This document provides an overview and endorsement of a book titled "Exam Success" that aims to help Russian secondary school students prepare for the Unified State Exam (EGE). The book is organized around the five sections of the EGE and provides exercises that mirror the exam format. Each chapter includes exam overviews, skills building exercises, sample EGE-type tests, and strategies for tackling different question types. Unique features include lessons informed by corpus analysis of common student mistakes, development of testing strategies, extra practice materials, and Russia-specific content. The book is endorsed by Maria Valeryevna Verbitskaya, the head of the Federal Committee that develops the foreign language portion of the EGE, who wishes students

1. SHORTCUT to YOUR
EXAM SUCCESS
Wayne Rimmer,
BKC-IH Moscow
2013

2. EGE Baseline study showed
• the lack of awareness among many secondary
school teachers of the principles underlying the
design and development of the Russian State
Exam (EGE).
• This lack of awareness may be leading teachers
towards inappropriate test preparation activities
which run counter to the intentions of the state
secondary school curriculum
(PROSET,2011)

3. CUP questionnaire 2010 showed that teachers
are looking for
• ‘comprehensive exam preparation course material that
mirrors the organization of the exam and gives balanced
exposure and practice in all exam parts ,as well as
strategies to do well in each.’
• ‘ a book with interesting texts and tasks and effective
approach to teaching different skills, especially writing and
speaking. Teachers and students would also prefer a book
that effectively teaches and recycles vocabulary and
grammar in context.

4. Meets YOUR
needs!
Overview of the
book:
I. Structure
II. Exam practice
III. Unique features

5. The book is organized into five chapters,
corresponding to the five papers of the EGE
•
•
•
•
•
Listening
Reading
Use of English
Writing
SPEAKING

6. Each chapter
starts with helpful
“exam overviews’,
which explain what
each paper
consists of,
recommended
timing and marking

7. Section A –
the exercises
in this section
build up the
knowledge and
confidence
students need
for all parts of
the exam

8. Section A ends up with a ‘Suggested approach
box’ – an algorithm for tackling each exam
question

9. Section B focuses on exam practice.

10. Section B
ends up with the EGEtype exercise

11. Each chapter systematically teaches the
language and skills needed for success in the
different parts of the exam
Listening testing strategies
• Prediction
• Bottom-up listening
• Top-down listening
• Paraphrase
• Key words

12. Top-down approach: using background
knowledge to understand the meaning of the
message / try to predict what you’ll hear)
Before you listen, look at the following words:
Excursion, overbooked, sorry, refund.
•
In what situation might you hear these words?
•
Who would you expect to hear using them?

13. Appendices
Phrasal Verbs
Word families
……..
False friends:
- ‘Actual’ in Russian …?
- Pеальный, подлинный
- Актуальный?
- Topical
•
•
•
•

14. Very Helpful Tips

15. II. Two EGE-type tests
• The book opens up with the Diagnostic test
(the EGE specifications).
(Maria Valeryevna Verbitskaya, Head of the EGE
Federal Committee - is the consultant of the book
• Final test at the end of the book will help students
and teachers understand what areas require further
attention or development.

16. III. Unique features
a) Corpus –informed ‘Get it Right’
b) Testing strategies development
c) Lots of Samples
d) New types of Speaking tests
e) Free downloadable audio files
f) Russia-specific materials

17. a)Cambridge
Corpus –
common
mistakes made
by Russian
students

18. Written Corpus
Written Corpus
1 800 000 000
Cambridge
Cambridge
International Corpus
International Corpus
Learner Corpus
Spoken Corpus
Spoken Corpus
Learner Corpus
Learner Corpus
Many different native languages
Exams

19. b) Reading and testing strategies
Translate the following words:
1 head
2 dislikes
3 hands

20. Reading strategies
1
Who is going to head the government enquiry?
[Eg] verb
2 As a child Tanya had so many dislikes that I never
knew what to give her to eat.
3 I love that bit in the film where Kevin hands the
teacher a dead rat.

21. c) Lots of samples

22. d) New types of Speaking tests

23. e) Free downloadable audio files

24. f) Russia-specific materials

25. ‘I wish you success with
‘EXAM SUCCESS’
Maria V. Verbitskaya
Руководитель Федеральной
комиссии разработчиков
КИМ ЕГЭ по иностранным
языкам

26. Questions?
• Thank you