousness. Encourage students to dedicate a few minutes at the
Unit 15
start of an exam to brainstorming their ideas on a topic. Developing different styles of
diagram can also help; for example, for/against questions fit well into a table, cause/effect
questions fit well with connecting arrows, and explaining various aspects of a topic fits well
into a spider diagram.
pollution renewable
fines energy
reducing
climate
change
international taxation
agreements
7. Thesis statements
Any essay that requires students to give their opinion should have one clear sentence in
the introduction that shows their opinion. In an exam practice class, after students have
brainstormed a question, ask them to summarise their opinion in one sentence. You do not
need to call it a thesis statement at this stage. Next ask students to work in small groups to
explain how their ideas in the brainstorm relate to their main opinion. If a student cannot
clearly relate an idea from their brainstorm to their thesis, then they should leave it out.
This type of task helps students focus on the most relevant ideas in their brainstorm.
8. Developing examples
Many pieces of writing need to be developed with examples to support the main point.
Students only need to select one or two for each paragraph, but initially developing a
range can help them to then choose the ones that best support their own position. Make
one copy of the topic cards on page 162 of the Appendix for every four students. Cut
up the cards and give one set to each group of four students. Ask students to place the
topics face down in a pile. One student should take a card, read the statement and give
an example that supports the argument. For instance, if the topic is, ‘There are many
advantages to shopping online’, one example might be ‘It’s more convenient’. Another
student should then try to give another example. When a student cannot think of an
Unit 15
example, he or she is out of the game. The last person remaining each time wins the card.
The winner of the game is the person with the most cards.
9. Developing reasons
This activity works in exactly the same way as the ‘Developing examples’ activity described
above. However, instead of thinking of examples, students need to think of reasons. For
example, if the topic on the card is, ‘Government money spent on art is a waste’, one
reason might be, ‘There are more important things, such as health and education, which
are underfunded’. For this activity use the cards on page 163 of the Appendix and set it up
using the instructions above.
10. Developing paragraphs

From the topic sentence, students need to add further ideas to develop a paragraph.
These typically include elements such as examples, an explanation or a result. To practise
this, prepare a range of topic sentences, such as:
Studying abroad has many advantages.
Job satisfaction comes from a range of sources.
There are a number of problems caused by the growth of cities.
Write one topic sentence on the board. Students work in groups of three or four. Ask
students to think of as many examples as possible in one minute. When the minute is up,
ask how many ideas each group has. Elicit the ideas from the group with the most. Repeat
this process again for the other topic sentences you have prepared.
10 ideas for teaching opinion-based essays
Opinion-based essays are common in a wide range of exams. They include discussion
essays and ‘for and against’ essays. Students often find it a challenge to discuss
unfamiliar topics and to bring in a range of perspectives to their discussion. Providing
lots of opportunity to discuss topical issues and helping students form opinions can help
with these types of essay questions.
1. Defending your position

Students often feel uncomfortable defending a position. This might be because they
lack confidence, or because they don’t have strong opinions or much knowledge about
a topic. Students may also feel uncomfortable for cultural reasons: some societies do
not encourage people to give strong opinions. A nice way to get students to become
involved with forming and expressing opinions is to make them ‘vote with their feet’ on
an issue. Give students an essay question that involves giving an opinion. Students then
move to one side of the room or the other to show whether they agree or disagree with
the opinion. Ask the two groups to work together to think of reasons why they chose their
position. Students can then try to defend their view and encourage other students to
move to the same side of the room as them.
2. Perspectives
One way of helping students generate ideas is to encourage them to think about a range
Unit 16
of perspectives. Instead of just analysing an essay question from their own standpoint,
you can ask them to think about how a doctor, a lawyer, a government minister, an
environmentalist, etc. might view the issue.
3. Group writing
Creating tasks where students write together can also help to bring in a wider range of
views. Give students a ‘for and against’ essay question. Ask each student to write their
own introduction. Students pass it to the person on their left and receive a new essay from
the person on their right. Each student then has to write the next paragraph of the essay
by building on the views of the original writer. They keep passing the essay on until it
comprises four or five paragraphs.
4. Why?
Students sometimes get into the habit of simply answering discussion questions as
briefly as possible. This has the effect of limiting their ability to analyse issues and their
self-expression. Try to encourage an evaluative atmosphere in your class. Don’t allow
students to answer a discussion question simply, in one sentence; constantly push them
with ‘why?’ questions. This can help to create an evaluative atmosphere. For example,
give students a range of topic sentences connected to an essay question. In groups,
students discuss reasons for, and examples of, the issue described. Here are some topic
sentences that you might use:
Large cities have many problems.
Pollution can also affect rural areas.
One of the main problems with city life is overcrowding.
5. Assessing opinions in essay questions
Many opinion-related essay questions include the phrase: ‘To what extent do you
agree?’ In this type of question, an opinion will be stated and students must evaluate it.
For example:
Many countries do not have enough money to provide free university education. Only
those with the highest marks from school should get free university education. To what
extent do you agree?
You can structure a student’s thinking by asking them to complete the following table in pairs:
Positive consequences
Negative consequences
Reasons why it’s fair
Reasons why it’s unfair

Unit 16
This type of table can be used with or adapted for most essay questions that have an
opinion clearly stated in them.
6. Discussing two views

Some essay questions include two views, and then ask students to discuss both of them.
For example:
Some people believe technology makes people less sociable. Others argue that it brings
people closer together. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
A table format here can also help students develop and organise their ideas. For example:
Technology makes people less sociable Technology brings people closer together
because … because …
This type of table can be adapted for most essays that include the instruction: ‘Discuss
both views and give your opinion.’
7. Hedging opinions
While students need to give clear opinions, they should also focus on hedging, that is, they
should not state their opinions too strongly, especially in questions that require them to look
at two different viewpoints. Hedging is usually done with modal verbs, adverbs and other
fixed phrases. In any lesson where you have already discussed students’ views on an essay
question you can then introduce this task to encourage them to use cautious language.
Photocopy and cut out one set of topic cards (on page 164 of the Appendix) for each group
of four students. Students place the cards face-down in a pile. Each student takes their turn
to take a card and use the word on the card to give an opinion on the essay question.
8. Presenting perspectives
Give students an essay topic that could include perspectives from many different people.
For example:
Governments should lower the amount of money spent on local environmental issues and
increase spending on problems such as global warming. To what extent do you agree?
First, elicit who might have a view on this issue, for example, foreign governments, local
politicians, businesses, local residents, environmentalists. Divide your class into groups
so that each group represents one of the perspectives. Give students a few minutes to
discuss whether they think their group would agree or not and why. Tell each group they
Unit 16
must give a brief 30-second presentation on their group’s opinion. Students should then
vote at the end as to which group had the strongest argument.
9. Structure
Many essay questions in an exam have a word count of around 250 words. This means
that in an opinion essay, students will be limited to about four paragraphs. In the
introduction, students must present their main opinion. In order for the essay to follow a
logical structure, the next paragraph should then follow with the opposing views. Prepare
a number of ‘opinion essay’ questions. Write or display them one at a time on the board.
For each one, ask students to write a single sentence giving their main opinion. Students
should then pass this to another student who must write a sentence contradicting the
main opinion. Students should then pass this back to the original writer, who should write
another sentence reiterating their main argument and why it is stronger. Complete this for
each essay question you have prepared. Give students the expressions for essay writing on
page 165 of the Appendix for phrases they can use to introduce arguments and counter-
arguments. This handout includes a variety of other phrases for structuring essays.
10. Opinion phrase cards

Recycling set phrases for students to use in their essays can help them to develop their
ideas. Use the set of ‘phrase’ cards on page 166 of the Appendix. Students work in
groups. Cut up the cards and give a set to each group. Ask the students to put them face-
down on the table. Write four essay questions onto the board. Students take a card from
the pile and use the phrase to give an opinion on one of the topics on the board.
10 ideas to develop paragraph
and sentence structure
Coherence and cohesion are two important areas that are often assessed in students’
writing. Typically, this will be judged on the piece of writing as a whole and then on a
paragraph and sentence level. The following ideas help to develop a student’s ability to
organise their paragraphs and structure their sentences.
1. Cut-up paragraphs
To help students understand the organisation and development of a paragraph you
can cut up paragraphs into individual sentences and ask students to put them into the
correct order. This helps students to find the main idea and to then think about how the
other sentences support this and build on it. Find or write a paragraph of around five
to six sentences. Make sure it demonstrates key features such as a topic sentence and
referencing (using pronouns to refer to a later or earlier word in the same text). Give out
one paragraph per pair and ask students to put the sentences into the correct order.
2. Writing topic sentences

After initially brainstorming their ideas, students try to group their points together into
coherent paragraphs. They should then try to summarise each paragraph in one sentence –
the topic sentence. Display a brainstorm to an essay question on the board such as this one:
Unit 17
Too expensive
May reduce
to develop
congestion
public transport
Banning
for petrol against
cars
Reduces Negative impact

pollution on companies
Ask students to write a topic sentence for each paragraph. The ideas in the brainstorm will
be the examples in the paragraph so, depending on the level or exam, they should produce
a simple sentence such as: ‘There are a number of advantages to banning petrol cars’.
3. Extra sentences
Take a well-written and well-structured paragraph and add another sentence on a theme
that is vaguely related but clearly off-topic. You can do this to more than one paragraph.
Give copies of your paragraphs to each student. Ask them to cross out the off-topic
sentences. Check the answers as a class.
4. Organising ideas into paragraphs
Once students have brainstormed the essay title and formed their main opinion, they
should next focus on organising their ideas into clear paragraphs. Ask students to look at
their brainstorm and to use different symbols to highlight connected ideas. For example,
they could underline one group, draw a box around another group and a circle around
another group. This gives students a chance to notice and leave out ideas that are not
connected to their main points. See Unit 15 for more ideas on developing paragraphs.
5. Topic sentences
Another way to practise writing topic sentences with students is to delete them from
different paragraphs. These can either be ones that you write yourself, the students’ own
work or examples from coursebooks and websites. Remind students that essentially, topic
sentences are a summary of the main ideas in a paragraph. Students read through the rest
of the paragraph and try to write one sentence that summarises the main ideas. Check the
answers as a class.
6. Linking sentences
Sometimes, students rely too much on short, simple sentences. This often happens when they
are trying to control the accuracy of their grammar. However, it will often hold them back in
Unit 17
terms of the mark they can achieve because the sentences are not well connected. Either using
an example of a student’s work, or a paragraph you have created yourself, give each student
a paragraph with too many short sentences. Tell students to combine the sentences, where
logical and possible, into longer, more complex ones. Check the answers as a class.
7. Concluding sentences
Take one or more paragraphs from a well-structured essay. These can either be from your
students’ own work, if there are good examples, or from model essays found online or in
coursebooks. Type out the paragraphs but leave out the final concluding sentence. Give
each pair of students the paragraphs and ask them to think of a final sentence for each
paragraph. Elicit answers from the class. Check that each sentence summarises the main
ideas of the paragraph.
8. Transition sentences
If a paragraph does not finish with a concluding sentence, it usually finishes with a sentence
transitioning to the idea of the next paragraph. Equally, if a paragraph does not start with
a topic sentence, it usually starts with a transition sentence linking it back to the previous
paragraph. Using either the students’ work or a model paragraph from a book or website,
highlight the function of these sentences. Then give students paragraphs with these
sentences removed. You will need to make sure you give at least two paragraphs together
so that students can see how the paragraphs are connected. Ask students to write sentences
linking the two paragraphs. Elicit ideas for each example and check the answers as a class.
9. Pronoun referents
Pronoun referents are used to link forwards or backwards in a paragraph to other ideas.
They help to give a paragraph cohesion and allow the writer to vary their language more.
Pronoun referents include words such as its, he, she, they, their, etc. Find a paragraph with
a number of these referents already in them. Delete each one to create a gapped text.
Give the text to the students and ask them to complete the gaps with an appropriate
pronoun. Check the answers as a class.
10. Synonyms
Another way to add cohesion and variety in writing is to use a range of synonyms. Find
or create a paragraph where one or two words are over-used. Give out the paragraphs to
each pair and ask them to underline any words they think are used too often. Next, ask
students to work together to think of synonyms that could be used instead. Elicit ideas
from the class and suggest alternatives if necessary.
“I ask students to notice the

parts of a paragraph by using
different coloured highlighters.
So students might colour the
topic sentence orange and the
Unit 17
supporting sentences in green.”

Stacey H Hughes, teacher and trainer, UK
10 tips and activities for working
with graphs and charts
Describing graphs and charts is a common writing task in many exams. In some exams,
such as IELTS, it is the main focus of the short writing task. In other exams, a chart might
be included as part of a report-writing task.
1. Graphs
Find or produce a range of simple visual representations of data on a variety of topics.
These can be simple line graphs to show different types of movement, for example, a
dramatic rise, a slight fall or a fluctuation. Bar charts can also show changes over time, but,
like pie charts, they can be used to compare data relating to different categories. You can
use these graphs and charts for a variety of tasks, such as identifying trends or describing
differences. The data can be on any topic, for example, food, education or employment.
It’s useful to have a set of these available for any further practice of a language point you
are working on. Most of the tasks below require graphs for you to use the ideas in class.
2. Trends or comparisons
Most graphs require students to do one of two things. Line graphs generally elicit a
description of a trend, whereas bar charts, tables and pie charts elicit comparisons of
different categories. Sometimes, the task can require both. For example, a bar chart that
shows the number of people completing primary, secondary and tertiary education in
1970, 2000 and 2015 can show trends within each category and comparisons between
Unit 18
categories. Collect or produce a range of graphs. Give one set to each group and ask
them whether each graph shows a comparison, a trend or both.
3. Identifying key information

Students will have a limited amount of time to write their description so it is important that
they try to identify key trends. Students do not need to describe every single movement
in a line graph, or every single segment in a pie chart, but many will attempt to. Provide
students with a graph showing a trend, such as a line graph. When students first look at
the line graph, ask them to identify the key trend and to write one sentence describing
this. Then ask students to identify three other major trends in the graph. For example, the
period when the most significant increase or decrease occurred, a long period without
much change, etc. Ask students to write one sentence for each of these trends.
4. Grouping information
When students look at a bar chart, a pie chart or a table, it can help to ask them to group
information together into categories. For example, sports could be divided into team
sports and individual sports, countries could be grouped geographically, food could be
categorised according to group, for example, protein, carbohydrate, etc. Even more
simply, information can be grouped according to size, for example, the biggest three, the
next three and the smallest three bars or sections in a table or chart. Provide students with
a selection of graphs and ask them to put the information in each one into two or three
groups. Ask students to write one sentence describing each group they have chosen. Elicit
a sentence from each group.
5. Writing an overview sentence
Descriptions of graphs do not usually require the same structure as an essay. However, the
description should still begin with two sentences that act as an introduction. The first one
should describe what the graph shows. This should be a paraphrase of the graph title and the
question. The second sentence should focus on the main trend or most important information
in the graph. When dealing with a line graph, there will often be more than one line in the
chart. Each graph may have up to four different lines. Encourage students to think about the
relationship between each line, rather than the changes within each line. For example, two
lines may show limited change, whereas two others may show a more dramatic change. If
this is the case, a student’s overview sentence should focus on this aspect of the data. Give
students one graph from tip 1 above. They write one sentence paraphrasing the title. They
then write one sentence describing the most important trend or piece of information.
6. Trend vocabulary
Lower-level students often lack the vocabulary to describe trends, over-relying on words such
as go up, go down, big, small, etc. Photocopy page 167 of the appendix and cut up one set
of cards per pair. Give out these cards, along with one or two graphs (see tip 1 above). Ask
students to describe features of the graphs using as many words from the cards as possible.
7. Language of comparison
Unit 18
It can be helpful to revise a range of comparative structures. On a basic level, this can be
in the form of a review of comparative and superlative forms. Write a range of adjectives
on the board (for example, busy, comfortable, cheap, high, popular, etc.) and ask the
students to write the comparative and superlative form of each. Revising words that show
the size of comparison can also help. For example, write the following words on the board:
much, a lot, slightly, a bit, considerably, a little, far. Ask students to tell you which ones
describe a small change and which ones describe a large change. The structure as ... as is
also useful as it enables students to compare two elements in a chart. Draw a simple pie
chart (this can be one of your charts from tip 1 above) on the board. Ask students to write
three sentences describing the chart using the structure as … as.
8. Describing graphs to a partner

Ask students to draw a graph that has the y-axis labelled with numbers from 0 to 10,000,
marking increments of 1,000. Along the x-axis, students write letters for each month of the
year, for example, J (for January), F (for February), etc. Next, students draw two lines on the
graph that show changes between each month. These lines could represent anything, for
example, phone sales, TV viewers or magazine subscriptions. So that the lines are clear, ask the
students to draw one dotted and one solid. Put students into pairs. Tell students they must not
show their graph to their partner. Students must now describe their graph to their partner, who
should attempt to draw it. Once one student has described their graph students swap roles.
9. Matching graphs to descriptions

Complete tip 8 (above) with a class before attempting this activity. Once students have
drawn their partner’s graph, ask them to write a simple description of three or four
sentences that describe the main trends. Collect in the descriptions and the graphs. Pin
the graphs around the room. Give one description to each student. Ask the students
to walk around the room looking for the graph that matches their description. Finally,
students stand next to the graph they originally drew. Check that the right person
identified it from their description.
10. Commenting on data

When describing a graph, students do not have to interpret what it means, that is, they do
not have to say, for example, why they think CD sales fell. However, students often want
to, especially when they feel they know something about the topic. In such cases, it is
important that students realise that if they attempt to interpret the data, they need to use
cautious language and to limit their interpretation to the data available. For example, they
shouldn’t say, ‘No cars were produced in 1944 because of the war’; instead, they should
say, for example, ‘The apparent lack of car production in 1944 may have been due to
the political situation at the time, although there is no clear evidence for this in the data.’
Give students five or six sentences that describe reasons for a change. Ask the students to
rewrite these using cautious language. If necessary, these phrases can be displayed on the
board to help students.
“It’s great if you can create your

own charts and diagrams on
Unit 18
topics that are of interest to your
learners. I once did a series of
IELTS Task 1-type exercises on
James Bond with line graphs for
movie revenue, bar charts for the
number of movies per Bond actor,
and pictographs for number of
martinis. It was fun, engaging and
still practicing the target language.
It doesn’t always have to be about
unemployment and pollution!”
Mark Dawson-Smith, team manager, Wintec,
Hamilton, New Zealand
10 tips and activities for working with
processes, diagrams and maps
Other short writing tasks in exams involve describing a number of different visual
representations of information, such as flow charts, diagrams and maps. These often
require candidates to describe stages or to make comparisons.
1. Ordering stages
Processes to be described in IELTS tasks typically consist of about 10 steps. Find a number
of simple process drawings online, for example, the process of making foods such as
cheese, olive oil or chocolate. Simple manufacturing processes such as the processing of
milk or the recycling of paper work well, too. Copy each process in such a way that you
can cut it up into individual stages. Copy and cut up enough so that each group of four
students can have two processes. Students arrange the steps involved in each of the two
processes in order. Display the complete diagrams for students to check their answers.
2. Ordering a process as a class

Find and print out a diagram showing one process. Ideally, it should have enough stages
for one stage per student, so for larger classes you might want to print out two different
processes. Distribute one card per student. Explain that they have all the stages in the
process you have chosen. Their job is to stand in the correct order, from the beginning
to the end of the process. Once they think they are standing in the correct order, each
person describes what happens at their stage. As an extension, students could then write
Unit 19
a complete description of the process.
3. The passive
The passive form of the present simple is useful for describing a process because the
diagrams often focus on what is done to the item in question, or how it is treated. Find a
simple process on the internet showing, for example, how orange juice is made. Write six
to eight gapped sentences with the verb in brackets. For example:
The oranges _______ to the factory. (deliver)
Students complete the sentences using the passive form of the verb in brackets (using the
present simple tense). When you put the sentences onto the board or on a worksheet, put
them in a random order. You can then extend the task by asking students to put the stages
in the correct order.
4. Process language
When requiring candidates to describe a process, exams often set a limit of about 150
words. For this reason, it is a good idea to help develop students’ language for describing
a process clearly and briefly. Many processes use a range of key words. Write sets of words
on the board and ask students to match each set to a food-related outcome:
planting, picking, processing, drying, milling, roasting, grinding (answer: coffee)

growing, sorting, juicing, concentrating, canning, shipping (answer: orange juice)
picking, sorting, peeling, crushing, adding, boiling, bottling (answer: ketchup)
Ask students to think about another food they enjoy eating. They then write down six or seven
words to describe how it is made. In pairs, students describe their process to a partner.
5. Grammar for maps
Map description tasks generally include two maps, one of which shows changes that have
been made to the area depicted. Each map will include a date and title. Either both of
these dates are in the past or one of the maps will have a date in the past and the other
will be labelled ‘now’ or ‘today’. Since no indication is given as to who made the changes,
they usually need to be described using the passive (either in the past simple or the present
simple). Give students the maps on page 168 of the Appendix. Write the following verbs on
the board: build, convert, chop down, extend, knock down, replace. Ask students to write
six sentences describing changes shown in the maps using the present perfect passive form.
Model one of these on the board first and then check the students’ answers as a class.
6. Vocabulary for maps

Most map tasks will have an accompanying compass to one side. It is useful to practise
describing locations of places using compass directions. Display a map on the board and
ask students questions to check their understanding; for example: What is located in the
northeast? What features are north of the river [or other landmark]? With lower-level classes
you may also want to revise prepositions of place; for example: What is located between the
supermarket and the cafe? Afterwards, you could display another map and ask students to
write six sentences: three using compass locations and three using prepositions.
Unit 19
7. Draw my map
This task is good for revising prepositions of location, for example, next to, between,
opposite, etc. and directional location, for example, north, south, east, west, etc. Ask
students to draw a simple map of a village. Put the following words on the board and tell
students that their map must include all of these features:
coffee shop
houses
hotel
playground
market
river
road
trees
They can put the features anywhere on the map. Without showing their maps to
each other, students must describe their map to their partner. While they listen to the
description, they should try to draw the map. Students then swap roles, before finally
comparing their maps.
8. Diagrams
Some tasks in IELTS require students to describe a diagram. This might be, for example,
a machine and how it works. These tasks can usually be approached in much the same
way as describing a process. This is because most of the diagrams are either labelled in
steps according to the order they work in or they can easily be organised in this way by
the student. For example, a 3D printing machine will also usually show the 3D printing
process. To clarify this, take a diagram such as a 3D printer and ask students to describe
how it works to their partner. Then ask students how they would organise this description
in their writing.
9. Picture stories
In young learner exams, students often have to complete sentences that describe pictures
in a story. Copy one of these picture stories and cut up the pictures. Ask students to work
with a partner to put the pictures into the correct order. Students then describe the story
to each other; they can do this in their own language if they prefer. Then give students the
sentences to complete about the story so that they can complete the exam task.
10. Picture vocabulary

Choose a picture from a young learner exam you are preparing students for. On the board,
write a list of vocabulary that students could use to describe the picture, for example,
people (girl, baby, boy, woman, etc.) and clothes they are wearing. Make sure the words
are jumbled, rather than grouped together in their categories. Ask students to organise
the words into two groups, for example, ‘people’ and ‘clothes’. Write an example sentence
on the board that includes at least one of the words; for example: The child is drawing
a picture or The woman is wearing a blue dress. Ask students to write three or four
Unit 19
sentences using some of the words identified. Elicit some example sentences and write
them on the board.
“The easiest way (pun intended) to

improve students’ ability to read maps is to
get them to go out and find a place on the
map. Once there, get them to do a small
task – find something, answer a question,
get some information, record someone
speaking, take a photo… etc. Whether you
call it a treasure hunt or a scavenger hunt
it comes to the same. If you can’t leave the
classroom, just use virtual reality instead.”
Sasitorn Kanthiya, team manager, Wintec, Hamilton,
New Zealand
10 tips and activities for working with
emails, letters and business writing
Most business exams, such as BEC and BULATS, test students’ ability to write common
forms of business correspondence. You will also often find email writing in many general
English exams. These tasks often form one part of a business writing paper but they are
usually the shorter part that carries fewer marks. Check the distribution of marks on any
exam you are preparing students for, and highlight this if necessary.
1. Use the prompt

When being asked to write an email, students will usually be given a context and three or
four things to include, for example:
You are attending a conference from 21 to 25 June in Vienna. You need to make travel
arrangements. Write an email to your secretary, Paul Smith:
XX giving him the dates
XX stating when you want to fly
XX asking him to book the flight.
Ask a few comprehension questions first, such as: What are they going to do? Where
are they going? When are they travelling? Ask students to write one or two sentences
responding to each bullet. Draw students’ attention to the fact that the prompts provide
the structure for the email, and that they then simply need to add an opening and a
Unit 20
closing phrase.
2. Formulaic expressions
Students can learn formulaic expressions for opening and closing an email. The one main
thing they need to pay attention to is register. Some tasks will indicate the correspondence
is informal by using words such as ‘a friend’, others will indicate that the email should be
written in a formal tone by using words such as ‘boss’. Use the worksheet on page 169 of
the Appendix. Photocopy one per pair and cut up the cards. Ask students to divide the
phrases into ones for opening and ones for closing an email. They then divide them into
formal and informal expressions.
3. Matching phrases to functions

Another way to introduce fixed phrases for students to use in emails is to think about the
functional language students might have to use in their emails. Many language functions
(inviting, making requests, apologising, etc.) can be expressed using certain fixed phrases.
Some examples are in the worksheet on page 170 of the Appendix, but you can also add
to them or create your own lists. Photocopy and cut up one sheet per pair of students. Ask
students to match the language functions to the phrases. Check the answers and then ask
students to decide which expressions are more formal and which are more informal.
4. Use checklists
Encourage students to constantly check and evaluate their own work. Ideally, they should
always leave a few minutes at the end of an exam for doing this, so try to incorporate
it as a regular checklist feature in your lessons. The checklist you use will vary slightly
depending on the instructions in the task, but an example might be:
Does the letter have at least three paragraphs?
Does the first paragraph give the reason for writing?
Has a formal style of writing been used?
Does the letter cover all the points in the question?
Does the letter have between 140 and 190 words?
Try to create a checklist that has between three and six points for students to use with
each writing task you do.
5. Pair email writing

Instead of writing an email individually, it can be more fun and dynamic to write an email
together. Put students into pairs. Give students the email writing task you want them to
complete. Ask each student to think about their answer individually. Tell students that they
are going to write two emails, line by line. Each student should write one sentence and
then exchange it with their partner. They should keep swapping until they have completed
both emails. Ask students to discuss their emails. For example, did they always understand
their partner’s line? Can they correct any mistakes in each other’s sentences?
6. Email response
Unit 20
Tell students that they need to write an email complaining about three things they were
not happy with during their stay in a hotel. Of course, you can change this to any other
appropriate topic. Once students have written this email, ask them to exchange it with
a partner. This email will essentially act as a prompt similar to ones found in exams. Ask
students to write a response to the email they have received. Tell students which specific
language functions you want them to practise, for example, apologising, giving reasons
or offering help. Students write their response and give it to their partner. You could then
create and use a checklist for the task to assess each other’s work.
7. Paragraph division
Short email answers, notes and memos often don’t need to be paragraphed, but if the
task requires students to write a longer, more formal email then they will need to include
paragraphs. Take a model answer from the book you are using and type it out in a word
document. Delete all the paragraphing. Ask students to mark where in the letter the
paragraphs should start and end. Then ask students to explain what the main topic or
function of each paragraph is.
8. Error correction
Once you have taught your class for a while and seen some examples of their work,
you will have an idea of their strengths and weaknesses. Using their answers to a task
they have completed, create a response with some common errors, for example, tense
mistakes, incorrect register and repetition of words. You could also include paragraphing
errors, as in the task described in tip 7 above. Limit the type of mistakes each time
you do this so that it is easier to do follow-up work and to explain any grammar points
they need further help with. Three or four types is usually enough. Check students’
corrections as a class.
9. Rearrange a text
Structure and organisation are often two of the main criteria for assessing students’ work.
This task helps students think about the logical order of information in an email or letter.
Take a model email from the book you are using. Type out the text so that each sentence
is on a different line of a word document. Cut up one set per pair. Ask students to put the
sentences into the correct order. With longer texts, such as a letter, you might want to put
two sentences on each card. Check the students’ answers as a class.
10. Email gapfill

If you have already taught your students some fixed phrases, such as the ones in tips 2 and
3 above, this is a good revision activity. Take a selection of the target phrases and blank
out one or two words in each sentence. Students complete each gap with an appropriate
word. For example:
Please accept our _________ for …

I would be _______ if you …
I am _______ to confirm …
Around 10 target phrases should be enough. Check the answers as a class.
Unit 20
“Many learners, even those at higher
levels, say that one of those things
they struggle with most in writing
business emails is gauging the correct
style. They’re often unsure of how
formal or informal they should be.
As a result, in lessons with them, I
focus on example email messages
with reasonably neutral language
and highlight this. I point out that
that this language is appropriate for
a variety of business contexts.”
Craig Thane, trainer and materials writer, New Zealand
10 tips and activities for working
with reports, proposals and articles
The main part of the writing test in business exams can be an essay but students are also
often asked to write a report, a proposal or an article. This is the case in the Cambridge
First, Advanced and Proficiency exams, too. Check the distribution of marks in your
particular exam, but usually the writing section carries more marks and students need to
be made aware of this.
1. Use blogs and magazines

Articles usually require students to do two things: (1) describe something and
(2) express a personal opinion on it. They may also ask students to make a
recommendation based on this. The style of writing is usually quite informal and is
written as if to a peer. This can be quite hard for some students, especially if they are
used to more formal pieces of writing. Blogs and articles that review something such
as a movie, a restaurant or a hotel can be a useful point of inspiration for students.
Bring in, say, a film review. Ask students to underline any descriptions and circle any
opinions. If appropriate, ask the students to draw a box around any recommendations.
Then, in groups, ask students to orally describe and review a film they have seen,
encouraging them to use any of the functional language they identified in the original
review. Next ask students to write a review of around 250 words. Take in the reviews
and use these to work on students’ language for recommending, describing and
offering a personal opinion.
Unit 21
2. Use the prompt to inform structure

Most reports require students to identify a problem, explain it and recommend an action
that will lead to a solution. Ask students to look at the question in the book you are using
and to identify (1) the problem, (2) the part that asks students to explain it and (3) the part
that asks for a recommendation. Students then plan their answer based on these prompts.
They should try to think of subheadings for each section of their report. Ask students to
compare their subheadings with each other. Then elicit one or two examples.
3. Proposal debate
A proposal is quite similar to a report, but the time focus is different because it takes
place before something has happened. Typically, in a proposal, each paragraph in the
main body will focus on one suggestion. Put students into pairs and ask them to look at
the instructions for the proposal you want them to write. In pairs, students should try to
think of as many different suggestions as possible and one reason why each suggestion
is a good idea. The pairs should then try to select their top three suggestions and
present these to another pair. Together, the group should then try to select the top three
suggestions and reasons from the ones they present to each other. Finally, ask each group
to tell the class about their suggestions and reasons.
4. Encouraging questions in writing
When students write an article, it is important that they engage with their reader. One way
of doing this is to include ‘What if …?’ questions in their writing. For example, if they have
written a paragraph that has outlined the advantages of internet shopping, they could
start the next paragraph with a ‘What if…?’ question to introduce a drawback.
Write the following sentence on the board:
Internet shopping may sound ideal but there are a number of drawbacks.
Then write: What if …? under this sentence. Give students an example question, for
example, What if the clothes don’t fit? Then ask pairs to think of different ways of
completing the ‘What if …?’ question. Elicit some examples from the class.
5. Using adjectives
When writing an article it is important that students use a range of adjectives.
To encourage this, display a selection of adjectives on the board. For example:
attractive colourful exotic interesting historic modern
huge varied loud expensive cheap busy
Unit 21
Students work in pairs describing a place they have visited to their partner. They should try
to use a selection of the adjectives you have given them. Tell students they should think of
three more adjectives to describe the place. Elicit these from students and write them on
the board. Next, ask students which of these could also be used to describe an event, a
film or a book. Students should then try to include a range of adjectives in the next report-
writing task you set them.
6. Making notes
Before students start a longer piece of writing such as a report or article, they should
make notes or brainstorm the topic. Encourage them to spend five minutes analysing
the question prior to writing, making notes and organising the ideas. If they are writing
a report, the organisation can be done using headings. A report usually requires
subheadings throughout, and these can be used to help organise student notes.
7. Opening sentences
An article should always have an interesting opening sentence. This will help to capture the
reader’s interest. Typically, these are the main techniques used to get the reader’s interest:
1. A question
2. The general background
3. A statistic or fact
4. A discussion point or argument
5. A personal story
Display these and the following examples on the board and ask students to match each
one to the function.
A. If the whole world consumed at the rate of the US, we would need two additional planets.
B. How much longer can our planet last if we continue to consume at the current rate?
C. Last year I decided to give up my car to reduce my impact on the environment.
D. Human consumption has grown dramatically over the last century.
Unit 21
E. Some people believe climate change does not really exist and that we have nothing to
worry about.
Ask students to look at the article you would like them to complete and to choose one of
the opening styles from the list (1–5).
8. Adding emphasis
When writing a review of a film or a book, for example, it can be useful to know some ways
of emphasising one’s likes and dislikes. Emphatic language typically involves sentences
that start with words like although, even though, no sooner, not only and what. Give
students sentences reviewing something such as an event or a restaurant. Ask them to
rewrite these sentences using the emphatic openers. For example:
I liked the opening sequence of the film the most.

What __________________________________.
(Answer: What I liked the most was the opening sequence.)
It was a cheap restaurant but the food was amazing.

Even though ____________________________.
(Answer: Even though it was a cheap restaurant, the food was amazing.)
9. Reviewing one’s own work
One way for students to review their own work is to use checklists provided by you. In the
exam, they obviously won’t have these available, so it is important that they start to take
responsibility for checking their own work. They should use the feedback you provide to
create a checklist of areas they need to work on. The checklist will vary slightly for different
tasks. Tell students to look back at any feedback you have given them and to create a
checklist that focuses on five or six areas they know they have to improve on. Students
then use this list to review their own work.
10. Complex sentences

For this activity you will need one dice per pair. On the board write a list of six sentence
openers that will lead students to produce complex sentences. For example:
1. Although
2. Despite
3. Due to
4. After
5. Even though
6. Any of the above
Unit 21
Then write another set of nouns related to the topic of a review or article you want
students to write. For example:
1. restaurant
2. location
3. food
4. waiter
5. service
6. any of the above
Students should throw the dice once to find their sentence opener. They then throw the
dice a second time to find their subject. Students should then write or say a sentence
using the two. For example:
Although the location was stunning, the food was terrible.
Elicit sentences from the class.
“Writing proposals and reports

for business English exams can
be dry so I like to integrate
skills in a ‘Dragon’s Den’
style simulation by planning
a new business on paper and
pitching it to the panel.”
Meg Shovelton, senior academic staff member,
Wintec, Hamilton, New Zealand
10 tips on how writing
exams are often graded
All exams differ slightly in how they are marked, but many are judged using marking
criteria that are publicly available. It’s important to become familiar with these yourself
and to make students aware of them.
1. Check the exam criteria

Most exams will have publicly available marking criteria. Not all of the sections will be
covered there in detail as there is usually a separate document available only to the
examiners. However, the publicly available document will give you a good idea as to the
main ways in which a candidate’s work is judged. Check the website of the exam you are
teaching for publicly available criteria.
2. Focus on the criteria

When examiners grade work, they try to be fair and to apply the criteria as consistently as
possible. Examiners apply anything up to 50 different criteria to a short piece of writing, so
it is important to focus on these. If you can teach students to use good, clear examples of
some of these in their work, they will likely be noticed by the examiner.
3. Grade boundaries
If you are teaching an exam such as TOEFL or IELTS, which places students on different
band scores, it is important to pay attention to grade boundaries. For example, in IELTS
Unit 22
task 1, if a student does not give an overview sentence of the data presented, they will
not be able to achieve higher than a band 5 for this criterion. Therefore, it can be worth
prioritising overview sentences as a teaching point, as doing so can quickly and easily have
an impact on a student’s mark.
4. Grammatical range and accuracy

Often students worry about grammatical accuracy without paying enough attention to the
range of grammar structures they are producing. For example, if IELTS candidates rarely
attempt complex sentence structures, they will be limited to a band 4. It’s important to
encourage students to attempt a wide range of grammatical structures as well as focusing
on their accuracy.
5. Lexical range and accuracy

As with grammar, both the accuracy and the range of a candidate’s lexical knowledge are
usually judged. Model answers are often a useful way to exemplify both of these areas
if they are an issue for your students. Ask students to enter their answer and the model
answer into a text checker such as ‘Text Inspector’: www.englishprofile.org/wordlists/
text-inspector. This will enable the students to compare the range and level of vocabulary
used in the model answer with their own answer. It will show how many words are used at
each CEFR level in both the model answer and the student’s response. Students can try
to replace some of the higher-frequency words (for example, A2 level words) with lower
frequency words (for example, B1 words). It will also show clearly how often they repeat
certain words as it calculates how many times a word has been repeated. Ask students
to try to replace any commonly repeated words with a synonym and to try to think of
different words to replace some of the lower-frequency words.
6. Task completion
This is essentially the student’s ability to answer the task presented to them. Successful
task completion involves staying on-topic, and not writing about things that are only
vaguely related to it. It also requires that candidates address all parts of the question
presented. Therefore, try to spend quite a bit of time with students analysing questions
and discussing expectations.
7. Structure and organisation

This is sometimes called ‘coherence and cohesion’, and it focuses on how well the
candidate’s ideas are developed and organised. Expectations vary slightly depending on
the task type, so it is important to refer to the specific criteria document for the exam you
are preparing students for. Look for key criteria, such as paragraphing, that could hold
students back if they do not pay them adequate attention.
8. Spelling
In young learner exams, there will often be a specific section on spelling. This will usually
involve looking at visual prompts and writing out words. In higher-level exams, spelling
usually comes under the vocabulary criteria.
9. Combined skills
Unit 22
Some tests combine sections. For example, young learner exams often combine reading
and writing. Tasks here might ask students to read a story and to complete gaps with two,
three or four words. Students will be judged on their accuracy or word choice, grammatical
accuracy and spelling. Some higher level exams, such as TOEFL, also combine reading
and writing. Candidates are given two texts and required to complete a writing task. Their
response is judged by the standard of writing and how well they present the relationship
between the two texts.
10. Register and format

Some tests, such as BEC, require students to show an ability to write in different genres.
In these kinds of tests, candidates will also be assessed on whether the register and format
used is appropriate to the genre in which they are writing.
“To help learners understand exam marking

criteria, show them a good and bad model
of the writing type. Elicit what they need
to do in order to write effectively and
collate their ideas for success criteria on the
board. Then ask learners to compare their
criteria to the real exam marking criteria.”
Lindsay Warwick, exam course teacher
10 ways to give feedback
on writing for exams
Feedback is an important part of the learning process and a way in which you can help
students to improve their performance. Unfortunately, in exam classes, students often
focus on the mark rather than the feedback. It can therefore be helpful to try different
ways to provide feedback that students are more likely to engage with. It is also
important to provide focused feedback that is actionable by the students.
1. Give actionable feedback before the marks

Since exam classes are often high-stakes and a student’s future can be influenced by their
score, they are understandably very focused on the mark at the expense of any valuable
feedback you may have provided. It can therefore help to provide feedback that students
first have to act upon before you give them a mark. This feedback should be clear and
focused so that students have something specific to improve on. Rather than saying:
‘You use a limited range of structures.’
… try to be more specific, saying, for example:
‘Too many of your sentences are short, simple sentences. Try to combine these into longer,
complex sentences using conjunctions such as and, or, but and so.’
Limit your actionable feedback to something achievable within a short period of time in class,
for example, 10 to 15 minutes. In this way students are more likely to stay focused on the task.
Unit 23
2. Use a feedback code

It can be very time-consuming to mark whole sets of essays with comments and
corrections. At the start of the course, establish a feedback code. For example:
Ag = subject–verb agreement
T = tense
R = register
 = missing word
P = plural
You can mark these abbreviations next to errors in a student’s work. Students can then
refer to the key and correct their own work. This should make marking quicker for you and
students will have a more interactive way of dealing with feedback. On page 172 of the
Appendix, there is a correction code form that you could give students at the start of a
course. Alternatively, you could create your own.
3. Focus on one section

Sometimes, students will repeatedly make a particular grammar mistake throughout their
work. For example, they might miss out articles, or make subject–verb agreement errors or
tense mistakes. Rather than correct or mark each instance with the same feedback code,
you could just mark up one paragraph. Then you could add a comment to the student’s
work such as: ‘I have corrected [or marked] mistakes with articles and tenses in this
paragraph. You have made these mistakes throughout the rest of the essay. Please look
through your work and try to spot and correct these errors.’
4. Use track changes and Word’s commenting facility
If your students are doing an internet- /computer-based exam, you could ask them to
type up their homework before submitting it. You can then use techniques such as those
in tips 2 and 3 to mark the work. You can also use the commenting facility in Word to add
feedback. When the work is in digital form, there is more space to edit and move the
student’s work around to fit in the comments and corrections.
5. Write an improved model

Some students learn well from being shown model answers. Take a student’s piece of work
and rewrite it showing the features you want them to learn, for example a topic sentence
and proper paragraph structure. Display the original work to the class and ask the students
to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the work. Elicit some ideas from the class. Then
display the model answer and ask students to tell you how it has been improved. Provide
students with their own copy of the model answer.
6. Feedback log
Ask students to transfer your feedback comments into a book, such as their vocabulary
book. Each time they are given a new piece of writing, students should look back through
their feedback log to remind them of the things they need to focus on improving. Doing
Unit 23
this can highlight to students how often they make the same mistakes and which things
they need to focus on.
7. Peer feedback
Using other students to provide feedback can be a useful teaching tool, especially
during classtime. Ask students to exchange their work with a partner. Rather than correct
everything in their partner’s work, they should use a focused checklist provided by you. For
example, after completing a graph task, students might use the following as a checklist:
Has your partner…

… written an overview sentence summarising the main data in the graph?
… commented on the main features of the graph?
… grouped information together logically?
Give peer reviewers a set of three things to look for each time. Ideally, these should either
be things you have just taught or common mistakes you know your students make.
8. Video feedback
It can be useful to provide students with some feedback before they come to class. This
allows you more time to work on the students’ weaker areas in class. One way to do this
is to provide whole-class video feedback. There are lots of tools for this, such as Jing,
Quicktime and Knovio. Video-record yourself talking about the main mistakes students
made in a particular task. You can also record yourself talking alongside a student’s piece
of work and then email it to them. As you do this, you can highlight parts of the work
as you speak. Students then come to class having already found out some of the most
common errors. If you have time, you can even produce one short video for each student
with more specific comments.
9. Audio feedback
Audio feedback can also be used. One of the most popular programs for doing this is the
voice-recording and podcasting software Audacity, which is free and easily editable. There
are tutorials on the site showing you how to produce the podcasts. As with video feedback,
you can either provide general group feedback or tailored individual feedback. Alternatively,
if your students have sent you an essay as a word-processed file, you can use Windows
Recorder and send your spoken feedback as an audio file. You could also use an online
program such as Vocaroo. At first, a voice-recording might seem a time-consuming way to
provide feedback, however it soon becomes second nature. It’s a worthwhile technique to
master, as students tend to respond positively to variations in the style of feedback.
10. Pair rewriting

When you return work to students with your comments, instead of correcting their own
work, students can work together to address any issues. Put students into pairs. First, give
back only one essay to each pair. If you give back both at the same time, they tend to just
focus on their own work. Ask students to look at your comments and to work together
to improve the writing. Once they have finished, give them the second piece of writing
and ask them to work together again to correct this one. Writing together like this can
help students to see the weaknesses in their work more easily. Sometimes it is difficult to
Unit 23
improve and correct one’s own work; doing it together provides a second eye and opinion.
“Providing feedback on grammar

that students don’t use is often
just as important as correcting
students’ errors. If a student
tends to use simple sentences,
for example, you can show them
how they can combine some of
their sentences to make more
complex ones and express
their ideas more precisely.”
Pete Jones, exam teacher, blogger and YouTuber.
Grammar and vocabulary
exam preparation
Not all exams test grammar and vocabulary separately. Instead, the students’ use of language
might be assessed as an integral part of their writing and speaking exam. IELTS and TOEFL
work like this. Other exams, such as FCE and CAE, additionally assess candidates on their
lexical and grammatical knowledge in a section called ‘English in Use’.
Other exam types that test grammar and vocabulary explicitly are those that are set as part
of the national curriculum in certain countries, and those that are used internally by language
schools and colleges. Many coursebooks also provide progress tests that include specific
sections on the grammar and vocabulary that has been taught.
This section begins by looking at exam questions that directly test grammar and vocabulary. It’s
useful for you and your students to be aware of how each question type works. Furthermore, if
you write your own tests or exams, it will serve as a handy checklist of question types to include.
Unit 25 provides teachers with tips they can give students before they do grammar and
vocabulary questions.
The final two units address the challenge of preparing students for exams with a grammar and
vocabulary focus, but at the same time improving students’ ability to really learn it and use it well.
10 types of questions that exams often
include to test grammar and vocabulary
Many exams include an explicit section that tests grammar and vocabulary. In Cambridge
English exams, for example, the grammar and vocabulary paper is referred to as ‘Use of
English’. Grammar and vocabulary is also tested in other ways; for example, marks might
be deducted for errors in a writing paper, or the grade for a student’s spoken English
could be affected by too many mistakes. Increasingly, grammar and vocabulary testing is
incorporated into the reading section of exams, with candidates being required to insert
individual items into a text.
The following 10 question types are ones that students will come across in exams. If you
intend to write your own tests or exams, you might choose to include a range of these
question types. Note that the units that follow provide more detail on how to help students
prepare for these types of questions and will also help you create your own exams.
1. Multiple-choice sentence completion

Sentences with one word missing and a choice of three or four options are probably the
most common form of test question. They can be found on placement tests given at the
beginning of a course, on a mid-course test written by teachers, and on final exams. When
writing them, try to include distractors that are synonyms, false friends or words that are
grammatically similar. In the following example, the question is testing verbs that collocate
with the noun money.
Unit 24
How much money do you think Malcolm ______ per day from working as a plumber?
A. has B. makes C. takes D. pays
Answer: B
2. Multiple-choice cloze text

Some exams include a section with a complete text that has between 8 and 15 missing
words (known as a ‘cloze test’). Students complete the text by choosing words from
questions beneath. In the extract below, you can see the first part of a text and the first
two multiple-choice questions. Note that if you are planning to write your own cloze test,
you should make sure you gap words in separate sentences and that one answer does not
rely on the previous one being correct.
Over half the world’s population now lives in cities, and the constant (1) _______ of
people leaving their traditional family homes in the countryside seems unstoppable.
Young people in particular are going in (2) ______ of an education and higher-paying
careers. The impact on the older families left behind can be considerable.
1 A. tide B. line C. road D. trend
2 A. find B. look C. spite D. search
Answer: 1A 2D
3. Open cloze sentences
Unlike multiple-choice sentences (described in tip 1), an open cloze sentence does not
provide a list of answer options. Students have to guess the missing word, so there should
be only one possible answer. For this reason, the missing words are often smaller words
that carry less content meaning, such determiners (for example, the, a or this). So if we
used the example sentence in 1, we might choose to gap a different word, for example:
How much money do you think Malcolm makes per day from working _______
a plumber?
Answer: as
4. Open cloze text

An open cloze text is a gapped text that does not give answer options. Traditionally,
a cloze test was designed so that one word was removed after a set number of words.
So, for example, the test designer might remove every seventh word or every eighth word.
When designing your own test, however, you might want to target particular words, so the
spacing might not be so systematic. Here is the same text extract as the one shown in tip
Unit 24
2, but now designed as an open cloze test:
Over half the world’s population now lives (1)_____ cities, and the constant
flow of people leaving their traditional family homes in the countryside seems
unstoppable. Young people in particular are going in search (2)_______ an
education and higher-paying careers. The impact (3)_____ the older families left
behind can be considerable.
Answer: 1. in 2. of 3. on
Note that fewer content words (i.e. words that carry meaning) are gapped; instead, shorter
words are targeted. These are likely to include pronouns, phrasal verbs, prepositions,
conjunctions, articles and auxiliary verbs.
5. Word formation sentences

Word formation tasks give students the base form of a word, which they have to rewrite,
using the correct form into a gap in a sentence or longer text. Lower-level tasks usually require
students to form an adjective or a noun from a verb; at higher levels, students will need to add
suffixes or prefixes. Here is an extract from a word formation task that uses a text:
Read the text and use the word given in capitals at the end of each line to form a
word that fills the gap.
When you start looking for a new job, you could start by reading the (1)_______ ADVERT
sections of newspapers or searching online. Or, (2)______ on the type of job DEPEND
you are looking for, there are lots of websites with the (3)_______ positions on LATE
offer. Another option is a job (4)______ agency, which can try to place you with RECRUIT
a suitable employer. The people who work there are (5)_____trained to help FULL
and so you waste less time applying for anything (6)_____or badly paid. SUIT
Answers: 1. advertisement; 2. depending; 3. latest; 4. recruitment; 5. fully; 6. unsuitable
6. Key word transformations

Most students and teachers remark that key word transformation questions pose the
greatest challenge on any exam. They are also challenging to write. Here is an example of
such a question with the exam rubric:
Unit 24
Complete the second sentence so that is has a similar meaning to the first sentence.
Use between two and five words, including the word given, without changing it.
1 The scientist invented the solution while heating food in her kitchen.
CAME
The scientist __________________________ while heating food in her kitchen.
Answer: came up with the solution
In the above example, students will need to know the multi-word verb ‘came up with’ in
order to answer the question. Transformations are a real test of a student’s lexical and
grammatical knowledge and their ability to manipulate language. They require plenty of
practice prior to the exam so that students fully understand the type of thinking required.
(See Unit 25 for more on this.)
7. Error correction
In recent years, error correction tests have featured less frequently in many exams.
However, they can be a useful test of a student’s ability to spot where there is a mistake
and to then correct it. The most common format is a text with one mistake on each line.
Alternatively, in a text of 10 lines, candidates may be informed that three of the lines do
not have any errors. Here is the text that was shown in tips 2 and 4, adapted for this type
of question, with a mistake on every line.
(1) Over half the world’s population now lives at cities, and the constant flow of people
(2) leaving their traditional family homes in a countryside seems unstoppable. Young
(3) people in particular are going in search for an education and higher-paying careers.
(4) The impact of the older families left behind can be considerable.
Answers: at –> in; a –> the; for –> of; of –> on
8. Additional word in a line

A variation on the error correction task described in tip 7 is to add one word from every
line; students then have to indicate at the end what the extra word is. The example below
uses the same text as above, adapted for this task. Smaller words tend to be targeted with
this type of test.
There is one extra, incorrect word in each line. Delete the word and write it at
the end.
1 Over half the world’s population now it lives in cities and the constant flow of people _it__
2 leaving their traditional family homes in the countryside seems as unstoppable. Young _____
Unit 24
3 people in particular are going to in search of an education and higher paying careers. _____
4 The impact on the older than families left behind can be considerable. ______
Answers: 1 it; 2 as; 3 to; 4 than
9. Definition match
In young learner exams, the reading tests are often in the form of sentence-level
comprehension. This commonly involves students matching full-sentence definitions with
words provided. It is ultimately a test of vocabulary and reading.
10. Near synonyms

Some tests ask students to identify a near synonym of a word in bold in a given sentence.
The format is similar to a multiple-choice task, but unlike many multiple-choice grammar
and vocabulary questions, this task essentially requires students to match items rather than
complete gaps. A typical question might be:
Have you altered your presentation?

Which word is most similar in meaning to the word altered?
a written
b delivered
c given
d changed
e recorded
Answer: changed
10 things to say to students when preparing for
an exam that tests grammar and vocabulary
When you are preparing students to complete certain types of exam question, there
is plenty of useful advice you can give students. (They’ll often need telling more than
once!) Here are 10 things that teachers often need to say to students about the different
types of questions on exams that test grammar and vocabulary (see Unit 24).
1. ‘Read the instructions first.’

Students might have taken past papers many times and become used to the wording of
the instructions. However, they should still read them again in the exam. It’s reassuring and
makes sure that – under exam pressure – they don’t confuse question types.
2. ‘Read the whole sentence/text before you answer.’

When preparing students to complete a cloze text or any kind of question involving some
form of gapfill, always stress to students the need to read the whole sentence or text
before they start answering questions or completing gaps. That’s because information
later in the text might impact on earlier answers. Here’s an example of how the information
in the sentence that follows the gap gives students a clue to the answer. If the student
doesn’t read the words following the gap, they could easily waste time thinking about
what’s missing and guessing the wrong word.
I can meet him at the train station but how will I know what he ______ like? I’ve never met
him before. (Answer: looks)
Unit 25
3. ‘What type of word do you think is missing from the gap?’

With cloze tests and word formation tasks, it’s helpful if students get into the habit of
predicting the type of word that is missing in a sentence. They should ask themselves if it’s
a verb, an adverb, an adjective or a noun, for example. Identifying the word type will help
them guess the correct form of the word they need to write in.
4. ‘What are some other forms of that word? Does it have a suffix
or prefix?’
Encourage students to get into the habit of recording a new word and also looking up and
recording its different word forms. For example, when they learn the word ‘employ’, ask them
to find other forms of this word in their dictionary or to try to find other forms in a text. They
should also try out different ways of recording these new words. One way is to give each
student a word building table (see page 176 of the Appendix) to which they add words over
time. Try to start this as early as possible in the course; in this way, word formation questions
won’t come as too much of a surprise. Note that it should become routine when working on
past papers to add any of the words that appear in the word formation questions.
5. ‘Is it testing grammar or vocabulary?’

Sensitise students to the idea that some questions test aspects of grammar and some test
vocabulary. For example, sentence transformation tasks often test students’ use of the passive,
conditionals, past modals, comparative forms, reported speech, phrasal verbs, collocations
and fixed expressions. One useful task is to bring in a set of past papers with sentence
transformation tasks and to spend time with students identifying what is being tested in each
case. Once a student has established whether a task is testing grammar or vocabulary, they
can then try to identify what specific point of grammar or vocabulary is being tested.
6. ‘Before you choose an answer, decide which answers are
obviously wrong.’
With any kind of multiple-choice question, students might recognise the correct answer
straight away but it’s also worth checking why the other answers are clearly wrong. On a
typical four-option multiple-choice question, one or two answers will be obviously wrong in
some way. Once the student has narrowed things down to two options, they need to think
more carefully, but at least they will have made the choice easier.
7. ‘If you are stuck on a question, come back to it later.’

If a student is really stuck, they are wasting valuable time when they could be making sure
they are answering other questions correctly. Even if they know this, under the pressure
of an exam, some students will stop for too long on a difficult question. Over the period
of an exam preparation course, students should establish which parts of a paper they
find hardest and decide to approach those parts after they have completed the parts and
questions they feel more confident with.
8. ‘If you think there is more than one answer, you can write them both.’
It’s unlikely on most exams that a gap should have two possible answers because most
exam boards and exam writers try to avoid this. However, it can happen and so a student
Unit 25
is allowed to write both answers. However, if one of the answers is wrong, then the whole
answer is wrong. So as a general rule, students should write the answer about which they
are 100% sure, rather than worrying about whether both are correct.
9. ‘If you don’t know the answer, then guess!’

If a student really doesn’t have any idea what word needs to go in a gap or which one of
the four options in the multiple-choice question they should choose, they should always
write or choose something. Often, students feel that writing something wrong is a risk,
when in fact there’s nothing to lose, and anyway, there is always the chance they might
get it right. In many cases, a risk-averse student might even have a hunch but won’t write
their answer in. This type of student needs to be constantly reminded not to leave any
questions unanswered.
10. ‘Use the last few minutes to check your answers and avoid any
silly mistakes.’
This is good advice that you will probably give for any type of exam, but with grammar
and vocabulary tests, because students are often supplying single words or even single
letters (for example, on a multiple-choice question), it’s easy to misspell something or to
write answer ‘C’ when they meant to write answer ‘D’. Students should always build in
checking time at the end of an exam.
10 ideas for integrating grammar
in the exam classroom
In exam preparation classes, a lot of time is spent practising exam skills and doing
practice tests. Students tend to be very motivated by this type of task, and therefore
it can be quite a challenge to incorporate any type of grammar teaching that is not
explicitly relevant to a particular part of the test. However, teachers often realise that
what students would actually benefit from most at some points is not more exam
practice but actual language practice.
1. Selecting grammar points

Most exam coursebooks will incorporate some grammar, but it can be quite limited.
If you want to focus on a particular grammar point not covered by the coursebook,
but are unsure whether it is at the right level, then this website www.englishprofile.
org/english-grammar-profile, which divides grammar points into CEFR levels, can help.
As much of the data is based on a corpus of candidates’ errors in Cambridge exams, it is
particularly relevant when choosing points to focus on. Another way is to think about the
frequency with which a grammar point is likely to occur. For example, comparisons are
very common in writing tasks, but also occur frequently in many other sections of a test,
so ‘comparatives’ is a grammar point worth focusing on. Finally, take a look at examples
of one part of the test you are teaching, for example, speaking, and make a note of
structures that would commonly be needed. For example, in IELTS Speaking, part 3,
the most common question types cover grammatical areas such as the past, the future,
Unit 26
hypothesising, comparing and contrasting, and cause and effect.
2. Error correction
When you have taken in your students’ work and marked it, make a note of some of the
most common errors they have made. Select one sentence from each student’s writing and
type it into a worksheet. You may want to adapt the sentences slightly if there are too many
errors in each one. Ideally, you would select sentences with just one or two key errors. Print
out enough copies of the worksheet so that students working in pairs have one per pair. Ask
students to try to correct the mistakes in the sentences. Check the answers as a class. If you
have time, you could introduce some fun by making it into the following game: students
have to give you a number from 1 to 5 gauging how confident they are that they can correct
a particular sentence. If their correction is right, they gain that number of points. If it is
wrong, they lose that number of points. The winner is the one with the most points.
3. Practising tenses
The first part of many speaking exams focuses on familiar topics such as hobbies, holidays,
last weekend and future plans. These types of questions give students a chance to show
their ability in the three key areas: the past, the present and the future. Ask students to
draw a table with three columns. Write the following topics on the board:
My hobbies
My last holiday
My ambitions
My school days
My home
My work
My last weekend
Tell students to select three topics and to write one at the top of each column. Then
tell students to think about useful vocabulary and grammar for their answer. Elicit some
important grammar points. Then ask students to give you sentences on those topics using
the grammar point mentioned. Review any tense errors the students make. Next, on the
back of their sheet, they should write the three topics in big letters so that other students
can read them from a distance. Students should then move around the room holding up
their sheet, asking and answering questions about their chosen topics.
4. Gerunds and infinitives

Gerunds and infinitives can be a flexible and easy-to-learn language topic for speaking
about likes and dislikes. Students can easily change between talking about the past,
present and future with structures like ‘enjoy doing’, ‘like playing’, ‘prefer to go’, etc. Write
a range of verbs on the board to express likes and dislikes, for example, enjoy, prefer,
didn’t like, hate, would like and hope. Choose one verb, such as study, and show how
students can switch between past, present and future; for example:
I enjoyed studying French at school.
I enjoy studying English.
I would like to study Business.
Unit 26
Give students sets of questions that elicit these structures. In pairs, students should ask
and answer them. Possible questions could include:
What did you enjoy about school?
What subjects do you enjoy studying?
What would you like to study in the future?
What did you like playing as a child?

What do you like to do in your free time?
What hobbies do you hope to take up in the future?
5. Conditionals
It is quite common in speaking exams for students to have to hypothesise and talk about
imaginary situations. Write a sentence in the second conditional on the board. For example:
If I could meet any famous person, it would be the leader of my country.
Write the structure underneath:
If + past simple + would + infinitive without to.
Rub out the second half of the sentence and ask students to finish it with their own ideas.
Ask them to show their sentences to a partner and to explain why they would like to
meet that person. Next, write three more sentence halves on the board for students to
complete, for example:
If I had to choose one word to describe my favourite actor …

If I were the leader of my country …
If I could have any job …
Next, students write three sentences of their own using the second conditional. They share
these with a partner and discuss the ideas in them.
6. Narrative tenses
Many speaking tasks ask students to recall and tell a story from their own past. Give
students copies of the story below or display it on the board. Ask students to complete
the gaps using the past simple and past continuous. Check their answers. They then tell
their partner about a memorable journey they went on.
I remember a trip I once (1) _______ (go) on with my school. We (2) _______ (have) a two-week
exchange programme with a school in England. In the morning we (3) ______ (attend) classes,
and then in the afternoon, we (4) _______ (do) different activities. At the weekend, the school
(5) _______ (arrange) trips and visits. One weekend, we (6) ______ (take) the bus to London.
We (7) _______ (visit) different historical sites, and in the afternoon we (8) _____ (be) free to do
whatever we (9) _______ (want). While we (10) ______ (walk) around the shops we (11) _______
(check) the time very carefully. After a while, I looked at the time and saw that it (12) ______
(be) already 5pm. We were supposed to meet our teacher at 5pm! We (13) ______ (run)
back to the stop as quickly as we could and at the same time we (14) ______ (try) to call the
teacher. As we (15)_____ (turn) the corner, we (16) ______ (see) the bus drive away. One of the
Unit 26
teachers (17) _______ (stand) there looking very annoyed. The bus (18) ______ (stop), and so
we (19) _______ (take) a train home with a very angry teacher!
7. Comparatives
Many speaking and writing tasks require students to form comparative and superlative
structures. Similarly, reading and listening papers often require students to understand
concepts that involve comparison. One way to revise a range of comparative structures is
to encourage students to discuss statements involving comparisons. Give students the 10
statements below, all of which relate to topics that commonly come up in exams. Ask them
to tick the ones they agree with. Then, in pairs, students compare their opinions and give
reasons. While they are doing this, monitor the discussions and make a note of any mistakes
students make. Write a selection of these mistakes on the board and ask students to correct
them. In later lessons, you can prepare a lesson to cover any major weak areas you noticed.
1. Living in a city is better than living in the countryside.

2. Modern houses and apartments are much smaller than older ones.
3. Doctors have the most stressful job of all.
4. Old people are not as positive as young people.
5. The environment is being damaged much more rapidly nowadays.
6. Speaking online is almost as good as meeting face to face.
7. Young people are less likely to get a good job after graduating these days.
8. The longer you spend studying, the more successful you will be.
9. Today’s top sportspeople receive a lot more money than is necessary.
10. People were less stressed when there was less technology in society.
8. Present perfect
Many speaking tests ask students about their own personal experiences. As a result,
students will often need to use the present perfect simple and the present perfect
continuous. On the board, write ‘present perfect simple’ and elicit the structure used to
form this: have + past participle. Do the same for the present perfect continuous (have/
has been + verb + -ing). Write the following uses on the board and ask students to match
them to the simple or continuous form:
XX Emphasises how long (Answer: ppc)
XX Emphasises how many (Answer: pps)
XX Focuses on the activity (Answer: ppc)
XX Focuses on the result (Answer: ppc)
Copy the following questions onto the board or give them to students on a handout. They
ask and answer the questions in pairs.
1 How long have you been studying English?

2 Have you travelled anywhere this year?
3 What’s the most interesting book you have read recently?
Unit 26
4 What have you been doing to prepare for the exam?
5 How has life changed in your country in the last 10 years?
6 How has the working world changed in the last 20 years?
7 How long have you been working in your current job?
8 Have you ever learnt to play a musical instrument?
Elicit answers to the questions. Correct any mistakes made with the present perfect simple
or continuous.
9. Countable and uncountable nouns

This grammar point comes up in many exam papers in different ways. One error students
often make is with subject–verb agreement, particularly in the case of students with certain
L1s. If this is something you often find yourself commenting on in students’ work, it can
be useful to have a number of tasks prepared to revise the topic. These can be simple
controlled tasks such as:
Choose the correct option.

Despite the government strategy, unemployment have/has continued to rise.
Correct the sentence.

The data in the chart show the number of app sales per year.
Correct the sentence.
All the information _____ (take) from 2010 to 2015.
As you go through a course, create a list of sentences like this and keep them in a Word
document. You can take many of these from the students’ own work. Then, in feedback
sessions on writing (where students will have made many of these mistakes), you will
always have a set to hand for use in short practice tasks in class.
10. Pronouns and referencing

It is important for students to avoid repeating the same words over and over again in both
their speaking and their writing. Fluent speakers avoid repetition by using synonyms, or
by using pronouns to refer back to earlier ideas. These can be both personal/possessive
pronouns (you, he, she, him, it, ours, their, etc.) and reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself,
themselves, etc.). One simple task you can create to revise the use of pronouns is this: copy
out a text from a coursebook or website that provides model answers to writing questions.
This might be the coursebook you are using or an IELTS website, for example. Create your
own gapfill task by blanking out the pronouns. Put these pronouns in a box and ask students
to complete the gaps using the pronouns. You could also blank out any synonyms that have
been used to create cohesion and to provide variation in the language used.
Unit 26
“To build my students’ confidence

with the grammar items in
exams, I prepare practice tests
and ask them to work in small
groups of 3-4. I encourage them
to ask each other questions
so they learn from others.”
Magda Dygała, teacher and trainer, Poland
10 ideas for integrating vocabulary
in the exam classroom
Just as it can be hard to find time for grammar in an exam class, it can also be tricky
to fit enough vocabulary work in. However, it is important to spend time incorporating
vocabulary into your classes. Doing so also provides an opportunity to add in a game for
some light relief.
1. Academic vocabulary
There are several generic academic wordlists, such as the Academic Word List (AWL),
compiled by Averil Coxhead. These contain non-subject-specific academic words, none of
which are in the list of the 2,000 most common words in English. There are other wordlists,
but this is probably the most well known, and the one you are likely to find in coursebooks.
Due to the academic nature of the words, they are likely to make up around 10% of the
vocabulary in tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, FCE and CAE. To highlight the academic words
in a text for your students, you can enter the text into a highlighter such as the one here:
www.nottingham.ac.uk/alzsh3/acvocab/. The software can also create a gapfill text that
allows your students to practise using the words correctly.
2. Topic vocabulary
There are certain topics that recur frequently in many exams. These include health,
the environment, education, globalisation, crime, technology and society. Creating or
finding vocabulary sets that relate to each topic is useful for students. Often, a reading
Unit 27
or listening text will contain enough topic-related vocabulary to make a comprehensive
set, and so you can create a topic-related vocabulary list from them. There are also
topic-related vocabulary sets available on the English Profile website: www.englishprofile.
org/wordlists. You can select words by topic and by the CEFR level appropriate for your
class. Encourage students to make their own vocabulary topic sets, either in the form of
flashcards or in a vocabulary notebook. The brain often remembers words better when it
can make associations between them so topic-related vocabulary lists are ideal for aiding
memorisation and recall.
3. Crosswords
Crosswords can be a fun way to revise vocabulary. You can use online programs such
as the one here: www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/ to create a simple
crossword with definitions of the words. To make it more interactive, print out two copies
of the incomplete crossword that the website creates for you. On one copy, write half
of the words into the gaps. On the other one, write the remaining words. Make enough
copies of each one so that students working in pairs can have a copy of each version of
the crossword. Without showing their crosswords to each other, students define the words
in their crossword so that their partner can complete the gaps.
4. Describing words
Another way to revise vocabulary is to write target words onto individual cards. You will
need to create sets of about 50 or 60 words per group, so the easiest way is probably to
type the words into a table and then cut them up. Put students into groups of four. In each
group, students organise themselves into teams of two. The students take turns describing
words to their partner. The describer must not say the word itself, of course. Their partner
must guess the word as it is being described. While this is happening the other pair should
time one minute. If a pair describes and guesses the word correctly within one minute,
they keep the card. Next, it is the other pair’s turn to describe and guess while the first pair
keeps time. The winning pair is the one with the most cards at the end.
5. Collocation memory game

Create a set of cards displaying collocations that you would like students to learn.
For example, you could make a set of cards showing ‘academic verb + preposition’
collocations: for example, focus on, associate with, argue against, etc. On one set of
cards write the first word of each collocation; on another set of cards write the collocates.
It can help if these two sets are on different-coloured paper. Ask students to match the
collocates. When you are happy that they are all correctly matched, students spread out
the cards face-down. They then play ‘pairs’, trying to match the collocates again. When all
the pairs have been found, students write sentences using three or four of the collocations.
6. Synonyms
Many reading and listening tests require students to have a broad knowledge of
synonyms, so it’s a good idea to incorporate synonyms work into your classes wherever
possible. One way to do this is to put a set of synonyms that you want students to learn
onto cards. Put one word on each card and create one set of cards per pair of students.
Students first match the synonyms to each other. If there is time, they could then play a
Unit 27
‘pairs’ game, trying to match the synonyms again. This can be a good pre-reading task
for weaker students or a revision task for stronger students. There is a set of common
synonym cards on page 173 of the Appendix that you can use to try out this activity.
7. Task commands
Exam tasks contain many set words and phrases that indicate how a student should
approach a piece of writing (for example, account for, define, evaluate, discuss, suggest).
It is important that students understand these words and phrases when analysing the task
instructions, so it is useful to spend some time on their meaning. Copy and cut up the
cards on page 174 of the Appendix. Ask students to match the words to the definitions.
Check the answers as a class. Display two similar exam-task instructions on the board and
ask students to identify how they are different. You could use the example instructions
given below or ones that relate to a topic you are currently working on.
To what extent should the government be responsible for protecting the environment?
Summarise the main ways the government can help to protect the environment.
8. Organising vocabulary into groups

Students may find it easier to remember words if they are organised into groups. This can
be done by topic, for example, ‘people associated with crime’. Another way is to group
words by function and use. Write the following headings on the board:
Similarities Difference Addition Examples Conclusion
Write an example under one of the headings, for example, for instance under the
‘Examples’ heading, or in summary under the ‘Conclusion’ heading. Then ask students
to suggest one more for word or phrase for each of the other columns. Copy and cut up
the cards on page 175 of the Appendix. Students put these into groups according to
the headings on the board. Check the answers as a class. Students record the words and
phrases in their vocabulary books or on vocabulary cards for future use.
9. Word building
When students learn a new word they sometimes overuse the base form because that’s
the form they learnt first. It can be useful to encourage students to manipulate words into
different forms. This can help with any productive section of a test but especially sections
that focus on vocabulary and grammar. Use a table to encourage students to record
multiple forms of a word. For example, select eight to 10 items you would like students
to learn from a reading text or that you think would be useful in a writing task and create
a table for students to complete. For example, for this essay question, you could give
students the table below to complete:
To what extent should the government be responsible for protecting the environment?
Verb Noun Adjective Adverb
1 ____________ government governmental X
Unit 27
X 2 __________ responsible responsibly
protect 3 __________ protected X
X environment 4 ________ 5 _________
(See page 176 of the Appendix for a photocopiable version of a word-building table.)
10. Nominalisation
Nominalisation means changing a word into a noun. Academic English uses more nouns,
particularly abstract nouns, than other genres. This has the effect of conveying an objective,
impersonal tone. For example, instead of saying Student numbers are increasing rapidly,
an academic report might say, There has been a rapid increase in student numbers. To get
students thinking about how they might introduce more nominalisation into their written
work, write a set of adjectives on the board and ask them to tell you the noun form. These
could be related to a specific essay you are looking at or some transferable ones such as;
growing (growth), successful (success), developing (development), increasing (increase),
technological (technology), secure (security), improving (improvement). Next, ask students
to add an adjective or noun to the nouns they have written, thereby creating a collocation,
for example, internet security, economic growth, political development, etc. Check students’
collocations and ask them to incorporate three or four into complete sentences.
Reading exam preparation
Most exams include a formal reading section; some exams also require students to read a text
and respond (either in writing or verbally) in some way.
This section begins by looking at the range of genres of text and question types that are
often included in reading exams. It suggests ways in which students will need to adjust their
approach depending on the text type and the question type.
In addition, students need to develop certain key reading skills in order to maximise their
scores. For example, an ability to read quickly is crucial in exams such as CAE or IELTS because
one of the biggest challenges students face in the reading text is the volume of words they
have to read and the number of questions they have to answer in the time available.
As well as looking at common genres and question types available for assessing reading, this
section also looks at different ways to develop students’ reading skills. It also suggests ways of
improving their ability to answer both global and specific questions.
10 text types often used in reading exams
Some text types are specific to a particular exam. However, many text types are
common to multiple exams. Check the format of the exam you are preparing students
for so that you know the text types they will encounter. If you are writing your own
exams, here are some of the most common genres you might want to consider using.
1. Signs, messages, postcards, notes, emails and labels

In some exams, such as the PET exam, students have to complete simple comprehension
tasks, where they are given a range of short texts and they have to choose which sentence
is the best description of each text. This involves basic interpretation of the meaning of the
words in a sign, a note, or an email, for example.
2. Short texts and descriptions

Students are given short texts, such as descriptions of people’s requirements, to read. The
aim is to match the short texts to each person described. This type of question is common
in exams such as PET. In the BEC exam, the descriptions of people usually relate to a
requirement that they fulfil for a specific job or role (such as a particular qualification or
some work-related experience).
3. Cloze texts
Students are given a short text with some words removed. The students have to complete
Unit 28
each gap in one of two ways. One way involves students selecting words from lists of
multiple-choice items at the end of the text. Alternatively, there may be words in the margin
next to each gap; students have to manipulate the form of each word to complete the gap.
4. Graphs
Some exams require students to show their understanding of a graph in the reading
section of the exam. Unlike tasks that require students to describe and interpret a graph,
this question type asks students to match sentences to the particular graph they relate to.
5. Newspaper and magazine articles

Many longer reading texts follow the style of an opinion-based piece of journalistic writing.
Some of the comprehension questions relate to an understanding of the general meaning
of the piece. These are likely to be in the form of multiple-choice questions, paragraph
matching and note completion. When the text is journalistic in nature, however, it is also
common for questions to ask candidates to identify the author’s opinion. Such questions
are often in the form of a ‘Yes/No/Not given’ task.
6. Factual texts
Non-fiction texts are common in many reading exams. They occur in most of the
Cambridge exams and are always in the first reading text of the IELTS exam. Since they
contain facts, it is common for questions to be of the type ‘True/False/Not given’, testing
candidates on their ability to understand factual detail. These factual texts might constitute
an extract from a manual, a journal or an academic textbook.
7. Literature
Some tests, such as the Cambridge Proficiency Exam, take extracts from literature. These
might include extracts from novels and plays or a complete short story. The complete
short story format is also used in young learner exams such as the Cambridge Flyers exam.
Students often have to infer the author’s opinions from the text.
8. Business correspondence
Both BEC, BULATS and TOEIC focus heavily on business correspondence. This can include
emails, letters, newsletters and reports. As these texts can be both factual and opinion-
based, a wide range of question types can be used with each. In most business exams, the
question type is fixed to one section of the paper rather than to a particular genre of writing.
9. Picture interpretation
In many young learner exams, candidates have to respond to a picture. After looking at a
series of small pictures, they are given a range of sentences that begin: ‘This is a …’ They
have to tick the sentences that are true. Alternatively, students might be given a bigger
picture and have to write ‘yes’ or ‘no’ after sentences to show whether they think the
sentence is true or not. Candidates might also be given a series of pictures that form a
story. They then have to answer questions about the pictures.
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10. Other young learner text types
Another task common to young learner exams involves matching words to definitions.
Candidates are given more words than definitions and then have to match the words to
the correct definition. They might also be given a gapped conversation. In this situation,
all of speaker A’s sentences are provided in the correct order and the candidate must use
speaker B’s sentences (provided in random order) to complete the conversation.
“Doing well in a reading test is

often about reading the right part
of the text slowly and carefully.
It may be possible, for example,
to understand the main ideas of
a text by reading only the title,
introduction, first sentence of each
body paragraph and conclusion.”
Pete Jones, exam teacher, blogger and YouTuber.
10 question types often
used in reading exams
In general, there is a finite range of question types that will appear in exams. Students will
be familiar with some formats from their schooling, but others will be specific to certain
exams. Being familiar with the possible question types and what is expected from them
is important. Students often drop marks simply because they have misunderstood the
question. The example questions below are all based on the text in this box:
The process of growing or harvesting products for their use in biopower actually starts with
the biological process of photosynthesis. The chlorophyll in plants harnesses the power of the
sun in order to convert carbon dioxide into carbohydrates. Burning these plants then converts
the carbohydrates back into carbon dioxide and releases the energy the plant previously
captured from the sun. The sources of this energy are not limited solely to plants as animal
waste can equally be used for the same purpose.
1. Multiple choice
Multiple-choice questions can take many different forms. Students are often asked to
choose one answer from a list of three or four options, or the best two from five options, or
the best three from seven. The format may require students to choose a word to complete
a sentence, or to choose the correct answer to a question. Multiple-choice questions
usually test both general meaning and specific detail. For example:
Unit 29
Setting fire to a plant uses the energy obtained via ______.

A. carbon dioxide B. the sun C. carbohydrates
Answer: B
2. Matching headings
Students are given a list of headings that reflect the main ideas of the paragraphs or sections
of the text. Usually, there are more headings than there are sections or paragraphs in a text,
so some headings will not be used. This type of question tests the student’s ability to identify
the main ideas and to distinguish them from supporting elements. For example, students
would have to choose one of these headings to match to the paragraph above:
A. A
lternative energy B. How biofuels get and store C. How biofuels are used
sources energy by people
Answer: B
3. Matching information and features

In some exams, students have to match sentences to specific parts of a text. Each
sentence summarises a point covered in a specific part of each text. The sentences
usually focus on opinions rather than matching headings to paragraphs, they focus on
understanding specific detail rather than general meaning. The following example focuses
on facts, rather than opinions and attitudes:
1. Plants are not the only effective biofuel.
4. Identifying information
Questions that involve identifying information are similar in some ways to those that involve
matching information. Students need to match statements to specific parts of the text and
then decide whether the statements are true, false or not given, according to the text.
Students often struggle to tell the difference between ‘false’ and ‘not given’. ‘False’ means
the passage says the opposite, whereas ‘not given’ means the text neither confirms nor
contradicts the text. This question type is used with texts that are more factual. For example:
Do the following statements agree with the information in the reading

passage? Write:
True if the statement agrees with the information in the text.
False if the statement disagrees with the information in the text.
Not given if there is not any information on this.
1 Plants use a gas as a source of energy.
Answer: False – they use the sun
5. Identifying the writer’s views/claims
Unit 29
The question type used for this is often the one that requires a yes/no/not given answer. It
is slightly different from ‘true/false/not given’ in that it focuses on opinions rather than facts.
However, students similarly have problems distinguishing between ‘no’ and ‘not given’.
6. Word formation and transformation

These question types are common across many exams, especially all of the exams run by
the Cambridge exam board; however, they are not found in exams such as TOEFL or IELTS.
The word formation questions usually contain a short text and a word at the end of a line.
Students then have to use this word in the correct form to complete a sentence. In word
transformation exercises, students are given a sentence followed by a ‘key’ word and a second
gapped sentence. Students have to rewrite the first sentence using a limited number of words,
including the ‘key’ word so that it has the same meaning as the original sentence. For example:
The process of ______ or harvesting products for their use in biopower actually GROW
starts with the _______ process of photosynthesis. The chlorophyll in plants BIOLOGY
harnesses the power of the sun, which aids the _______ of carbon dioxide into CONVERT
carbohydrates.
Answers: growing; biological; conversion
7. Matching sentence endings

Students are given the first half of some sentences and asked to complete them using the
sentence endings provided. Usually, all the sentences will follow the same grammatical
pattern so that students cannot guess based on structure alone. They will need to read
the text to choose the correct sentence ending. There are usually more endings than
necessary so some will not be needed. For example:
1 Setting fire to biological matter
A. releases energy. B. causes pollution.
Answer: A
8. Gap completion
Perhaps the most common question type is gap completion. This can take a variety of
formats but in general, all types require similar skills. Tasks might include completion of
sentences, a summary, notes, a table or a flow chart. They might constitute a multiple-
choice cloze test, where students are given options to complete each gap, or they might
be in the form of an open cloze test. In the latter, students need to find the words from the
reading text to complete the gap. For example:
The _________ uses solar power to create energy.

Answer: chlorophyll in plants
9. Diagram label completion

Unit 29
For this question type, students are required to complete the gaps on a labelled diagram.
Some of the labels will already be completed and students will need to use these as
prompts to identify the words needed for the other labels. The gaps usually have a word
limit from between one and three words or a number. The diagram will be referred to in a
specific part of a text and this task tests students’ understanding of the description.
Photosynthesis Energy conversion
(1) _______ uses

the solar energy
to create sugars (2) ________ is
and starches released back into
the atmosphere
Answers: 1 Chlorophyll; 2 Carbon dioxide
10. Gapped text

Students are given a long text with a number of paragraphs removed. The paragraphs
are provided separately. The task is to put them back into the correct position in order
to create a cohesive text. The focus is on testing the student’s ability to understand the
structure and development of a text. There are often more paragraphs than necessary to
complete the text so some will not be used.
10 strategies to teach students
for the reading exam
How well a student performs in an exam that tests reading is largely down to their
abilities in the areas of grammar and lexis. However, many courses teach a range of
reading strategies that can help weaker students in particular. In this way, students avoid
losing marks unnecessarily.
1. Read the rubric carefully

Students often lose marks by simply not reading the rubric carefully. They might choose
three options instead of two or they might inadvertently write a name instead of a letter.
So it is worth asking a few questions to check students know what to do before they start a
task. For example: What is the maximum number of words you can use to complete each
gap? Can you write numbers in the gaps? Should you match the letter or the heading to
each paragraph? Do you have to change the form of the word? Do you have to use all
words to complete the summary? If students get into the habit of checking the details of
the instructions, they are more likely to do so themselves in an exam.
2. Questions first?
Some people argue that students should first read the questions before they read the text.
Others argue that students should read the text first quickly. Ultimately, both methods
work well. However, if a student is a slow reader and they read the text before looking at
the questions, they are likely to run out of time. In this case, switching to the questions first
Unit 30
can focus their reading more.
3. Skimming
Skimming is the skill of reading the text quickly to understand the general meaning. It is a
useful strategy to use when doing global comprehension tasks such as paragraph heading
matching. One problem students often have is that they slow down and start to read word by
word. Give students very strict time limits when you set a skimming task. This will force them to
read more quickly. As a rough guide, 300 words per minute is a good speed for skimming.
4. Scanning
Scanning is a skill used to locate a piece of information quickly in a text. It is something people
naturally do with everyday texts such as looking at a timetable or TV guide. In an exam it
requires students to find a specific piece of information. This piece of information is usually
something clearly identifiable such as a name, a date or a subject. As with skimming, students
often do this more slowly than they should as they start to read the text in detail. With any
text you are using in class for another activity, you can quickly practise scanning as an opening
activity. Before class, identify five or six pieces of information for students to scan for. You
do not need to create questions to go with these as it often just helps to practise locating
information quickly. Give students one minute to find and underline the pieces of information.
5. Using questions for prediction

If students read the questions first they can predict what some of the text will cover. The
questions also usually follow the order of topics in the text so students will have an idea of
the overall development of the text. Ask students to read the questions individually and to
predict the topics they think the text will cover. Next ask students to close the book or cover
the questions. In pairs, ask students to discuss what topics they think the text will cover.
6. Using headings, sub-headings and pictures
Some texts will include a main heading, sub-headings and images, and these, too, will
give an indication of the main ideas covered. Ask students to look at only these features
of a text. In pairs, students should discuss what topics they think might be covered in the
text. Students should then quickly skim the text to check their predictions.
7. Looking for synonyms

Many reading tests are largely a test of students’ knowledge of synonyms. The questions
are often written so that there are no ‘word spots’. A ‘word spot’ is when you see a key
word in one of the questions and can easily find the same key word in the text. Examiners
avoid word spots by writing questions with synonyms. Therefore, it is a good idea to get
students to underline key words in a question and to think of synonyms for these words
before reading the text in detail.
8. Using grammatical knowledge

As well as underlining key words in a question, students can also use their grammatical
knowledge to help them predict the form of the word they are looking for in gapfill tasks.
This can help with any gapfill task from summary completion to form sentence completion
to diagram labelling. Ask students to look at the words around the gap and to identify the
Unit 30
word form that comes before and after the gap. Ask students to use this, and the overall
sentence structure, to predict the word form needed for each gap. Students won’t always
be able to identify the word form, but often they can. They can then use this knowledge to
narrow their focus when reading the text.
9. Using topic sentences

Topic sentences usually occur in the first or second sentence of a paragraph and they carry
the main idea. Not all paragraphs have a topic sentence but many do. In tasks that require
students to understand the main meaning (such as paragraph matching), it can be a good
idea to ask students to first read just the topic sentences and the questions. Students can
then match the questions to possible paragraph headings before reading the text more
carefully to confirm their answer.
10. Reading speed

One reason many students drop marks in the reading section of an exam is that they run out
of time. Students in exams such as IELTS can have over 2,000 words to read and 40 questions
to answer in just one hour. Many other exams include a similarly formidable challenge in terms
of both volume of text and number of questions. It is therefore not uncommon to speak to a
student after the exam and to find out that they did not get a chance to read the final text at
all. Students can try to improve their reading speed in a number of simple ways. One way is
to read a book in English: this can be a graded reader or a normal book if their level is high
enough. Each time the student reads, they should see how much they can read in a fixed time
period, for example, five minutes. The next time they read, their aim is to read slightly more in
the same amount of time. Students should then repeat this timed activity whenever they read
until there is a noticeable improvement in their reading speed. A native speaker will read at
around 300 words per minute, whereas an intermediate speaker will often read just 60 words
per minute. Such a slow speed can also affect student’s’ overall comprehension of a text as
they tend to focus on reading at individual word level.
10 activities for developing a student’s
ability to read for global items
Reading-test items can focus on students’ understanding of the overall meaning of a

text, a section of the text or on the structure and organisation of a text. ‘Matching
headings’ tasks and gapped texts always test global understanding, but there are plenty
of other items that test global understanding. Here are 10 ways of preparing students
for tests of global understanding.
1. Cut-up texts
Some exams require students to put paragraphs into a text to produce a complete text.
This tests students’ ability to understand the main idea and to create a cohesive text. The
following idea prepares students for this task; it is also good for improving understanding in
general. Take a text that is set in clear paragraphs. If the paragraphs are labelled in order, for
example, A, B, C, etc., hide these labels. Photocopy or print out the text so that you have
enough copies for one text per pair of students. Cut the text up into individual paragraphs.
Label each paragraph with a letter, but not in the correct order, i.e. paragraph one should
not be labelled ‘A’, for example. Make a note of the correct order for checking later.
Distribute one set per pair and ask students to put the text into the correct order. You could
help students by telling them which paragraph comes first. Check the answers as a class.
2. Moving around the room

Select a text from a coursebook that requires students to match paragraph headings
Unit 31
to each paragraph. Copy the text and the headings. You will need one set of headings
that you can cut up and display randomly around the classroom. Cut up the text so that
each student has one paragraph. For larger groups, you can put students into pairs with
a paragraph per pair. Students read their paragraph. They then move around the room
looking at the headings displayed on the walls. Once they find the heading they think
corresponds to their paragraph, they stand next to it. Check the answers as a class.
3. Group matching
This idea is similar to the one above, but in this task students work in groups of four.
Copy one set of the headings per group and cut these up. Copy and cut up the text into
individual paragraphs. Students read their paragraphs and then choose the heading they
think best matches their paragraph. These tasks always have spare headings so this is a
good way to get students to discuss and think about why each paragraph matches one
heading and not another. Check the answers as a class.
4. Note taking
Reading exams often require students to re-read parts of the text multiple times.
Students need strategies to maintain a good speed, otherwise they will be slowed down
significantly. One way is to make a note of the main idea next to each paragraph. Students
can do this when they first skim-read the text. Doing this can help them to locate the
relevant paragraph quickly and easily later. Give the students three or four minutes to
skim-read the text. As they do so, they should write a few words next to each paragraph
to remind them of the main idea. When they have finished, ask students to compare their
notes with a partner. Then proceed with the reading task as normal.
5. Analyse structure
Texts typically follow quite standard structures. For example, solutions nearly always
follow problems. The first paragraph usually gives an indication as to how the text will be
structured. Knowing the text type helps students to predict the order in which information
will occur. For example, a historical text will often move from the earlier date to the
present date. A text involving future predictions nearly always places these predictions
at the end of the text. Encourage students to skim through the text and to write one or
two words next to each paragraph in relation to its function, for example, cause, effect,
comparison or prediction. Ask students to look at the questions. They should be able to
match some or all questions to paragraphs based on the function alone. They will then
have a better idea of where to look for the answer.
6. Identifying sections
Summary completion questions require students to complete a summary of the main
text either by finding words from the text or by using given words. In tests such as IELTS
the summary completion task could make up seven or eight marks of the 14 available
on a particular text. They do not usually relate to the whole text; instead, they focus on
a section of the text. With these questions, students can often identify which part of the
text is being summarised by paying attention to the other questions. For example, if the
Unit 31
first set of questions related to a reading text are the summary completion task and the
later ones are multiple choice, then the summary must relate to the start of the text. If
students read the summary, they will know the final idea mentioned and be able to identify
the point in the text that relates to the end of the summary. Equally, if the summary
completion task is in the second half of the questions, then by reading the first line or two
of the summary and the topic sentences in the text, students will be able to identify where
it starts. Encourage students to start by identifying the beginning and end of the section
the summary refers to so that they know which part to focus on.
7. Summary writing
To check whether students have understood the main ideas of a text, you can ask students
to write their own summary. Ideally, students should aim for one sentence (or at most
two sentences) per paragraph. This type of task will help students to distinguish main
ideas from supporting detail. Before the lesson, prepare your own summary of a text for
students to use as a comparison later. For a text of around 800 words, give students ten
minutes to read the text and ten minutes to summarise it. In pairs, students should then
compare their summaries to see whether they have selected the same points. Display your
own summary and ask students to compare the points made.
8. Writing headings
Distribute the same reading text to each student. Make sure the text has paragraphs
labelled 1, 2, 3, etc. or A, B, C, etc. Ask students to read the whole text. On small pieces
of paper, write the corresponding letters or numbers of each paragraph and distribute
these randomly around the class so that each student has a letter or number. Students
write a short sentence or heading that summarises the paragraph they have been
allocated. In groups of four to six, students show each other their heading. The others
have to work out which paragraph matches each heading.
9. Prediction
Choose a text that includes a heading, subheadings and a picture. Ask students to predict
the content of the text based on these. Students compare their predictions with a partner.
Individually, they then read the text to see if they predicted the main idea correctly.
10. Deleted topic sentences

Take a reading text (from a past paper, a coursebook or an exam preparation book) that
has clear topic sentences for each paragraph. Type out the topic sentences onto a separate
sheet. On the reading text, cover the topic sentences and make copies of the text with these
removed. Cut up the topic sentences so that they are on individual slips of paper. Give each
pair one copy of the text and one set of topic sentences. Students read the text and match
the topic sentences to the correct paragraphs. Check the answers as a class.
“One way to increase students’

reading speed is to mark every
ten lines of a text. Then ask
students to read and say ‘next’
every 30 seconds so students
Unit 31
realise how quickly they need
to read ten lines of text.”
Nick Thorner, exam teacher and course book
author
10 activities for developing a student’s
ability to read for individual items
Some reading tasks require students to read for specific information rather than global
meaning. This task type can come in a wide variety of question formats, but whatever
the format, the reading skills needed are common to all.
1. Underlining key words

Many questions that involve finding a specific piece of information will require the students to
carefully analyse the question first. Ask students to read through the questions and underline
the key words. Next, students quickly skim-read the text. Set a strict time limit, otherwise
students tend to read too slowly. For example, give them five minutes for an 800-word text.
Next, ask the students to match paragraphs in the reading text with corresponding questions
(based on the key words they underlined when they were skimming the text). Finally, students
read the text carefully to find the sentences that answer the questions.
2. Brainstorm synonyms
As an extension to the activity described in tip 1, put students into pairs and ask them to
brainstorm synonyms of the words they have just underlined. As the questions will largely
contain synonyms of the words from the reading text, doing this will often help students
to identify the relevant sentence. It’s good to get students into the habit of doing this
regularly for all types of questions, as many question types rely on synonym knowledge.
Unit 32
3. ‘Not given’ questions

‘True, false, not given’ and ‘yes, no, not given’ are common question types in many exams.
In these questions, each item constitutes a statement, and students have to refer to the
text to establish whether that statement is true or false, or not given in the text. ‘Yes, no,
not given’ are the options where the statements relate to the author’s opinions. The part
that usually trips students up in this question type is ‘not given’. This can happen for two
reasons. Firstly, there is usually a part of the text that contains similar vocabulary to the
‘not given’ statement, but that part is not actually about the same topic as the statement.
Explain to students that most correct answers will not usually have any words that are
exactly the same as those in the text. The second reason is that the statement or question
often sounds like it should be true or false (or answered ‘yes’ or ‘no’) based on a typical
reader’s general knowledge of the topic, so students might be tempted to answer based
on their external knowledge. When you encounter a question like this, discuss the possible
options with the class before they read. Ask them which ones sound plausible. Then ask
students to read the text to check their answer. Explain that they must choose answers
based on what appears in the text. They cannot rely on their external knowledge because
the text might say something completely different or unexpected.
4. Discussing multiple-choice questions

Often two or three of the options in a four-option multiple choice question will be very
similar in meaning. Before students read the text, highlight options that are similar in
meaning. Ask students to explain to a partner how the meaning of the words in the answer
options differs. To do this, students will have to think carefully about each option and use
synonyms. (Being able to do this will be useful once they get to the reading stage as well.)
Elicit the differences from the class and check the students’ explanations. Set the reading
task and check the answers as a class.
5. Gapped texts
Some tasks remove whole paragraphs, while others remove individual sentences. Where
sentences are removed, there will be at least one extra sentence that the students do not
need to use. To complete this type of task, students need to use logic, as well as clues in
the sentences before and after each gap. For example, consider the phrases a number of
and these occasions, and how students can use them as clues to help them select the right
sentence. For example:
a number of: the sentence will probably contain reference to more than one thing.
these occasions: determiners such as these or this refer back to a previous noun.
Moreover, the word occasions is likely to be a synonym or a summary word relating to a
previous group of nouns referring to types of occasion.
Ask students to read through the sentences before and after each gap in a text and to
underline words that refer back to ideas mentioned earlier or forwards to ideas mentioned
later in the text. They should also look for possible synonyms. Set the task and check the
answers as a class.
6. Eliminating wrong answers

Questions that test students’ understanding of a specific part of a text will often require
Unit 32
students to re-read the text multiple times. This is especially true for tasks such as multiple
choice and multiple matching. ‘Obvious’ answers are often a trap, and so the text should
be read carefully. Encourage students to systematically reject each one by finding a part of
the text that contradicts that option. Tell students that they should always be able to justify
their choice with supporting evidence from the text. When checking answers, do not allow
students to simply answer ‘A’ or ‘B’; ask them to explain why they chose the answer they
did and why the other answers are wrong.
7. Using the conclusion

‘Yes, no, not given’ questions are different from ‘true, false, not given’ questions in that
they focus on the author’s opinion rather than facts. The concluding paragraph often gives
the author’s opinion very clearly and can be used to help with these tasks. Ask students to
read the conclusion individually. They then read the questions and predict whether they
think the author is likely to agree or disagree with each opinion. In pairs, students compare
their predictions and give reasons. Lastly, students read the text and answer the questions.
8. Labelling graphics
Some reading tests ask students to label a graphic that relates to the text. The graphic will
often be related to a specific section of the text. The missing words are often nouns. Ask
students to look at the diagram carefully and to explain to another student what the graphic
shows. Next, students read the text and identify the part that is related to the graphic.
Once they have identified the correct part, they look back at the graphic. Some parts of the
graphic will already be labelled. Students then find those labelled parts in the reading text.
This should help them to identify which words they need in order to fill the gaps.
9. Sentence endings
This task requires students to match sentence halves based on their comprehension of a
text. They are provided with a set of sentence beginnings and a set of sentence endings,
and they are required to match the halves to make a set of complete sentences. Tell students
that they should start by reading only the sentence beginnings. Working with a partner, they
discuss and predict how each sentence might end. Next, they read the endings, trying to
identify any that are similar to their predictions. Remind students that the questions are in
the same order as the text. So, once they have found the answers to some of the questions,
they can use these to help locate answers to the other questions. Using synonyms and
keywords, students should carefully read the text to help them match each ending.
10. Matching names

Some task types require students to match a person to a specific statement about that
person’s research or opinions. Students should first focus on the names in the questions,
then scan the reading text and underline the names in the text. Some names will appear
more than once, so they should underline every instance of the name being mentioned.
Encourage students to begin by focusing on the names that appear only once, as these
should be easier to answer. Students should then read the sentences before and after
the name to identify where the person’s research or opinion is mentioned. Next, students
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should go back to the statements and find the one that matches that person’s research or
opinion. They then repeat the procedure for each of the other names.
“When teaching reading in exam

classes, it’s a good idea for a
teacher to attempt the range of
questions before the lesson. For
example, make sure you do a
reading question and know why
the answers are the way they are
before you take it into class so you
can explain it to students without
eating up too much class time”
Mersedeh Badrian, senior teacher, British Council,
Penang, Malaysia
Listening exam preparation
The skill of listening is perhaps one of the hardest to teach because it’s often hard to identify what
is causing any difficulties. On an exam course we tend to play the recordings, set the questions,
and students either get the answer right or wrong. When they get them wrong, how can we
identify what the specific issues are, and, once identified, help students to overcome them?
This section begins by outlining the typical text types and question types that can be found in
many examinations, or that you might want to include in your own exams if you are writing them.
We then move on to looking at practical ways of helping students develop their listening skills
in the context of exam preparation. A range of listening activities are provided and these
make use of the exam recordings beyond their original purpose. They can add variety to your
language lessons and help to focus on key aspects of the exam.
The two final units provide ideas to help students with listening for general meaning alongside
‘micro-listening’ skills, which aid in listening for specific information and inferring meaning.
10 text types often used in listening exams
Most listening exams use pre-recorded audio and a variety of text types. Usually the
scripts have been written so the texts are graded to the level of the exam and don’t
include many features of real speech (such as fillers, repetition or false starts). If you
are designing and writing your own listening exams, you might decide to use some
recordings of real speech, but note that using real speech makes it difficult to control for
any target language and features of speech you want to assess your students on. This
unit describes 10 typical text types that appear in listening exams. The list is organised
from the most commonly used text types (such as a conversation between two people)
through to the types that rarely appear but may still be included (such as an extract
from a TV quiz show). If you are preparing your students for mainstream exams such as
IELTS, or the Cambridge English exams, check the exam literature for a complete list of
what text types might be included.
1. A social conversation between two speakers

This common listening text type involves an everyday conversation between two people.
Normally it’s a social situation that includes some basic functional language (for example,
requesting, suggesting, etc.). Alternatively, it might involve two people talking about
something that happened to one of the speakers, with the other person asking questions.
2. A short monologue with one speaker

Unit 33
Some listening papers consist of a variety of speakers giving short monologues on a topic.
Typically, each speaker expresses a different view on a topic or a different experience of
something; for example, they might each comment on and compare their feelings about
traditional shopping versus online shopping.
3. A discussion with three or four speakers

Recordings involving three or more speakers become quite challenging because there are
no visual cues to help students recognise the different speakers. Often, recordings like this
will mention of the names of the speakers (for example, speakers address each other by
name), and they will include a variety of male/female voices and accents.
4. Lectures, presentations, speeches, talks

These listening text types come under the category of ‘monologues’ (see tip 2 above),
but they often tend to be longer and appear in exams that are aimed at academic or
professional English. They might constitute a university lecturer talking about a subject or
a businessperson presenting on an aspect of management. The listening shouldn’t require
any specialised knowledge of a subject for understanding, but students often find the
length quite challenging.
5. An interview
The interview format is similar to that describes in tip 1 above, but the language used
tends to be more formal. It could be an interview between a journalist and someone who
has a special skill or ability, or it could be an interview for a new job or a place on a course.
This text type often appears in exams that focus on English for work and business.
6. Voicemail messages
A recording of a short voicemail message is often used to check if students can listen and
write down names, dates, places and numbers. It’s often used in business English exams,
but the format also appears in more general listening papers from time to time.
7. Instructions, advice and getting information

One category of listening text type that is used in many exams involves someone giving
instructions (for example, on how to complete a task) or advice (for example, on good
places to go for a holiday). Sometimes, the format includes a second speaker asking for
directions or looking for advice on how to do something.
8. Stories or anecdotes
Students might have to listen to either a whole story or one that is part of another
listening, where someone tells an anecdote or reports back on something that happened
to them. For this reason, students should become used to listening to extended stretches
of speech, where the speaker tells a story or – more likely – an anecdote about something
that happened to them recently.
9. Radio and TV news and documentaries
Unit 33
Some exams include recordings that are presented as something you might hear on
the radio or see on TV. A documentary format is popular (similar to the ‘lecture’ format
described in tip 4) with an expert talking on a subject or an extract from a news report.
These types of listening are usually scripted, but one way to prepare students for them is
to bring in recordings from real radio and TV broadcasts.
10. Other media-based listenings

Students might have to listen to recordings based on other types of radio or TV show,
or on podcasts. These text types can include adverts, parts of quiz shows, or plays and
dramas. While these formats are less commonly used in exams, they can appear, so it’s
worth including a certain amount of this type of material in your exam preparation lessons.
10 question types often
used in listening exams
The best-known exams divide the listening exam into three or four separate parts, with
each part using a different question format. Students need to be familiar with the formats
that are used and what is expected of them. Here are the 10 most commonly used question
types that appear in exams or that you could use if writing your own exam questions.
1. Multiple choice
This is the most-used question type in listening exams. Usually there is a question and
three (or sometimes four) options. The basic format of the question will usually look
something like this:
1. Why does the speaker dislike commuting to work?
A. It takes too long by car.
B. The roads are always busy.
C. There aren’t enough buses.
Note that in lower-level exams and exams for younger learners, instead of sentences, a
choice of three visuals is sometimes provided.
2. True/false questions
Questions that require only ‘true’ or ‘false’ as an answer are often avoided in exams because
there’s a choice of only two answers as opposed to multiple choice, which provides several
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options. However, they are sometimes used in exam for lower levels. Exams such as IELTS
might also include a task where the listener is provided with five or six sentences and they
have to tick the two sentences that are true according to the recording.
3. Open questions
Some exams include open comprehension questions, but they are still limited in that the
instructions state how many words a student should use in their answer. (Otherwise, it
makes marking the answers too difficult.) Open questions tend to appear more in lower-
level exams; for example, if students have listened to a short biography of someone’s life,
the questions might look something like this:
1. In what year was he born?

2. Which city did he come from?
3. How old was he when he left home?
4. Sentence completion
Students listen to a recording and complete sentences. The order of the sentences
reflects the order in which the information appears in the listening, but the wording of the
sentences is not the same as the listening, that is, the task rarely involves simply listening
and writing as if it were a dictation. Instead, students need to identify the key words in
the rest of the recording that are needed to complete the sentence. So, in the example
question below, the student won’t hear the exact words given in the sentence; instead, the
student has to listen for the part of the recording where Richard is speaking about ways of
travelling to work and identify the key word, which is ‘faster’.
1. Richard says that he thinks cycling to work is popular in his city because it’s ________.
5. Multiple matching
Multiple matching questions are commonly used when the listening task includes different
people (usually four or five) talking briefly about the same subject. So, for example, if
students have listened to four speakers talking about a mistake they made recently, the
question might ask candidates to listen and match each speaker to a different answer
(A–D), like this:
Speaker 1 A. driving the wrong way up a small street

Speaker 2 B. giving someone too much money by accident
Speaker 3 C. writing down the wrong date and time for a meeting
Speaker 4 D. getting on the wrong train
Note that in some exams, the question is made harder by the inclusion of an extra,
incorrect answer that doesn’t correspond to any of the speakers’ stories.
6. Filling in a form
Some listening text types lend themselves to a form-completion task. A voicemail message
played in a business English exam, for example, would probably require students to complete
sections of a message pad. Another text type that lends itself to form completion might be an
Unit 34
interview in which the interviewer asks a course applicant for their personal details. In this case,
the question consists of a form with numbered spaces for the missing information.
7. Note completion
Listening to a lecture or presentation and taking notes is a realistic task for students who
need English for academic or professional purposes. One question format that assesses this
ability involves giving students a set of incomplete notes that they have to complete (usually
with between one and three words) as they listen. It’s similar to the sentence-completion
format in tip 4 above, but the question usually appears in the form of partially written notes.
8. Tables
One variation on the form-filling and note-taking formats described in tips 6 and 7 above
involves providing students with a table of information with some sections missing. In
this example from a low-level exam, students listen to information about three holiday
destinations and complete the table.
Type of holiday Length Activities
Holiday 1 camping (1)__________ hiking and (2)__________
Holiday 2 (3)________ seven days clubbing and (4)________
Holiday 3 adventure (5)__________ (6)________
9. Diagrams
On academic-orientated exams, candidates might have to listen to a short lecture or talk
and complete the missing information in a diagram that combines images and words.
The diagram might represent a process or a theory, for example,
Hydroelectricity production
(1)
(2)Water turbine
(3)
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10. Charts and graphs

Exams that test candidates’ skills in English for work and business can include descriptions
of visual slides in a presentation. The question shows a slide displaying a graph or chart.
Some information is missing and students have to listen to the talk and write in the missing
information. For example, the visual could be a pie chart with the percentages missing, or
a bar chart with headings for different parts missing.
10 strategies to help students before,
during and after listening
As well as providing students with plenty of general listening practice and practice with
past papers, you can help them to develop a variety of useful strategies. Some of them
might seem obvious to the students, but under the pressure of the exam it can be easy
for a candidate to forget them, so make sure they become a habit. Tips 1 to 3 constitute
good advice for most kinds of listening exam. Tips 4 to 6 are about prediction strategies
and awareness of how listening exams often work. The final tips relate to specific types
of listening exams, both in terms of the level and the type of questions that are often
included. Tell students about these strategies and draw attention to any of them when
working on past papers.
1. Familiarity with instructions

In most listening exams the instructions for each question are read out, so students can read
the instructions and listen at the same time. For students who have had lots of exam practice
with past papers, this should be a moment where they feel very familiar with the content
of the exam and can prepare themselves mentally for what is to follow. Some students find
it reassuring to underline key information at this stage, such as the length of the exam, the
number of questions they will have to answer, or what exactly the question requires.
2. First listening and second listening

Most listening exams allow students to listen to the recording twice. On the first listening,
Unit 35
students should only write the answers they are certain of; they should make notes in
pencil for any answers that they are less sure of. They can then use the second listening to
confirm the pencilled-in answers.
3. After listening
If a student still has a missing answer after a second listening, they should make a sensible
guess and write something anyway – they might get a mark for a good guess. Encourage
students to use the time afterwards to check for any errors; this is especially true for
questions where students write a word or phrase and need to avoid spelling mistakes. If
the exam requires students to transfer their answers to a separate answer sheet, this is a
good moment to check spelling at the same time.
4. Listening for specific information or listening for gist

The phrases ‘listening for specific information’ and ‘listening for gist’ often appear in
teacher methodology books, but they are less prevalent in course materials for students.
On exam courses, it’s worth teaching students terms like ‘specific information’ and ‘gist’
(and what the terms mean) so that they begin to understand what a question is testing.
Some exam questions (such as form filling or sentence completion) ask students to listen
for key words, whereas others require them to understand the general meaning, or ‘gist’.
5. Underline key words in the question

In some listening exams, students have time to read the paper before they listen, so they
should take advantage of this. Before they listen, students should read the questions and
underline any key words that give clues as to what the listening is about and what type of
language they need to listen for. For example, on a lower-level exam, if the task is form
filling, they need to think about whether they are listening for a name, a number, or a date.
At higher levels, they should underline key words in a question. They won’t necessarily
hear the same word in the listening, but they should think about the type of lexical set a
key word belongs to, and any synonyms or expressions they would expect to hear. So with
a question like ‘How did the man feel about the film?’, the student might underline ‘feel
about’ and start to think about words and expressions that describe feelings and attitudes.
6. Reformulating questions into sentences

Another prediction technique that students can use on listening questions is to turn a
question into a statement, in order to predict the type of language they might hear in the
listening. So, for example, if the listening is on the subject of an invention, there could be
a question such as: ‘Why did Louis Pasteur become interested in microbiology?’ In order
to predict the type of language they might hear in the recording, students can reformulate
the question into likely sentences: His interest in microbiology grew as a result of … / As a
young scientist, Pasteur started to study bacteria ….
7. Predicting distractors
Most listenings – especially ones at higher levels – will include information that tries to
distract a student and cause them to answer incorrectly. For example, if the question asks
candidates to identify someone’s job, it is likely that the listening will mention more than
one job. Students should be trained to expect this.
Unit 35
8. Reformulated answers
With higher-level listenings where students have to complete a sentence or fill a gap, a
word from the listening is usually required, but students need to be aware that the other
words in the sentence will be written differently or reformulated. In the example below,
notice how the relevant extract from an exam listening is different from the wording in the
sentence completion task:
Listening:
‘... I turned up in jeans and a T-shirt, but all the other people were dressed in formal suits
and dresses …’
Sentence to complete:
Everyone else at the party was wearing _______ clothes.
9. Inferring meaning
Often, a question will expect the candidate to infer the opinion or viewpoint of a speaker
in some way. This is especially true with a multiple matching question. For example:
A. The man strongly disagrees with the company’s new proposal for flexitime.
In many exams, the actual listening is unlikely to include an explicit ‘disagreeing’ phrase
like ‘I disagree with …’ Instead, students will need to infer the speaker’s meaning from a
sentence such as:
‘What are they thinking when they suggest that everyone can be in charge of their own
schedule?’
Such a listening might also rely on a particular kind of intonation (here, probably angry),
which can also give clues.
10. Structure of listening text types
Students should be familiar with a variety of listening text types (see Unit 33) and, in
particular, they should know where to locate the key information in order to answer a
question. If the listening is an extended lecture or talk, for example, the candidate will
probably have to answer a series of questions (for example, multiple choice or sentence
completion). The answers will be evenly spread throughout the listening, so students
should anticipate this by listening for answers throughout the talk rather than listening
mainly to one part or another. On the other hand, with a listening that has only one
question (forming part of a task where you hear a series of multiple short listenings), it is
unlikely that the answer will be in the first or second sentence; it’s more likely to be about
two thirds of the way through.
“Comparing the speech with the

text is a great way of ‘noticing’.
Students can notice how words
sound different when they are in
connected speech and there’s no
Unit 35
‘white space’ between them.”
Jane Ward, exam teacher, UK
10 activities for developing listening
skills with exam recordings
When you use exam recordings in class, you will normally use them with the exam questions
in order to provide students with exam practice. However, at the beginning of a course,
students might find the listening tasks very hard and quickly become disheartened. There
are several ways to develop their listening skills and confidence before using actual exam
questions. Here are 10 ideas for re-using the recordings from exams in different ways.
Having done these kinds of activities, students will often find the challenge less daunting
when you try out a real exam listening with the actual exam questions.
1. Predict the content

Choose seven or eight words that are spoken in the recording and write them on the board.
They should be words that carry strong meaning, such as nouns or adjectives. Put students
in pairs or groups and ask them to guess what the connection is between the words. They
report back to the class with their ideas. Then play the recording for them to see if they were
right. This task highlights the benefits of predicting the content of the listening and the value
of using information that appears in the exam questions to aid comprehension.
2. Cold listening
Unlike the activity in tip 1, this activity provides the students with no clues. Instead, play
the listening and ask students to listen to the recording ‘cold’ and then say what they
think it is about. If you think they need more guidance than this, write some general gist
Unit 36
questions on the board:

XX What is the topic?
XX Who is speaking?
XX What is the speaker’s purpose? (for example, to express an opinion, to report back, etc.)
The aim is to develop students’ natural gist-listening skills and to approach any listening with
strategies that enable them to take away at least some useful information first time around.
3. Guess the text type

Choose six different listenings from different past papers of the exam your students are
preparing for. Each should demonstrate a different text type (see also Unit 33 on text
types). They need to be short extracts taken from longer recordings. Write the text types
on the board, for example:
a quiz
a talk
a complaint
a chat
a story
a news report
Play the six recordings. Students listen and match the recordings to the different text
types. As an extension, play the recording again with students noting down any language
that gives them clues as to the text type.
4. Listen and read
Sometimes, students find it helpful to listen to the recording and read the script at the same
time. This is reassuring at the beginning of a course when you are introducing the types of
listenings they should expect in the exam. It’s also a useful activity to do after students have
done a past paper; it’s interesting for them to hear and see exactly what was said.
5. Rearrange the script

Make a copy of the audioscript for a recording and cut it up into separate sentences. Give
sets of the cut-up script to different groups and ask them to rearrange the sentences into
what they think will be the correct order. Then play the recording for them to check their
answers. This type of listening task draws attention to the importance of discourse features
in spoken texts such as presentations, talks and dialogues, encouraging students to notice
how different listening text types are structured in particular ways.
6. Perform the script

Following on from tip 5, students could take turns to read the script aloud, each time
reading it in different ways. Students could also work in pairs with one student reading
the script and the other trying to answer the exam questions by listening to their partner
reading it aloud. It’s a fun way to integrate some speaking practice into the lesson and
Unit 36
raises students’ awareness of how a text is delivered.
7. Get inside the examiner’s mind

Put students in pairs and give each pair a copy of the listening script. Tell students to
prepare a set of exam-type questions that they will give to another pair. You can be
prescriptive and tell everyone to do multiple-choice questions, for example; alternatively,
you can let students decide on question types. When students have written their exam
questions, they swap them with another pair. Play the recording. Students try to answer
the questions they have been given. As well as getting valuable listening practice,
students also start to think about how exam questions are written – how they focus on
particular information in a listening.
8. Listen for the answer to your questions

Tell the students you are going to play a recording about a certain topic. Tell them what
the topic is, but don’t give them too much detail; for example:
‘You are going to be listening to a talk about how something is made.’
Ask students to write five questions they would like answered by the recording; for example:
What is made?
Where does the person make it?
How does the person make it?
Does he/she need special equipment?
How useful is it?
Play the recording. Students listen to see which of their questions are answered and,
if they are, what the answers are. This activity encourages students to approach exam
listenings with an enquiring mind and the strategies to listen out for key information.
9. Predict the words

As a variation to tip 8, tell students what the listening is about and ask them to write ten
words they expect to hear the speaker use. These should constitute a range of nouns,
adjectives and shorter words, such as pronouns. Students listen and tick any of the words
they predicted correctly.
10. Jigsaw listenings

With much longer recordings from exams or listenings with more than one speaker, you
can start students off by working in pairs (Student A and Student B). Tell Student A to
listen for a certain type of information (for example, what one of the speakers thinks
about a topic) and Student B to listen for some other information (for example, what the
other person thinks). Alternatively, give some questions to Student A and some different
questions to Student B. Play the recording. The two students listen for the information
they require. When the listening is finished, they tell each other what they heard. Play
the recording again. Students add more details or answers and report back to each other
again until both students have a complete understanding of the text. This activity makes
Unit 36
the task slightly less challenging and more supportive, so it’s a great way of practising
listening early on in a course.
“Before beginning tasks, remind

students how much they bring to
a listening through their own prior
knowledge. Have them discuss
as a class, or in pairs, what they
expect to hear in a particular
context – ask them to focus on
probable stance, perspectives,
and high-frequency vocabulary.”
Richard Storton, exam teacher and author
10 activities to improve micro-listening skills
When you’re providing students with listening practice and developing their listening
skills, it’s common to find that they understand the main gist of the recording but they
cannot answer an exam question correctly. This is because the questions often involve
understanding one small section of the listening. When thinking about these two ways
of listening (i.e. listening for gist and listening for detail), we often contrast ‘top-down
processing’ and ‘bottom-up processing’. ‘Top-down processing’ refers to the idea that you
can make sense of a text through applying your knowledge of the topic and by making
sensible guesses and predictions. For example, if you know you are going to listen to a tour
guide talking to a group of tourists, you can predict that you might hear vocabulary relating
to tourist sites, culture and history. With ‘bottom-up processing’, the listener requires
linguistic knowledge relating to individual aspects of vocabulary, grammar and – especially
with listening – pronunciation. It’s this bottom-up processing (or ‘micro-listening’) that
causes students so much difficulty and leads to the loss of marks in an exam. Here are some
ways to focus students’ attention on this area of listening so that they can improve their
micro-listening skills. Note that the majority of tips below are aimed at improving students’
receptive pronunciation skills, which is fundamental to micro-listening.
1. Vocabulary
Failure to understand a particular word in a listening might mean the difference between
answering correctly or incorrectly. Telling students to guess any unknown words from
Unit 37
context may be good advice, but it won’t always result in their opting for the correct
meaning. The only real solution is for students to learn as much vocabulary for the exam as
possible. When working in class with exam listenings that contain unknown words, always
use this as an opportunity. Students should note the word down in a notebook and make
sure they know the meaning, the use and the form.
2. Grammar
As with vocabulary, failure to recognise a particular grammatical structure in a listening
might mean that a student answers incorrectly. This is especially true with regard to
understanding the functional use of a structure. For example, if a student confuses ‘I
prefer …’ with ‘I’d prefer …’ they won’t distinguish between the fact that one refers to
an everyday preference and the other refers to a preference at the moment of speaking.
This could affect the candidate’s answer to a question that tests recognition of a speaker’s
purpose, for example. As with vocabulary in tip 1, where students have such problems,
take the opportunity to draw their attention to the cause, and explain the reasons for
possible confusion.
3. Individual sounds
The inability to hear and discriminate between individual sounds is often the root cause
of difficulties with listening comprehension. It’s an area of language development that
cannot usually be improved quickly, but must be dealt with over time. Let’s take the
same example given in tip 2 : the phrase ‘I prefer …’ versus ‘I’d prefer …’. In some cases,
students might not know the difference in meaning between the two phrases. However, it’s
much more likely that they will fail to hear the /d/ sound in the contracted form ‘I’d’. You
can address this kind of problem in two ways: (1) spend time working with students on all
44 individual phonemes in English, or at least the phonemes that cause the most difficulty
to your students depending on their first language, or (2) look at the effect of individual
phonemes on comprehension as they appear in a recording. To help students notice the
impact of such sounds, it’s always useful for them to listen again afterwards while reading
the audioscript (see also Unit 35, tip 4).
4. Chunking the listening

Another way to make the difficult parts of a listening more manageable is to isolate the
problem area of the pronunciation as a chunk of language. For example, when there is one
part of the listening that is causing problems, write it on the board and mark the tone groups.
A: / Do you fancy going out for dinner / or maybe to see a film?/
B: / I’m not sure. / I think I’d prefer to stay home. / Is there anything good on TV?/
Breaking the listening down into chunks in this way allows you to focus on the problematic
parts. You can also ask students to identify which of the five chunks is important for
answering the exam question.
5. Linking and connected speech

Once you’ve identified the chunk (or tone unit), you can analyse how the speaker is
saying it and what features of connected speech may be making comprehension more
Unit 37
difficult. For example, the phrase: ‘Do you fancy going out for dinner?’ includes connected
words, so it could be marked up on the board like this with the linking and key phonemes
highlighted to indicate where words are connected:
/dzə/ /w/
Do_you want to go_out for dinner?
6. Sentences stress
Following on from tip 5, if you isolate a difficult part of the listening, you can also
encourage students to notice the two main sentence stresses by marking it up like this:
Do you FANCY going out for DINNER?
You can also show students how meaning changes by saying the same sentence with
a different sentence stress. This is useful as a way of building awareness when listening
for implied meaning in exams. For example, notice how the two stress patterns in these
identical sentences imply two different meanings:
Do you fancy going OUT tonight? ( = an invitation to go out rather than stay in)
Do you fancy going out toNIGHT ( = a suggestion to change the plan to a different night)
7. Intonation
Once you’ve marked the sentence stress, you can also indicate the rise and fall of the
intonation in a sentence which rises on the nucleus of the tone unit shown in block capitals.
Do you fancy going out for DINner?
Note that more detailed work on intonation will be needed if the speaker uses intonation
to express a certain type of attitude. This is the sort of thing that could form the basis of a
question at more advanced levels, for example, ‘How does the speaker feel about …?’
8. Hand over control of listening

Typically, in an exam lesson the teacher controls the recording from beginning to end,
reflecting the format of the exam. However, sometimes you could let a student press
‘play’ or stop the recording when there’s a section they don’t understand and they need to
hear it again. Handing over control of the listening in class works best with small groups.
Another option is to make the exam listenings used in class available to students so
they can listen to them at home. That way they can listen again and stop and replay any
sections they want to hear again.
9. Dictation
Traditional dictation is a great language practice activity because it combines listening,
writing, reading and speaking – if you have students read back what they have written
down. In terms of listening, it is especially beneficial for bottom-up processing because
students have to listen for every single word. Choose a short extract of around 50–60
words (depending on the level) from an exam listening – maybe a monologue or a short
talk. Play it a number of times. Students try to write it down word for word. This activity is
Unit 37
highly effective for developing detailed listening skills and for helping students to become
aware of the features of connected speech.
10. Gapped dictation

A useful variation on tip 9 is not to have students write every word but to give them a
version of the audioscript with gaps. You could gap key vocabulary or grammar or, if you
wanted to focus in on features of connected speech, you could gap those sections and
students would have to listen carefully and fill them in. It’s also a useful way to highlight
certain linguistic features you want to focus on afterwards in a lesson. For example, using
the earlier extract in tip 4, you could gap it like this to focus on the parts where pairs of
words are connected:
A: _______ _______ fancy _______ _______ for dinner, or maybe to _______ _______
film?
B: I’m not sure. I _______ _______ prefer to stay home. Is _______ _______ _______
_______ TV?
Speaking exam preparation
Of all the types of exams referred to in this book, the speaking exam is the one that differs
most from all the others. This is because it involves working face to face with the examiner,
or speaking into a computer while recording yourself. Although it’s stressful for students, it’s
worth noting that many speaking exams follow similar formats. In some ways, then, it can be
quite predictable in terms of the range of topics (which shouldn’t involve any specialist content
knowledge) and the formats for speaking (which are normally question and answer, short one-
minute talks and controlled discussion of a subject based on some kind of prompt).
This section begins by looking at what a student can predict in terms of questions and content,
and then suggests a range of classroom activities that will help students develop fluency and
an ability to talk on a range of topics that regularly appear in speaking exams. The activities
also focus on speaking skills such as listening and responding, and other ways of participating
actively in a discussion.
The final units look at how speaking exams are typically graded, and how to give useful feedback
in class in order to improve students’ performance in the key areas of a speaking exam.
10 tips and activities on predictable
language used in speaking exams
Speaking tests vary in format and content, depending on the exam. The candidate might
have a one-to-one interview with the examiner, or they might be working with another
student. Most students will be nervous before an exam in which they are going to have
a conversation with someone they’ve never met before on a wide range of subjects. For
this reason, it’s often useful to point out to the student how much of the speaking exam
is fairly predictable and can be thoroughly prepared for. The following list outlines what
is predictable and suggest ways to build your students’ confidence.
1. The examiner’s instructional language

Before students think about what they might say in the exam, they should be familiar with
what the examiner will say. In most speaking exams, examiners follow a list of scripted or
semi-scripted instructions that they repeat to every candidate. The more familiar students
are with those instructions, the less likely they are to become flustered or confused when an
examiner says something like, ‘Can I have your mark sheets, please?’ or ‘Now I’d like you
both to talk to each other about …’ Students should be so familiar with these instructions it
will feel like a routine, allowing them to concentrate on the more challenging parts.
2. Compete to guess the instructions

Following on from tip 1, a fun way to check students’ familiarity with the instructions in
the different parts of a speaking exam is to set up a competition with students working in
Unit 38
teams. Select about ten different instructions that an examiner will say in different parts
of the speaking exam, for example, a phrase like, ‘Can I have your mark sheets, please?’.
Read out an instruction from the speaking exam. Teams win a point if they can identify
which part of the exam it comes from. For example:
You: Now I’d like you to work together and discuss something.
Team: Part 3 of the exam!
Continue like this with about ten instructions. The team with the most points at the end
wins. It’s a fun warmer to any exam lesson.
3. What’s your name and where are you from?

Every speaking exam in the world probably begins with the obvious – a question about
the candidate’s name and which country he or she is from. Candidates should not only
be prepared to answer these questions but also able to respond clearly and confidently.
The examiner will start to assess a candidate as soon as they start speaking, so the way in
which the student delivers these initial answers will help to set the tone of the speaking
test. Practising this routine in class can be a quick and simple pair exercise.
4. Predictable topics
Having asked for a student’s name and nationality (or country), most examiners will
start to ask some questions about everyday topics that relate to the student personally.
These are likely to include questions about family and friends, hobbies and free time,
likes and dislikes, etc. Part of your preparation for the exam can be to write these kinds
of predictable topics on the board, put students in pairs and have them brainstorm two
or three questions per topic. They then work in different pairs and take turns to ask and
answer the questions they brainstormed. As you monitor and give feedback, comment on
which questions were good examples of the type of question an examiner is likely to ask.
(See also Unit 39 for a set of questions to use for speaking exam practice.)
5. Sentence heads
Because exams contain some predictable questions and topics, it’s also possible to predict
the type of phrases students might need for answering them. Once students have looked
at some of the questions, you could elicit some phrases that they could use. Alternatively,
you could give them a copy of these (see photocopiable page 177 of the Appendix):
My name’s …
I come from …
I live in …
I live with ...
I’ve lived there for … years / since …
I like ... because …
I think I prefer ... because …
I don’t like/enjoy …
My favourite … is …
I’ve been learning English for ... years
6. Present yourself
Unit 38
Not all exams require students to give a presentation, but learning to introduce yourself is a
useful life skill and a great way to practise the predictable language students will need in the
exam. Explain to students that they have to prepare a presentation of themselves of between
one and two minutes. It should cover who they are, where they live, what they are currently
doing (for example, studying or working), and why they are taking the exam. Also ask them to
include one piece of information about themselves that not many people know (for example,
that they play a musical instrument of some kind, or they have met someone famous). Students
should practise their presentation at home until they have memorised it. In class, set aside time
for students to give their short presentations. This could be done within small groups or to the
whole class. Students could also record their presentation (either on audio or as a video) and
give the recording to you. You can listen and give any necessary feedback.
7. Role-play the exam

Nearer to the day of the exam, set up a situation where students role-play the exam. One
student can have the examiner’s script and their partner, who is the candidate, answers
questions. Make sure they stick to the time limits. Then swap roles.
8. Error correction
The predictable language that a student needs in the speaking exam is also the easiest
to correct and fine-tune. If a student can prepare and polish their performance for the
first two minutes of an exam, this will really boost their confidence. Typically, under the
pressure of an exam, students make slips, saying things like ‘My name Peter’, or ‘I enjoy
to play tennis.’ Practising these initial statements so that they become automatic is
something to be dealt with straight away on an exam preparation course. One way to raise
students’ awareness of their own mistakes is to record the students speaking and let them
listen to themselves; quite often they’ll pick up their own errors.
9. Fine-tuning
Following on from tip 8, another thing that students often do under pressure is to resort
to simple language rather than demonstrating the full range of their vocabulary. When
giving feedback on this part of the speaking exam, suggest to confident students who use
low-level language (such as I live in a very nice house) that they replace the adjective with
a synonym or a more expressive word that shows their true level (for example, I live in a
traditional-looking house).
10. Exam phrases auction

One fun way to make sure students are confident with predictable language and to focus
on common mistakes is to run a sentence auction. This is a classic ELT activity in which a
selection of sentences are written on slips of paper; some are correct and some contain
one mistake. Students work in groups. Each group has an imaginary amount of money (for
example, $100). You read the sentences aloud and the teams bid to buy a sentence if they
think it’s a good one. As each group buys a sentence, they have to note down how much
it cost. At the end, the winning team is the one that bought the most correct sentences.
(If there’s a tie between two teams, then the one with the most money left is the winner.)
On page 178 of the Appendix you will find a set of 20 (lower-level) sentences containing
standard exam phrases, which you can use for this activity. You can also create your own
Unit 38
sentences based on the exam you are preparing students for or – following on from the
ideas in tip 8 – base the sentences on mistakes you often hear your students making.
“When I do language auctions,

I use the money from the
game Monopoly and I like to
act out the role of the fast-
talking auctioneer using the
phrase, ‘going, going, gone!’”
Michelle Hunter, coach and trainer, Germany
10 sets of questions that
are often asked in exams
Following on from Unit 38, which looked at ways to predict and practise language for the
speaking exam, the questions below (divided into topics) are typical of the questions that
an examiner will ask a candidate in the first part of a speaking exam. Students should be
familiar with them and should practise answering them. You will also find a photocopiable
set on page 179 in the Appendix, which you could give to students. They could work in pairs
and take turns to ask each other the questions. They can tick any questions that they feel
they can answer comfortably and think about which types of topics and questions need more
work. Note that the checklist given in the appendix may need to be changed for your exam.
Another way to practise answering these predictable questions (or any other exam
questions) is to cut them up and keep them all together in a box. You can start any
lesson by asking students to pull out a question at random from the box and ask the
person next to them to answer. Alternatively, during any lesson when some students
finish a task early and are waiting for others, hand them the box to pull out and ask
other questions. You could also encourage students to create their own ‘question box’
at home and to use it for five minutes every day. After a while, if they pull out a question
that they are confident with, they can throw it away. It’s a very tangible way of seeing
progress. As the course continues, add more questions to these categories or increase
the number of categories; take the questions from past papers or from coursebooks
until you have a large bank of them.
Unit 39
1. You
What’s your name?
Where do you live?
Where do you come from?
2. Your home
What do you like about living in [name of place]?
What would you change about where you live?
Where would you like to live in the future?
3. Possessions
What’s your most useful possession?
What do you always carry around with you during the day?
If you could keep only one possession, what would it be?
4. Work/studies
Are you working at the moment? What is your job?
How long have you studied [name of subject] / worked as [name of job]?
5. Hobbies
What do you like doing in your free time?
What kinds of hobbies do you have?
Do you prefer spending time on your own at weekends or being with friends?
6. Your town or city
What’s your favourite building in your town/city?
Where do you go in your town/city at weekends?
Where do you usually meet friends in your town/city?
7. Food and cooking

What’s your favourite food?
Do you prefer eating at home or at a restaurant?
Tell me about a traditional dish from your country.
8. People
Tell me about a famous person you admire.
Tell me about someone you know well and can trust.
Describe a close friend or family member.
9. Languages
What languages do you speak?
What do you like about speaking another language?
Unit 39
How important is it to speak other languages?
10. Education
What’s your favourite subject at school?
Do you prefer science subjects or the arts?
What would you like to do when you leave school or university?
10 speaking activities with exam photographs
Photographs are often used in the speaking part of certain exams. Typically, an examiner
will show a candidate one or two photographs and ask them to talk about the images
for one or two minutes. The task could simply be for the student to describe what they
see, but quite often it also requires the learner to speculate about the content in some
way. So, when preparing students for speaking about photographs, it’s important to
include activities that practise the language of description and speculation.
1. Describing a picture
Whether the exam involves talking about one photo or two (or even more), start off by
introducing students to the language they’ll need for describing what they can see. They
are likely to need prepositions of place and ways of saying where things are in the picture.
On the board, draw a simple square to represent a photo. Then write in useful phrases to
describe parts of the photo. Students can copy it down.
in the top left corner at the top
in the background / in the distance
Unit 40
on the left in the middle on the right
in the foreground
at the bottom in the bottom right corner
Next, put students in pairs. Working on their own, they do a simple line drawing of a
landscape with a house, a tree and the sun. They should then add one or two more
objects. They then take turns to describe their picture to their partner, who must try to
draw it. Afterwards, students compare their drawings to see how similar they are. It’s a fun
activity, and introduces the basic language of picture description.
2. Strategies when you don’t know the word

Most photographs used in exams don’t require any specialist knowledge or vocabulary,
but at times students might see something in the picture for which they don’t know the
exact word. In this situation, they need strategies for describing it.
Write these phrases on the board:

It’s a thing for …
It’s something you use for …
It’s a kind of / sort of …
I think you use it for …
Next, make a copy of the pictures on page 181 of the Appendix and cut them up. Put
students in pairs and give each pair a few of the pictures. Students put the pictures face-
down on the desk and then take turns to pick one up. They have to try and define the
object on the card without saying the actual word. Their partner has to listen and guess
the name of the object on the card. This activity can also be set up as a quiz game, in
which students win points for guessing correctly.
3. Guess the picture

Put students into groups of three and give them a selection of pictures, perhaps taken
from magazines or the internet. Pick a selection of about 10 images on the same theme,
for example, various images of different sports, or any topic area that is likely to come
up in the exam. Students spread them around the table. One student chooses a picture
at random and begins describing it but without making it obvious which picture they are
looking at. The two other students compete with each other to recognise which picture
the speaker is describing. The student who guesses first, goes next and starts describing.
Note that the same picture can be described more than once, but the second student will
need to describe it in a different way.
4. Present your own picture

If your students like taking their own photos (for example, on their phones), invite them to
Unit 40
bring one into class and to project it onto the whiteboard or IWB. Give them two minutes
(or the amount of time they would have in the exam) to present their picture and to say:
XX why they chose it
XX what it shows
XX why it’s important to them in some way
Afterwards, you could allow a couple of minutes for students to ask questions about the
picture. An alternative to this activity is for students to show each other their images on
their phones and to take turns describing them (see also tip 7).
5. Recording a description
Having students record themselves as they describe a picture can be a very useful
homework task. There are different ways of doing this; for example they could use a screen
capture technology like ‘Snagit’ where they record what is on their computer screen and
it records their voice. This recording can then be emailed. Alternatively, a website like
Fotobabble allows students to post a photograph and record themselves describing it.
Such a recording lets you listen to the student and identify any difficulties; it also allows
students to self-assess their performance. After receiving feedback on the language they
used, they can record themselves again and hopefully hear tangible improvements.
6. Comparing pictures
As well as describing or talking about one photograph, some exams require students
to compare and contrast two images. As a starting point to this, put students into small
groups and show them two photographs (either the same two or two different ones).
Ideally, the images should be on a related theme such as two types of accommodation
from different periods, two different locations, or a family home and an apartment. Then
ask the groups to list three similarities and three differences in the pictures. Finally, the
groups share their lists.
7. Find a connection
This is a short warmer that you can use as a lead-in to a lesson on picture description.
If your students are allowed to use their phones in class, ask them to choose one picture
they have on their phone. Everyone then stands up and walks around the classroom.
When two students meet, they show each other their photos and try to find one
connection between the two images. When they have found one, they move on to another
person. The same activity can also work without phones if you ask students to find a
photograph from home and bring it into class.
8. Coursebook connections
Following on from the activities in tips 6 and 7, this variation makes use of the images in the
coursebook. One option is for students to work in pairs and to choose two photos at random
from different parts of the coursebook. They might be photos they’ve already seen or new
ones from later units. They then try to find similarities and differences between the two
pictures. If they are pictures from units you have already worked on, this activity is especially
useful for recycling the vocabulary taught. The other option is to take the unit heading of
a coursebook and to ask students (before the lesson) to take a photo on that theme. If the
Unit 40
theme in the book is ‘Transport’, for example, students take a photo on that theme. Then
they bring the photo into class and compare it with the photos in the coursebook unit.
9. Personalise the photo

Many speaking exams that use photos include a question requiring the student to talk
about how the photo relates to them personally. So, for example, if the photo shows
interesting places for tourism, the examiner will probably ask the student which place they
would like to go to on holiday and why. Similarly, if the photos show houses, the student
might have to say which house they would prefer to live in. One way to develop students’
ability to personalise the photo is to have them do a short writing task with a photo chosen
at random; this could be any photo in the coursebook or one taken from a past exam
paper. Students write a short description of 80–100 words starting with the words: I’d
like to be in this photograph because …. This forces them to respond to the picture at a
personal level. Afterwards, they can read their description to a partner (or perhaps record
it for homework – see tip 5).
10. Create questions about photos

One way for students to anticipate the type of questions an examiner might ask is to
create their own questions. Put students in pairs and give them one or two photos. Tell
them to write five or six questions that they think an examiner might ask about them.
Once they have prepared their questions, they work with another pair. The two pairs take
turns to ask their questions about the photos and test the other pair. If you can use real
photos from past papers, it’s also interesting afterwards for the students to find out what
questions were actually asked in the original exams. In this way they can see how close
their questions were to those of a real examiner.
10 tips and activities for responding to a text
(written or listening)
All speaking exams involve listening to someone else (either the examiner or another
candidate in the same exam) and responding. Candidates will have to either answer the
examiner’s questions, ask a question at the end of another candidate’s long-turn, or take
part in a two- or three-way discussion towards the end of the speaking exam. In addition,
some speaking exams include special sections that require a candidate to listen to a text
(either the examiner reading a text aloud or a recording) or to read a text and respond in
some way. For example, the higher levels of the Trinity GESE involve the examiner reading
a text and stopping before the final word. The candidate must listen intently and give
the final word. In another ‘live’ listening, the candidate listens to the examiner and has
to speculate about something that has been said. In the TOEFL exam, this type of format
is expanded. In one part, the candidate reads a text and then listens to a lecture on the
same subject. Afterwards, they must respond in some way to what they have heard. Then,
in the next part, the candidate listens to another lecture and summarises it.
If your students are taking this kind of test in the speaking exam, there are some simple
ways to help them prepare. And even if your students aren’t taking exams that explicitly
test them in this way, it’s useful to include such activity types in your lesson to develop
listening and speaking skills, and to improve their ability to respond appropriately.
1. What’s it about?
Unit 41
Typically, in normal English lessons we set students some comprehension questions and
play a recording. This process does reflect the format of many listening exams but not all.
If students are expected to listen and then comment it will be worth – from time to time
– varying your approach: you could try giving the students no clues about the content
of the listening. Play the recording, then ask them to take notes about what they heard.
Afterwards, ask them to summarise the information they heard.
2. Listen for detail

As a follow-up to the activity described in tip 1, play the recording again and ask students
to add further detail to the information they wrote down the first time. They should then
use their detailed notes to summarise the whole listening.
3. Stop the listening

For exams where students have to say what word or words come next, you can prepare
students by playing part of the listening and then stopping it halfway. Ask students to work
in pairs to try to predict what the speaker will say next. Then play the rest of the recording
for them to check their answers.
4. Pairwork stop the listening

Follow the same principle as in the activity described in tip 2, but put students in
pairs. One student chooses a text (it could be a reading text or an audioscript from the
coursebook). They read their text aloud and stop from time to time. Their partner listens
and tries to guess the next word in the text or tries to predict what information will follow.
5. Responding to readings and listenings
This activity is useful for speaking exams that involve reading a text and then listening to a
recording on a similar topic. Choose a written text, for example, one from a coursebook.
Make another version of the same text but change 10 facts in it; these could be names,
numbers, years, amounts, places and so on. Students read the original version of the text
for a few minutes and try to remember as much information as possible. They put that
text aside, face-down. Read the other text aloud. Students have to try and note down any
differences. This requires the use of memory, and an ability to spot differences. Afterwards,
put students in groups to share their notes with an aim to listing all 10 differences.
6. Prepare responses
To scaffold students’ learning of the language needed to make responses to a listening or
reading, write these (or similar) sentence heads on the board:
XX The reading/lecture was about …

XX The writer/speaker explained that …
XX One thing that interested/surprised me was ...
After students have read or listened to a text, give them a couple of minutes to prepare
Unit 41
their responses by completing the three sentences in their own words. They then read out
their sentences or compare them with a partner. They won’t have the luxury of preparing
their response in this way in the exam, but it’s a good way to introduce students to the
idea of listening and coming up with a clear response.
7. In the news (1)

With high-level students, play a recording of the morning news from a site like the BBC.
Use the part of the programme where the news reporter gives a summary of the main
events that day. Tell students to listen and note down what the main news stories are.
8. In the news (2)

As an extension to the activity described in tip 7, and as a way to combine written text
with spoken text, take a news article from a newspaper and a recording of a radio news
report on the same topic. Ask students to read the news report and then to listen to the
radio report. They should take notes on the details reported in both, and also of any
differences they notice. Afterwards, ask them to summarise what they learnt from the two
reports, and also to comment on their feelings or views about the contents of the news
reports and perhaps the difference in the ways they report the information; for example,
whether one report emphasised particular details or even left certain information out.
9. Re-use listenings and readings

All the ideas on this page are based on listenings and readings. Remember that you
can always re-use texts from the class coursebook. For example, if you are halfway
through the coursebook, you could re-use a listening or a reading from an earlier unit.
It’s a good way to recycle and revise the materials, and gives you the opportunity to
approach them in a fresh way.
10. Visiting speakers
Exams like TOEFL require students to listen and respond to lectures, so one way to
provide practice in this area is to invite someone to come and speak to the class. It might
be someone local with an interesting hobby, or perhaps a work colleague who can give
a short lecture on a topic. Students listen, but they should also be encouraged to raise
their hand from time to time and ask the person questions. Inviting a speaker can be
motivating for a class as it acts as a memorable change from the usual format of listening
to a recording.
“For the Trinity GESE exams,

learners can present to peers to
practise their topics and anticipate
the questions asked by the
examiner on the day of the exam.”
Harry Hall, trainer and Trinity examiner
Unit 41
10 activities for practising monologues
and presentations
In some examinations (such as IELTS and Cambridge BEC), part of the speaking
examination might require the student to speak on their own. This is often referred
to as a ‘long turn’, and resembles a monologue or a short presentation. Typically, the
examiner gives the candidate a card with a subject on and some prompts. Here is an
example based on the IELTS format:
Describe a person who has had an important effect on your education. You should mention:
XX who the person was and your relationship to them
XX what he or she did
XX how it affected your learning
The candidate is given a minute to think about the topic and to make some notes before
speaking. Here are 10 ideas to help students prepare for this type of speaking test.
1. Thinking time
When giving students this type of speaking task to practise in class, always allow them
some quiet thinking time to prepare their response. Most exams offer some preparation
time, so it’s important to replicate this. Students should be thinking about their answers,
but also about the type of language they will need to use.
Unit 42
2. Note-taking
Following on from tip 1, some exams encourage students to make notes about what they
plan to say during the preparation time. Develop your students’ note-taking skills by handing
them a question card from a past paper (or one you have created). Tell them to spend a
minute making notes about what they could say. Remind them not to write full sentences,
but just single words or phrases to prompt them during their talk; the examiner doesn’t want
to hear them reading the text aloud. Then tell students to compare what they have written
with a partner and to explain what they will say, based on their notes. This is a nice relaxed
way to approach this kind of speaking task. In future lessons, as students become more
confident, build up a bank of question cards and hand them out from time to time. Students
then make notes straight away in response to the questions on their card.
3. Use the prompts on the card effectively

As well as making notes about what is on the question card, students should make use of
the language provided on the card. For example, if the card says Describe a person who
has had an important effect on your education, students can rephrase this to introduce
their long turn by saying One person who has had an important effect on my education is
my English teacher. Students shouldn’t worry about repeating the language used on the
card; they should, in fact, make full use of it.
4. Sequencing language
Students do not always see the importance of using basic sequencing language such as
firstly, secondly, next, then, also, in addition, finally .... However, any short presentation
will benefit from using this type of language to add some structure and help the listener
to follow. In particular, in an exam where the candidate needs to comment on three
main points, using sequencing language like firstly, secondly, and finally highlights that a
candidate has covered the three points. When students are practising their long turns in
pairs, their partner can listen and give feedback on the sequencing language they heard.
5. Give real examples

Long turns work well if a student gives examples to support what they are saying. This
could take the form of a short anecdote about the person they are describing or an
example of a real situation to support their viewpoint. Speaking from real experience will
always make the task easier.
6. Make presentations part of your everyday lessons

One of the best ways to build students’ confidence when speaking on their own for an
extended and uninterrupted period is to have a part of the lesson set aside for giving
presentations. Some students can find this a bit stressful at first, so put them in pairs and
ask them to present to each other. Then put them in groups of three or four. Students take
turns to present. Finally, ask a student to present to the class.
7. Record themselves
Students can work on their presentation skills at home by recording themselves. Give them
an exam task and tell them to practise answering the question within the time limit. They
Unit 42
can also record themselves and listen back to their performance. Using websites such as
Vocaroo or Voxopop, students can also record a long turn and send the recording to you
so you can listen and give feedback. They can make a series of recordings of the same talk
and hear how they improve from one version to the next.
8. Show and tell

A ‘show and tell’ presentation makes a nice alternative to the normal exam-based task. Ask
students to bring an object from home that means something special to them; it could be
a family photo or a souvenir from a holiday, for example. They describe what it is, where it
came from and why it’s important to them.
9. Fluency practice
For more fluency practice and to help students develop the ability to speak on any topic
given to them on the spot, use the discussion topics in Unit 44. Instead of discussing them,
though, students talk on a given topic for a minute.
10. Asking questions

In some exams, a long turn is followed by a question, either from the examiner or – if
there is another student in the exam – from the listening student. So, when giving in-class
presentations, students should get used to being asked questions at the end. Tell the
students who are listening to think of a question to ask at the end. The student who is
speaking should also try to predict the types of questions they might be asked as part of
their preparation.
10 game-like activities to develop
a candidate’s discussion skills
One of the problems of exam preparation courses is that they can sometimes lack the fun
elements of a normal language lesson. These 10 activities do, however, manage to combine
some game-like elements, while allowing you to target the development of certain speaking
subskills. If a student questions why time is being spent on these kinds of fun activities, be
prepared to explain your rationale using the information in the ideas below.
1. Giving reasons for your opinions

When a student gives an opinion in an exam, they should also learn to add their reason
with no prompting from the examiner or their partner. For controlled practice of this,
draw a substitution table on the board. Column 1 contains useful phrases for expressing
an opinion. Column 2 can include any topics that might come up in an exam. Column 3
contains only the word because.
I think that … … the city is nicer to live in than the countryside …

In my opinion … … my grandparents’ life was less stressful …
I agree that … … regular exercise is good for you … because …
I don’t agree that … … it’s important to have a good work–life balance …
I believe … … people shouldn’t spend so much time on social media …
Unit 43
Students work in pairs and take turns to create statements using the words in the table,
adding their own reasons for the opinion, for example:
I agree that it’s important to have a good work–life balance because too much work can
make you ill.
To extend the task, the student who is listening can continue the conversation by
responding. This task highlights the importance of adding a reason with the word because.
You can change the phrases and topics in the table from time to time to reflect the
language and topics you have studied in recent lessons.
2. Closed questions and open questions

Questions are used in different ways in speaking exams; the examiner might be the one
who acts as the ‘interviewer’, but students might also be expected to ask questions,
especially when they are working in pairs. Students should get used to asking open
questions, as these will generate better responses than yes/no questions. For practice,
write a series of questions on the board that will elicit a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, such as:
Do you live in a city? Are you studying English? Does your family often go on holiday?
Do you think technology is a good thing? You can write any that have come up on past
papers or in coursebooks. Students work in pairs. They take turns to ask a closed question.
Their partner answers ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and then the questioner must follow up with an open
question, which they create. So, the dialogue might go:
A: Do you live in a city?

B: Yes, I do.
A: What do you like about living in a city?
B: Well one thing I like is the shopping …
Students can take the conversation are far as they like. They then swap roles so that B
starts the next conversation. It’s good training for thinking on your feet in the exam and
coming up with generative questions.
3. Question generator board game

This board-game activity practises asking questions and answering them fluently. Make
one copy of the board game (page 182 of the Appendix) per group of three or four
students. The board is designed so that there are typical exam topics on the outer track
and question words on the inner track. Each player needs two counters (coins or small
objects). Place one counter on the START square and one counter on any question word.
The players take turns to roll one dice and move both counters clockwise. The player must
make a question using the question word they land on about the topic they land on. They
direct their question at any other player. That player must answer. Then the next player
rolls the dice and moves their counters, and so on. The winner is the player who arrives
back at START first.
4. Blockbuster topics
Blockbusters is a game based on an old TV show, where players compete to cross the
board before their opponent. In the example on page 183 of the Appendix, there are lots
of different topics – ones that are likely to come up in the speaking exam. Students work
Unit 43
in pairs and start from opposite sides. They use a counter to move across the board one
space at a time. When they land on a topic, they have to make up an exam-type question
(related to the topic) to ask their partner. Their partner must answer. Having completed the
topic, they cross it out and no one is allowed onto the same square again.
As students work their way across the board to the other side, their choice of square to
move onto will depend on whether they feel they can talk about a topic. They may also try
to prevent their partner from having the opportunity to land on a particular square. The
winner is the person who gets across the board to the other side first – but of course the
main aim is that students get lots of speaking practice with likely exam topics.
5. Strategies to use when you don’t know a word

Sometimes in an exam a student might be asked to describe a picture but not know the
word for something in it. Or – under pressure – they might search for a word that they
know but have forgotten. In this situation, they need to demonstrate that they can still
continue talking and that they have strategies for dealing with the situation. Before the
lesson, prepare cards with the names of different household objects written on them.
You can either make your own list with words like tin-opener, washing machine, mobile
phone, etc. or you can use the photocopiable examples on page 184 of the Appendix.
Put students in pairs (Student A and Student B). Student A picks a word and tries to
define it for Student B. They mustn’t use the word written on the card or make any
gestures or other movements. They will need phrases like it’s a kind of …, it’s a sort of …,
it’s something you use for …. When Student B guesses the word, it is their turn to pick
another word and try to define it. Note that you could also use pictures instead of words.
6. Just a minute
In some exams, there is a stage where the student must speak, uninterrupted, for around a
minute. This is often referred to as the ‘long turn’. A fun preparation activity for this stage is to
play a version of a game called ‘Just a minute’. Students work in groups of three or four, with
one person acting as the time-keeper with a watch. Write a variety of typical speaking exam
topics on the board (for example, the ones from the Blockbuster game in tip 4) and ask each
group to choose a topic. One student starts speaking on the topic, and must continue for
one minute. However, anyone in the group can stop the speaker (1) if they repeat a word or a
phrase, (2) if they pause for too long, or (3) if they go off-topic. If the speaker is challenged in
one of these ways, the timer must be paused. If the challenge is deemed correct and fair, the
person who challenged takes up the topic. The clock starts again and the game continues like
this. The person who is still speaking when the minute is up wins a point, and the group starts
again with a new topic. It’s an excellent fluency activity; it puts students under pressure (as in an
exam) and also pushes them to use a wider range of vocabulary.
7. Story dice
Story dice are six-faced cubes with images on them. You can buy sets of story dice (there
are normally five or six in a set). There are also various free apps (search for ‘story dice’)
that allow you to play with virtual dice on a tablet or phone. Students work in groups and
Unit 43
take turns to throw all the dice. The first player looks at the six pictures that have landed
face-up and tries to tell a story that makes use of all the images shown. If they succeed,
they win a point. Play passes to the next player. It’s a useful way to change the pace of a
lesson, and provides fluency practice with pictures.
8. Discussion phrases
You need to make copies of the discussion phrases (see page 185 of the Appendix) and
cut them up into sets. Make one set of cards per group of four to five students. Give each
group their set. One member of the group deals out the phrases to each player so that
they each have roughly the same number of phrases. Write one of the discussion topics
from Unit 44 on the board, which the groups will discuss.
The group discussion starts with one player saying a phrase in a correct sentence and
putting the phrase down in the middle of the table. Then the next player on the left
responds using another phrase and puts that one down in the middle. The discussion
continues in a clockwise direction. As players start to use up their phrases they might find
it more difficult to use a particular phrase. If they fail to use a phrase correctly they miss
a go. The winner is the player who uses up all their phrases first. Then you write another
discussion topic on the board and the activity starts again.
One variation is to allow any player to go with a phrase (rather than moving round the
group in order). This version is faster, louder and more competitive – anyone can play and
speak as long as they use a different phrase each time.
9. Find someone who
Lots of speaking exams require students to give their opinion on a topic and their reasons
for holding this opinion. Create four sheets like the one below or make a copy of the
table on page 186 of the Appendix. The statements should reflect those that are found
in the exam you are teaching. For example, the statements below are all paraphrases of
questions that you might find in part 3 of IELTS. Give each student a sheet. They must walk
around the classroom and find someone who agrees with each statement and write down
their name. They should then ask a follow-up question to find out why the person has this
opinion. They make a note of the reason.
Student A
Find someone who thinks in 30 years’ time …
Name Reason
1 … the internet will have replaced
high street shops.
2 … most jobs will be done by robots.

Unit 43
3 … people will live longer.
4 … we will live on other planets.
5 … cars won’t need drivers.
6 … the roles of men and women will

have become similar.
10. Class interviews

Think of 10 topics that students commonly have to speak about in the exam for which
you are preparing students (for example, food, sport, travel, shopping, the future). Write
each topic in big letters on individual sheets of A4 paper. Divide the class into two
groups: (1) interviewers and (2) candidates. Display the topic cards around the room and
ask the interviewers to stand next to a topic they find interesting. Give the interviewers
two minutes to think of as many questions as they can related to this topic. While they
are doing this, the candidate group should think about possible questions they could
be asked on each topic and how they would answer. Ask the candidates to stand facing
an interviewer. The pair should then conduct the interview. After four minutes, ask the
candidates to go and stand in front of another interviewer. Again, allow them four minutes
to ask and answer questions. When the time is up, everyone returns to their seats. Ask the
candidates which questions they found hardest to answer and why.
If time allows (or in a later lesson) you can repeat the activity but let students swap their
roles of interviewer and candidates.
10 typical exam discussion topics
to practise regularly in class
When preparing students for the speaking parts of an exam, it’s useful to build a bank of
typical exam discussion topics that students will have to talk about for a minute or so. You
can’t predict exactly what they will be asked to discuss, but practising the skills of looking
at a discussion topic and responding instantly is great exam preparation, and builds
fluency. You will find a ‘ready to copy and cut up’ set of these topics on page 187 of the
Appendix. Keep them in a box in class so that they are ready to use (maybe as a warmer
or a filler) when you have a spare five minutes. Put the students in pairs. Each pair takes a
topic from the box. Set a time limit for them to discuss their topic without stopping. You
can also use the topics in combination with the discussion phrases on Appendix page 185.
1. Sport
Competition in schools is good for children because it prepares them for real life.
The sports that you play in teams are more fun than those you play on your own.
There should be more time for sport and physical exercise in schools.
2. Technology
In modern society, people rely too much on technology and computers.
Overall, the positive benefits of social media outweigh any negatives points.
People spend too much time looking at screens and not enough time communicating face
Unit 44
to face.
3. Places
Living in the city is better than living in the countryside.
A holiday by the sea is more relaxing than one spent in the mountains.
It’s important to keep old buildings in our cities rather than knock them down to build
new ones.
4. People
Celebrities such as sportspeople and musicians are important as role models to young
people.
People are living their life too quickly these days and need to slow down and spend more
time relaxing.
5. Education
Everyone should continue to learn and take courses as they get older.
The way our parents’ and grandparents’ generations were taught in schools was more
effective than the way young people are taught today.
It is the responsibility of schools to offer lots of free after-school activities, like sports and
special-interest clubs.
6. Animals and nature

Zoos still have an important purpose in modern society and they are generally good
for animals.
People need to think more carefully about the types of animals they buy as pets.
We need to do more to protect nature, wildlife and local areas of beauty, such as parks.
7. Travel
Cities should provide more cycle paths and reduce the amount of space allowed for motor
vehicles.
The expression ‘travel broadens the mind’ is not always true when you go abroad on
holiday.
Outdoor holidays with activities like hiking and camping are better than package holidays
with a hotel, a beach and a pool.
8. Shopping
Shopping online has many advantages over traditional shopping.
With so many supermarkets and shopping malls, there is no need for small, traditional
shops any more.
People buy too many things these days and place too much importance on the
possessions they own and the clothes they wear.
9. Work
Everyone should do some voluntary work every year, for example with a charity or for their
local community.
Unit 44
Nowadays people spend too much time thinking about work and money and not enough
time thinking about family and friends.
People who work in caring professions that help other people (for example, nursing)
should earn more than people who run private businesses.
10. Entertainment
There is too much violence in films and on TV these days, and the government should
control it more.
Live performances such as plays and concerts are more entertaining than recorded ones,
such as films we see at the cinema.
Some sports aren’t about entertainment any more. They’re just about money and fame.
“When talking to the examiner,

students should treat it more
like a conversation than an
interview. They need strategies
for maintaining the conversation,
showing interest, and
responding to the examiner.”
Glenys Davis, teacher trainer, UK
10 tips on how speaking exams can be graded
When preparing students for a speaking exam, you need to know how it will be graded.
Ideally this will also be explained to the class, though some exam grade criteria can be
complex and not easily understood by students. However, it’s important to give them
some kind of guidance on what the examiner will be looking for. Most reputable exams will
provide full details on how the speaking exam is graded and what the criteria are, though
this may vary from the actual – more detailed – version used by an examiner. You might also
be designing and writing your own speaking exam, in which case you will need to decide
how to grade it. The following checklist will help you decide how to do this. Note that the
best grading schemes will use a combination of criteria to provide a valid assessment.
1. Pronunciation
The speaking test is probably the only part of the exam in which a student’s pronunciation
is formally assessed (unless the listening exam includes any kind of formal assessment on
receptive pronunciation). Nowadays, students are rarely assessed on the production of
individual phonemes or intonation patterns, for example; instead, most exam boards focus
on whether the student’s pronunciation affects intelligibility. Note that some exam boards
also include the criterion of ‘delivery’ as part of pronunciation. This is especially useful
where students are required to give a ‘long turn’ presentation.
2. Discourse management
Unit 45
This term is used in Cambridge speaking assessment criteria. It refers to a student’s ability
to maintain stretches of speech that are coherent and cohesive. Typically, this criterion
assesses how relevant the student’s ideas are to the task and how well organised they
are. To address this area, teachers often help students to use sequencing, connecting and
linking words/phrases effectively (such as firstly, however, on the other hand, in addition).
3. Grammar
In general, this is an area that is graded down rather than up. In other words, an examiner
will notice grammar mainly when there is a mistake. As a result, students may lose marks
for incorrect grammar. However, when marking grammar, the examiner also needs to
grade it according to the choices a candidate makes. If the candidate uses everyday and
simple forms correctly, they receive a passing grade. However, if they try to use more
complex forms to express ideas and – as a result of this – make one or two mistakes, they
may score more highly than the more ‘risk-averse’ candidate.
4. Vocabulary
Sometimes, exams mark grammar (see tip 3 above) and vocabulary as part of the same
criteria. As with grammar, students will be marked more highly if they attempt to use a
wide range of appropriate vocabulary.
5. Interactivity
Different exam boards refer to interactivity in a variety of ways. Whatever they call it,
most exams assess a student’s ability to communicate in conversational situations.
The Cambridge exams refer to interactivity as ‘interactive communication’. Students
can receive good grades for demonstrating that they continue a conversation with the
examiner (and/or with another student if the speaking test is done with two students at
the same time). During a conversation in an exam, students will usually need to be able to
demonstrate the ability to initiate a conversation, to respond during a conversation and to
maintain a conversation.
6. Fluency
The criterion of ‘fluency’ shares many of the features covered by ‘interactivity’. Fluency
can be defined as ‘the ability to express and communicate meaning without unnecessary
hesitation’. It’s a useful criterion, especially in exams where students may have to give a
‘long turn’ presentation or talk for a minute or so on a topic.
7. Global achievement
Some exams (such as the Cambridge exams) follow a format where there are two
examiners in the room at the same time. One interviews the candidate and one listens
and completes a detailed grade sheet. In such circumstances, the interviewer can also
give a ‘global’ grade at the end, which gives an indication of how well a candidate
communicated. This grade can be given to the other examiner who adds the score to the
other criteria. It’s a useful way of getting a second opinion, and a way of responding to the
student in terms of their general communicative competence.
8. Band descriptors
Unit 45
Some exam boards issue band descriptors that incorporate features of all of the above areas
into a series of short paragraphs that relate to grades (for example, A, B, C, D, E). If you
are preparing students for exams that use descriptors, it’s useful to break them down into
separate components so that you understand what is required in terms of the distinct areas
of, for example, grammar, pronunciation, discourse, vocabulary and fluency. If you are writing
your own band descriptors, the challenge is to define everything into one manageable
paragraph. You will also need to test the descriptors out with examiners by watching sample
exams and applying the descriptors to see if all the examiners interpret them in the same way.
9. Can-do statements
Some speaking tests are based around the idea of task completion. The examining criteria
for this type of test could be a set of ‘can-do’ statements that the examiner ticks off when
a candidate achieves them. For example, if the speaking task requires the candidate to
give a short presentation about their favourite hobby, the can-do statements might be:
The candidate:
XX can introduce his/her hobby
XX can explain any special instructions
XX can describe any equipment required
XX can explain why he/she enjoys doing it
XX can give recommendations to someone starting this hobby.
This kind of grading system means that candidates need to be aware of how they will be
graded and what they should include in their response. Typically, this type of task and
criteria are effective in specialist exams that test the student’s ability to carry out a specific
task (in the workplace, for example) using English.
10. Criteria for different stages in the speaking exam
Some exams contain stages that require their own assessment criteria. For example,
if part of the exam requires the candidate to give a short presentation, there might be an
additional criterion that grades the quality of the presentation in terms of the candidate’s
communication skills. Or if there is a moment in the exam where one student listens
to another talking and then has to ask a question or give a response, there might be a
criterion that grades the quality and clarity of the student’s question or response.
“I get students to practise the

language by filming them speaking
and then upload the videos on a
private You Tube channel for self-
assessment and peer-assessment.”
Mardiana Idris, Malaysia.
Read more about Mardiana’s ideas at https://www.

myetpedia.com/10-tips-on-using-youtube-to-self-
Unit 45
assess-speaking-skills
10 ideas for giving feedback
on speaking for exams
There are a number of ways to give feedback to students in preparation for the speaking
exam. The techniques you already use in any lesson with a speaking focus will apply –
on-the-spot correction, repetition for accurate pronunciation or asking the student a
question to elicit the correct word or phrase. But once you start to work on the specific
speaking tasks for an exam, including general questions and answers, speaking for a
long turn, giving a presentation, or discussing and solving a problem, there are different
approaches to feedback that can be especially useful.
1. Analyse a speaking exam

In order for students to understand the demands of the speaking exam, it’s helpful to
show them a video-recording of one. For some of the main exams, such as IELTS, exam
boards and publishers produce videos of students taking the exams. As well as being a
useful way of showing students what will happen in the exam, the video will give you an
opportunity to tell students how well each candidate did in it and to encourage students
to comment on what they watched. This is also an excellent way to show students how
exams are graded and can also serve as a point of reference when you are giving them
feedback in class. Students can also start to think about how they will give feedback that
will be useful for their peers in class (see tip 9 below). If the speaking exam for which you
are preparing students doesn’t have a video-recording, you could make your own using
volunteer students. Such a video will be useful for students to watch, but also for your
Unit 46
fellow teachers who are involved in exam teaching.
2. Decide what to give feedback on

Early on in the course, many students will want you to give feedback based on the final
grade for a speaking exam. However, in the first few lessons, this probably isn’t useful
unless it’s a very intensive short course. Instead, when working on speaking exam skills,
focus on a specific area of the grade criteria (see Unit 45). So if the class is focusing on
grammar, only listen for grammar errors and successes. Note down what students say and
feed back to them afterwards. Breaking feedback down like this early on makes teaching
and learning more manageable.
3. Recording mistakes
When you are listening to students speaking in preparation for an exam, you can make
notes on some common errors you hear. At the end of the task, write them on the board
and ask the whole class to try and spot the mistakes. To make the process more positive,
write down examples of good exam English you hear and add those to the board. Tell
students that some sentences are 100% correct – they must decide which ones. If you find
it hard remembering to note down language used in all the key areas, design a form listing
the main areas that are graded in the exam and use this to categorise your notes. As an
example, the table below is from a class preparing for the Cambridge speaking exams.
Discourse Pronunciation
Grammar and vocabulary Interactive communication
4. Student reflection
After you have given students a speaking task that reflects the content and format of the
exam, ask them to reflect on what they think they did well and what they need to work
on next. Having students arrive at their own conclusions is often more effective than if
you point things out. Only when they have had time to reflect on their own performance
should you add any key issues that they have missed.
5. Using exam criteria as part of the feedback process

Near to the day of exam, bring in a set of exam criteria and show students copies of it.
Then, when you give students feedback on their speaking, you can refer them to the
relevant parts of the criteria.
6. Custom-made criteria
Sometimes, the grade criteria for exams are written in a way that only examiners and
teachers will understand. In this case, it won’t be helpful for the students, so try writing
a student-friendly version with straightforward criteria like this:
The student:
XX can answer questions about themselves (name, home, job)
Unit 46
XX can answer questions about their hobbies and free time
XX can talk about a general topic for one minute.
Make it clear to students that this isn’t the actual list of criteria for the exam, but that it
covers the types of things a student needs to be able to do.
7. Recording students
It’s good for students to become used to recording their speech and listening back in
order to assess themselves. For example, if they are working together on simulating the
exam they could video- or audio-record the test, then listen back and assess their own
performance. You could listen to the same recording yourself to establish what students
need to work on over the next few lessons.
8. Reformulating the response

Reformulation refers to repeating a student’s reply using the correct form (instead of
the inaccurate one that they used). In other words, the teacher provides a correct and
improved version. If overused, this technique can be demotivating, but with certain types
of speaking task it’s helpful. For example, reformulation works well with individual long
turns of one minute because you can focus on individual difficulties (whereas reformulating
a two-way conversation is more complex). It also works well in conjunction with recording
the student. In this way, both you and the student can listen and analyse exactly what was
said and how it could be said more effectively.
9. Peer feedback and evaluation

Nearer to the exam, many teachers set up situations where students do a mock speaking
test. This could involve the teacher asking the questions and grading them. In large classes
this won’t always be practical, so it’s a good idea to get students to take on the roles of
examiner and candidate and to work on the speaking test in pairs. The student playing the
part of the examiner will need a copy of the examiner’s script, or at least a list of questions
that an examiner is likely to ask. You could also assign another student the task of grading
the students using a set of grade criteria (see tip 3 above). Alternatively, they could
observe the interview and make a list of things they think their peers did well and a list of
areas to work on.
10. What to correct

The closer you get to the exam, the more likely you are to adjust what you correct. Early
on in a course you might work on grammar and vocabulary accuracy in detail because
students still have time to learn new areas of English. Nearer the time of the exam,
however, you should ignore mistakes that require lengthy explanations or further practice;
instead, focus on what students can already do, and coach them to do it better.
“If students are doing a speaking

activity, note down some of the
errors. You could write them on
Unit 46
the board, disguising the content

perhaps so that others don’t know
who made the mistake. Give
students five minutes to work in
pairs and ‘spot the mistake’.”
Rachel Appleby, trainer and author, Budapest
Writing your own exams
and further development
Some teachers are asked to prepare students for publicly available exams, but many others
are asked to write all the assessments their students will take. Even in contexts where your
school provides a final exam, you may want to write ongoing assessments to check your
students’ progress.
The first two units in this section look at some of the basic principles to keep in mind when
writing your own assessments. You will also find it useful to refer back to previous sections and
consider the typical text types or questions that you can use in your own exams. The tips in
Unit 47 are true for most exams; those in Unit 48 give specific advice on writing for younger
learners’ exams.
The second part of this section looks at continuing your professional development in the area
of teaching exam classes. From conferences to attend, to key journals and books to read, many
of these will enhance both your practical and theoretical knowledge of exams.
10 tips on writing your own exams
You may be in a position that requires you to write your own exams or you may want to
write some of your own test items to give your class further practice for an exam. Below
are some basic principles to keep in mind when writing your own exams.
1. Format
If you are writing a section of a test that you want to be the same as a published exam,
check the exam format carefully. For example, make sure the genre of listening matches
one that students can realistically expect to encounter in the actual exam. Be sure, too,
that the questions in the writing section are structured in the same way, stipulating the
same word count and time limit.
2. Distribution of items
When writing questions for reading and listening texts, make sure the questions test
understanding of points all the way through the text. They shouldn’t focus too much on
one area and leave whole sections out. This is especially true for listening exams. Students
need time to read the questions as they listen. If the answers are grouped too closely
together, students will quickly lose the thread. So for example, if you have a 600-word
listening script, try to distribute the answers at a rate of approximately one answer for
every 60 words of the script.
Unit 47
3. Setting up an item
It is important that students are given a trigger so that they know an answer is coming. For
example, if a student has to complete this gap:
Start date ______

The audio could contain a sentence such as:
‘The course begins in two weeks’ time, on 29th March.’
The word begin is a synonym for start, and so it should trigger a realisation in students that
the answer is coming up.
4. Multiple-choice items
Unless the format of the test requires you to have four choices, it is preferable to have
only three choices. It is very hard to create four items – one correct answer and three
convincing distractors. Often, one of the distractors will not be tempting enough so
students can simply just discount it.
5. A tight key
Make sure the questions have only one correct answer. When creating gapfill items, it’s
easy to inadvertently create a gap that could be filled by more than one word. And make
sure that this answer appears only once in the text.
6. No easy guesses
With certain item types, you need to be careful that the answers aren’t too easy to guess
from the grammar structure used. One item type where you need to be especially careful
in this regard is summary completions with the words provided. Try to make sure all of the
words are of the same word class (nouns, for example). If it’s obvious from the context that
the answer is going to be an adjective, and there are two adjectives in the word pool, then
it’s too easy for the student as they only have to choose between two words rather than,
say ten. Another item type where you have to be careful about giving the game away is
matching two halves of a sentence in a reading test. Try to break the sentences in half at a
similar grammatical point – for example, always cut the sentence so that the first half ends
with a verb; otherwise the grammar can give away the answer.
7. Think about what you are testing

The exam you are preparing students for is likely to place more importance on some aspects
of language use than others; for example, the ability to guess words from context may be a
minor objective. Try to make sure the test reflects this. It wouldn’t make sense for students to
be able to gain 30% of the marks available in the whole text from just this section.
8. Check text level

If you are creating a reading or listening test for a particular level, you need to check that
the text is at the level you want to test. You can do this in a number of ways. First, you
could enter the text into a text checker such as www.englishprofile.org/wordlists/text-
inspector. The ‘text inspector’ can tell you the frequency and level of all the vocabulary
items in the text. Another way to check text level is to use Microsoft Word’s facility for
calculating the average sentence length. To do this click, ‘File’, ‘Options’ and select
Unit 47
‘Proofing’ from the left-hand menu. Make sure the box next to ‘Show readability statistics’
is ticked, and this will display the average sentence length when you do a word count.
Use these programs to compare the text in your test with the ones you have been using in
class to verify that they are more or less similar.
9. Reflecting the lessons and target exams

If you are writing your own exam, make sure the questions you ask give the students
a chance to demonstrate their knowledge of the language you have been teaching.
Furthermore, if you are trying to copy the format of an existing speaking test, make sure
you cover a similar range of questions to the ones in the actual exam. For example, part 3
of the IELTS speaking test usually gives students a chance to show their ability to answer
questions that elicit opinions, evaluations, comparisons, the past, the future, hypothesising
and cause and effect. Try to cover a similar range of areas.
10. Selecting visuals for writing

Many authentic graphs contain much more detail than students will encounter in an actual
exam. If you can find a simple enough original graph then that’s great; however, it can often
be simpler to create one yourself. Look at a past exam paper and simply adapt one from
there. For example, if the graph shows the rise and fall in the popularity of different foods
over a certain period, then you can create a graph that represents the popularity of some
other foods over different years, with slightly different changes shown in the lines of the
graph. In this way you can be confident it is a realistic item that students might encounter.
(See also Unit 39 in ETpedia Materials Writing on how to write a test.)
10 tips for writing young learner exams
Tests are a necessary part of the teaching and learning process: they give stakeholders
important feedback and allow us teachers to tweak our teaching to maximise what
goes on in our classrooms. However, they can be very intimidating and demotivating
for young learners. Children tend to work hard simply to please their teachers and
loved ones, and so if they do badly in a test, their self-confidence and motivation can
be crushed. As teachers, then, it is important that we teach young learners to approach
testing in a positive light, showing them that tests help them celebrate their learning.
We can also help them to realise that tests show them what they need to work on next
in order to become even better at English. All this means that as test writers, we need
to ensure that our tests reflect the progress that our young learners have achieved
(rather than stress them out and cast a cloud over learning). Here are 10 principles to
help you design a test that caters for your young learners’ needs.
1. Use topics the children are familiar with

Young learners do not have abstract thinking skills, which means that they are not able
to follow and understand topics beyond their direct reality and experience. It is therefore
essential to limit the topics of the test to their direct experience. The Cambridge exams
for young learners provide a useful list of topics that can help to guide you in choosing the
most child-friendly topics on which to base your teaching and testing.
Unit 48
2. Make sure your test covers the four skills

The objective of a test is to give children feedback on their learning by helping them
see the progress that they have made and to identify areas for future improvement.
For a test to effectively do this, it needs to test the skills and competences of the
child rather than simply testing a list of words or grammar points that the child can
remember. A well-thought-out test therefore needs to test all four skills: listening,
reading, writing and speaking.
3. Keep the test very visual and light

By their nature, tests are stressful for young learners, who love to learn and play rather
than be confined to a desk with a set of strict rules that they have to respect (like not
moving around or talking at all for 30 whole minutes …). To help children manage their
stress levels, design a test that looks simple and is visually appealing. Think about spacing
and font size: the test should not look cluttered and the font should be big and easy for
children to read. This is even more important if the young learners you are teaching have
not grown up learning the Latin alphabet.
4. Use lots of visuals

When testing your young learners, include lots of appealing images that will capture
the attention of your students. However, make sure that you don’t fall into the trap
of distracting them with an excess of visual stimuli. Images should be there to guide
children’s understanding rather than simply to make the test look attractive.
5. Use simple, clear rubrics

Always keep in mind the fact that children have trouble concentrating and focusing
for long periods of time. Help them stay focused and on track by making sure that the
rubrics in your test are very straightforward. Keep instructions simple by following a KISS
approach: Keep Instructions Short and Simple.
6. Think carefully about the vocabulary you are testing

Make sure that the vocabulary you use in your test is not an obstacle to the success of
your young learners. This means that all the words and expressions in your test should be
familiar to your students; there should not be anything tricky or unfamiliar. The Cambridge
young learners’ exams can help you choose the vocabulary that you should focus on in
your teaching. The topics and corresponding vocabulary sets for these exams have been
designed with child-friendly topics and language levels in mind.
7. Keep the test realistic

Make sure you are not testing the children above their language level. As you design the
test, choose tasks and exercise types that require children to write one word or sentence.
Avoid asking children to write whole texts as this type of task is likely to be beyond their
abilities. Another factor to bear in mind is that children have very short attention spans.
This means that it’s preferable to give young learners several shorter tests or quizzes rather
than one long test. Another option is to test the different skills in different lessons so that
each test does not exceed 30–40 minutes.
Unit 48
8. Limit the number of questions per exercise
To make sure that your test is doable, follow the principle of limiting the number of
questions in each exercise to five. This is enough to allow you to verify whether the
children have grasped a concept but not so many that they are drained unnecessarily.
When writing the actual exercises, don’t forget the golden rule of testing for young
learners: always design a test that assesses what the children know rather than one that
tries to catch them out on what they don’t know. Keeping to this principle will promote
learner success and fuel the children’s motivation to shine.
9. Include tasks with different levels of difficulty

Remember that you are making the test for all the children in your class, and that they
have varying talents and abilities. This means that you need to include tasks with a variety
of levels of difficulty. If your tests are too easy or too difficult, you will soon know about
it – the children will become demotivated. The aim, therefore, is to create a test that is
like Goldilocks’ porridge: it needs to be ‘just right’ in terms of the variety and language
difficulty of the exercises.
10. Make a test that reflects what you have been doing in class
Ensure that your test evaluates what you have been teaching in class; don’t give into the
temptation to ‘teach to the test’. Doing the latter will dampen the fun and stifle creativity
in your classroom. It will lead the children to think that the important thing about English is
doing well in the test rather than investing in the entire learning process and putting their
all into classroom activities. Learning to become a competent English language speaker
is much more about developing the four language skills rather than simply acing a test.
The way that you view teaching and testing needs to convey this to children right from the
start if you are to convince them that tests are not just a necessary evil but rather a way to
celebrate learning success with one’s classmates and teacher.
10 ways to find out more about an
exam before you start teaching it
There are plenty of different resources you can use to find out more about an exam
before you start teaching it. Here are just a few to get you started.
1. Official exam websites

All exam boards have an official website, and this should be the first thing you look at. On
the exam board website you will find descriptions of the exam format and question types,
information about the length of the exam and a selection past papers. You will also find
model answers.
2. Blogs and unofficial websites

Many experienced teachers and former examiners have started their own blogs and
websites for different exams. These can be a great information resource. They often
provide more example questions and answers than the exam board’s official website. Many
of these websites provide hundreds of examples of speaking and writing questions that
you can use in class. They also often have useful FAQ sections for teachers and resources
for use in class.
3. Teacher’s books
If you have been given a set book to use with your class, then the teacher’s book will be
a valuable resource. At the front of most books there is an overview of the exam structure
Unit 49
and format. Most will also contain useful additional tips throughout the book that can help
to explain exam tasks. Some will also have photocopiable practice tests.
4. The British Council

If you are teaching a class that is going to take the IELTS exam, the British Council is an
excellent resource. It contains detailed information about the test. There are also lots of
resources you can use in class and plenty of self-study material you can set for homework.
5. YouTube
You can find a variety of videos on YouTube explaining different parts of exams. Some
are official videos made by the exam board or other key stakeholders such as the British
Council. Others are vlogs recorded by teachers and former examiners. There are also lots
of recordings of presentations from events such as the IATEFL annual conference. Some of
these target teachers directly with ideas that can be used in class. Others are directed at
students. The latter often explain a part of the exam and how to approach it; they can be
useful for setting additional homework tasks.
6. Past exam papers

Many publishers produce books containing past exam papers. Your school might have
copies of these; if not, you can purchase them. Taking time to read through them,
familiarising yourself with common topics and the format of the exam is a useful exercise.
Some are also available on official and unofficial websites.
7. Colleagues
If you are in a school large enough to employ multiple teachers, your colleagues can be
a great resource. Many of them will be able to give you advice about exams, recommend
books, give you copies of their favourite lessons and advise on any possible pitfalls. Take
the time to speak to your colleagues and find out if they have any advice on teaching the
exam class you are about to teach.
8. Exam handbooks
These are often available on exam websites in PDF form. They can also be ordered from
exam boards in print form. Exam handbooks give a detailed insight into the exam format.
They often include example papers and sample answers. They also include copies of the
format of the answer sheet that students will use in the exam.
9. Chatrooms
Unofficial websites and blogs often have a chatroom. Many of these save the chat history
so that you can browse and catch up on earlier discussions. Doing this will give you an
idea of some of the main concerns students have. They also usually have teachers or
experts acting as moderators or running question-and-answer sessions. So in this sense it
can be useful if you work in a school with relatively few colleagues teaching exam classes.
10. MOOCs
A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course. You can participate in these live or you can
watch recordings of them afterwards. One of the largest ever MOOCs is one that is run for
Unit 49
IELTS. This MOOC is generally re-run on a regular basis. These courses are free and you
can find out more information here: http://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-ielts/free-
ielts-online-course. Other exam boards may also run their own MOOCs.
You’ll also find more detailed information about exams aimed at Business English and
English for work in ETpedia Business English Unit 49.
10 further resources about
exams and teaching exams
There are lots of further resources to help you to expand your knowledge and skills in
the area of testing. These can help you to expand your theoretical knowledge of exams
and develop your ability to write exams and teach exam classes. Of course, in many
ways, all of these are intertwined, but you can choose to develop in different areas.
1. Enrol in a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course

Organisations such as Bell English and Oxford TEFL offer CPD courses focusing on
teaching exams. These look at some of the major ELT exams on the market and cover
practical skills for teaching exam classes. They also cover the use of assessment to provide
feedback, the methodologies and principles of testing, and testing students for different
needs and abilities. Some of these courses are residential and others can be done via
distance learning. Some individual universities also offer similar CPD courses.
2. Attending conferences
Most major conferences will offer a number of sessions focusing on exams. These can be
both theoretical and practical. There are also a number of conferences and organisations
that focus specifically on testing. IATEFL has a special interest group (SIG) on testing,
evaluation and assessment (known as TEASIG). They organise webinars and local and
international conferences. ALTE, the Association of Language Testers in Europe is a useful
organisation that focuses not only on testing English but also other languages. They, too,
Unit 50
organise CPD events and conferences.
3. Centre for Research in English Language Learning

and Assessment (CRELLA)
Founded in 2005 by Professor Cyril Weir at the University of Bedfordshire, CRELLA is a
centre for excellence that has been rated a ‘world leader’ in research into testing. They
work with many organisations to devise more valid, dependable and fair measurement
tools for assessing language proficiency levels. They work with major test providers such
as the British Council, Cambridge Assessment and Trinity, as well as many other ministries.
Their website includes links to free testing resources, a presentation archive, and links to
testing and assessment organisations. They also organise free conferences and events.
4. Observe exam classes

If your experience of teaching exam classes is limited, it can be a good idea to ask a
more experienced colleague if they are willing to let you observe one of their classes.
Sometimes exam materials can appear a bit dry, but an experienced teacher might be able
to show you ways to liven up certain activities. It will also show you how students react
to different tasks, what they find difficult and what sort of questions you will have to be
prepared to answer. Even when you are experienced, observing and being observed can
be useful for enhancing your knowledge and skills. Always follow up the observation with a
feedback session to enable you both to share best practice.
5. Introductory literature
There are lots of theoretical and practical books on language testing. One particularly
useful introductory book on the theory of language testing is Testing for Language
Teachers by Arthur Hughes, published by Cambridge University Press. This book gives an
overview of the different types of tests, validity, reliability, backwash, test development,
test writing, testing skills, testing grammar and vocabulary, testing young learners and the
administration of tests. The book gives both theoretical and practical examples that you
can use to develop your knowledge and skills.
6. Writing exam materials

The website www.teacher2writer.co.uk provides links to a range of e-books on how to
write different types of materials. Roy Norris has written one called How to Write Exam
Preparation Materials. This book describes how exam preparation materials differ from
general English language teaching materials. It then looks at how a writer can construct
exam-type tasks that test students’ abilities in reading, writing, listening, speaking,
grammar and vocabulary. This is a very useful resource for anyone teaching exam classes
who wants to create bespoke content for individual students’ needs.
7. Mailing lists and discussion forums

If you join an ELT testing organisation or a group such as ALTE, the email lists and
discussion forums can be a very useful resource. People on the discussion forums debate
issues that you will no doubt have experienced at some point or another; they also share
tips and advice. Many master’s and PhD students use these forums and organisations as a
platform to gather data for their research. Informally, people may conduct research using
Unit 50
surveys distributed on these lists and forums in order to develop a course or their centre.
This is then usually shared with the group. Equally, you could use them to ask questions
yourself or conduct your own formal or informal research.
8. Journals
Journals such as English Teaching Professional often include practical ideas and
photocopiable materials that can be used in an exam classroom. There are also a variety
of theoretical peer-reviewed journals that contain interesting research to inform your
classroom practice or test-writing skills. These include:
Language Testing Quarterly

Assessing Writing
Journal of English for Academic Purposes
Language Testing
Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice
Assessment and Evaluation in Language Education
English Profile Journal
Applied Linguistics
Journal of English for Academic Purposes
Not all focus entirely on testing, but many do. The ones that do not focus entirely on
testing, such as Applied Linguistics and Journal of English for Academic Purposes, also
frequently contain research on testing.
9. Take an exam course yourself
If it has been a long time since you took a language exam or learnt a language yourself,
then you could try enrolling on a course that prepares students for an exam. This will give
you practical experience that will help you understand the anxieties of students on these
courses. It may also give you ideas for activities that students respond well to. It can help
you to put yourself in the position of the learner and to think: ‘What do I want from this
class, from my teacher, and from the materials I’m using?’
10. Become an examiner

As you gain more confidence and experience, you might want to consider becoming
an examiner. Usually you need a degree and a TEFL/TESOL certificate or a degree in
education, but exam boards vary slightly. Potential examiners are interviewed and then,
if successful, required to undertake training in assessment of speaking and writing. Other
sections are often marked by a computer. Examiners are usually monitored regularly,
and have to complete standardisations (in which a group of assessors have to grade the
same exam and their marking to check they are marking in the same way). This additional
knowledge and experience can give you a real insight into what examiners are looking for,
and help you to prepare your students for the exam.
Unit 50
You’ll also find ten tips on how to write your own tests and exams in Unit 39 of ETpedia
Materials Writing.
Appendix
The classroom material in this Appendix can also be found online at
https://www.myetpedia.com/appendix-materials/ as downloadable teacher’s resources.
These downloadable teacher’s resources can be viewed as pdfs online where you can use the
search, bookmark, zoom and clip tools. You can also save to your computer or laptop to be
used exactly as they are, or adapted and developed to suit your own context, or you can print
them directly from the website for use straightaway.
Unit 5: Pre-course questionnaire
Before you start the course, it’s useful to know about you, your interests, your previous
learning and your reasons for taking the exam. Please write a few words in each section.
Answer some or all of the questions and add any further information you think is useful
for us to know.
1. Personal information
What’s your name?
Where are you from?
How old are you?
2. Areas of work or study

What’s your job?
3. Free time and interests

What do you do in your free time?
What do you like doing with friends at the weekend?
4. English-learning background
How long have you been learning English?
Where have you studied English?
What courses have you taken?
5. Exams and qualifications

Have you ever taken any English exams before?
Do you have any qualifications in English?
6. Reasons for taking the exam

Why are you taking this course/this exam?
What do you need this exam qualification for?
7. Self-study time
How many hours of homework can you do per week?
What other commitments might affect your self-study time?
8. Knowledge of the exam

How much do you know about the exam?
Have you looked at any sample exam papers?
9. Strengths and weaknesses

Which parts of the exam do you think will be the easiest/most difficult for you?
What areas of English will you need to improve the most for the exam?
10. Availability for the exam

The exam takes place in/on/at _____________________. Will you be available at this time?
158 ETpedia: Exams © Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd and its licensors 2018. Appendix
Unit 9: Exam questionnaire
Make sure you can answer all these questions before the day of your exam!
Write the answers and compare with a partner.
1. Is the exam paper-based or computer-based?
2. How long is the exam?
3. How many papers are there?
4. How many parts are there in each paper?
5. What is the format of each part?
6. How many questions are there in each part?
7. How many marks are there for each question or part?
8. Where do I write the answers?
9. When and where is each exam?
10. What are the rules on the day of the exam?
Appendix ETpedia: Exams © Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd and its licensors 2018. 159
Unit 10.7: Time circles
Time now
12 AM 1 AM
11 PM 2 AM
10 PM 3 AM
9 PM 4 AM
8 PM 5 AM
7 PM 6 AM
6 PM 7 AM
5 PM 9 AM
4 PM 9 AM
3 PM 10 AM
2 PM 11 AM
1 PM 12 PM
Planned time
12 AM 1 AM
11 PM 2 AM
10 PM 3 AM
9 PM 4 AM
8 PM 5 AM
7 PM 6 AM
6 PM 7 AM
5 PM 9 AM
4 PM 9 AM
3 PM 10 AM
2 PM 11 AM
1 PM 12 PM
Unit 12.10: A future interview
Imagine you have successfully passed your exam. Write your answers to these questions
and then share your feelings and ideas with the rest of the class.
1. What’s the best thing about having passed your exam?
2. What was your biggest motivation?
3. Think of one obstacle you faced. How did you overcome it?
4. Which people helped you pass the exam? How?
5. What advice would you give someone else who is going to take
the exam?
Unit 15.8: Developing examples
Shopping online What factors What factors

has a number of influence the influence
advantages and success of people to buy
disadvantages. a company? a product?
What problems
What are the What causes
are associated
advantages and rich countries to
with children
disadvantages get richer and
spending
of volunteer poor countries
so much
work? to get poorer?
time online?
Governments
There are other Students should
need policies
better ways to not be assessed
that make
deal with crime by exams but
people live
than prison. in other ways.
more healthily.
Individuals
Violence in the
Travel opens need to change
media promotes
people up to their behaviour
violence in
new cultures. to reduce
society.
climate change.
Unit 15.9: Developing reasons
Companies
Government Governments should provide
money spent on should control sports facilities
art is a waste. salaries. for local
communities.
Why do some Young people

The best-run
people fail at now aim to
businesses are
school but then become a
family businesses.
succeed in life? famous celebrity.
Someone’s
Why do so many Speaking another personality is as
people want to language will important to their
study business be essential in success as their
at university? the future. qualifications
and experience.
Schools should
Why do people Why are
cut subjects such
often commit growing
as music and
crime soon after numbers
art, and focus
being released of people
more on subjects
from prison? overweight?
such as IT.
Unit 16.7: Hedging your opinions
could perhaps might
may arguably possibly
it could be some people

may suggest
argued that believe that
others have may be

could mean
suggested that true that
Unit 16.9: Sets of expressions for essay writing
1. Introductions
2. Introducing an argument
This essay will argue that …
There is no doubt that …
This essay will suggest that …
There are many advantages to …
This essay will look at …
It is a well-known fact that …
I believe that …
One point of view is …
In my opinion, ...
3. Countering an argument
4. Explaining effects
In contrast with …
The impact this could have on … is …
Others feel/argue that …
It is responsible for …
Contrary to the above ideas, …
No doubt, it is the cause of ...
There are those that believe that ...
5. Expressing positives 6. Expressing negatives

On the plus side, … … sounds ideal, but …
One major benefit is … On the minus side, …
This is ideal because ... One downside is …
One positive effect is ... … is a serious drawback.
7. Comparing 8. Contrasting
Compared to/with … In contrast to …
… have … in common. On the other hand, …
In the same way, … As opposed to …
Both … and … share … On the contrary, ...
10. Concluding and

9. Adding a point
predicting the future
In addition to …
To sum up, …
Additionally, ...
In conclusion, …
One additional point is …
In years to come, …
Furthermore, ...
In the not too distant future, ...
Unit 16.10: Opinion phrase cards
The
There’s It’s
One reason government
too much/ important
is that … could/
many … to …
should …
to improve I disagree I agree There’s not

… because … because … enough …
It’s necessary It’s valuable It’s wrong … can

to … to … to … improve …
An
… can … can A drawback
explanation
develop … create … of …
for …
Unit 18.6: Trend vocabulary
increase (v) increase (n) rise (n) rise (v)
decline slightly dramatically significantly
increase
fall by rise to slight
from
significant dramatic fluctuate stable
steady peak bottom out remain
168
Hardwick Park in 2010 Hardwick Park today
Forest
Forest
Tennis
Fields courts
Picnic
area
Wasteland Playground Outdoor

pool
Units 14.8 and 19.5: Maps
Old warehouse
ETpedia: Exams © Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd and its licensors 2018.
Polluted lake Education
centre
Boating lake
Path
Cafe
Path
Appendix
Unit 20.2: Formulaic expressions
Thanks for your email. It’s great to hear from you.
Thank you for your letter of 17 June.
With reference to our telephone conversation on Friday, I am writing to inform you that …
I am writing to confirm …
I am writing with regard to ...
Just a quick note to invite you to … / to tell you that …
Thanks for your email. It was wonderful/great to hear from you.
I’m really looking forward to seeing you.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Hope to hear from you soon.
I can’t wait to see you.
Unit 20.3: Matching phrases to functions
MAKING A REQUEST / ASKING FOR INFORMATION
Could you please let me know if ...?
I would appreciate it if …
Could you possibly arrange …?
I was wondering if you …
Would you mind ...?
GIVING INFORMATION
We are happy to let you know that …
I am glad to inform you that …
We regret to inform you that …
I’m happy to tell you that ...
OFFERING HELP
Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.
Should you need any further information/assistance, do not hesitate to contact me.
Would you like me to …?
Do you need a hand with …?
COMPLAINING
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with … / to complain about …
I regret to say that I was not completely satisfied with ...
I’m sorry to say that ...
Unit 20.3: Matching phrases to functions
APOLOGISING
Please accept our apologies for ...
I am afraid I will not be able to …
I’m sorry for the trouble I caused.
I promise it won’t happen again.
ENDING
I look forward to hearing from you.
Hope to hear from you soon.
CLOSING FORMULA
Yours sincerely
Yours faithfully
Love
Yours
Best wishes
Unit 23.2: Use a feedback code
SP incorrect spelling
WO word order
P punctuation
T tense
WW wrong word
 missing word
WF word formation
AG subject verb agreement
/ new sentence
Unit 27.6: Synonyms
significant important increasing rising
standard quality goal aim
achievement success hard difficult
necessary needed intelligent clever
simple basic
Unit 27.7: Task commands
a. give the exact

1. account for meaning of something
b. give reasons why

2. contrast something exists
c. say in advance what

3. justify you think will happen
d. how far (e.g. do

4. define you agree …)
e. briefly give the

5. illustrate main details
f. weigh up arguments
6. summarise for and against
an issue
g. give examples or
7. to what extent evidence to make a
point on an issue
h. give reasons based

8. predict on evidence
Answer key
1b; 2f; 3h; 4a; 5g; 6e; 7d; 8c
Unit 27.8: Organising vocabulary into groups
to sum up in conclusion similarly likewise
furthermore in addition moreover therefore
thus like whereas while
differ distinguish
Units 25.4 and 27.9: Word-building table
Verb Noun Adjective Adverb
Unit 38.5: Sentence heads for introducing yourself
Complete these useful phrases for talking about yourself at the beginning of a
speaking exam. Practise using them so that you can talk about yourself confidently.
My name’s …
I come from …
I live in …
I live with ...
I’ve lived there for … years / since …
I like ... because …
I think I prefer ... because …
I don’t like/enjoy …
My favourite … is …
I’ve been learning English for ... years.
Unit 38.10: Exam phrases auction
Cut up these 20 phrases that are often used in exams (both on lower-level exams and
at the beginning of speaking exams for higher levels). The phrases on the left are all
correct and the phrases on the right all contain one mistake. When a team of students
buys a sentence, give it to them.
I come from Italy, where I live with my family. My name Alex and I live in Spain.
We have been living in England for two years. I studied English since two years.
In my free time I often play video games. My favourite hobbies is cycling and music.
I’m study history at university at the

Currently I’m looking for a job.
moment.
I prefer doing exercise to watching TV. I enjoy to play tennis at the weekend.
I’m sorry I can’t agree with you. I’m agree with you.
How do you feel about this one? What are you think about this idea?
On the right hand-side I can see some On the left-hand side of the picture there is
people relaxing. children playing.
In the future, I like to live in another
One day I want to study at a university in China.
country.
I normally go to the gym twice a week. I meet usually friends in the evening.
Unit 39: Personal questions that are
often asked in exams
1. You
What’s your name?
Where do you live?
Where do you come from?
2. Your home
What do you like about living in [name of place]?
What would you change about where you live?
Where would you like to live in the future?
3. Possessions
What’s your most useful possession?
What do you always carry around with you during the day?
If you could keep only one possession, what would it be?
4. Work/studies
Are you working at the moment? What is your job?
How long have you studied [name of subject] / worked as [name of job]?
5. Hobbies
What do you like doing in your free time?
What kinds of hobbies do you have?
Do you prefer spending time on your own at weekends or being with friends?
6. Your town or city

What’s your favourite building in your town/city?
Where do you go in your town/city at weekends?
Where do you usually meet friends in your town/city?
7. Food and cooking

What’s your favourite food?
Do you like eating at home or at a restaurant?
Tell me about a traditional dish from your country.
8. People
Tell me about a famous person you admire.
Tell me about someone you know well and can trust.
Describe a close friend or family member.
Unit 39: Personal questions that are
often asked in exams
9. Languages
What languages do you speak?
What do you like about speaking another language?
How important is it to speak other languages?
10. Education
What’s your favourite subject at school?
Do you prefer science subjects or the arts?
What would you like to do when you leave school or university?
Unit 40.2: Strategies when you don’t know the word
Unit 43.3: Question generator board game
TRANSPORT WEATHER EDUCATION CITY TRAVEL LANGUAGE
PLANS Which…? How often …? Have…? Where…? FESTIVALS
JOB Does …? What…? POSSESSIONS
1. Place one counter on

START and one counter
TECHNOLOGY Can …? on any question word. When…? HOLIDAYS
2. Roll the dice and

move both counters
clockwise.
3. Make a question about

FRIENDS How …? Are…? COUNTRY
the topic. Ask another
player your question.
HEALTH Why …? How…? FOOD
HOME What …? Why don’t …? Do …? Would …? FILMS
START
BOOKS NEWS SPORT SHOPPING SOCIAL MEDIA
FINISH
Unit 43.4: Blockbuster speaking topics
news music free time
entertainment people
science travel books
work education
nature family crime
sport food
weather transport society
learning
technology
English
home fashion holidays
Unit 43.5: Guess the word
washing
tin-opener hammer paper clip
machine
phone vacuum
calculator satnav
charger cleaner
paper
safety pin key ring webcam
shredder
remote
electric drill spanner projector
control
mobile
USB stick screwdriver dishwasher
phone
Unit 43.8: Discussion phrases
I think ... I’m not sure I agree with you …
In my view/opinion … I see your point but …
From my point of view … I think we agree about … but what about …?
To my mind … Can you repeat that?
What do you think? Sorry, I don’t understand what you mean by …
What’s your opinion? Let me check I’ve understood you.
Do you agree (with me)? So you mean that …
How do you feel about it? Also, …
One advantage/disadvantage is that … In addition, …
On the plus/negative side … On top of that, …
One minus is that … But we’re moving away from the main task.
The pros outweigh the cons. Let’s get back to the main question.
On the one hand …, but on the other … OK, but we need to make a final choice.
I think this is better than … On balance, … / Overall, …
This one is more …/….-er than that one. Weighing everything up, ...
This is the best/worst/most … I think we should choose …
I agree. / Yes, you’re right. I think this is the best …
I disagree. / I don’t agree.
Unit 43.9: Find someone who
Find someone who thinks that in 30 years’ time …
Name Reason
1 … the internet will have replaced high

street shops.

Find someone who thinks that in 30 years’ time …
Name Reason
1 … the internet will have replaced high

street shops.

Unit 44: Discussion topics
Competition in schools is good for children because it prepares them for real life.
The sports that you play in teams are more fun than those you play on your own.
There should be more time for sport and physical exercise in schools.
In modern society, people rely too much on technology and computers.
Overall, the positive benefits of social media outweigh any negatives points.
People spend too much time looking at screens and not enough time communicating
face to face.
Living in the city is better than living in the countryside.
A holiday by the sea is more relaxing than one spent in the mountains.
It’s important to keep old buildings in our cities rather than knock them down to build new ones.
Celebrities such as sportspeople and musicians are important as role models to young people.
People are living their life too quickly these days and need to slow down and spend more
time relaxing.
Everyone should continue to learn and take courses as they get older.
The way our parents and grandparents’ generations were taught in schools was more
effective than the way young people are taught today.
It is the responsibility of schools to offer lots of free after-school activities, like sports and
special-interest clubs.
Zoos still have an important purpose in modern society and they are generally good for animals.
People need to think more carefully about the types of animals they buy as pets.
We need to do more to protect nature, wildlife and local areas of beauty, such as parks.
Cities should provide more cycle paths and reduce the amount of space allowed for
motor vehicles.
The expression ‘travel broadens the mind’ is not always true when you go abroad on holiday.
Outdoor holidays with activities like hiking and camping are better than package holidays
with a hotel, a beach and a pool.
Shopping online has many advantages over traditional shopping.
Unit 44: Discussion topics
With so many supermarkets and shopping malls, there is no need for small traditional shops
any more.
People buy too many things these days and place too much importance on the possessions
they own and the clothes they wear.
Everyone should do some voluntary work every year, for example with a charity or for their
local community.
Nowadays people spend too much time thinking about work and money and not enough
time thinking about family and friends.
People who work in caring professions that help other people (for example, nursing) should
earn more than people who run private businesses.
There is too much violence in films and on TV these days and the government should control
it more.
Live performances such as plays and concerts are more entertaining than recorded ones
such as films we see at the cinema.
Some sports aren’t about entertainment any more. They’re just about money and fame.
Main ELT exams
at a glance
There are all sorts of different exams you might have to prepare students for. Some of these are
lower-stakes tests, such as progress tests linked to a course or end of term tests. High-stakes tests
will include state English exams, university entrance exams and other formal summative tests.
This section provides you with summary pages outlining details of exams that are not country-
specific, but taken throughout the world. If your students are taking a different exam, you could
use a similar ‘at-a-glance’ way of presenting details of the exam for your students.
1. IELTS
IELTS is a proficiency test of English that scores all takers on a scale of 1 to 9. There are
two versions of the IELTS test – IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Far more
candidates take the academic version than the general one. It is taken for many different
reasons but one of the most common is for entrance into a university.
Format: paper based

4 papers: Reading, Listening, Speaking and Writing
Length: 3 hours
Further information: www.ielts.org
Academic paper in detail:
Listening (30 minutes + 10 minutes to transfer answers)

Part Questions Format
10 questions. Question types include
A recording of an everyday
multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram
1 conversation between two
labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary
people.
completion, sentence completion.
multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram A recording of an everyday
2
labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary monologue.
multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram A recording of an academic
3
labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary conversation.
multiple choice, matching, plan/map/diagram A recording of an academic
4
labelling, form/note/table/flow-chart/summary monologue.
Reading (60 minutes)

40 questions in total. 12 to 14 in each section.
1
Tasks include: multiple choice, identifying
information, identifying the writer’s views/ Topics of general interest.
2 claims, matching information, matching Authentic articles or extracts from
headings, matching features, matching books, journals, magazines and
sentence endings, sentence completion, newspapers. At least one has a
3 summary completion, note completion, table logical argument.
completion, flow-chart completion, diagram
label completion and short-answer questions
1. IELTS
Speaking (11–14 minutes)

Part Time Format
Introduction and ID check.
1 4–5 minutes Answer questions on familiar topics, e.g. your home,
studies, hobbies, etc.
You are given a task verbally and a card with prompts. You
2 3–4 minutes have a minute to prepare your talk. Speak for 1–2 minutes.
Answer 1 or 2 follow up questions.
Answer questions about more abstract ideas relating to the
3 4–5 minutes
topic in part 2.
Writing (60 minutes)

Part Time Format
1 20 minutes 150 word report explaining a diagram, chart or table.
2 40 minutes 250 word essay responding to a written opinion/problem.
The general test is the same in the speaking and listening. The reading test uses slightly
different genres. The first section requires students to retrieve general factual information from
notices, advertisements and timetables. The second section focuses on the workplace context,
for example, job descriptions, contracts and staff development and training materials. The
third section is a longer descriptive and instructive text taken from newspapers, magazines and
fictional and non-fictional book extracts. Writing task 1 asks students to write a letter rather
than respond to a visual.
2. TOEFL
The TOEFL test is similar to the IELTS test in that one of the most common reasons to
take it is to gain entrance to a university.
Format: Internet-based
4 sections: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
Length: 4 hours. 4 hours 30 minutes with registration
Further information: https://www.ets.org/toefl/
Section Time Questions Format

Read 3 or 4 passages from
Reading 60–80 minutes 36–56 questions academic texts and answers a
range of questions.
A recording of lectures,
classroom discussions and
Listening 60–90 minutes 34–51 questions
conversations. Answer a range
of questions.
Express an opinion on a
Speaking 20 minutes 6 tasks familiar topic; speak based on
reading and listening tasks.
Write essay responses based
Writing 50 minutes 2 tasks on reading and listening tasks;
support an opinion in writing.
3. Cambridge General English Exams
Cambridge exams offer a wide range of exams, including being one of the key
stakeholders in IELTS. For General English, they offer a suite of exams that test students
at different levels. These are:
A2: Key
B1: Preliminary
B2: First
C1: Advanced
C2: Proficiency
The lower two levels have three papers: (1) reading and writing, (2) speaking and (3) listening.
The higher three levels have three papers: (1) reading and English in use, (2) writing and (3)
speaking and listening.
Cambridge English: Key (KET)
Cambridge English: Key is an exam which tests a candidate’s English at CEFR level A2.
Format: Computer or paper-based

3 papers: Reading and writing, Listening, Speaking
Total length: Approximately 1 hour 50 minutes
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/key
Reading and writing (70 minutes)

Read 8 signs, notices or short text (A-H) and
1 5 matching questions.
match five sentences to the right one.
5 3-option multiple-choice Read five related sentences and choose the

2
questions. missing word for each.
5 3-option multiple-choice questions Read sentences from 5 different

and 5 sentences missing from conversations and choose the correct
3
a conversation chosen from 8 response. Then read a conversation and
sentences. match 5 sentences.
7 sentences which can be Right/
1 long text or 3 short texts. Answer 7
4 Wrong/Doesn’t say or 3-option
questions about the text(s).
multiple choice.
A text with 8 gaps and 8 3-option Read the text and choose the correct missing
5
multiple-choice questions. words.
Read 5 definitions and the first letter of 5
6 Guess 5 words.
words. Then complete the words.
Read a short text such as a letter or postcard.
7 10-gap open cloze.
Write in the 10 missing words.
Read 1 or 2 short texts and transfer
8 5 questions. information into a form, note or similar
document.
Read a set of instructions about the situation
1 guided writing task such as a short
9 (who, what, etc.) and write a text of 25–35
message, note, email or postcard.
words.
Cambridge English: Key (KET)
Listening (30 minutes)

5 questions with 3 pictures to Listen twice to 5 short conversations and
1
choose from. choose the correct picture.
Listen to a conversation and match a list of 5

2 5 matching questions. (often people) to a list of 7 words related to
the topic; e.g., people to types of sport.
5 3-option multiple-choice Listen twice to a long conversation and

3
questions. choose the answer for each question.
5 words into a set of notes or Listen twice to a conversation with 2 people
4
message. and complete the notes or message.
5 words into a set of notes or Listen twice to 1 person speaking and
5
message. complete the notes or message.
Speaking (8–10 minutes with a pair of candidates)

A conversation with the The examiner asks questions about general and
1
examiner. personal topics such as likes/dislikes, job, studies, etc.
A collaborative task with a Using prompts for questions on a card, one candidate
2
partner. interviews the other about daily life.
Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET)
The Cambridge English: Preliminary is an exam that tests a candidate’s English at CEFR
level B1.
Format: Computer-based or paper-based

Total length: 2 hours 30 minutes
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/preliminary

Students read 5 short texts such as signs,
1 5 3-option multiple-choice questions notes emails, labels, etc.) and choose from 3
sentences which best describes the text.
Students read 5 descriptions of people and
2 5 matching questions
match them to a choice of 8 texts.
Students read a long text and decide if 10
3 10 true/false questions
sentences are true or false about the text.
Students read a long text and choose the
4 5 4-option multiple-choice questions
correct answer to 5 questions.
Students read a text and complete the 10
5 10 4-option multiple-choice cloze
gaps from a choice of 4 words for each gap.
Writing
5 sentence-transformation Students read 5 sentences and transform them into a
1
questions second sentence with the same meaning.
1 short message (35–45 Students read a set of instructions about a situation and
2
words) write a short message such as an email, postcard or note.
3 1 longer text (100 words) Students write either an informal letter or a story.
Cambridge English: Preliminary (PET)
Listening (36 minutes approximately)

Students listen twice to 7 short recordings
1 7 3-option multiple-choice questions
and choose one of 3 pictures as an answer.
Students listen to 1 long recording of a
2 6 3-option multiple-choice questions person speaking or an interview and answer
6 questions.
Students listen to 1 person speaking and

3 6 gap-fill questions write in 6 pieces of missing information from
a set of notes.
Students listen twice to an informal
4 6 true/false questions conversation and decide if 6 sentences are
true or false.
Speaking (10–12 minutes with a pair of candidates)

Answering questions about yourself and
A conversation with the examiner
1 talking about personal topics such as jobs,
(2–3 minutes)
studies, likes/dislikes, plans, etc.
A discussion with the other The two candidates are given a situation with
2
candidate (2–3 minutes) some pictures and decide the best choice.
The candidate describes a colour
3 Describing photographs (3 minutes)
photograph and talks about it for 1 minute.
A general conversation between the
4 Further discussion following on from part 3.
examiner and candidates (3 minutes)
Cambridge English: First (FCE)
The Cambridge English: First exam which tests a candidate’s English at CEFR level B2.

4 papers: Reading and use of English, Writing, Listening, Speaking
Total length: 3 hours 30 minutes
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/first/
Reading and use of English (75 minutes)

Students complete a text with 8 gaps using a
1 8 4-option multiple-choice cloze
choice of words.
Students read and complete a text with 8
2 8 gaps in an open cloze text
missing words.
A text with 8 gaps in each line and a prompt
3 A word formation task with 8 gaps word to convert into a different word form and
complete the gap.
Students rewrite the first sentence by using the
‘key’ word and complete the gap in the middle
4 6 key-word transformations
of the second sentence with a similar meaning
to the first.
6 4-option multiple-choice
5 Students read a text and answer 6 questions.
questions
Students read the text and put the correct
6 6 numbered gaps in a text
paragraphs back into it.
Students read a text in 4 sections or read
7 10 multiple matching questions several short texts and match the 10 sentences
to the correct text.

Students read the essay title and two
1 compulsory question. An
1 suggested ideas then write an essay (140–190
opinion essay
words) with three ideas.
A situationally based writing task
Students choose from 3 situations and write 1
2 based on a choice of texts (article,
text (140–190 words).
email, review, etc.)
Cambridge English: First (FCE)

Students listen twice to short monologues or
1 8 multiple-choice questions
conversations and answer 1 question per extract.
Students listen to a monologue of about 3
10 sentence completion
2 minutes, then complete sentences with missing
questions
information.
Students listen to 5 monologues and choose 5
3 5 multiple matching questions
options from 8.
7 3-option multiple choice Students listen to a conversation between 2 or 3
4
questions speakers and answer the questions.
Speaking (14 minutes with a pair of candidates)

A conversation with the Students answer questions about personal
1
examiner interests, home, free time, etc.
Students look at 2 photographs and answer
2 A long turn the question by talking for 1 minute. The other
candidate comments at the end.
A collaborative task between The examiner gives a task with prompts that
3
the two candidates requires discussion and a final agreed decision.
Further discussion following on A discussion between the examiner and the two
4
from part 3 candidates.
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
The Cambridge English: Advanced is an exam that tests a candidate’s English at CEFR
level C1.

Total length: 4 hours
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/advanced

8 4-option multiple Students complete a text with 8 gaps using a choice
1
choice cloze of words.
8 gaps in an open cloze
2 Students read and complete a text with 8 missing words.
text
A word-formation task A text with 8 gaps in each line and a prompt word to
3
with 8 gaps convert into a different word form and complete the gap.
Students rewrite the first sentence by using the ‘key’
6 key-word
4 word and complete the gap in the middle of the second
transformations
sentence with a similar meaning to the first.
6 4-option multiple
choice questions
4 cross-text multiple Students read four texts and match four prompts to the
6
matching questions correct text.
6 numbered gaps in a Students read the text and put in the correct paragraphs
7
text back into it.
10 multiple matching Students read a text or several short texts then match the
8
questions 10 sentences to the correct text.

1 compulsory question. An opinion Students read a text and write an essay in
1
essay (220–260 words) response to points in the text.
A situationally based writing task
Students choose from 3 situations and write
2 based on a choice of texts (proposal,
1 text (220–260 words).
email, review, report, etc.)
Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)

6 3-option multiple Students listen twice to three short recordings. There are
1
choice questions 2 questions per recording.
8 sentence completion Students listen to a monologue of about 3 minutes then
2
questions complete sentences with missing information.
6 4-option multiple Students listen to a conversation between 2 or 3 speakers
3
choice questions and answer the questions.
Students listen twice to five monologues and complete
10 multiple matching
4 two tasks for each extract by matching speakers to the
questions
correct sentence.

A conversation with the Students answer questions about personal interests,
1
examiner home, career, etc.
A long turn (1 minute per Students look at 3 photographs and talk about 2 of
2
candidate) them. The other candidate comments at the end.
A collaborative task
The examiner gives a task with prompts that requires
3 between the two
discussion and a final agreed decision.
candidates (3 minutes)
Further discussion following A discussion between the examiner and the two
4
on from part 3 (5 minutes) candidates.
Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
The Cambridge English Proficiency is an exam which tests a candidate’s English at CEFR
level C2.

Total length: 4 hours
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/proficiency/

8 multiple-choice Students complete a text with 8 gaps using a choice of 4
1
cloze words or phrases.
8 gaps in an open
2 Students read and complete a text with 8 missing words.
cloze text
A word-formation A text with 8 gaps in each line and a prompt word to

3
task with 8 gaps. convert into a different word form and complete the gap.
Students rewrite the first sentence by using the ‘key’ word

6 key-word
4 and complete the gap in the middle of the second sentence
transformations
with a similar meaning to the first.
6 4-option multiple-
choice questions
7 numbered gaps in Students read the text and put the correct paragraphs back
6
a text into it.
10 multiple matching Students read a text or several short texts then match the
7
questions 10 sentences to the correct text.

Students read two short texts and write an
1 compulsory question; a discursive
1 essay summarising and responding to the
essay (240–280 words)
main points in the text.
A writing task based on a choice of
four different texts (article, letter, Students choose from 4 options and write a
2
report review, etc.) text (240–280 words).
(Also option to write about a set book)
Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

6 3-option multiple Students listen twice to 3 short recordings. There are 2
1
choice questions questions per recording.
9 sentence-completion Students listen to a monologue of about 3–4 minutes then
2
questions complete sentences with missing information.
5 4-option multiple- Students listen to a conversation between 2 or 3 speakers
3
choice questions and answer questions.
Students listen twice to five monologues and complete
10 multiple matching
4 two tasks for each extract by matching speakers to the
questions
correct sentence.

A conversation with the Students answer questions about personal and general
1
examiner interests.
A collaborative task The examiner gives a task with one or more pictures.
2 between the two Students answer a question and then complete a
candidates (4 minutes) decision-making task.
Students look at a card with a question and ideas, then
A long turn and speak for 2 minutes on the topic. The other candidate
3
discussion comments at the end. After both long turns, a discussion
follows with the examiner.
4. BEC
Also run by Cambridge English are the business English exams known as BEC: the
Business English Certificate. These are only offered at the higher levels: Preliminary (B1),
Vantage (B2) and Higher (C1). The lower level has three papers; reading and writing,
listening and speaking. The two higher levels have four papers with reading and writing
in separate sections. The tests follow a similar format to the general English exams but
all of the contexts are in a work situation.
BEC Preliminary
The Business English Certificate Preliminary is a Cambridge English exam that tests a
candidate’s Business English at CEFR level B1.

Total length: About 2 hours 20 minutes
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/business-certificates/business-
preliminary/

5 multiple-choice questions with Students read 5 short texts such as notices,
1
three options messages, emails, notes or adverts.
5 matching questions with 5 Students read five short texts such as
2
sentences to match to parts of a text notices, messages, emails, notes or adverts.
Students study 8 pieces of visual information
3 5 matching questions (graphs, charts, etc.) and then match to
descriptions.
Students read for key points in longer text
7 questions with choice of answers:
4 (150–200 words) from a magazine, report,
right, wrong, don’t know
etc.
6 multiple-choice questions with 3 Students read a text (300–400 words) such as
5
options a leaflet, report, news article, etc.
12 gaps in a text choosing missing Students read and complete a text (125–150)
6
word from 3 options on a business-related topic.
5 gaps to complete in a short text Students take information from one text and
7
such as a memo, form or email write a number or word in another text.
Students read some prompts and write a
8 Writing 30–40 words
note, memo, message or email to someone.
Students read a text and respond in the form
9 Writing 60–80 words
of a letter or longer email.
BEC Preliminary

3 multiple-choice
Students listen to 8 monologues or dialogues such as
1 questions with three
presentations, telephone calls, interviews, etc.
options
7 gaps in a form, table, Students listen twice to a conversation or monologue
2
chart or notes (90 seconds) and fill in the gaps.
3 7 gaps Students listen twice to a monologue (2 minutes).
8 multiple-choice Students listen twice to an interview or discussion

4
questions with 3 options between 2 or more people (3 minutes).

A conversation with the examiner
Students talk about themselves, express
1 about yourself and general business/
likes/dislikes and give some opinions.
work topics
Students choose from 2 topics, prepare for 1
A ‘mini presentation’ on a business minute then give talk for 1 minute. The other
2
theme person listens and is asked to comment at
the end.
A collaborative task in which the two The examiner gives a situation and the 2
3 candidates discuss something for 2 candidates use pictures or word prompts to
minutes and reach a decision help their discussion.
BEC Vantage
The Business English Certificate Vantage is a Cambridge English exam that tests a
candidate’s Business English at CEFR level B2.

4 papers: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/business-certificates/business-vantage/

Students read 1 long text or 4 short texts
1 7 matching questions (250–350 words in total) on a variety of
business or work-related themes.
Students read 1 text (450–550 words) in the
5 sentences to match with different
2 form of a report or article then choose from
parts of a text
seven sentences to complete the text.
Students read one text (450–550 words)
3 6 4-option multiple-choice questions and answer 6 questions by choosing from 4
possible answers.
Students read one information-based text
15 4-option multiple-choice cloze
4 (200–300 words) with 15 gaps and four
texts
possible answers per gap.
Students identify if each of the 12 sentences
12 questions in the form of a
5 are correct or incorrect. If incorrect, they
proofreading task
identify the extra incorrect word.

Students read an explanation of their role
1 short text (40–50 words) such as a
1 and notes in the form of bullet points to
note, message, memo or email
include.
Students read about the situation and
1 long text (120–140 words) such
respond to input text such as previous
2 as business correspondence, short
correspondence and/or visual material such
report or proposal
as tables or charts with notes on.
BEC Vantage

Students listen twice to 3 telephone calls or
1 12 gaps in three message forms voicemails and then complete the missing
information on a form.
Students listen twice to 2 sets of short
10 multiple matching sentences for 2
2 monologues on a similar topic and match the
sets of five recordings
sentences A–H to each recording.
Students listen twice to a conversation or
3 8 3-option multiple-choice questions monologue such as a discussion, interview,
presentation, etc.

A conversation with the examiner Students talk about themselves, express
1 about yourself and general business/ likes/dislikes and give some opinions
work topics (3 minutes).
Students choose from 3 topics then prepare
A ‘mini presentation’ on a business for 1 minute and give a talk for 1 minute.
2
theme The other person listens and is asked to
comment at the end (6 minutes).
A collaborative task in which the The examiner gives a situation and the 2
two candidates discuss a topic or students use pictures or word prompts to
3
situation for 3 minutes and reach a help their discussion. Then the examiner asks
decision follow-up questions.
BEC Higher
The Business English Certificate Higher is a Cambridge English exam that tests a
candidate’s Business English at CEFR level C1.

4 papers: Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/business-certificates/business-higher

Students read 1 long text or 5 short texts
1 8 matching questions (about 450 words) on a variety of business or
work-related themes.
6 matching questions with 6 Students read 1 text (450–550 words) in the
2 sentences and match to different form of a report or article then choose from 7
parts of a text sentences to complete the text.
Students read one text (500–600 words)
3 6 4-option multiple-choice questions and answer 6 questions by choosing from 4
possible answers.
Students read one information-based text
4 10 4-option multiple-choice cloze text (200–300 words) with 10 gaps and four
possible answers per gap.
Students read a text (about 200–300 words)
5 10 questions in an open cloze text
on a business topic then complete 10 gaps.
Students identify if each of the 12 sentences
12 questions in the form of a
6 are correct or incorrect. If incorrect, they
proofreading task
identify the extra incorrect word.

Students write a report describing and
1 1 short report (120–140 words) comparing visual information in the form of
graphs, charts or tables.
1 text (200–250 words) from a choice
Students choose one question and respond
2 of three tasks: a report, proposal or
to a situation with bullet point prompts.
piece of business correspondence
BEC Higher

Students listen twice to an informational
A note-completion task with 12
1 monologue and complete sentences, notes
questions
or a form.
Students listen twice to two sets of short
10 multiple matching sentences for 2
2 monologues on a similar topic and match the
sets of five recordings
sentences A–H to each recording.
Students listen twice to a dialogue or
3 8 3-option multiple-choice questions discussion between 2 or 3 speakers on a
business topic or concern.

A conversation with the examiner Students talk about themselves, express
1 about yourself and general business/ likes/dislikes and give some opinions
work topics (3 minutes).
Students choose from 3 topics, prepare
A ‘mini presentation’ on a business for 1 minute, then give a talk for 1 minute.
2
theme The other person listens and is asked to
comment at the end (6 minutes).
A collaborative task in which the
The examiner gives a situation and the two
two candidates discuss a topic
students use word prompts to help their
3 or situation and reach a decision
discussion. Then the examiner asks follow-up
followed by a discussion with the
questions (4 minutes).
examiner
Another main set of exams offered by Cambridge are the Young Learner exams. These
are offered from pre-A1 to A2 and are known as Starters (pre-A1), Movers (A1) and
Flyers (A2).
Starters
3 papers: Reading and writing, Listening and Speaking
Time: 45 minutes
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/young-learners-english

Students listen to 5 short conversations and
1 5 picture-matching questions draw lines to place small pictures onto the
right location of a larger picture.
Students listen to a short conversation and
2 5 short-answer questions
write a name or number after each question.
Students listen to 5 short conversations.
3 5 multiple-choice questions They choose picture a, b or c for each
conversation.
Students have a picture with 7 examples of
4 5 questions the same object. Students colour each one
with the correct-coloured pencil.

Students look at 5 pictures. Under each picture
1 5 sentence-matching tasks students must decide if the sentence beginning
‘This is a …’ is true or not.
Students look at one big picture with 5 sentences
2 5 true / false sentences describing the picture below. They write ‘yes’ if the
sentence is true and ‘no’ if it is not.
Students see 5 pictures and have to name the
3 5 jumbled letter questions
pictures using jumbled letters.
Students choose the right words/pictures from a box
4 5 questions in a gapped text
to complete the gaps in a text.
Students see three pictures which tell a story. Under
5 5 short-answer questions each picture there are one or two questions that
students have to answer with one word.

The examiner points to objects in a picture that the
1 Naming objects
student names.
Movers

Time: 60 minutes

Students listen to a conversation and draw lines
1 5 picture-matching questions from pictures of people doing things onto the right
location of a larger picture.
Students listen to a short conversation and complete
2 5 form-completion questions
a form with names and other information.
Students listen to a conversation then draw a line
3 5 matching questions from each day of the week to pictures of different
activities.
Students listen to 5 short conversations then match

the picture to the questions.
5 colouring, drawing and Students listen to a conversation and colour an item,

5
writing questions draw an item or write an item onto a bigger picture.

Students look at 6 pictures with the word underneath
1 6 sentence-matching tasks
then match these to the definitions.
Students look at one big picture with six sentences
2 6 true / false sentences describing the picture below. They write ‘yes’ if the
6 conversation-completion Students read a conversation and choose the response

3
questions of the second speaker from a, b or c options.
Students choose the right words/pictures from a box

to complete the gaps in a text.
Students see three pictures that tell a story. After the

5 10 short-answer questions story, they complete sentences about it with two or
three words in each gap.
Students complete a short text. Each missing gap

6 5 text-completion questions
gives them 3 options to choose from.
Movers

The student looks at two similar pictures with some
1 Describing differences
differences and is asked to describe 4 differences.
The student is shown 4 pictures that tell a story. The
Identifying and moving
2 examiner tells the student about the first picture and
pictures
then asks them to continue the story.
The examiner shows the students sets of four pictures.
3 Answering short questions In each set, one is different. The student is asked to
describe the different one.
The examiner asks the student questions about him/

4 Answering short questions
herself e.g. about school, friends, hobbies, etc.
Flyers

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Students look at 15 words and then match these to
1 10 sentence-matching tasks
10 definitions.
Students see one big picture with six sentences
2 7 true/false sentences describing the picture below. They write ‘yes’ if the
5 conversation-completion Students read a conversation and choose the
3
questions response of the second speaker from a list A–H.
Students complete the gaps in a text with words from
a box. They then choose the best title from 3 choices.
Students complete 7 sentences about a story with
one to four words in each gap.
10 gap-completion Students complete a short text. Each missing gap
6
questions gives students 3 options to choose from.
Students complete a text from a letter or diary. They
7 5 gap-completion questions
are not given options.

Students listen to a conversation and draw lines from
5 picture-matching
1 pictures of people doing things onto the right location
questions
of a larger picture.
5 form-completion Students listen to a short conversation and complete a
2
questions form with names and other information.
Students listen to a conversation. On the left they have
pictures of people and on the right they have people’s
names or named places and objects. Students listen and
match the two sets.
Students listen to 5 short conversations. Students have
4 5 matching questions one question per conversation and three pictures. They
must tick the one that matches the conversation.
5 colouring, drawing and Students listen to a conversation and colour an item,
5
writing questions draw an item or write an item onto a bigger picture.
Flyers

The student is given a picture and the examiner will have
1 Describing differences a similar picture. The examiner describes their picture and
student must say how theirs is different.
The student and the examiner both have two pictures.
Identifying and moving The examiner asks the student about the difference in
2
pictures the picture. The student then asks the examiner about
differences in their pictures.
The examiner shows the student a set of five pictures.

Answering short
3 The examiner tells the student about the first picture. The
questions
student must then continue the story.
Answering short The examiner asks the student questions about him/herself
4
questions e.g. about school, friends, hobbies, etc.
6. BULATS
BULATS is an online test offered by Cambridge English. It assesses people’s ability to

communicate in a work context from levels A1 to C2. Although the test has three main
sections (Reading and listening, Speaking and Writing), you have the option of using any
one of them separately or in any combination, depending on the needs of the assessment.
Typically, BULATS is used to shortlist candidates for interviews and to identify training
needs within a company. The reading and listening test is adaptive so there is not a fixed
number of questions. However, there are seven sections, each of about 250 words, and
candidates get 60 minutes. The speaking has five sections and lasts 15 minutes. There
are general questions first, followed by sentences to read aloud, then two presentations,
and responses to fixed questions. The contexts are all business-related. In the writing
section, candidates write an email and a short report.
Further information: www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/bulats/
Reading and listening

The test is adaptive so the Students read and listen to different texts. Text length
1 number of questions varies may vary but is normally in the region of 250 words.
according to level The maximum time for a test is about 60 minutes.
Speaking (a single candidate records his/her answers)

8 general questions about
1 Students listen and record their answers.
workplace, background, plans, etc.
Students read the sentences aloud and record
2 8 sentences to read aloud
them.
Students are given a business or work-related
topic to study and have 40 seconds to
3 1 presentation
prepare a response. Then students record the
presentation lasting 1 minute.
Students are given one or more graphics such
4 1 presentation with graphic as a chart or graph which they talk about and
record for 1 minute.
5 questions about a single scenario
Students have five questions about the
5 such as attending a conference or
scenario and record their answers.
planning a project
6. BULATS
Writing
Students read the instructions with a situation
1 1 short email (50–60 words)
and type the email.
1 longer text such as a report or Students have a choice of 2 tasks and type
2
letter (180–200 words) their answer.
7. PTE Academic
PTE Academic is a text offered by Pearson. It is used in much the same way as TOEFL
and IELTS to gain entrance to universities and colleges around the world. Students are
scored between 10 and 90.
Format: Computer-based
3 papers: Speaking and writing, Listening and Reading
Time: 3 hours
Further information: http://pearsonpte.com/
Speaking and writing (77–93 minutes)

1 6–7 questions Students are given sentences to read out loud.
2 10–12 questions Students listen to and repeat sentences.
3 6 –7 questions Students are given an image to describe.
4 3–4 questions Students listen to a lecture and then re-tell key parts.
5 10–12 questions Students respond to short-answer questions.
2–3 questions lasting 20–30

6 Students read and write summaries of given texts.
minutes
1–2 questions lasting 20–40
7 Students respond to one or two essay prompts.
minutes
Reading (32–41 minutes)

Multiple-choice
1 Students choose the right answer from the options.
single answers
Multiple-choice, Students choose the right answer from the options. If they
2
multiple answers choose a wrong answer they are given a minus mark.
Re-order
3 Students put the paragraphs into the correct order.
paragraphs
4 Fill in the gaps Students complete a text using a given wordpool.
5 Fill in the gaps Students complete a text using one of 4 options for each gap.
7. PTE Academic
Listening (45–57 minutes)

Summarise a spoken text Students hear a spoken text and then write a
1
(20–30 minutes) summary.
Students choose the right answer from the options.
Multiple choice, multiple
2 If they choose a wrong answer they are given a
answer
minus mark.
3 Gap completion Words must be spelt correctly in the gaps.
Students choose the correct summary of each

4 Highlight correct summary
listening.
5 Multiple-choice single answer Students choose the correct option.
Students choose the correct words to finish a

6 Select the missing word
sentence they have just heard.
Students listen to and read a text. They highlight

7 Highlight incorrect words
the words that are incorrect in the written text.
Students hear the sentences only once and try to

8 Write from dictation
write them down as accurately as possible.
8. Trinity GESE and ISE
Trinity offers two main types of English exams. The GESE and the ISE. Parts of these
exams are also used in the Trinity SELT (Secure English Language Tests), which is used in
the UK for visa application approval.
Further information: http://www.trinitycollege.com
GESE (Graded Examinations in Spoken English)

As the name suggests, the GESE exam primarily tests students’ level of speaking. The exam
is a one-to-one, face-to-face assessment of speaking and listening skills. Assessment is based
on 12 different grades split into four stages: Initial, Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced.
Different tasks and procedures are set at each stage.
Stage and grades Questions Format

Conversation The examiner asks questions and starts a basic
Initial (Grades 1–3)
(5–7 minutes) conversation on general topics.
Topic discussion Students prepare a topic on a subject they are
Elementary
Conversation interested in and then it is discussed. There is
(Grades 4–6)
(10 minutes) also a general conversation on two topics.
Conversation In addition to general conversation and
Intermediate Interactive task discussion on a topic, this stage includes an
(Grades 7–9) Topic discussion interactive task in which the student leads the
(15 minutes) discussion and initiates the ‘turns’.
Conversation
This highest stage includes all the tasks in the
Listening task
previous stages with the topic taking the form
Advanced Interactive task
of a presentation. In addition, there is a listening
(Grades 10–12) Presentation
phase in which students listen to three short texts
Topic discussion
and then respond.
(25 minutes)
ISE (Integrated Skills in English)
In addition to the GESE (above), the second major exam from Trinity tests reading and
writing as well as speaking and listening, and is offered at four levels: Foundation (A2),
IES 1 (B1), ISE 2 (B2), and ISE 3 (C1).
ISE Foundation
Reading and writing
Students answer 3 types of question about the
Long reading. 15 questions about
1 text: matching, true/false statements, sentence
1 text (300 words)
completion.
Multi-text reading. 15 questions Students answer 3 types of question about the
2 about 3 different texts (300 text: matching, true/false statements, summary
words) notes completion.
Students use the information from the three
Reading into writing. Write a text
3 texts to write an essay, article, email, letter or
using the three texts in Task 2
review (70–100 words).
Students write an essay, article, email, letter or

4 Extended writing task
Speaking and listening

The student prepares a talk about a topic
1 Topic task (4 minutes) before the exam and then discusses it with the
examiner.
The student and the examiner talk about
2 Conversation task (2 minutes)
general topics.
The student listens to two recordings and
Independent listening task (2 completes listening tasks including labelling and
3
tasks, 6 minutes) note-taking. The candidate reports facts and
answers questions after the second recording.
ISE I
Reading and writing
Long reading: 15 questions about
1 text (400 words)
completion.
Multi-text reading. 15 questions Students answer 3 types of question about
2 about 3 different texts (400 the text: matching, true and false statements,
words) summary notes completion.
using the four texts in Task 2


The student prepares a talk about a topic
1 Topic task (4 minutes) before the exam and then discusses it with the
examiner.
The student and the examiner talk about a
2 Conversation task (2 minutes)
general topic.
Independent listening task (2 The student reports facts and answers questions
3
tasks, 10 minutes) after the second recording.
ISE II
Reading and writing
Long reading: 15 questions about
1 text (500 words)
completion.

using the 4 texts in Task 2.


The student prepares a talk about a topic before the
1 Topic task (4 minutes)
exam and then discusses it with the examiner.
Collaborative task (4 minutes) The examiner reads the situation and then the
2
based on a situation student initiates discussion with the examiner.
The student and the examiner talk about a subject

3 Conversation task (2 minutes) area relating to subjects such as work, society, the
environment, etc.
The student listens to one recording. After the first
Independent listening task (1 listening, he/she says what it is about. After the second
4
task, 8 minutes) listening, the examiner gives more instructions and the
student reports back in more detail.
ISE III (C1)

Reading and writing
Students answer 3 types of question about
Long reading: 15 questions
1 the text: matching, true and false statements,
about 1 text (700 words)
sentence completion.
Students use the information from the 4 texts
Reading into writing. Write a
3 to write an essay, article, email, letter or review
text using the 4 texts in Task 2
(200–230 words).


The student prepares a talk about a topic before the
1 Topic task (8 minutes) exam and then presents it (4 minutes). Afterwards,
there is further discussion of the topic (4 minutes).
Collaborative task (4 minutes) The examiner reads a prompt and then the student
2
based on a situation initiates discussion with the examiner.
The student and the examiner talk about a subject
3 Conversation task (3 minutes) area relating to subjects such as the media,
lifestyles, economic issues, etc.
The student listens to one recording. After the first
Independent listening task listening, he/she says what it is about. After the
4
(1 task, 8 minutes) second listening, the examiner gives more instructions
and the student reports back in more detail.
9. TOEIC
TOEIC is offered by the same organisation, ETS, as the TOEFL exam; however, the focus
is on workplace communication.
Format: Computer-based and paper-based

2 papers: Listening and reading, Speaking and writing
Length: 4 hours
Further information: www.ets.org/toeic
Listening and reading (2 hours 30 minutes)

Listening
Students hear 4 statements about each picture and
1 10 questions
choose the one that matches the picture.
Students hear questions or statements and choose
2 30 questions
the correct response.
10 conversations with Multiple-choice questions based on short

3
3 questions each conversations.
Students answer multiple-choice questions based on

4 10 talks with 3 questions each
monologues.
Reading
1 40 questions Multiple-choice sentence completion.
2 12 questions Multiple-choice longer text completion.
Students read texts from magazines, newspapers,

7–10 reading texts with 2–5
3 articles, letters and adverts. They then answer
questions each
multiple-choice questions based on these.
4 pairs of reading texts with 5 Students answer multiple-choice questions based

4
questions per pair on pairs of reading passages.
9. TOEIC
Speaking and writing (1 hour and 20 minutes)

Speaking
1–2 Reading a text aloud The student reads a text aloud.
The student is shown a picture on the screen and has to

3 Describing a picture
describe it in as much detail as possible.
Responding to
4–6 The student hears and responds to questions.
questions
Responding to The student is provided with written information and must

7–9
questions use this to answer questions.
The student is presented with a problem and has to

10 Proposing a solution
propose a solution.
The student expresses his/her own opinion on a given

11 Expressing an opinion
topic.
Writing
Students are shown pictures and are given two words.

1–5 Sentence writing They must write a sentence about the picture using the
given words.
Responding to written
6–7 Students write an email in response to written requests.
request
Writing an opinion
8 Students write an essay in response to a question.
essay
10. Password
Password is a test that focuses on skills and is commonly used as an entrance exam to
universities. Like other exams in this area it is a proficiency exam testing from A2 to C1.
Format: Computer-based
Length: 3 hours
4 papers: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing
Further information: www.englishlanguagetesting.co.uk
Reading
The student puts 7 sentences together to show the
1 Sentence ordering
order of events in a story.
The student drags and drops words from a wordpool
2 Gap completion
into gaps in a text.
The student reads a text and answers multiple-choice

3 Multiple choice
questions based on it.
The student reads a text and matches headings to

4 Paragraph heading match
each paragraph.
The student reads a text and then puts sentences in

5 Summary completion
order to complete the summary of a text.
Listening
The student hears 10 short recordings of information,
1 Multiple choice messages and lecture clips and answers multiple-
choice questions based on these.
The student hears one monologue such as a lecture.
2 True/False/Not given They then decide which of 8 statements are true/false/
not given.
The student hears 6 short recordings of information,
3 Multiple choice messages and lecture clips and answers multiple-
choice questions based on these.
The student hears one monologue such as a lecture

4 Multiple choice
and answers 5 multiple-choice questions.
The student hears one longer dialogue and answers 5

5 Multiple choice
multiple-choice questions.
10. Password
Writing
The student is given a choice of two essay questions.
1 Choice of two essays
They have 30 minutes to answer their chosen one.
Speaking
Give personal information The student says their name and date of birth and
1
and read a passage then reads a short passage aloud.
The student hears and answers 5 simple questions
2 Question and answer
such as ‘Who do you live with?’
The student is given three situations and has 45

3 Situation response
seconds to respond to each one.
4 Question and answer The student answers one question for a minute.
The student is shown a visual such as a graph and has

5 Question and answer
to talk for 2 minutes answering questions on it.
Write your
own 10 tips
Do you have 10 more ideas for English language teachers? Then why not write them
down and share them with your colleagues or share them on the My ETpedia blog at
www.myetpedia.com?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Write your
own 10 tips
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
ETpedia Exams
TM
500 ideas for preparing students for EFL exams
ETpedia Exams provides new and more experienced English language teachers with tips,
ideas and activities for exams-based courses. It helps you to prepare students for any kind
of English language examination including those from the major examination boards, such
as IELTS, TOEFL, TOIEC, and the Cambridge and Trinity exams.
Here are 10 reasons to make ETpedia Exams part of your planning for exam-preparation
courses.
1. Provide your students with the exam skills they will need
2. Strike the right balance between learning English and passing the exam
3. Supplement your main coursebook and exams materials
4. Become familiar with the construction of exam question types
5. Focus on the key skills needed for any type of writing exam
6. Familiarise yourself with the key text types used in reading and listening exams
7. Make speaking exam preparation relevant, useful and motivating
8. Add some creative thinking to your exam lessons
9. Get practical help and advice with writing your own exams and tests
10. Refer to our summary appendix of all the main ELT exams at a glance
About the authors

Between them, Louis Rogers and John Hughes have fifty years’ experience of teaching
teenage and adult students and preparing them for examinations. They have been
examiners for some of the major examination boards and they have both written numerous
exam course books. Vanessa Reis Esteves is an expert in preparing young learners for tests
and examinations.
Pavilion Publishing Tel: 01273 43 49 43

and Media Fax: 01273 22 73 08
Rayford House Email: info@pavpub.com
School Road Web: www.pavpub.com
Hove, BN3 5HX ISBN: 978-1-911028-80-2
T-266-01-18

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ETpedia TM

Louis Rogers and John Hughes

First published 2018

1. Everything in one place

2. From teaching English to exam preparation

6. Studying for an ELT qualification

7. Writing your own exams and tests

9. Additional materials and advice

10. More time

4. Planning your exam lessons

5. Get inside the examiner’s mind

6. Supplement your coursebook

10. Write your own ten

“My teachers and I have

Vanessa Reis Esteves…

Thanks and acknowledgements

2. Challenge and enjoyment

3. A general professional qualification

4. A specific professional qualification

5. Entry to university and further education

7. To gain credits at university

10. Other stakeholders

4. Age and interests of the students

6. Syllabus design and materials

7. Planning lessons and time-management

8. Reflecting the exam task types in your lessons

9. Focus on accuracy over fluency

10. Maintaining the momentum

1. IELTS (International English Language Testing System)

2. TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

3. Cambridge general English exams

5. Cambridge Young Learners

6. BULATS (Business Language Testing Service)

7. PTE Academic (Pearson Test of English)

8. Trinity GESE (Graded examinations in spoken English)

9. TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)

6. Multiple choice and multiple matching

8. Assessor and/or interlocutor

10. Collaborative task

“Sometimes teaching students the

‘How are you going to approach

3. Free time and interests

5. Exams and qualifications

6. Reasons for taking the exam

8. Knowledge of the exam

9. Strengths and weaknesses

10. Availability for the exam

1. Checking the equipment

4. Word count in writing exams

5. Speaking to a person or to a screen

10. On the day

1. Using past papers

likely to be in the real exam.

5. Instructions and questions for speaking exam practice

8. Hide the speaking questions

9. The right number of questions

10. Exam administration

1. State lesson objectives

2. Differentiate your lesson objectives

3. Personalise success criteria

4. Explain the progression in band scores

I can do I can do this I find this

Generate ideas for