Many students score low in the English Proficiency tests although they are capable of performing much better. There are certain mistakes in the hat should be avoided in order to get the best result of your efforts and hard work. Here I am listing some common mistakes done by the students and the strategies to avoid those mistakes.
Mistake #1 : Poor Punctuation or Grammar
Many students take punctuation for granted which is a big mistake. In all writing tasks, punctuation has great importance. Proper punctuation conveys the correct meaning of your writing. If your punctuation is not correct or you have spelling or grammatical errors, you will end up losing marks on the test.
Strategy:
Check your writing for any errors before you proceed to the next question.
Mistake #2: Not being able to finish Answers on time
If you are not able to finish answers on time and the timer runs out, you will lose marks.
Strategy:
Keep an eye on the timer for each question and plan your answers according to the given time.
Mistake #3: Long Pauses while speaking your answers
Staying quiet or taking time to answer questions can make you lose points. You need to respond quickly and confidently.
Strategy:
Try to make up your answer. Even if you are totally unfamiliar with the topic, make up something that is close to the topic. Make up an incident even if you have never seen it happening. Use your general knowledge.
Mistake # 4: Quiet or low voice while recording your responses
If your volume is not high enough while recording your answers, you are at risk of losing marks.
Strategy:
Adjust the microphone of your computer for a properly audible voice.
Note: When you start your test, you are asked to check your volume and adjust it before the actual test starts. Listen to your voice and make sure it will be recorded properly.
Mistake #5: Use of plain, repetitive Vocabulary or sentence structure
If your vocabulary is too simple while you describe a picture or event, you will get low scores.
Strategy: Words like good, bad, nice, big, etc are too simple and can be replaced by words like awesome, fantastic, fabulous for the word “good” or “nice”; awful, terrible for the word “bad”, and huge, enormous etc for the word “big”. Remember that all the synonyms for words can be used according to the context in which you are using these words.
Note: Use words when you actually know their meaning. Refer to a word bank online for the powerful vocabulary words and their usage. Watch the following videos to learn more about using sentence structures in the test.
Mistakes # 6: Wrong use of tenses
It is important to have knowledge of tenses while answering your questions. If you use wrong helping verbs or forms of the verb, you will lose marks.
Strategy:
Revise your tenses and practice writing correctly using the free version of www.grammarly.com.
Watch videos/ learn from online resources about the correct use of tenses and sentence structures.
Mistake #7: Little or no use of connectors in a paragraph
If the sentences in your paragraph are mostly stand alone sentences without conjunctions or the connectors( However, Besides, Having said that, In the mean while, etc ), you will lose marks.
Connectors make the writing or speaking sound natural. See the example:
The government is taking measures to improve the economy of the country. It is creating new jobs. It will take some time for these measure to show results.
Vs
The government is taking measures to improve the economy of the country. A part of this effort is creating new jobs. However, it will take some time for these measures to show results.
Mistake #8: Repetition in the use of vocabulary
If your use of vocabulary words is limited and repetitious in your speaking and writing tasks, that will show your limited knowledge of English.
Strategy:
Learn new vocabulary everyday through online English Learning resources. Create a word bank of your own.
Mistake #9: Relying only on the practice Tests
While you are preparing for any English Proficiency Test like, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE, do not just practice with the available test materials; go through different online resources for preparation as well as improve your general English by watching English movies, listening to news channels and reading English newspaper.