Exam skills: 6 tips to help you with writing exams

392,383 views ・ 2017-05-15

BBC Learning English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Rob Your writing is one of the aspects of the
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English language you'll be tested on – so as the exam approaches make sure you know
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what to do. Listen to our top tips to help you on your way!
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Well before the exam day, familiarise yourself with the structure of the writing test – do
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plenty of practice tests, preferably in timed conditions. This will help you look at the
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timing and the type of writing you're expected to produce.
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But don't just do them – get feedback on your writing and act on it so that you learn
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from it. Try to rewrite your work based on this feedback. Once you're in the real exam,
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keep calm! This is examiner, Mark Shea's advice…
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Mark Shea, Examiner Doing an exam successfully is to a large extent
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a question of good time management. If you’ve done practice exams before, you should have
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a good idea of how long each part should take you, and when you have to hurry.
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Rob So manage your time – know how long you
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have for each question. Now, read each question carefully - paying particular attention to
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instruction verbs such as discuss, examine, compare, contrast.
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Next, make a plan before you start writing – you could possibly write down all your
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ideas and arguments and plan how to use these in your writing. Now it's time to start writing
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– as you write, don't forget to keep the appropriate structure in mind and when you've
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finished, make sure you read what you've written and correct any mistakes you've made – and
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that you've actually answered the question!
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Remember the feedback you received for your practice papers and make sure you've acted
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on this in the real exam. Follow these tips and hopefully everything will go smoothly.
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Good luck!
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