4. Preparatory Couse for International
English Certificate Tests
Reading
• Part I – Multiple-choice cloze
• Part II – Open Cloze
• Part III – Word Formation
• Part IV – Key word transformation
• Part V – Multiple choice
• Part VI – Gapped text
• Part VII – Multiple matching
5. Part III – Word Formation
Exam Tip!
If you are sure that the word is, for example, an adjective but you can't
think what the exact word is, try thinking of "usual" prefixes and
suffixes. Perhaps it needs the suffix "ive" or the prefix "de". Try a few
out and see which ones seem to be best. This can also be done with
nouns and verbs. Remember one thing: you know more English than
you think you do! If you don't try, when you see the answer, you'll say "I
knew that!" so think a little first, try to build your way to the answer!
6. Part IV – Key Word Transformation
Exam Tip!
Each question is marked in two halves and it's
perfectly possible to get one whole point in the
exam just for getting a single word correctly,
even if you don't know the other words to put in
the gap. So you should always give every
question a try.
7. Part V – Multiple Choice
Exam Tip!
1. If you have to fill in a paragraph, make sure that it doesn't only make
grammatical sense, but that the new paragraph makes sense in the context
of the entire passage;
2. Keep a "map" of the text in your head. This may be just a few key
ideas/sentences. e.g. Dreams can be interpreted, people believed this
hundreds of years ago, dreams can be altered by what's happening in your
life, dream analysis may help you. This map of the reading passage will help
you fill any gaps in it;
3. Don't reject any options without checking it against the text.
8. Part VII – Multiple Matching
The final part of the B2 First Reading and Use of English paper
is Multiple Matching. In this section, you must match
questions or prompts to parts of a single text or individual
smaller texts that follow. This tests your ability to understand
specific detail and author attitude and opinion.
These comprehension exercises require you to choose from a
single separate list of 3-6 answers for a group of questions.
9. Part VII – Multiple Matching
Exam Tip! WHAT NOT TO DO!!
1. Don't try to answer any questions without looking
carefully at the text.
2. Don't waste too much time on a difficult reading exercise.
Move on!
3. Don't presume that if you find a key word in both a
question and the text, that you have found the answer.
10. Part VII – Multiple Matching
Exam Tip! MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!
Prepare for the exam by reading more! Read as many different types of things in
English as possible, it will help your reading skills.
• Formal and informal English
• Short stories and leaflets
• Magazine and newspaper articles
• Websites and non-fiction
• Manuals and instructions
12. Paper II – Writing
1. Introduction
You have 80 minutes to write two texts. The first text will always be an essay and should
be 140-190 words long. The second text can be an article, informal email or letter, a
formal email or letter, a report, or a review and should be 140-190 words.
The examiners give you a grade based on 4 things:
• Content - Did you write what you were asked to write?
• Communicative achievement - Was your writing too formal, too informal, or just
right?
• Organisation - Did you link paragraphs and sentences? Is there a logical flow from
start to finish?
• Language - Did you show off your sparkling vocabulary or did you use basic words?
Did you make lots of grammar and spelling mistakes?
13. Paper II – Writing
2. Time Management
The two texts are worth equal points and have the same word lengths, so you should
spend equal time on them. That gives you 40 minutes per text. Spend some of that time
planning and some checking. For example:
• Planning - 10 minutes
• Writing - 25 minutes
• Checking - 5 minutes
You might think that's too long for the planning stage, but the more you plan the fewer
problems you will have later.
14. Paper II – Writing
3. You can't cook without a recipe!
Many of students hate the planning stage and like to just start writing as soon as possible.
But the finished product is normally not very good. Imagine a chef in a restaurant - does
he go into the kitchen and start throwing vegetables into pans? No - he gets a recipe and
follows the plan!
So, take a deep breath, think about what you have to write, what you want to write, and
how you can write it.
You can even start to think about good words you know, and advanced sentences that you
can include.
Example: Before I started writing this page I listed all the sub-headings. I knew how I
would start, and how I would finish. It's much easier to write with the structure already
prepared.
15. Paper II – Writing
4. Content
Now let's look at what Cambridge cares about in your writing.
The first point is the content itself. If you are asked to write a
letter to your friend and you write a poem - well, it doesn't
matter how good that poem is. Maybe you can write the best
poem in the history of the world - the examiner will be
impressed, and then give you zero points.
16. Paper II – Writing
4. Content
Here’s a sample FCE writing task
17. Paper II – Writing
4. Content
You have to write about pollution and the environment, and you
have to include 3 points. 2 of those points must be transport, and
rivers and seas. If you don't include transport you can't get full
marks in the exam. If you don't write about damage to the
environment, you can't get full marks.
READ THE TASK AND DO EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS!!
18. Paper II – Writing
5. Communicative Achievement
The next thing Cambridge wants is for you to show that you
understand about tone. In the previous example, you were asked to
write an essay for your English teacher. How formal should that be?
You're not writing to a lawyer so you don't have to be super formal,
but you aren't writing to your best friend, so you shouldn't be too
casual.
For that essay, you should use a neutral or slightly formal style.
19. Paper II – Writing
5. Communicative Achievement
That means you need to study how to write in different ways. Spot the difference in tone
in this extracts from letters:
1.
Yo, John,
Guess what? I bunked off school and tramped up and down the beach all day. Great fun! I
found some nearly-fresh muffins in a box, so that was lunch sorted. Free food! Niiiiiice.
2.
Dear Mr and Mrs Biggins,
I regret to inform you that we have taken the decision to suspend Jack from school for the
next week. Not only did he fail to come to school today, but we received a call that he had
stolen a container of confectionery from a local business.
In short, try to make sure that what you write is appropriate for the person you are
writing to.
20. Paper II – Writing
6. Organisation
Cambridge love when you link sentences together with words like 'whereas' and
'however', and link paragraphs with phrases like 'Firstly, secondly'.
You must learn how to use these phrases if you want a good grade.
One easy way to get a higher score in 'organisation' is to ask a question, and then answer
it.
21. Paper II – Writing
7. Language
Your writing will be more interesting and you'll get a better grade if you can use a wide
variety of language. Use high-level vocabulary when you know it; don't repeat the same
word too many times; don't make too many mistakes; try to use a variety of grammar (not
just 'subject verb object' all the time).
You will be rewarded if you learn (and use) some appropriate phrasal verbs, idioms, and
collocations. Compare these sentences:
22. Paper II – Writing
7. Language
1. The food was good and the service was good and we had a good time.
2. The food was delicious, while the service was faultless. Did we have a good time?
Absolutely!
I hope you agree that the second is much nicer to read. Is it much harder to write? Not
really. And if you don't know the word 'faultless' you might know a different word that
would fit. Even if you said 'good' again, the sentence would get you a much better score in
FCE because the 'while' connects the first two parts and the question connects the last
two.
23. Paper II – Writing
8. Types of Writing Tasks
• Essays
• Reports
• Reviews
• Articles
• Email
https://www.fceexamtips.com/writing#8._FCE_Essays
