SPM ENGLISH 1119/1 (EXAM REVIEW)
Part 1
(Short texts)
8 multiple choice questions
(3 answer options).
Based on a variety of short
texts.
What you have to do:
1. Understanding skills to identify
specific details and information.
2. Have to guess the meaning of
some of the word if that is
required in the question.
Try to spend NO MORE than
8 minutes.
How to answer this part:
1. Focus on the headlines to get
the general idea.
- Study the stimulus given and
the question to get the general
idea.
2. Read the questions carefully –
Underline the keywords.
3. Analyse answer options – reject
ones that are obviously wrong.
4. Choose the best answer.
Part 2
(Rational Cloze)
An extended text (about
250 to 300 words).
10 items are removed (4
options)
Try to spend NO MORE than
10 minutes.
How to answer this part:
1. Reading time - Read and
understand to get the gist
of the text.
2. Get clues - Look for clues
that can help you in
answering the blank space.
3. Analyse the blanks
- Is it noun,
prepositions, verbs,
etc. Use the word
before and after the
blank to help you
guess the answer.
4. Grammar check – Look at
the grammar, tenses.
5. Choose the best answer –
Eliminate all the options
that you are sure is wrong.
6. Re-read the text – to see
the flow of your answer.
Make sure whatever
answer you choose suits
the blank.
Part 3
(Longer text)
A longer text of about 650
to 700 words.
8 questions with 4 possible
options.
When answering:
1. Read each question and option
carefully.
2. Underline the keywords.
3. For vocabulary questions,
choose the words that are
appropriate to the context in
the passage.
4. Do not go back over every
question. Reread only the ones
that you are unsure of.
5. Do not second- guess yourself.
Change the answer only if you
are absolutely sure that your
first answer was wrong.
6. Make sure you have answered
all the questions.
7. If you really have no idea of
the answer, make a smart
guess! Use your instinct after
reading the passage. Do not
choose an answer blin
Part 4
(Gapped text)
A text of about 350 to 450
words including gapped
sentences.
6 sentences are removed (8
options given).
How to answer this part:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Read through the entire text carefully – understand the text
Try to identify what each paragraph is about.
Read through the options given – 8 options, but choose only 6.
Look out for linkers in the text that show how the text is structured.
Do not concentrate on individual sentences but ideas, events or opinions as a whole – Look at
the overall ideas.
To check if your sentence fits the gap, look carefully at the information that comes before and
after the gap – Look for clues.
Check that the ideas flow logically – reread the text
Look out for words that indicate time periods, cause and effect, arguments, repetition and
tenses.
Always check your answers again by reading the entire text.
Part 5
(Limited response)
A text of no more than 370
words – usually an opinion
from several people.
2 types of tasks (8 questions).
How to answer this part:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pay attention to the instructions – both tasks have different instructions.
Underline the keywords.
Look for the keywords in the text.
Beware of the word limit you can write in the blank- especially the second part of this
questions.
5. Use word from the text only.
6. Make sure that your spelling is accurate.