- analyse each task properly and spend some time making notes
- highlight or underline key words in the tasks to make sure that you focus on what you have to do
- plan your answers
- use paragraphs clearly; put one idea in each paragraph
- do not repeat ideas using different words
- do not copy whole sentences from the question – you will receive no marks for this
- keep to the topic; do not write about unrelated subjects
- manage your time; remember, Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1
- spend approximately 20 minutes on Task 1 and approximately 40 minutes on Task 2
- pay attention to the number of words required for each task; you will lose marks if you do not write at least 150 words for Task 1 and at least 250 words for Task 2
- learn to recognise how long 150 and 250 words look in your handwriting; you will not have time to count during the test
- you must write your answers in full; answers written in note form or in bullet points will lose marks
- pay attention to spelling, grammar and punctuation; you will lose marks for mistakes
- avoid informal language
- do not memorise model answers; examiners are trained to recognise them and your test will be invalid
- spend several minutes re-reading and correcting your answers
(source: B.C)