Candidate’s Guide to APTIS Advance
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What is APTIS? APTIS is a modern and flexible English language proficiency test designed to meet the diverse needs of organisations and individuals around the world.
It provides reliable, accurate results about the English skills in your organisation. As a result, you can make better decisions about recruitment, workforce development and training needs.
APTIS is flexible and accessible so you can assess people quickly and affordably.
It also allows you to accurately test the skills relevant to your requirements and get results fast.
The assessment is designed using the most recognised Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR scale).
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Why use APTIS? It provides detailed reports on each area of the language using the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), the most recognised, transparent, coherent and comprehensive reference instrument for language assessments. The report provides a clear picture of each test taker’s strengths and weaknesses. All APTIS tests consist of high-quality content put together and reviewed by a dedicated global team for suitability around the world. Each component of the APTIS test is assessed in United Kingdom by qualified trained assessors.
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FAQ’s 1. How many components does APTIS have? You will have five components when you sit for your APTIS: speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar and vocabulary. Grammar and vocabulary is also assessed within the speaking and writing components of the assessment.
2. How do I prepare for APTIS? There are plenty of resources available online to practice for each component. You can access the following: videos take demo tests download the Candidate Guide from the British Council Please click on the links below:
https://www.britishcouncil.org/exam/aptis/take
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4. What is the APTIS Advance speaking test like? The speaking test has 3 parts and you have 12 minutes to complete this component of the test. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltPgL5Qo1h0
Part
Description
Advice
Part 1– Describe, compare and provide reasons and explanations
In this part you are asked to compare two pictures and then answer two questions related to the topic. The questions increase in complexity (from description to speculation). You are expected to talk for 45 seconds for each question.
To prepare for this part, practice comparing two different things (e.g. two different cars or two different houses). Focus on describing their advantages and disadvantages.
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With speculation, it is important to make sure you are using the correct grammatical structures.
Part 2
In the part you will be asked three questions about an abDiscuss stract topic. You are given one personal minute to prepare an answer experience and can take notes. You are and opinion expected to talk for two in relation minutes. This is the same as the to an APTIS speaking test part 4 but abstract there is no picture topic
A common error is to go off-topic. Focus on answering each question in a clear, smoothly flowing, and wellstructured speech.
Part 3
Structure your presentation and make sure you provide both sides of the argument. Try and speak like you are speaking to an audience or a group to make it interesting
Presentation
In this part you need to speak on a topic for one and a half minutes. You will have one minute to prepare. After your presentation, you will be asked an additional question about the topic and asked to speak for 45 seconds. There is no preparation time for this additional question
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To prepare for this part it is a good idea to practice speaking for two minutes on an abstract topic (e.g. How do you feel about ___?). Make sure you practice using your planning time wisely to structure what you are going to say.
5. What is the APTIS-Advance listening test like? The listening test has four parts and you have 55 minutes for this test. There are a number of things to remember about the listening test:
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These are all multiple choice
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You may listen to the question a second time if you want, but you don't have to. (Note: in part 3 and 4, it only allows you to play the sound file once.) Advice: Read the question before you play the sound file.
Here are some links for extra practice: http://www.elllo.org/english/level-6-intermediate-high.htm http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/ http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio
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Part
Description
Advice
Part 1
This part is the same as the Aptis test. You will listen to five short recordings of monologues or dialogues and answer one question for each recording. In this part, you will listen to three recordings of monologues or dialogues and you will have to answer two questions for each recording.
Please refer to our previous listening tips for websites and ideas.
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
In this part, you will hear a discussion between a man and a woman. On the screen you will see a number of opinions. You will need to identify who expresses which opinion; the man, the woman, or both the man and the woman. You will only hear this once and you have 20 seconds to read through the options. In this part, you will hear two separate monologues. You will need to select the correct answers from a table. You will only hear each monologue once. You have 20 seconds to read the options in the table.
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Use the fact that you can listen twice to your advantage here. Read through the questions before you listen and predict what someone might say about these things. Then, on your first listen, select your answers and listen a second time to confirm. Use your time wisely. Read the options and make notes on what you think you should listen for (e.g. numbers, synonyms).
Make sure you use the time to read through all the options. Use this time to predict what kind of words you expect them to mention around these opinions so you can listen out for hints.
6. What is the Reading Test like? The APTIS Advance reading test takes 60 minutes and is divided into 4 tasks. The tasks become more difficult as the test progresses. Here are some extra links to prepare for reading: http://www.englishexamninja.com/aptis/aptis-reading/aptisreading-part-4-paragraph-heading-trial/ http://www.world-english.org/gapfill-exercises.htm
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Part Part 1
Description In this part, you have four people's opinions on one topic. You need to read all their opinions and then choose who said what for 7 questions. You must answer each question.
Part 2 Part 3
Matching headings.
Part 4
Here you have two short texts on the same topic. You need to fill in the blank with the appropriate phrase.
This is a short text of around 300 words with missing gaps. You must choose the right word or phrase from the dropdown to complete the gap.
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Advice Make sure you read all four opinions before trying to answer the questions. Remember, the same person can be used for more than one answer
Make sure you read the whole text before trying to answer. This isn't a grammar test so all the options can fit grammatically into the sentence, you need to understand the whole text to choose the right one. You definitely need to read both texts before answering as again all the options are grammatically possible so you can only choose the right one if you have read both texts.
7. What is APTIS Advance Writing test like? The writing test has 3 parts and you have 45 minutes to complete the test. Advice: Make sure you fully understand the questions. Plan what you are going to write and then edit your writing before clicking to the next question. The most common mistakes are the following:
Not answering the questions (going off-topic). Read the question and understand what you need to do. Writing too much but with poor grammar, spelling and punctuation. Keep to the word count and focus on accuracy. Not using a variety of sentence structures. Not writing in sentences or paragraphs. Not capitalising months, cities, countries and names. Using SMS spelling.
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Part
Description
Advice
Part 1
In this part you will have a social network-type interaction. You will receive three questions and need to respond. This is the same task as the APTIS test part 3.
Make sure you correctly answer all three questions and don't go off-topic.
Three written parts of text, all of which require responses
Part 2 Email response
Part 3 Article for website publication
Focus on accurate spelling and punctuation and write text that is cohesive and coherent. Keep to the word count of 30-40 words per answer.
In this part you will read an email from an authority. You need to respond to the email in 120-150 words, using the notes provided, expressing how you feel about the situation.
Make sure you are on-topic and that you use the appropriate register for the situation (see the APTIS writing test for information about correct use of register).
In this part you will write an article for a website that is both informative and interesting. Notes about the topic are provided and you need to use the information to help write the article. The article needs to be between 13 180 and 220 words.
Try to make your article informative and interesting and use original text (i.e. don't just copy the notes).
8. What is the APTIS Advance Grammar/Vocabulary test like? The Grammar and Vocabulary test takes 25 minutes and has 25 questions for grammar and 25 questions for vocabulary.
Part
Description
Advice
Part 1 In this part of the test, you will Gram- answer 25 questions. mar Most of the questions test formal written English. A small number of questions test spoken English such as knowing the appropriate grammar to use in a particular situation (formal or informal situations, for example).
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To know which parts of grammar are tested, see the British Council/EAQUALS core inventory. This is free and available online at: http:// englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/ sites/ ec/files/books-british-councileaquals-coreinventory.pdf One great way to prepare for the grammar test is to use the British Council's LearnEnglish Grammar App: http:// learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ en/ grammar-and-vocabulary
Part 2 Vocabulary
In this part of the test, you have 25 questions. These are presented in sets of five words (the words we are testing) with ten options from which to choose.
To help prepare you for this part of the test, the LearnEnglish website has games and activities to help you improve your vocabulary. http:// learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ There are a number of question en/grammar -and-vocabulary types: There are also many useful Word matching: Find a word websites, for example: with a meaning similar to the www.englishclub.com target word. Another useful tip is to take Word definition: Match a note of interesting words or definition to the correct word. word combinations when you Word usage: Complete a senread English texts. tence by choosing the correct word. Word pairs or word combinations: These are usually the most difficult questions, as you need to know what word (from a list) is most commonly found with the target word (e.g. birthday card is common but blue 15 card is not).
8. Why is APTIS compulsory for everyone at The City School? The City School believes in quality education and as the main medium of instruction in all our schools is English, an appropriate level of proficiency is absolutely essential to maintain sufficiently high standards of teaching.
9. Do I have to take APTIS again if I am applying for a transfer to another school? If you have achieved the level of language proficiency benchmark for the new position then you do not have to re-take the test. However, if you have not achieved the required benchmark for the English language proficiency then you will have to re-appear for the test before applying for the transfer. Refer to the Retention, Selection and Staffing Policy.
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10. How do I manage my time for each component? Each component of the assessment is computer based. On top portion of each test will show you the time when you start.
11. How long does it take to the get the results back? After you successfully complete your test, it takes 7-10 working days to get the results.
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Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s… Relax and get a good night’s rest before your exam. Arrive 15 minutes prior to the scheduled test time. Please remember not to panic when you appear for the
exam. Practice and prepare for the exam to become familiar with the types of questions. During the exam, raise your hand if you have a question. Before starting each component of APTIS, run through its tutorial. For the Speaking test, be sure to speak loud and clearly into the mic. For the Listening test, read the questions first before playing the sound file. Use the scratch sheets provided for any of the components to plan or make notes. 18
Don’ts….. No mobile phones, notebooks, or
purses are allowed in the testing room. No cheating or plagiarism is allowed on the test. Refer to
the Malpractice Section on the next page. No one is allowed to talk once you enter the testing area. No one is allowed to take any scratch paper used in the
testing room/computer lab.
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What is Malpractice? Malpractice is an action by a candidate or the staff that breaks The City School and the British Council’s regulations and potentially threatens the integrity and the security of the exam. Actions that fall under malpractice include: Misuse of exam material Behaving in such a way as to undermine the integrity of the exam Disruptive behaviour in the exam room (including the use of offensive language) Bringing unauthorised materials into the exam room (for example, notes, study guides and personal organisers, your own blank paper, calculators (when prohibited), dictionaries (when prohibited), mobile phones or other electronic devices) Obtaining, receiving, exchanging or passing on information which could be exam-related (or attempting to) by any means before the end of the exam Impersonation: Pretending to be someone else, or arranging for another person to take one’s place in an exam The inclusion of inappropriate, offensive or obscene material in scripts or coursework 20
Copying from another candidate (including the misuse of ICT to do so) Collusion: Working collaboratively with other candidates Plagiarism: The failure to acknowledge sources properly and/ or the submission of another person’s work as if it were the candidate’s own. This includes memorised passages prepared by someone else (internal or external tutors). theft of another’s work The deliberate destruction of another’s work The alteration of any results document, including certificates Failure to abide by the instructions of an invigilator Failure to abide by the conditions of supervision designed to maintain the security of the exams Any attempt to remove or reveal the content of the exam before its end.
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Consequences of Malpractice/ Maladministration If someone is found responsible for malpractice or maladministration, it might result in;
a fine issuing a formal warning disqualification of candidates from the test banning a candidate from reappearing for the same exam for up to five years informing other examining bodies of the details of the case and the action taken informing the police in serious cases involving theft, impersonation or the falsification of documents (The British Council, 2017). Depending upon the intensity of malpractice, termination of the person involved may also be considered. However, clear proof is needed before any action is taken. All candidates will be warned against unfair practices before the start of the examination.
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Wishing you the best of luck on your exam. Remember the more you practice, the better you get!
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