How to excel at examsShaun Wilden January 2010

OXFORD OXFORD Exam ExcellenceExam Excellence

all-in-one exam preparation courseall-in-one exam preparation course forfor classroom use classroom use oror self-study self-study with with preparation, practice and test tasks on preparation, practice and test tasks on

two levels: B1 and B2 (C.E.F.)two levels: B1 and B2 (C.E.F.) onon exam topicsexam topics inin all exam papers: all exam papers:

Reading, Listening, Use of English, Reading, Listening, Use of English, Writing and SpeakingWriting and Speaking

Meeting exam expectations

coverage of all exam topicscoverage of all exam topics familiarity with testing tasks featured familiarity with testing tasks featured

in the examin the exam study strategies, useful tips for exam study strategies, useful tips for exam

preparationpreparation developing problem-solving skillsdeveloping problem-solving skills building confidencebuilding confidence providing opportunities to rehearseproviding opportunities to rehearse

How to use the book?

1.1. Decide what you want to focus Decide what you want to focus on practising: topics, skills or on practising: topics, skills or task types?task types?

2.2. Plan your time: time estimates Plan your time: time estimates for practice, time suggestions for practice, time suggestions for tasksfor tasks

3.3. Practise and check your Practise and check your answersanswers

4.4. Complete the exam task Complete the exam task (check your answers and mark (check your answers and mark your score)your score)

5.5. Keep track of your progressKeep track of your progress

Exam Tip 1:

Before you listen / read for the first time, make sure you read the instructions and questions carefully.

Look at the statements below and answer this question. How many legs does a dog have?

A dog has two legs and two tails. A dog has three legs  A dog has four legs and a tail A dog has four legs.

Paying attention to detail

L’Australie –c’est chic:

One of the most surprising business success stories in Paris these days is the Australian Bookshop. Since the shop opened two years ago. French interest in Australian literature has grown. Located in the heart of the city’s literary district….

Exam Excellence page 30

Choose ‘T’ or ‘S’Read this passage and count how many times that

letter occurs:

L’Australie –c’est chic:

One of the most surprising business success stories in Paris these days is the Australian Bookshop. Since the shop opened two years ago. French interest in Australian literature has grown. Located in the heart of the city’s literary district….

L’Australie –c’est chic:

One of the most surprising business success stories in Paris these days is the Australian Bookshop. Since the shop opened two years ago. French interest in Australian literature has grown. Located in the heart of the city’s literary district….

23

26

Exam Excellence page 30

Across Europe

On 1 May 1997, 27-year-old Londoner Andrew Terrill began a 7,000-mile walk from the south of Italy to the northernmost tip of Norway. The aim of the walk was to raise £100,000 for homeless people in England’s capital. Here he reports on his experiences at the start of his adventures.

Exam Tip 2:

Before you mark choice, read the text again quickly to check it’s really the best answer. There is only one correct answer here.

Exam Excellence page 114

Across Europe

On 1 May 1997, 27-year-old Londoner Andrew Terrill began a 7,000-mile walk from the south of Italy to the northernmost tip of Norway. The aim of the walk was to raise £100,000 for homeless people in England’s capital. Here he reports on his experiences at the start of his adventures.

Andrew Terrill started the expedition with

a. with enough food for the whole trip.b. in London, the capital of England.c. on a Mediterranean beach.d. well aware of what lay ahead

Exam Tip 3:

We often use skimming in everyday life, for example when we skim through a newspaper and article to check, we only focus on key words and phrases to get a general idea. Practice this as often as possible.

Pedal Power TVTO UPROOT THE COUCH POTATO

Exam Tip 4: Sentences in a text are connected by cross-

referencing

Exam Excellence page 93

Exam Excellence page 108

Exam Excellence page 108

Don’t worry if there are some words in a cloze text you don’t understand, the gaps are usually grammar words (prepositions modal verbs, pronouns etc, it is not a test of vocabulary)

Exam Tip 5:

Write down ten prepositions (you can write the same one more than once if

you want)

Exam Excellence page 116

Global Warming Hits UK Tea Sales

Global warming has been blamed for the hole

layer, higher pollution and melting ice caps – now it is being blamed

in the ozone

for declining sales of the British National Beverage. In 2002, the average Brit drankof tea. This may sound a

1,000 cups – or 2.2 kilograms

2.6 kilograms in 1997. Apart from the fact that temperatures are

lot but sales were down from

rising globally, more and more tea drinkers are turningto coffee when they fancy a hot beverage.

Exam Tip 6:

Remember that what you hear and what you read often use different words and phrases with the same meanings

Exam Excellence page 119

Exam tip 7: Dictation is a useful tool

Unit 12. Science and technology. Recording 25.Alexander Graham Bell As a young boy, the telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell liked mathematics, and science, but he was easily bored at school. He was much more interested in experimenting and discovering things on his own. One of his first inventions was a simple machine imitating the human voice. Alexander built it with his brother Melville when they were still children. As a teenager, Bell wanted to become an actor or a sailor. Instead, he worked, like his father, as a speech therapist, and taught deaf people. Bell’s studies of the human ear and voice vibrations, and years of experiments resulted in 1876 in the first telephone conversation between Bell and his assistant Tomas Watson. Alexander Bell’s lifelong interest in nature and science also led to a variety of other invention ideas, including experiments with flight and designing aeroplanes.

1.1. Family lifeFamily life

2.2. People and People and societysociety

3.3. Shops and Shops and servicesservices

4.4. HomeHome

5.5. NatureNature

6.6. SchoolSchool

7.7. WorkWork

8.8. HealthHealth

9.9. SportSport

10.10. Free time and Free time and cultureculture

11.11. TravelTravel

12.12. Science and Science and technologytechnology

Exam topicsExam topics

adolescence genealogist paunchthighaccessoriesreferendumcourgettedelicatessen

Exam Tip 8 -9:

If you don’t know the exact word for something, try to use words to explain what you mean. Talking about what you don’t know, guessing is all part of communication and therefore ok in an exam

In the speaking exam it’s very important to keep talking, remember that you can express opinions that are not your own

Blue-collar worker Go on strike

Low fat food Boarding card

Exam Excellence Picture bank

Exam tip 10: Always remember the ‘why’ and ‘because’

Want more tips?

108 tips in the book (though I may have

miscounted )

Plus:Study tips

Language tips

Achieve Achieve Excellence Excellence in in your your Exam Exam with with OxfordOxford!!

Thank you for listening

slides and references on my blogshaunwilden.com

Email: shaunwilden@gmail.com