Prepare students for

Cambridge English
Qualifications from home
Simona Petrescu
Aims

1. Key strategies for exam preparation online

2. Preparation course elements
3. Options for online delivery
What are the
challenges
about running
exam
preparation

outside the
classroom?
 Resources
Technology Management

Language learning Feedback

Human presence
On the other hand…

UOK? 

Thx…CTN
CUL
Key strategies for exam
preparation online
Strategies
Take • Time?
stock • Priorities?

• What is
feasible
Select • Sources,
resources,
tools

Keep it
simple
Take • Time?
stock • Priorities?
Do a practice test to assess learning needs!
Target level Timing Marking

The students can do

it on their own!
After taking stock of learning needs… Mock test

Check the calendar.

 Hours per week? Weeks?

 Task formats, skills?
 Language, or test skills required?
 i.e., long-term, short-term?
 Time for one more practice test
before exam?
 Place priorities on a timescale: 25 hours
(example)
6

0
Reading Use of E Writing Listening Speaking Final mock
Total hours Top task 1 Top task 2 Overall strategies
Strategies

• What is feasible
Select • Sources,
resources, tools
From a
plethora
of
resources to…
…

Photo by Rick Mason on Unsplash

 Fit for purpose:
Language practice?
Exam strategies?
Photo by Dan Burton on Unsplash

Efficient / effective:
Quality
How many sources / tools
redundant?
inflationary?
 Exam • official exam
prep papers

• collaboration
• communicative
Quality Pedagogy • skills for life
resources? • privacy and safety

• easy to use
User
• feasible
experience
• versatile
Strategies

Keep it
simple
Simple…

…ways of working with the students. Agree on clear timetables and

processes, e.g.
• How often, what?
• work to hand in? – how? – who gives feedback, and on what channel?
• One channel for x activities, the other channel for y activities
Preparation course elements
Learn about the exam Design course

Monitor progress Build language skills

Build exam skills

Assign self-study
 Familiarise
yourself with
exam

Monitor
Design course
progress

Assign self- Build language

study skills

Build exam
skills
Options available for online
exam preparation
Start from:
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-
english/resources-for-teachers/

Familiarise
yourself with exam
https://www.youtube.com/user/cambridgeenglishtv
Design course
 Resources

Time

Content
Cover all
tasks?
https://weekly.cambridgeenglish.org/
 A2 Key for Schools
B1 Preliminary for Schools
B2 First for Schools
Without Weekly, consider:

Language
development

Exam
strategies
 Time to
exam Exam skill

Language Students’
development level
Build exam skills
If time to exam short:

Focus on exam formats

Do practice tests
• How-to tips
• Do task
• Feedback
• New goal
If time to exam short:

Focus on exam formats

Do practice tests
• How-to tips
• Do task
• Feedback
• New goal

Familiarise students with the exam day

processes
Building exam skills
Our website

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/resources-for-teachers/

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/exam-preparation/
Building exam skills
Our website

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching- https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/exam-
english/resources-for-teachers/ preparation/
Building exam skills
Our YouTube channel

https://www.youtube.com/user/cambridgeenglishtv
Building exam skills
Official preparation materials

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/exam-preparation/
Building exam skills
Official preparation materials
Build language
skills
If students still need language revision / development:

Use exam preparation resources which

integrate language revision

Choose learning resources and tools

Building language skills
Free app for B1 Preliminary (for Schools)
Building language skills
Alongside exam skills
Building language skills
On our website

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/activities-for-learners
Building language skills
On our website

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/resources-for-teachers/
Building language skills
Through digital resources and games (no exam focus)

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/free-resources/
Building language skills
Through digital resources and games (no exam focus)

https://kahoot.com/
https://lyricstraining.com/
Building language skills
Through digital resources and games (no exam focus)

https://quizlet.com/
Assign self-study
 Thankfully, many of the tools are
best used by students on their own
Students can use…

In order to…

In order to…
Tool

Tool
Exam practise Quiz practise
Booster task your language
formats English, or task
and revise Exam Lift formats
language
Students can use…

In order to…

In order to…
Tool

Tool
Write & improve Flipgrid practise
Improve writing speaking
before and get
sending it feedback
out to you from you
Students can use…

In order to…

In order to…
Tool

Tool
Kahoot / solve Padlet do
Socrative quizzes collaborative
project work
and revise
knowledge
One possible way of deploying the online resources in
your course:

Self-study Virtual meeting Follow-up

• You forward • Feedback self-study
digital • Hands-on
resources, practice • follow-up
and assign • New goals / task and / or
tasks follow-up • new task
Monitor progress
 Use tools that
Regular testing Testbank
keep records
• Collecting • What test • Quizzing tools
results each student • Flipgrid
• Ad-hoc has done • Your LMS
testing / • Results
quizzing
• Single tasks //
full paper test
• Feedback
sessions
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/supporting-teachers/
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/supporting-teachers/
Thank you!
Links
Support every teacher: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/supporting-teachers
Teaching resource finder: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/resources-for-teachers/
Learner resources: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/free-resources/
Official exam preparation materials per exam: https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/exam-
preparation/
Cambridge English YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/cambridgeenglishtv
Weekly: https://weekly.cambridgeenglish.org/
World of Better Learning: https://www.cambridge.org/elt/blog/campaign_page/supporting-every-teacher/
Download Exam Booster: https://bit.ly/2y6KjSr
Write and Improve: https://writeandimprove.com/