About the Test
The writing test is 90 minutes and there are two questions. The first question is always an essay. The second question is from a choice of three, a letter/email; proposal; report; review.
Tips for writing better.
- Planning
Plan your compositions, spend three minutes planning and decide how you will structure your paragraphs and what your main points will be in each. Think about your topic sentence in each paragraph and then utilize supporting ideas and examples to back up your statements.
2. A clear thesis
If you are not sure about your position on a subject you can write an exploratory composition where you state at the beginning you do not have a clear thesis. In this composition you should however state clear possible viewpoints and balance them. It is a good way to use discursive language.
A composition with a clear thesis and objective however can be very effective and can save time as you will know exactly what you want to say and you are ready to support your ideas.
3. Language and grammar
Obviously this is a language test so your score will be dependent on the level of language and the correct usage of that language. Making sure your grammar structures are correct can be improved by keeping your sentences concise and avoiding too long, complex or difficult sentences. It is important to be clear, but it will get you a higher score if you are able to include higher level vocabulary including adverbs, adjectives, linking words and also showing an ability to change your word forms, for example in one sentence if you say “I swim” in another sentence you might say “I have a swim”.
4. Answer the question
Again this is obvious, but a great tip is to re-read the question after each paragraph you have written. Try to brainstorm different angles of this question and make sure once you have finished, to re-read your answer and ask the question “have I truly answered the question in all its parts”.