Exam tips provided by a former student, Karin Shui
How can we do well in English tests/examinations?
English, being a language subject, needs to be practised as much as possible. Cramming before English tests/examinations makes little or even no difference. In order to pass English tests/examinations with flying colours, we should incorporate English into our daily life, by writing, speaking, reading and listening to English frequently. An extensive exposure to a wide variety of English materials certainly helps us improve our English language skills.
Here are some tips for boosting English language skills:
- Be patient and meticulous (i.e. very attentive to details) when learning and using English. For example, when you are doing your composition homework, you should finish it with efforts by checking the spelling of unfamiliar words, finding out how to use a particular verb and paying attention to correct collocations of words, etc.
- Seize every chance to practise your English. For example, always take oral practices at school seriously.
- Pay attention to the use of English in your surroundings, for example, names of places on MTR trains, ingredient tables on packages of food and English announcements in MTR stations, etc.
- Spend time reading examination reports published by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority so that you can know the common mistakes made by candidates in public exams and avoid repeating the mistakes. By doing so, you can also know more about the requirements of the examinations.
- Try to do as many English exercises as possible, especially those which are exam-oriented and about grammar usage. Some exercises are provided in SCMP. You may also buy some exercise books which suit your ability and your needs.
- Read English news regularly, for example, from South China Morning Post and Time, etc. to learn how to express your opinions about social issues in English.
