Speaking part 1

What you need to do

 Answer the examiners questions, this is the introduction to the speaking test so
he or she will ask you for simple personal information. (name, age, occupation
etc).
 The examiner may also ask you about your family, your interests and how you
feel about learning English and your plans for the future.
 The examiner will ask you to spell all or part of your name.

How to approach it

 Try to say a bit more than yes or no in your answers.

 The examiner will not want long prepared speeches about aspects of your life.
 It is ok to say 'sorry, could you repeat that please?'
 Remember that the examiner wants to find out if you can take part in a simple
everyday conversation, giving information about yourself.

How to prepare yourself

 Make sure you can spell your name and the name of your town/city.
 Practise talking about your hobbies and interests, likes and dislikes.
 Be prepared to answer questions about your past, present and future.

Speaking part 2
What you need to do

 Listen to the examiners instructions.

 Look at a picture containing a number of different items.
 Speak to your partner, the other candidate for two minutes.

How to approach it

 The examiner will not take part in the discussion so you and your partner must
be ready to keep the conversation going.
 It isn't essential to finish the task in the time given, but try to discuss each
option in the picture as fully as possible.
 In the exam candidates are assessed on their ability to take part in the task,
rather than on the outcome of the discussion.
 Listen to what your partner says and where appropriate, respond with a
comment or a question.
  Don't worry if you don't know what something is called in English try to
describe what people use it for.

How to prepare yourself

 Take part actively in classroom discussions in pairs or groups.

 Try to move the discussion forward by responding to other people’s ideas and
opinions.
 Learn and practise how to make suggestions, give your opinion and agree and
disagree.
 When there is a question to discuss don't rush to a conclusion, take time to talk
about different aspects of the question.

Speaking part 3
What you need to do

 Describe a colour photograph.

 The examiner will tell you the subject of the photo, but will not ask you any
further questions.
 You have to speak on your own without prompting.
 Describe the place, the people in the picture and what they are doing and any
important objects and where they are.

How to approach it

 Imagine your describing the picture to someone who can't see it.
 Include the name of objects, describe colours, people’s clothes, the weather
etc.
 Try to talk about facts and impressions
 Try to speculate about something in the photograph.
 If you don't understand what is happening in the photo just describe what you
can see.
 Try to sound interested and curious about the subject of your photo.
 Avoid giving a boring list of things you can see.

How to prepare yourself

 Practise talking about a photo for one minute.

 Learn to describe the areas of a picture (bottom right-hand corner, top left-
hand corner, background etc).
 Learn to use grammatical structures where necessary when speaking about the
photo.
 Learn expressions to use when you don't know the word for something or what
it's called in English e.g. it's like, it's a kind of.
Speaking part 4
What you need to do

 Talk with your partner for 2-3 minutes on a subject given by the examiner.
 The subject will be connected with the photos you have just described in part 3
but the examiner will take the photos back.
 You don't need to refer to them in your conversation.

How to approach it

 Turn towards yours partner so it's easier to talk together.

 Remember the examiner will not join in.
 It's a conversation between you and your partner.
 Say what you think, talk about things you like and dislike but also take turns
and ask questions and respond to what your partner says.
 If you don't understand something it is ok to ask them to repeat it.
 Speak clearly at all times so that the examiner and your partner can hear you.

How to prepare yourself

 Practise talking about your interests, your likes and dislikes and your opinions,
it is important that you can give reasons for your views.
 Practise short conversations with a partner on common everyday topics.
 Practise expressions for agreement and friendly disagreement.

Reading part 1
What you need to do:

 Part 1 tests candidates understanding of short texts, authentic notices and

signs and packaging information and also communicative messages.
 With each text there is a multiple choice question. candidates are required to
choose one of the three options.

How to approach it

 When you attempt this part of the exam you should first read the text carefully
and think about the situation it would appear.
 Then read each of the three options carefully and compare each one with the
text before choosing your answer.

 For a final check you should re read both the text and your final answer to
decide that your choice is correct.
Reading part 2
What you need to do:

 Part 2 test candidate’s comprehension of factual material.

 There are five short descriptions of people.
 Candidates have to match these short texts to five of eight short texts on a
particular topic.
 The topic texts are usually to do with goods and services of some kind
e.g. buying books, visiting museums, choosing holidays or staying in hotels.

How to approach it:

 You should start by carefully reading the five descriptions of the people first
and underline the key information.
 Then you should carefully read the eight topic texts and underline any matches
of key information.
 In order to choose the correct text you need to check that all the requirements
are met.

 You should not look for individual word matches (word spotting) and avoid
quick matches and instead read each text carefully.

Reading part 3
What you need to do:

 Read ten statements about a long factual text.

 When you read the text you have to decide if the statements are correct or
incorrect if they are correct, write A, if they are not correct, write B.
 First read the ten statements, they come in the order of the information in the
text.
 Then read the text fairly quickly to get a general idea.
 Read the text again this time look for key information that will help you decide
if the statements are correct or incorrect.
 Don't worry if you don't understand all the vocabulary in the text you will not
be tested on this.

How to prepare yourself

 By reading real-life factual materials such as brochures, advertisements and

website information in English.

Reading part 4
What you need to do
  You have to read a long text and answer five multiple choice questions.
 In each question you have to choose from four options.
 The first question is usually about the writer’s purpose in writing the text and
the last question is about the general meaning of the text.
 The other three questions follow the order of information in the text and at
least one question will be about attitudes or opinions expressed in the text.

How to approach it

 Read the text fairly quickly and think about the writer's purpose and the genera
meaning of the text.
 Then read the text again, this time very carefully.
 Answer the questions, each time checking your answer by looking back at the
text.
 Next it's a good idea to answer the first question about the writer's purpose
and the last question, the general meaning question together.
 If you are not sure of the correct answer cross out the answers that you know
are wrong.

How to prepare yourself

 The texts in part 4 are information about a topic: they will often express the
attitudes, feelings and opinions of the writer or of the other people mentioned
in the text.
 These words are sometimes used to indicate the writer's purpose: recommend,
describe, explain, report, warn, advice, and give an opinion.
 You can try to read a variety of texts that express opinions, attitudes etc,
reading stories are an excellent way to help you prepare for this part of the
exam.

Reading part 5
What you need to do

 Read a text with ten gaps in it.

 Look up 4 multiple-choice items for each question and choose the correct word
for the gap.
 The 4 multiple choice options are generally the same category of word e.g.
nouns, relative clauses, verbs or prepositions.

How to approach it

 Before you answer the questions read through the whole text so that you
understand the topic and the general meaning.
 Look at the example answer and when you are choosing an answer you need
to read the whole sentence.
  If you are not sure of an answer, check each option: does the word sound right
in each space?

How to prepare yourself

 It's a good idea to learn words in groups, e.g. to be interested in,

to change your mind; to work hard.
 It tests vocabulary and also grammatical points such as prepositions, pronouns,
connectors and quantifiers it's a good idea to study these and identify them in
the sentence.
 Ask yourself is it needed in the sentence.

Writing part 1
What you need to do

 Sentence transformation.
 You must write an answer that is between one and three words.
 You must write only the missing words on the answer sheet.
 The sentences are all about one topic.

How to approach it

 Identify what is being tested; is it verb forms, comparisons, passive,

present perfect or reported speech.
 Also you will lose marks if you misspell a word, so check carefully!
 When you have completed the second sentence check that it means the
same as the first sentence.

How to prepare yourself

 Look at the grammar needed at P.E.T level and make sure you
have practised all these grammatical areas.
 Study the grammar again if you are unsure about any topic.
 The areas recommended the most are; comparatives, near to, far from,
reported speech, passive, so and such, relative clauses, bare infinitives as
these areas are tested the most often.

Here is an example from part 1

The shop is open from Monday to Saturday
The shop doesn't open on Sundays.
Writing part 2
What you need to do

 You need to write a short message between 35-45 words, in the form of
an email, note or postcard etc.
 You are told who to write to and why.
 You must include three content points which may ask you to thank,
invite, explain, apologise, suggest etc.
 You should open and close your letter in a suitable way and be sure to
include ALL three content points. Make sure your message is clear.

How to approach it

 Read the task very carefully and underline the following; why you are
writing, what you are writing and who you are writing to and the three
content points.
 Next, think of some ways to communicate each content point and note
them down e.g. 'thank you ever so much for......'
 Think about how you can connect your ideas and use linking words like
furthermore, in addition etc.
 Decide how you are going to open and close your message and then
write your complete text, including all three content points.
 Don't waste time writing a rough copy, you don't have enough time!
 Remember to check for mistakes and the number of words written.

Writing part 3
What you need to do

 You must choose from one of two writing tasks, which is either and
informal letter or a story.
 You are given some written information but you must answer the task
with your own ideas in around 100 words.
 You must organise your text well and use a variety of grammatical
structures and vocabulary and link your sentences together.
 You need to show that you can describe a place, something you own or a
person you know or give somebody practical information.
 You may need to describe how something happened, say how you feel
about something and express your opinions.

How to approach it
  Read the questions and choose the task you think you can do better.
 When you are deciding think about what you are good at and what you
are not so good at and choose the task that suits you.
 Read the task you choose very carefully and underline the following; who
will read your text, the keywords in the instructions and the main points
you must write about.
 Next think about the topic and how you will write about it and quickly
note down as many ideas as you can.
 Choose your best ideas and write a brief plan.
 Think of some useful words and phrases for each paragraph and write
the down.
 Do not make a full rough copy.

Listening part 1
What you need to do

 Listen to 7 short recordings.

 For each recording look at the question and the 3 pictures A, B and C.
 Choose the picture that best answers the question about what you have
heard.

How to approach it

 There are pauses in the recording during which you should look carefully
at each question and the 3 pictures that go with it.
 You will hear each recording twice. The first time, listen for general
meaning.
 The second time, listen for specific information and match it to one of
the pictures.
 All the options will be mentioned in the text but only one will be the
answer to the question.

How to prepare yourself

 The listening texts can be dialogues or monologues for example,

conversations at home, at school, in the street-announcements on the
radio and extracts on talks.
 Try to listen to as many of these varieties of English as possible.
 Also try to listen to different voices and styles of speaking.
 You could listen to English language broadcasts on the internet such as
pod casts and watch English films etc.
Listening part 2
What you need to do

 Listen to one longer recording.

 Read 6 multiple-choice questions and choose from 3 options.

How to approach it

 You have 45 seconds to read the questions before the recording starts.
 Read the questions carefully; the different options A, B and C will be
mentioned in the recording text, but only one of them is the answer.
 The first time you listen, listen for the general meaning. As you do so
choose the best option for each question.
 The second time you listen check all your answers are correct.
 If you are confused by any of the 3 options, think how you would answer
the question in your own words. The look at the options again and
choose the one that best matches your own answer.

How to prepare yourself

 The recorded text may be an interview or a monologue and may contain

factual information.
 You could listen to an extract from a radio programme in English, in
which someone talks about their interests or experiences.
 You could listen to English language broadcasts on the internet such as
pod casts and watch English films etc

Listening part 3
What you need to do

 Listen to a longer monologue (only one speaker).

 Read a short text about the monologue.
 Fill in 6 numbered gaps in the text with words from the monologue.
 The answers can be single words, numbers or short phrases. You will not
have to write a long answer

How to approach it

 You have 20 seconds to look at the text and the gaps.

  You can probably guess what words you need to listen for. Think about
are you listening out for a place, a verb, a number etc.
 The words you must write in the gaps are the same as those you hear on
the recording, the context maybe different.
 Don't worry if you miss something the first time you will hear the
recording again.

How to prepare yourself

 Try to listen to recordings of a variety of voices speaking English.

 Practice reading short texts with gaps and predicting the kind of word
that is missing.
 You may lose marks on this part of the test if you spell common words
wrongly. Work with a friend and test each other’s spelling of familiar
everyday vocabulary such as the days of the weeks, months of the year.

Listening part 4
What you need to do

 Listen to a longer dialogue between two people (usually male and

female)
 At the same time listen to 6 statements about the dialogue. Decide if the
statements are correct or incorrect.
 Tick the box for yes or no.

How to approach it

 You have 20 seconds to look at the questions.

 The statements are in the same order as the information.
 Read the instructions, they will tell you who the speakers are and what
they are talking about.
 The 6 statements are usually about attitudes and opinions of the
speakers. Underline the keywords in the statement that indicate these
e.g. Lynn's father refuses to let her...
 If you are unsure if a statement is correct try turning it into a question.
 Don't worry if you don't hear something the first time you will hear the
recording again.

How to prepare yourself

 Listen to examples of informal dialogues in which the speakers talk about
their opinions, attitudes and feelings.
 Notice the verbs that indicate such opinions and attitudes e.g. advises,
agrees, believes, encourages, also adjectives such as annoyed,
embarrassed, pleased, sorry etc.