Use of English

Exam Preparation

Many students preparing for a Cambridge English exam quickly discover that success depends on more than grammar rules alone. In the Reading and Use of English paper, candidates are often tested on fixed expressions, collocations and words that change meaning according to context. For this reason, teachers usually advise learners to read widely and to (0) PAY attention to how words naturally go together. A good way to improve is to keep a notebook of useful phrases and review it on a regular (1) .......... . Students should also practise under exam conditions so that they get (2) .......... to working against the clock. Another helpful strategy is to look (3) .......... mistakes carefully after completing an exercise, rather than simply checking the score. It is also worth remembering that the wrong options in multiple-choice tasks are designed to (4) .......... you off. They may look similar to the correct answer, but only one will fit both the meaning and the grammar of the sentence. As a (5) .........., strong candidates learn to read the whole sentence before choosing. They also build (6) .......... their vocabulary by noticing common word partnerships. In the end, steady practice usually (7) .......... to greater confidence, and that confidence can make a real (8) .......... on exam day.