Strategies for the ELA Book II: Listening & Writing
Listening:
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Bring at least two sharpened #2 pencils
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Arrive early
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Avoid distractions (extra noise, fidgeting, sharpening pencils, etc.)
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Write small so you don’t run out of room
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Use bullets or dashes, and writes notes, not sentences
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Start your notes at the top left side of your page and move toward the far right,
leaving margins (1” of space) at each side, in case you need room to add additional
notes to your original notes
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Write as much as you can
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Listen for main ideas and supporting details, if possible
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Copy the title & the author’s name
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During the 1st reading, leave space between your notes so you can add information
during the 2nd reading
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Take notes vertically (up & down), in list form, rather than horizontally (in ¶ form) so
you can easily read your notes
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Write neatly enough; your notes aren’t graded, but you need to be able to read them
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Keep your notes in chronological order (time order that they appear) so that beyond
telling you what happened, your notes also tell you the order in which these events
happened.
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Use titles and subtitles in your notes, if possible
Writing:

The symbol of the pad & pencil means that a particular answer will be graded for
grammar and writing; answers that are not accompanied by this symbol will not be
graded for grammar and writing
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Read the questions carefully
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Make sure you know what you’re being asked to do
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Some questions require more than one answer because the questions contain more
than one part, so answer all parts of the questions
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Most students don’t have time to write a complete outline for their essay, so, if you
make a writing plan, keep it simple
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Make sure you respond to the assignment in the thesis of your essay
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Most answers require “specific details from the passage,” so review your notes as you
write
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Write neatly enough that your answers are legible (readable)
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Expect that you will need to make inferences about the passages (inference: a
conclusion based on hints/clues; a reading between the lines)

Pace yourself: you have ~45 minutes to respond to the multiple choice, the short
answer questions, and the essay; set aside 5-10 minutes for the multiple choice and
short answers; set aside 35-40 minutes for the essay. You’ll get extra time to listen.
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The essay tends to be the most significant measure of your skills, so “pour it on”!
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Use the short answer responses to help you write the essay; the test is “scaffolded,”
which means that the short answer questions are designed to prepare you for the
essay; in most cases, the scorers would like to see that students use the answers from
the short answer questions in their essays

Edit and revise your work until time is up; don’t pack up early!