What you need to revise before the exam

If you are preparing for the STANAG 6001 exam and there’s little time left, focus on two things: immersing yourself in English and learning the specific exam requirements.

How to immerse yourself in English?

Do as much as you can in English every day. These things don’t have to be all connected with the exam.

Here are a few ideas for what to read, listen to and watch:

• the news

• films and series (with English subtitles)

• blogs

• social media

• radio

• podcasts

• YouTube videos on subjects of your interest

• TED talks

You can also practise writng:

• a diary

• to do lists

• shopping lists

• key words

• summaries of what you read and watch

• e-mails

You can practise speaking by:

• recording yourself

• translating the news on the radio, TV

• talking to yourself in English (thinking in English)

Try doing as many of the above as you can every day, not as a part of time dedicated to learning but by making them a part of all your day. Plan ahead. For example, if you know you’re going to travel by car or public transport – plan for listening to things in English. If you need to take notes, try doing it in English. Instead of YouTube videos in your language, watch those in English.

Make sure to know all the exam requirements

Find out the following information. Most of it is available on this blog, just go though the posts.

 

1. Types of tasks and (time/word) limits 

• How many tasks are there for each skill?

• What types of tasks are there? (e.g. briefing, multiple choice, report, short text, long text)

• Do you have time to prepare? (e.g. 15 minutes to prepare a briefing but no time to prepare for the discussion)

• How much time do you have to complete the tasks?

• How long should the text in writing be (word limits)?

• How long do you have to finish each task in speaking?

• Does exceeding/reducing the time/word limit influence your mark?

2. Marking criteria – what is evaluated

• Analyse marking criteria to see what skills you are required to master.

• Check what may disqualify your work, e.g. mistakes in simple language or not including a point from the instruction.

• See how your work is evaluated (marking sheet) – is it an average of points or is every element evaluated separately?

• Check what is a required minimum and maximum.

• What is evaluated exactly, for example, fluency, correctness, pronunciation, task achievement.

3. Topics

• What topics and topic areas can you expect?

• What are the possible sources/types of listening and reading tasks? (e.g. news, reportage, interview, scientific analysis, review)

• Are the topics related to the military, professional and private life, social issues?

4. Requirements

• What skills and abilities is a person with this level expected to demonstrate, eg. asking questions, presenting a monologue, participating in a dialogue, writing a report, reading a long scientific text, listening to an interview with background noise.

5. Functions

• What language functions are you expected to use, e.g. complaining, asking for information, suggesting, hypothesising, evaluating, expressing opinions, requesting, etc

• What kind of language is expected of you, e.g formal, semi-formal, informal and what are their characteristics?

• Can you adapt the style to the task?

IF YOU VALUE LEARNING BY DOING, JOIN

the 4-week intensive LEVEL 3 speaking and writing workshop online

We will focus exactly on the above mentioned things and practise, practise, practise.

 

THE L3 SPEAKING AND WRITING WORKSHOP is for you if you want to:

• revise speaking and writing  before the incoming level 3 exam

• maintain the level of your STANAG English

• learn and practise the types of tasks from the STANAG 6001 level 3 speaking and writing

• meet people preparing for the exam

• interact live with other candidates and the instructor

• ask questions about the exam

• share experience and ideas with like-minded people.

 

CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW TO JOIN AND SEE YOU ON ZOOM!