IELTS interview
How to get a good IELTS score
Almost all exam interviews begin with simple questions about you and your life. This is helpful because it means you can prepare some impressive answers. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Exams
IELTS Life Skills by Skype
IELTS: Life Skills by Skype exam preparation
New English test at A1 and B1 level
Since April 2015 there have been two new IELTS tests. The A1 IELTS Life Skills test is designed for people who need a ‘Family of a Settled Person’ visa. The B1 test is suitable for people applying for ‘indefinite leave to remain (to settle) or citizenship’. You can prepare for IELTS Life Skills by Skype. Continue reading
New English requirements for working in the UK
New English requirements for working in the UK
Foreign doctors working in the UK already need to have English at IELTS level 7.5. Today, a Government minister has just announced that people who work with the public in the state sector will need to have fluent English. This includes NHS and state school staff. Continue reading
FCE writing tips
Cambridge First (FCE) writing tips
Upper intermediate level (B2)
Many people will be taking the Cambridge First exam this summer. To get ready you will probably need to write a lot of essays. An important tip is to keep a list of your most common FCE writing mistakes and check this list before you write. Continue reading
Updated Cambridge English First and Advanced exams
Updated FCE and CAE for 2015
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C1)
Cambridge English have made some changes to their First and Advanced exams. The biggest change is that now there will only be 4 papers instead of 5 because the Reading and Use of English are being put together in the same paper. Continue reading
The FCE and CAE interview
Exam tips: the FCE and CAE interview
Upper intermediate to advanced levels (B2-C1)
The start of your FCE or CAE interview gives you a great opportunity to show how good your English is. Continue reading
FCE Use of English tip: Part 1
FCE Use of English tip: options in Part 1
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C1)
If you are planning to take Cambridge FCE in December, you are probably doing lots of practice. You can make the most of your practice by thinking about how you could use the wrong answers! Continue reading
Writing: Keeping essays simple and clear
Writing: keeping it simple and clear
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C2)
Have you ever read a piece of writing and then asked yourself ‘What did that mean?’? I certainly have. I’m not talking about short emails from friends but rather longer, more complicated essays or reports. Continue reading
New Cambridge English First (FCE) in 2015
From January 2015, there will be an update to the Cambridge English First (FCE) exam. The new exam will have 4 papers instead of 5 and it will be 30 minutes shorter. Continue reading
Vocabulary: Word families (FCE/CAE/CPE tips)
Building your vocabulary (FCE/CAE/CPE): Word families
Intermediate to advanced (B1-C2)
Why learn one word when you can learn more? Building your vocabulary is essential for many English exams e.g. Cambridge First, Advanced and Proficiency and helps you make more sense of English. Continue reading
IELTS: Academic version
IELTS: about the Academic version
Upper-intermediate to advanced level (B2-C2)
There are two IELTS exams: the General and the Academic version. Continue reading
Vocabulary: Education
Vocabulary: education
Intermediate to advanced level (B1-C1)
A good exercise (especially for Cambridge FCE) is to think about your own education and how you could describe it. Here is someone’s story:
Speaking: Cambridge English First (FCE) interview tips
The Cambridge First (FCE) interview lasts about 14 minutes and is usually done in pairs (2 candidates). Continue reading
Useful websites: Dictionaries, exams (IELTS & Cambridge), business
Here are some useful websites if you are looking for a dictionary. There is also a really useful website for seeing how words are used in a sentence and an interesting website which helps you understand phrases. There are also websites about English exams, business articles in English and a link to a reading level test. Continue reading
Writing: Organisation is key
Writing: organising
Intermediate to higher level (B1-C1)
What is most important when you write? Is it grammar or vocabulary? In my opinion it is the organisation of sentences and paragraphs. Without a logical organisation, a piece of writing is often very difficult to read and understand. Continue reading
IELTS scores
International English Language Testing System
IELTS scores range between 1 and 9 but most people get a score between 4.5 and 7.5. If you go to a typical language school you can expect to improve your IELTS score by 1 point approximately every 12 weeks. Continue reading