SECTION A – SUMMARY: READING & SELECTION
In a 40-word summary task, what is the first intellectual skill examiners expect you to demonstrate?
A. Ability to shorten individual sentences
B. Ability to identify and select only ideas that directly answer the summary question
C. Ability to spot and copy high-level vocabulary
D. Ability to re-order the whole passage chronologically
B. Ability to identify and select only ideas that directly answer the summary question
Which version shows the best paraphrasing of the idea “The campaign collapsed due to widespread public mistrust”?
A. “The campaign collapsed.”
B. “The campaign did not succeed because many people found it difficult to believe in it.”
C. “The campaign broke down due to widespread public mistrust.”
D. “The campaign collapsed because collapse happened.”
B. “The campaign did not succeed because many people found it difficult to believe in it.”
n the email task, the phrase “based on what you have read in the texts and your own ideas” implies which high-level skill?
A. Memorising the texts
B. Copying large chunks directly
C. Combining evidence from the texts with independent reasoning
D. Ignoring the texts and writing creatively
C. Combining evidence from the texts with independent reasoning
In an email to a school principal, which opening best balances purpose and audience?
A. “Yo chief, listen to this crazy idea!”
B. “To whom it may concern. Hi.”
C. “Dear Principal, I am writing to suggest a practical way our school could reduce electronic waste.”
D. “Hey, I’m just bored so I wrote this.”
C. “Dear Principal, I am writing to suggest a practical way our school could reduce electronic waste.”
Why is lifting (copying long phrases from the text) serious in both summary and directed writing?
A. It proves you read the text
B. It saves time and is rewarded
C. It shows limited understanding and weak language control, and examiners may not credit copied material fully
D. It is allowed as long as spelling is correct
C. It shows limited understanding and weak language control, and examiners may not credit copied material fully
A candidate underlines every sentence in the passage when preparing for the summary. Which skill are they most clearly failing to show?
A. Inference
B. Logical sequencing
C. Discrimination between main and minor points
D. Awareness of audience
C. Discrimination between main and minor points
A student writes: “The project was a complete disaster because it failed totally and was not successful.” What is the main weakness for a high-level summary?
A. Use of the past tense
B. Lack of emotional language
C. Redundancy and lack of concision
D. Absence of statistics
C. Redundancy and lack of concision
Which outline shows the strongest structure for a 120–150 word email to a principal proposing a new initiative?
A. Greeting → Three unrelated suggestions → No ending
B. Greeting → Clear proposal → Two or three developed reasons → Brief, purposeful closing
C. No greeting → Long background story → No proposal
D. Heading only → Bullet list of random ideas
B. Greeting → Clear proposal → Two or three developed reasons → Brief, purposeful closing
A candidate writes the email in a very formal legal style, full of long, complex sentences and heavy jargon. What is the most accurate criticism?
A. It is always top-band if it is formal
B. It may sound unnatural and hinder clarity, reducing effectiveness for the actual audience
C. It is unacceptable to use complex vocabulary in exams
D. It will automatically fail on word limit
B. It may sound unnatural and hinder clarity, reducing effectiveness for the actual audience
A candidate writes an excellent email, but never refers to any ideas from the provided texts. What is the most likely outcome?
A. Full marks, because the writing is fluent
B. Strong marks for reading/comprehension
C. Loss of marks because the task requires engagement with the texts as well as original ideas
D. Only spelling is assessed
C. Loss of marks because the task requires engagement with the texts as well as original ideas
Which of the following is the best example of inference in a summary task?
A. Quoting a statistic exactly as given
B. Replacing a word with a synonym
C. Recognising that the writer’s description of “endless queues and delays” implies poor organisation
D. Ignoring adjectives to save words
C. Recognising that the writer’s description of “endless queues and delays” implies poor
Which of the following best reflects coherence in a 40-word summary paragraph?
A. Listing points in the order they appear, even if they jump around the topic
B. Grouping similar points together and using a clear progression (e.g. causes → effects)
C. Arranging points alphabetically
D. Writing one very long sentence with no punctuation
B. Grouping similar points together and using a clear progression (e.g. causes → effects)
Which body paragraph shows the best development for directed writing based on texts about recycling?
C. “Recycling is good. We should do it.”
B. “Recycling is good because it helps the planet.”
A. “Recycling reduces waste in landfills; the text’s statistics show a 40% drop in rubbish when schemes were introduced, so a similar programme could significantly cut our school’s waste output.”
D. “Recycling is good; the text says so.”
A. “Recycling reduces waste in landfills; the text’s statistics show a 40% drop in rubbish when schemes were introduced, so a similar programme could significantly cut our school’s waste output.”
Which sentence shows the best persuasive tone for the principal, using ideas from the texts about student volunteering?
A. “You must do this because I say so.”
B. “Everyone knows volunteering is nice.”
C. “As the texts highlight, schools with active volunteering programmes report higher student engagement; adopting a similar scheme here would strengthen our community image and benefit students’ personal development.”
D. “Volunteering is good, I think.”
C. “As the texts highlight, schools with active volunteering programmes report higher student engagement; adopting a similar scheme here would strengthen our community image and benefit students’ personal development.”
In a 40-word summary, a student writes 80 words. Even if the content is good, what is the most realistic risk?
A. Automatic zero
B. The examiner will only read the first 40 words, so later valid points may not be credited
C. The examiner will mark all 80 words but double the score
D. No impact at all
B. The examiner will only read the first 40 words, so later valid points may not be credited
You are asked to summarise “the reasons for the project’s failure.” Which approach best shows high-level selection?
A. Including all positives and negatives of the project
B. Focusing only on the writer’s opinion of the project
C. Selecting only those points that explain why it failed, even if the text also contains successes
D. Choosing the shortest sentences to copy
C. Selecting only those points that explain why it failed, even if the text also contains successes
For a top-band summary, what is the safest approach to technical terms (e.g. “microplastics”, “renewable energy”)?
A. Always replace them with vague general words
B. Keep necessary technical terms but paraphrase the rest of the sentence
C. Delete all technical terms to save words
D. Copy entire technical sentences unchanged
B. Keep necessary technical terms but paraphrase the rest of the sentence
In the email, you decide to disagree with one argument presented in the texts. For high marks, you should:
A. Ignore that argument completely
B. Attack the writer personally
C. Explain why the argument is weak, using evidence or logic, and offer an alternative view
D. State “I disagree” with no explanation
C. Explain why the argument is weak, using evidence or logic, and offer an alternative view
For top marks in audience awareness, what should guide your choice of language, examples and level of detail?
A. Your favourite writing style
B. The likely concerns, priorities and expectations of the principal
C. What your classmates want to hear
D. The last essay you wrote
B. The likely concerns, priorities and expectations of the principal
Which combination of habits is most likely to produce a high-band performance across both tasks?
A. No planning, heavy lifting, very long answers
B. Brief planning, careful selection of points, clear structure, controlled paraphrasing, and a short check at the end
C. Spending all the time on the summary and rushing the email
D. Ignoring word limits and question focus
B. Brief planning, careful selection of points, clear structure, controlled paraphrasing, and a short check at the end
Which choice best distinguishes a Band 1 summary from a mid-band one?
A. It is written in the present tense
B. It includes every detail from the passage
C. It omits trivial details and groups related ideas into concise, accurate points
D. It has more adjectives
C. It omits trivial details and groups related ideas into concise, accurate points
Which sentence would examiners most likely penalise in a summary, even if the content is technically correct?
A. “The scheme cost more than expected and delivered fewer results.”
B. “The project failed because politicians are always corrupt and never care about ordinary people.”
C. “The charity lacked both funding and volunteers.”
D. “Deadlines were unrealistic and planning was poor.”
B. “The project failed because politicians are always corrupt and never care about ordinary people.”
(Too opinionated / sweeping beyond the text.)
Which of the following most clearly demonstrates evaluation rather than simple explanation in a directed writing task?
A. “The proposal is interesting and has several points.”
B. “The proposal may reduce costs, but the text’s own figures suggest set-up expenses are high, so we should begin with a pilot scheme rather than a full roll-out.”
C. “The proposal is described in the text.”
D. “The proposal exists and we can see it.”
B. “The proposal may reduce costs, but the text’s own figures suggest set-up expenses are high, so we should begin with a pilot scheme rather than a full roll-out.”
In directed writing, which of these is most likely to lower the band, even if the ideas are strong?
A. Using paragraphing
B. Using a respectful greeting
C. Switching tone between very informal slang and very formal language without reason
D. Using a clear closing sentence
C. Switching tone between very informal slang and very formal language without reason
A strong candidate finishes with 5 minutes left. For the highest possible grade, that time is best used to:
A. Count each word again
B. Add new random ideas to the summary
C. Check for relevance, grammar, spelling, and whether the format and audience requirements have been met
D. Change every simple word to a more complex one
C. Check for relevance, grammar, spelling, and whether the format and audience requirements have been met