In this section, you can find some incredibly useful tips and tricks on how to approach the exam and make the most of it!
Context is important! Words are always used in context. Therefore You should analyze how a word or a phrase works in a sentence or a paragraph. You can remember that an adjective describes a noun (a beautiful house). An adverb describes an adjective (simply beautiful) or a verb (do it well). Words usually go together with other words creating collocations (to make a decision, not to do a decision). They are often tested in APTIS and if you know them and how to use them in context any English exam will be easier for You to pass, both in speaking and writing.
The clock is ticking! You can not forget that you are passing a test. Don’t spend too much time trying to do one part or understand a word/phrase/collocation/expression or even a paragraph. Remember that you are asked to do a very specific task, for example matching headings to paragraphs. You have to focus on the task without wasting too much time on it. Otherwise, You might not have enough time to do other parts of the exam. Good timing is key!
If you don’t know the answer…have a guess! Don’t leave any blank answers as you don’t want to lose any point.
Take control! If you feel stressed in the exam (and a lot of people do) You should remember that chaos and panic are not helpful when you are taking APTIS. That’s why it is very important to understand every part of it and practice a lot before taking one. When you know every single step you have to take it will undoubtedly make the experience less stressful.
Look for keywords! Every language exam follows this rule. Every question has keywords that point you out in a direction you should go. Identify keywords in the question and then find similar information in the text. They may be words, ideas, or topics.
Read the instructions before you start doing the task! Read the question, underline the keywords and make sure you understand what you are asked to do.
Read all answers first! Before you start answering the question go through all the available options. That way you will know what you are working with.
Cross out the wrong answers! If you are taking a paper version of APTIS remember to cross out the wrong answers. It will allow you to maintain order, avoid chaos, and save precious time!
Answer the easiest questions first and leave the most difficult questions for the end! That is an easy and fast way to score points. Don’t forget to return to the questions you skipped. Try to answer them and if you really do not know the answers you should still answer them as you do not want to leave any blank answers.
Avoid distractions! This tip might be the most important one. Understand what you are asked to do and focus on doing it. Be precise! If you get distracted too much You might fail the test!
Headings can give you very useful information! They usually tell you what the passage is about and therefore you can organize yourself better in the exam. When you are trying to answer a question, reading a heading can help you speed up the process because you don’t have to go through all the text.
Skimming and scanning are two very practical reading techniques that You should use in the exam. Skimming is reading quickly so that You get a general overview of the material. It is very good for finding general information within a passage of text. Scanning on the other hand is reading quickly for specific facts. It is very useful when you are looking for a particular piece of information.
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In the video, you will a short overview of the APTIS reading test.