With our next Cambridge Exam Preparation course rapidly approaching in the new year, we thought we would bring to you a 5 week blog schedule of our Top 10 Tips to Survive the Cambridge Course.

Following last Monday’s Top Tip #1 Don’t be nervous and #2 Don’t be Shy, this week we bring to you our Top Tips #3 & 4.

Tip #3: Answer the question

Remember that the Cambridge courses are primarily test courses. Hence, you will sit a lot of mock tests during the course. In the paper tests, a lot of students skip a question because they don’t know the answer and leave the question blank. Worst case scenario: guess the answer to the question. You don’t lose marks for guessing and at least you have a chance to get a point, no matter how small. However, leaving the question blank guarantees a zero mark for that question. In the speaking tests, you will be asked questions which are challenging to answer correctly. Most students think they are answering the question, but in reality, they are just giving examples and not explaining anything. Some students often answer “what” when the question is “why.” Others don’t answer the question at all and talk about things unrelated to the question. So, always answer the question. Simple!

Tip #4: Difficult is good. Easy is boring

The Cambridge course is designed to challenge you in ways you never thought possible. You will tackle a lot of grammar points and tons of vocabulary in a short amount of time (Yes, 10/12 weeks is a short time compared to the amount of information you will get). One day you’ll study vocabulary and collocations, and the next you’ll study all the narrative tenses, and after that you’ll spend the whole day studying modal verbs. Each week the lessons become more and more difficult. Relaxation does not exist in a Cambridge course. If you’ve enrolled in a Cambridge course thinking that you can simply relax and breeze through it, then it’s time to evaluate your life choices. There is no room for laziness or procrastination. Being lazy for the first 7 weeks and then procrastinating in the last 3 weeks will guarantee failure in the course. Once you fall behind, it is almost impossible to catch up. On the flip side, you will learn more about the English language than you ever thought possible, and you will find something in yourself that you never thought you had: excellence.

Written by Victor Corpuz

(BROWNS FCE teacher)

 

Next intake: 3 January 2017

Check back next Monday (19th December) to read about Tip #5: Be prepared to feel frustrated and Tip #6: Be prepared to sacrifice several weekends.

Considering the BROWNS Cambridge Exam Preparation Course? Why not take our free BROWNS Online Placement Test and check your level to see which course is right for you.