The Revised ECCE exam

Last minute

test-taking strategies

May 2013 changes

Listening:

4 unrelated monologues in Part 2

Reading:

2 short expository texts

2 sets of 4 related texts

GVR:
10 minutes more- 90 minutes in total

General Test-Management Tips

Manage your time effectively - wear a watch!
Read / listen to instructions carefully
Underline key words in questions and prompts
Read all distractors before deciding on the correct
answer
Base your answers on information supplied in the text,
not on your general knowledge

Mark your answers directly on the answer sheet

Use the appropriate strategy for each test task

Listening Part 1: Strategies

What does each picture depict?

What do the pictures have in common?

What are the differences?

Predict the question

Listening Part 2: Strategies

Focus on the orientation

statement

Predict the context

Use the 30 seconds given to

you to skim through the
questions. The questions
provide clues as to the content
and organization of the text

Take notes only if it helps you

While listening, try answering

the questions without reading
the distractors

Listening Part 2: Strategies cont.

Use the 12 seconds between questions to answer
the question. You have 5 extra seconds at the
turn of the page.
Mark your answers directly on the answer sheet
Guess, if necessary
Learn to recognize the types of questions you
may be asked

Sample Listening Part 2 Monologue

Sub-skills tested:

understanding implication
(#46)

understanding attitudes or
opinions (#47)

paraphrasing (#48)

recognizing salient details

and rhetorical functions
(#49)

drawing inferences or
conclusions (#46, #50)

main idea/purpose

Part 2 sub-skills tested

understanding implication: What does

the speaker imply about the speech he is
giving?

understanding attitudes or opinions:

According to the speaker, what is the
purpose of some questions asked by
adults?

paraphrasing: What does the speaker

say about future plans?

recognizing salient details and rhetorical

functions: What does the speaker
encourage students to do?

drawing inferences or conclusions:

What does the speaker mean when he
says:

Now, the traditional graduation speech usually

involves someone telling you not to give up on your
dreams, telling you that you can do anything, if
you put your mind to itWell, all that might be
true, but thats not what I want to say to you.

Theyre really just trying to find out what kind of

person you are, what your interests might be its
more like a conversation starter.

You dont need to know what you plan to do with

the rest of your life.

So, my advice, when someone asks you What do

you plan to do with your life? is to tell them that
your first priority is to find out what your options
are. You need to learn what you like, what youre
good at

Global Strategies for the GVR section

90 minutes total. Practice managing your time;
see what works for you
Practice answering directly on the answer sheet.
Use a ruler
Dont spend too much time on any one item.
Guess if necessary

GV strategies
Read the entire stem. Guess the answer before looking at
the answer choices
Eliminate as many answer choices as possible
Look for clues in the stem. (tense, part of speech, etc).
Learn the grammar of a word, not just its meaning
Learn vocabulary in chunks. (preposition? derivatives?
collocations?)

Frequently tested grammar items*

Syntax (e.g. word order, embedded phrases)
Simple verb tenses
Progressive forms
Auxiliary verb use
Infinitives

Adverbs, adjectives
Wh-questions
*ECCE 05 report (2007, ELI)

Reading
Task 1
Two prose passages followed by 5 multiplechoice questions each

Task 2
Two sets comprised of 4 texts each followed by
10 questions each. The 4 texts are related to each
other in some way

Reading Task 2

2 sets of 4 related texts

Each set is followed by 10 questions

Total of 550 words for the set, with each text ranging from 50 to 220 words

The texts represent realistic text found in various domains of language use,
e.g.: advertisements, new articles, magazine articles, job notices, e-mails,
posters, etc.

The texts are laid out with some visual and graphic material as they would
be in authentic settings

Reading task 2: Question types

The first few questions assess

understanding of each of the texts
individually

The final questions assess the ability to

integrate information from more than
one of the texts

Questions assess: Global and local comprehension

Understanding the main idea

 Understanding opinions

Understanding explicitly stated ideas

Understanding vocabulary in context

Identifying referents

The ability to synthesize ideas from across text

Drawing inferences

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