Exam Skills: 5 tips about choosing resources

When you're studying and revising for exams, using some good learning resources is important

– these are the dictionaries, course books and websites you'll need to find out information

about your subjects. But which ones should you choose? Here are some things to think

about when you are buying some new English learning material in a shop or online.

What skills do you want to practise? If you want to practise your communicative skills,

for example, make sure you don't buy a book which concentrates on reading and writing.

If the course books you are considering are graded, make sure you have assessed your ability

accurately.

Can you borrow DVDs and books from anywhere? Can you share a login to access a useful paid-for

website? Sharing cuts costs!

And, does the course you intend to study have lots of extras which you pay for but aren't

going to use?

What resources does this student use?

"I never use my coursebook - I always ask my teacher. This irritates her a bit, but

what else is she there for?" Well, your teacher is probably the best resource you have. So make

the most of him or her.

A final tip is to use another book in addition to the one the teacher recommends. This will

give you a feeling that you have control over your learning.

Good luck with your studies. Getting the right resources will make studying and revising

a whole lot easier.