Section 6 / Lesson 3 - Frequently Asked Questions
On this page, I shall answer many of the questions that you may have:
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What happens if I don't write 150 words?
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This word count describes how much detail you need to give. If you use fewer than 150 words, you won't be able to achieve as highly on 'task achievement' (see this lesson about how your essay will be graded) as you won't have added enough detail. If you are not given much data in the question, make sure you describe all the data given and make as many comparisons as possible. You might be able to the purpose, but only if it is given or very obvious.
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What if I do not know anything about the given topic?
You don't need to know anything about the question's topic in task one and you don't need to add any of your own ideas. There will be labels on the question paper to help you.
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What do I do if I do not finish in 20 minutes?
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You need to make sure you have practiced enough before you take the test that you know you can finish at Task One within the time limit. This is vital as Task Two is worth 66% of the total grade, so you must keep 40 minutes for that question.
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Is spelling important?
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Yes. When you check your answers after practicing, make sure you check your spelling. Using this website to build up a repertoire (collection) of language that you know really well will help with this as you will not need to think about it as much during the test.
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Do I have to use a pen or a pencil?
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While you must use a pencil in the reading and writing tests, it is your choice in the writing. I recommend using a new, sharp pencil with a clear new eraser. Plus, always bring spares! Even if you don't use them, it will reduce your stress.
How do I practice?
After you have practiced all the questions on this website, I recommend printing out the checklists and using them to answer full questions in 20 minutes. After the time has run out, stop even if you haven't finished! Go through the answer and highlight where you used the language from the checklist. Finally, try to improve your answer using the checklist. My Ebook has many 15 new questions for you to try that you won't find on this website. Each has a full model answer with checklist annotations and analysis.