Dear students,
This book aims to prepare you for English proficiency tests that are applied by many universities and organizations around the world. Within the book, you can find exam samples, which are comprised of listening, reading and writing sections. Each of these sections are separated into two sub-sections.
LISTENING:
In one sample proficiency exam, you will find two listening sections:
- Selective/While Listening
- Note-taking
In both sections, you will listen to an academic lecture. The questions are in the order the relevant information appears in the lecture. In the actual test, you can listen to the recording only once.
The first section measures your ability to understand specific information during an ongoing speech. You are required to answer the questions while you are listening to the lecture. The second section measures your ability to take down notes while listening to a lecturer. Just like students do in an actual academic setting, in this part of the test you need to focus on the main points and note these down, rather than trying to write down everything you hear. Later, you need to answer the given questions using your notes. The listening tracks are available on: http://completepracticetestsforproficiency.com/
READING:
The reading section contains two academic texts. In both of the reading sections, the questions are in the order the relevant information appears in the text.
The reading texts measure your ability to (a) skim and scan through a text to find the correct information, and (b) understand the connections between the concepts and/or ideas presented in the text. You have to read the texts carefully and use skills that are relevant to successful reading, such as understanding logical relationships (e.g., cause-effect, compare/contrast, time relationship, or examples) and making inferences. You may have to compare and contrast various theories, for example. You also need to pay attention to names, dates, specific theories or hypotheses, and/or chapter titles while answering the questions.
WRITING:
In the writing part, you should write two well-thought out, organized and coherent essays for the given topics. For each question, you are given certain points to guide you and to help you generate ideas.
Here are a few important points you need to keep in mind while using the book:
Once you have completed a sample test, check your answers with the answer key.
The book contains the transcripts of the lectures in the listening sections. We suggest that you read the relevant transcripts after you have done a test.
You will find detailed explanations for all of the questions in the reading sections. Study the explanations and make sure that you have understood why an answer is the correct answer.
A guideline on how essays are graded as well as detailed instructions on how to compose an academic essay are provided to help you prepare for the writing section. You can read graded essay samples and the feedback provided to these essays to get a sense of how essays are evaluated.
We believe that this book will help you build the skills that are necessary for your English proficiency test.
