Exam skills: 6 tips to help you with reading exams

363,399 views ・ 2017-05-02

BBC Learning English


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

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Rob Reading English is often OK if you’ve got
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plenty of time to do it, but in a reading exam, it can seem as if time isn’t on your
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side! Here's examiner Mark Shea…
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Mark Shea, Examiner The way most reading exams work is that you
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have a lot of reading to do and very little time to do it. Time is more important perhaps
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in reading than in any other paper.
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Rob So there's no time to waste in a reading exam
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but hopefully our top tips will not make your next exam feel like a sprint!
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The first thing to do is to familiarise yourself with the structure of the exam. Remember to
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do plenty of reading practice tests – preferably in timed conditions. And get feedback either
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from your teacher or by checking your answers with answer keys where possible.
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When you do the real exam, begin by reading the instructions carefully so you know exactly
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what you're required to do. One suggestion is to start with a reading section that
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you found easiest in the practice test - then you'll have time to focus on the sections
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you find most difficult. Other people suggest the opposite. You choose which way works for
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you. Just don't spend too much time on any one section – the clock is ticking! This
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is how one student approaches a reading exam…
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Student When the paper come, I read first the questions.
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I try to read the whole thing and try to construct how I answer those questions.
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Rob So it’s a good idea to read the questions
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before you read the texts, so you know what to look for. You could skim to find the main
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idea of a section of text or scan to find specific details such as key words, details,
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phrases or synonyms from the questions. Attempt to answer all the questions as long as there
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is no penalty for an incorrect answer. And make sure you leave some time at the end to
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check your answers.
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Good luck!
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