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Some General Guidelines of English Tests. |
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As you have probably noticed, some students are more successful than others when taking such an examination. Often the more successful students are better prepared. However, sometimes students who do well have better test taking skills. These abilities really have nothing to do with understanding English better. They are strategic skills that make taking the test easier, and therefore provide better results.
Here are some very important - and often ignored - guidelines to taking a test successfully.
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Free IELTS / TOEFL Preparation Material
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- Do not insist on completing each question before going to the next.
This is extremely important. If you spend a lot of time on one question that you don't understand there can be two negative outcomes: - Losing time
Remember one question may only be worth one point, if you are not able to answer questions later because you have lost time you could lose more points! - Becoming nervous
Becoming nervous can make you lose your concentration and that leads to worse results.
- If possible, go through the entire test answering the questions you are sure you know.
This results in your being more relaxed and feeling more confident.
- Go through the test a second time working out the answers to more difficult questions.
Now you will feel more confident and this will improve your test taking. However, remember to not waste too much time on any one question.
- Once you have gone through the test twice, see if any of the questions asked can help you answer those really difficult questions.
This is a little used trick. Sometimes questions asked are answered in later questions asking for different things. This should not be tried until you have finished the test and have some time remaining to try the questions you have had problems with again.
- If you have a strong feeling about a question when you first answer it, don't go back and change it later. Usually (but not always) a strong first impulse means we know the answer and we don't really have to think about it too much. Going back to think about it usually makes you unsure and often causes an error. This is very common so be very careful!
- Play the odds
If you don't know the answer, write something. If you are answering a 4 possibility multiple choice question you will still have a 25% chance of being correct!
- Do not cheat!!!
Taking a test is as much for you as it is for your teacher. If you cheat, you don't help yourself in the long run.
- Do not translate from your mother tongue!!!
Probably the most common mistake. Remember that your abilities in your first language are much more advanced than your English - even if you are Proficiency level. The fine points learned from growing up in a given language are very different from those in English. Keep to what you know in English and don't translate. Your results will immediately improve.
- Don't block when listening
If you don't understand a spoken dialogue on a listening section of an exam, do not worry about it. Blocking is rather common because when you don't understand something spoken your mind tends to get involved in an inner dialogue; What did he say? I didn't understand that word! etc. This inner dialogue causes you to concentrate on what is going on your mind, and you miss out on what is happening in the conversation. Be very careful. It is important to train yourself to stay relaxed in this situation (easer said than done!). Most tests repeat the listening at least twice and the information itself is often repeated in a number of different ways. Trust the creators of the test to give you ample opportunity to answer correctly.
- Limit yourself to what you know
Students will often get stuck when trying to find one particular word that they can't remember. If you can't remember the word, use a similar word or another word altogether. Remember the test is about the ability to use English - not about telling the truth!
- Look for time signifiers when having to conjugate
The most important thing to identify first in any sentence is the time word or phrase - this tells us when something happens and the conjugation will be based on this fact. This is very important because it helps you limit possibilities. It is much easier to conjugate if you know the tense should be in the past because of a time expression than if you look at a verb and think about all the different possibilities! This is another commonly overlooked strategy that people don't use when they feel under pressure taking an English test.
- Throw out the ridiculous answers in a multiple choice question
Many tests (TOEFL, CAE, First Certificate, Proficiency) often include one or two completely ridiculous possibilities in any multiple choice question. Find these first and get rid if them. This will usually leave you with a choice between two. Your odds will have already increased to 50%!
- Use the rest of the test as an information and vocabulary resource
I stated this on the first page, but I would like to repeat this point. By looking at other exercises focusing on different points, you will often find the answer or information needed that can help you make a decision about a different exercise.
- Don't try to be too funny or clever
Often students try to be funny or clever to relieve the tension. Humor is a very subtle thing and something that might seem funny to you in your own language might sound very strange in English. While a certain amount of humor is fine, trying to be too funny can distract you - and other students if you are taking an oral examination in pairs!
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