A question that almost all English tutors ask or have asked themselves. Today I will tell you how I answered it to myself several years ago. And I’ll add some advice from myself in the present.
But first, a little about the exams themselves.
OGE and Unified State ExamThe OGE exam is intended for those graduating from the 9th grade and is designed for the Pre-Intermediate level of language proficiency (corresponds to A2 and B1 on the CEFR scale, the OGE contains tasks of both levels).
The Unified State Examination is taken by 11th grade graduates; the required level of knowledge of English to successfully pass it is Upper-Intermediate (there are both basic level tasks (A2) and tasks of increased complexity (B2)). That is, approximately the level of the FCE exam.
But if you decide on the OGE or Unified State Exam option, you will notice several difficulties and differences from international exams, like the FCE:
- not all tasks correspond to the stated level. This year, on the Unified State Exam, the text of task 3 in the “Reading” section was at the Advanced level (C1).
- your logic of reasoning may not coincide with the logic of the test authors. In some tasks, the correct answer may contradict common sense (this especially applies to task 3 from the “Listening” and “Reading” sections).
You can learn more about these exams and how to prepare for them in the following ways:
- Take training courses.
- Get advice from an experienced tutor, or better yet an expert.
- Find out and read everything yourself.
I won’t comment on the first two methods; I’ll focus on the last one, since most tutors follow this path.
Self-preparationOn your own, in my opinion, it is effective to organize your exam preparation work as follows:
You have to keep your eyes open with textbooks. Many study guides are rushed out before the start of the school year and may contain errors or incorrect information about the exam. For example, when I started preparing for the Unified State Exam, I followed the recommendations from Muzlanova’s textbook on the right, here is one of them: “When you start the answer in Task 2 of the Oral Part, start it the way you would start in a real situation: Hello, I'm going to visit your hotel but I would like to ask a few questions first.” If you follow this advice, the exam will not have enough time to ask the first question because the student is under time pressure and will lose a point.
As practice has shown, the manuals of Verbitskaya and Solovova can be trusted. The rest - “trust, but check.”
We take a student
You have learned everything you need, you can advertise and look for students.
In the announcement, you can admit that you haven’t prepared for these exams yet, but you know everything about them. But this will reduce the likelihood that clients will contact you. Or you don’t have to mention it if they don’t ask you directly. And set the price for preparation below the average price tag. What to choose is up to you.
What to do at the first meeting?
My first lesson is orientation. It goes like this:
The main task of the first meeting is to understand the approximate level of the student and tell parents and the student himself how to work with him. After a conversation and a short test, it becomes clear who is sitting in front of you. If the goal is to prepare for the Unified State Exam, then you can take it with the Elementary level, but with “Unified State Examination” students it is more difficult:
- Beginner/Elementary – if the meeting with the student took place in the 11th grade, then it is very difficult to prepare for a decent score. Either you refuse such a client, or you take him on the condition that it is unlikely that you will be able to get him even 60 points. A higher score is a miracle that will happen with great effort of the student/language abilities/good alignment of the stars on the exam day.
- Pre-Intermediate – it’s possible to prepare for a good score in two years. For one - it’s unlikely; in this case, take it or not – it’s at your discretion.
- Intermediate/Upper-Intermediate. Here you can take it in 11th grade with peace of mind. With proper effort, 80 points is achievable.
The entire scenario described is correct only if there are minor absences from classes and all homework is completed, otherwise it is difficult to make any predictions.
If both the client and I are satisfied with everything, I let them take home the option of the OGE/USE in order to have an idea of the strengths and weaknesses.
CookingBased on the initial data and what needs to be done, we sketch out a preparation plan. We will definitely save the trial version of the exam that we wrote at the very beginning, so that later we can see the trajectory of movement for the better or for the worse.
Every school holiday I give students a version of the exam to solve so they can see the results of their work. We discuss the results with the student and his parents.
If a student is “freeloader,” I keep a record of unfinished assignments and missed classes to clearly show why we achieve so little and the coveted grade keeps eluding us.
P.S. An analysis of exam tasks with an explanation of the strategy for completing them can be read in the corresponding section on and.
You can also familiarize yourself with my preparation for each exam.
We suggest you take another test (test 3) to assess your level of English and understand whether you can pass the OGE in English.
LISTENING
You will hear four short dialogues (A, B, C, D). Identify where each of these conversations occurs. Use each setting from list 1-5 only once. There is one extra scene in the task.
Play Listening task 1
1. In the library
2. In a classroom
3. At the hotel
4. In a shopping center
5. At the airport
A – 5
B–3
C–1
D–4
Dialogue A
A: Oh, it’s so nice to see you! How was the flight?
B: Fine, but it was a long one.
A: I bet it was. The flight from Australia can’t have been short. And you arrived almost an hour later than was scheduled.
B: Yeah. It was because of the delay in Hong Kong. The weather was awful…
A: I see. But it’s all over and you’re here at last. Let me help you with your luggage.
B: Thanks.
Dialogue B
A: Excuse me, can I have the key to room 209?
B: Yes, here it is.
A: And one more thing.
B: Yes?
A: I’m checking out tomorrow at noon. Can I leave my suitcase in the luggage room till 5 or 6 pm?
B: Yes, you can, no problem.
Dialogue C
A: I’m sorry, but food and drinks are not allowed in the reading room.
B: Sorry, I just wanted to have a sandwich… but I’m already putting it back into my bag. By the way, where can I find something on the history of aviation? I’m writing a report on it.
A: The books on that topic are displayed over there, next to the exit table. But if you need something specific, I would advise you to use our electronic catalogue. It’s there, in the corner of the room.
B: Yes, I will. Thank you.
Dialogue D
A: Excuse me, I’m looking for a Sports Goods shop…
B: Oh, there’s one on this floor - it sells sportswear of all kinds, and’ the other one is on the ground floor - it offers different sports equipment, sleeping bags, tents and so on.
A: Thank you. I need a good sports bag.
B: To the ground floor then. You can’t miss it - it’s next to the cafeteria and there is a large poster advertising sports gear.
You will hear five statements (A, B, C, D, E). Match each speaker's statements with the statements given in list 1-6. Use each statement from list 1-6 only once. There is one extra statement in the assignment.
Play Listening task 2
1. The speaker describes his / her dream job.
2. The speaker explains what jobs are most popular with students.
3. The speaker talks about difficulties in making a career choice.
4. The speaker talks about his / her personal work experience.
5. The speaker believes that teenagers should earn their pocket money themselves.
6. The speaker explains how to find a job for summer.
A–3
B–1
C–6
D – 5
E – 4
Speaker A
When I was a small child, I felt irritated when adults asked me about what I wanted to become in the future. They are still asking. It’s irritating, probably because I don’t know the answer. I have no idea what job is right for me and I’m afraid of making the wrong choice. Dad says that I should do different summer or part-time jobs in order to understand what I want. And what if I don’t understand it then? I don’t mind working in the summer but I don’t know what temporary job to apply for.
Speaker B
I’ve always known what I want to do as a career. No, I’m not making ambitious plans about becoming an ingenious scientist, or an astronaut, or a famous actor. I want to work with small children as there’s nothing better than helping the curious explore the world. Working in an infant school would be very rewarding. It wouldn’t actually be a job for me - it would be a privilege because I’d be enjoying every minute of it. If you say it would be difficult - yes, it would be, but it would never get boring.
Speaker C
Lots of teenagers want to get a summer job but not everyone gets one. The most common mistake is that they start looking for a job when the holidays are in full swing. The job search takes time and you should start it months before the holidays. First, make up a list of jobs you would like to do, then find out about the requirements and contact the employers. If you suit each other, leave your information and discuss the date when you are ready to start.
Speaker D
There are usually lots of opportunities for young people to earn money for things like snacks and drinks, outings and accessories. There are always plenty of vacancies for seasonal workers, waiters, couriers, cleaners etc. Being a full-time student is not an excuse to avoid getting a job. I really don’t think that teenagers can understand the value of money and appreciate their families’ care and support until they start working themselves.
Speaker E
I think that doing temporary and part-time jobs does young people lots of good. I had my first summer job at the age of fifteen. I worked as a pizza seller in a fast-food cafe for two months. I still remember how difficult it was - there were always lots of people, it was hot and my legs and arms hurt. Since then I’ve worked as a courier, as a seasonal worker (picking apples and cherries) and as a landscape worker.
You will hear a conversation between two classmates. In tasks 1-6, circle the number 1, 2 or 3 that corresponds to the answer option you chose.
Play Listening task 3
1. Zach didn’t sleep at night because he
1) felt unwell.
2) wrote a project paper.
3) played a computer game.
2. Sally says that
1) she walks to school.
2) she gets to school by bus.
3) her mother drives her to school.
3. According to Sally, her mother
1) works for a financial company.
2) works as a university teacher.
3) stays at home.
4. Sally says that the most difficult subject for her
1) Maths.
2) French.
3) History.
1) the guitar.
2) the drums.
3) the piano.
6. As for music styles, Sally prefers
1) jazz.
2) rock.
3) pop.
1 – 3
2 – 2
3 – 3
4 – 1
5 – 2
6 – 3
Sally: Are you OK, Zach? Hey Zach!
Zach: Oh, it's you, Sally. I was daydreaming.
Sally: You were sleeping, not daydreaming! Did you play computer games all night again?
Zach: Yes, how did you guess?
Sally: That's easy. Your eyes are red, your reactions are slow, and you look sleepy! And your homework isn’t done.
Zach: OK, you're right. Just a new game. I couldn’t quit before I reached the fifth level. You wouldn’t understand as you don’t care about computers.
Sally: Why, I do, but I’m not a geek. I have more important things to do than play games for hours.
Zach: Really? And what are you busy with all day long?
Sally: Well, I start with walking my dog. At 8 o’clock sharp I have to be at the picking up point for the school bus. Mum used to drive me to school, but now she’s very busy with my little brother, so I have to go by bus.
Zach: I see. Babies are always trouble.
Sally: No, not at all! He’s a little darling and I love him! Twice a week, when I don’t take my music lessons, I babysit for my mum so that she can read the economic news. She’s got a university degree and worked for a financial firm but she had to quit it because of my brother’s poor health. She’s planning to go back to her career and has to be well informed about everything.
Zach: Yeah, that’s important to stay in the profession. And it’s nice of you to help her so much. But how do you manage to do your own lessons then?
Sally: The main thing is not to put off the assignments until the very last moment.
Zach: I always put them off…
Sally: And it’s important to start with the most difficult subjects - I always do Maths first. Languages and other humanities are easier so French goes the last.
Zach: I see. I find Maths the most difficult, too. And I’m really impressed with your ability to plan your day and stick to the plan. I never do anything on time… I even had to give up my guitar lessons… Do you play an instrument?
Sally: The drums. Mum wanted me to choose the piano, but I think drums are cooler.
Zach: They certainly are. There’re lots of people who play the piano but very few drummers. By the way, my friends are looking for a drummer for their band. Are you interested?
Sally: Well..., yes. What sort of music do they play?
Sally: I see. I prefer pop music too. We learn about other styles of music in music classes, like jazz, rock and classical, but you can’t dance to them.
Zach: True. I can introduce you to the guys. You’ll really need my recommendation as no girl’s ever played with them. It’s always been an all-boy pop band.
Sally: It won’t be any more.
Zach: We'll see.
READING
Read the texts and match texts A-G with headings 1-8. Record your answers in the table. Use each number only once. There is one extra heading in the task.
1. My accommodation in Rome
2. New friends
3. Getting the job
4. The working day
5. Plans for next summer
6.Language experience
7. The top tourist attraction
8. General impressions of the country
A) I’ve just returned from Italy, and it was the most beautiful working holiday anyone could dream of. Yes, I saw the Colosseum with my own eyes! It was built in the first century AD - the amphitheater could house as many as 50,000 people. It’s difficult to imagine the gladiators fighting there and the public watching the cruel show. There were also fights with lions. Fortunately, there are no lions in the Colosseum now - only cats. And there are a lot of them!
B) The Colosseum was the first thing I wanted to see in Rome, but not the only one that impressed me. I used my camera a lot - Italy is a country with a great cultural heritage. Apart from the views, Italy is a country of delicious food - I’ve never eaten such gorgeous pizzas! I’d have certainly put on some weight if I hadn’t had to walk such a lot - we were saving on transport because Italy is an expensive country.
C) It took us thirty-five minutes every morning to get from the hostel where we were staying to the pizzeria we were working. Our room was very small, it had a poor view, just the house opposite, but that wasn’t a problem - we didn’t spend much time there anyway. We had only the basics in our room - two beds, hangers for clothes, a little table and one chair. There was a laundry downstairs and a shared kitchen to prepare meals.
D) As for the kitchen, we didn’t use it much - we ate at work! Our working day started at 9 am and lasted till 9 pm. We had a long siesta (a break between two and five in the afternoon) which we used for sightseeing in spite of the heat. And in the evening there were usually lots of customers and we had to be quick and attentive so as not to confuse their orders. We felt absolutely exhausted when we came home.
E) Anyway we felt privileged to have got the job. It was Anna, my best friend, who suggested working holidays in Italy. She found the vacancies and sent our CVs to the manager. At first I didn’t know what to say as I wasn’t sure I wanted to work in summer. But on the other hand, the idea of earning my own money and seeing Italy was very attractive.
F) I’m glad I agreed to Anna’s suggestion - we enjoyed living in a new country and meeting new people. Italians are very sociable and easy-going. Our fellow workers showed us lots of interesting places and it was fun to explore the country together. Anna and I really hope that they’ll come to Britain one day and we’ll be able to show them our country too. We are going to keep in touch.
G) We didn’t know Italian when we went there. Some people in the pizzeria spoke English and they helped us a lot. Two weeks later we were able to understand what the customers were asking us about and we spoke basic Italian to them. Italian is beautiful - I like how it sounds and it’s not at all difficult. We plan to go on learning it in case we want to work in the pizzeria again.
A–7
B–8
C–1
D–4
E – 3
F – 2
G–6
Read the text. Determine which of the given statements 1-8 correspond to the content of the text (True), which do not correspond (False) and what is not stated in the text, that is, based on the text, neither a positive nor a negative answer can be given (Not stated).
The Dolphins Team
The Dolphins is a relatively new beach service that has been in operation for three years so far, and we are growing fast. The tourist business in the region is booming. More and more people are coming to the Southern Beach every year and our services are in great demand.
We provide a variety of services to the beachgoers. We lend them beach equipment like parasols and beach chairs, we arrange boat tours, snorkelling and diving expeditions. However, first, and foremost, The Dolphins help swimmers who are in danger. We've got a highly professional rescue team. Last year we were awarded first prize in the national lifeguard competition in which the best teams of the country took part. Being a lifeguard is a job, not entertainment as some people may think. Anyone who wants to join us has to remember that the duty of a lifeguard is not only to be on watch and save careless holidaymakers but to prevent any dangerous situation for them.
Not only excellent physical condition but strong personal skills are necessary as beachgoers are not always very cooperative. Everyone knows that lifeguards fly flags of different colors: the green one indicates that the sea is calm and there’s no danger for swimmers; the yellow flag means that the weather conditions are not very good - swimmers should be very careful and not go too deep. The red flag indicates that the situation is potentially dangerous and swimming is prohibited. It doesn’t necessarily mean a storm, it could be a strong current, water pollution, the danger of marine animals attacking or something else. Unfortunately, some people ignore it and go into the water anyway. The beach patrol are not the police - we can’t arrest people for disobedience. All we can do is educate people and get them to behave in a civilized way.
This is actually the main reason why we decided to set up our Summer Lifeguard School - we want to make the beach a safer and more civilized place. The school is for children from ten to seventeen who want to spend summer on the beach and learn some lifeguard skills. Anyone who meets the age requirement is admitted. Our instructors will teach them the basic skills of water safety and basic emergency procedures, the language of semaphore (that is how to use flags to transmit a message), how to avoid sunstroke and how to swim in the waves of the sea. Our open-air classes will be useful to everyone. Reckless divers and swimmers will understand that no one, no matter how sporty they are, can be absolutely free of risk in the sea. Those who are afraid to step into the water will learn to control their fear and will learn to swim (under the very close supervision of our instructors).
On completing the summer course, the children will be awarded our Summer Lifeguard School Certificate and we hope some of them will join The Dolphins in the future. To do so, they will have to wait until they turn 18 and gain the Professional Lifeguard Certificate.
1. The Southern Beach offers tourists lots of different services.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
2. The Dolphins main responsibility is to save drowning swimmers.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
3. The Dolphins rescue team is the only professional team in the country.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
4. Due to the weather conditions The Dolphins have to fly a red flag very often.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
5. The Dolphins perform the function of the police patrol on the beach.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
6. Children who are afraid of swimming can join Summer Lifeguard School, too.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
7. On completing the course, the children take an end-of-course exam.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
8. Children who complete the Summer Lifeguard School can work as lifeguards.
1) True
2) False
3) Not stated
1 – True
2 – True
3 – False
4 – Not stated
5 – False
6 – True
7 – Not stated
8 – False
VOCABULARY-GRAMMAR
Time was running out. The game was exciting and dynamic but the score was still 0-0. Jim couldn’t take his eyes off the TV and __(NOT HEAR)__ when his father came into the room.
“Who __(PLAY)__ ?” he asked.
“The Spanish Club and the Portuguese,” Jim __(KNOW)__ that his dad was not a fan and didn’t go into details.
“Who are you supporting?”
“The Spanish. If the team __(MANAGE)__ to win this game, it’ll get to the final.”
“They will. The final score will be 2-1 to the Spanish Club.”
Jim turned to his dad: “How do you know?”
“It's not me. A colleague of __(I)__ has predicted the results of ten matches.
No mistake yet. Today’s the __(TEN)__ game.”
Jim looked at his father again. “Sounds a bit crazy. But if I were able to predict the results of the game..."
“If you were able to predict it, it __(NOT BE)__ interesting to watch football at all.
Are you hungry by the way? I __(ORDER)__ some pizza. Will you join me?”
“Yes, sure,” Jim turned to his father. “But I still __(NOT CAN)__ understand...” And at that very moment the Spanish forward scored the first goal.
did not hear
is playing
knew
manage
mine
tenth
would not be
have ordered
cannot
Transform the words so that they are grammatically and meaningfully appropriate to the context.
Lana switched off the TV. So many channels and nothing interesting on! There were several talk shows on __(DIFFER)__ channels but she liked none of them.
The talk on __(ENVIRONMENT)__ problems was boring,
and she wasn’t in the mood to listen to a __(POLITICS)__ talking about the government’s social program.
She didn’t like the film on the next channel either. The plot seemed to be weak and confusing and even the __(FAME)__ actors were not able to save it.
The women’s figure skating __(CHAMPION)__ held Lana’s attention for a few minutes.
However, it didn’t last long - she wasn’t a fan and it made her feel __(BORE)__ too. She was glad to hear the phone ringing and hurried to answer it.
My guides for preparing for the State Examination Test in English
I have already introduced you to books on preparing for the Unified State Exam, but now there are a large number of them - there is plenty to choose from.
But we introduced an exam in the form of the State State Examination in English relatively recently. Due to the fact that 9th graders in Kazan need to take five exams (Russian, mathematics, Tatar - mandatory and two optional), many schoolchildren are thinking about choosing English!
What should a teacher do? Which benefits should I choose?
Since last year, I began to intensively collect various manuals and tests that fit the GIA format and I want to note that, unlike the Unified State Exam, the GIA has an oral part!
Therefore, preparation for this exam covers all sections: listening, reading, lexical and grammatical parts, writing and speaking.
Of course, many books do not fit the GIA format. Here you need to be careful and for this I suggest that you first familiarize yourself with the codifier and the demo version of 2013.
But there are also wonderful manuals that I want to introduce you to and which I have tested on my students.
So, I’ll start with a collection of oral topics, which I purchased at one of the seminars where the young author of this book, Yuri Alekseevich Smirnov, spoke.
The collection covers all topics included in the specification of the State Final Certification in English. For ease of use, the collection's topics are presented in the order suggested in the specification.
After each topic, an answer plan is provided to help students prepare for oral storytelling, a list of questions, and a list of useful words and expressions for topics that do not involve memorizing factual information.
In addition, I often use the materials in the collection when preparing for oral tests in grades 7-9.
The next manual is GIA-2013. I undoubtedly consider the English language (by Trubaneva and others) to be good; this particular collection has a disc (there are also just books without discs, also by these authors). It includes:
· options for examination work developed at the federal level;
· examination forms and rules for filling them out;
· answers to tasks and criteria for assessing tasks with a detailed answer;
· a brief description of the features of the state final certification in a general education subject.
What can I say, one of the best manuals at the moment, which includes five full-fledged options. This should be a must have, both from the teacher and the student can be purchased.
The manual by the author Irina Vladimirovna Tofel contains 5 full-fledged tests, there is a disk. But it presents only two parts of listening (the first is to establish correspondence, and the second contains 4 tasks with the choice of one correct answer from three proposed).
But it’s still a very good tool for training in preparation. Optimal tasks for vocabulary and grammar.
___________________________________________________
This guide is very different from others. Author Marina Alekseevna Bodoni - Preparation for GIA-9 and the Unified State Exam. Long answer tasks: personal letter, essay (C1, C2)
With it, you can teach your students to write personal letters and essays. The author's methodology is quite original, there are a lot of exercises that help and develop writing skills.
___________________________________________________
One of my very first tutorials. Mine is for 2012. But now it’s already out for 2013. Although the content is completely the same. Author - Veselova Yu.A. — GIA-9 English language.
There are five options for the GIA format in the collection, what I like is that the options correspond to the 2013 demo version, and are not just the author’s invention.
The set includes two discs. Overall, I really like it!
__________________________________________________
English language. 9th grade. Preparation for State Examination 2013(authors: Fomenko, Dolgopolskaya). I bought it for myself and my students. The assignments are in GIA format, there is a disk. Relatively inexpensive.
So this is a big plus compared to those manuals that contain only five options.
_________________________________________________
GIA 2013. English language. Typical test tasks.
This book contains 5 options + demo version. A big plus is that all manuals, including this one, are supplied with a disk.
__________________________________________________
Collection of training and testing tasks. English language. 8th grade (in GIA format), author Yu. S. Veselova. There is a disk.
This series includes "step-by-step" preparation for the exam. There are books from grades 6 to 11. I'm in 8th grade.
Structure of the 8th grade manual:
1. Listening (6 exercises)
2. Reading (12 authentic texts of various genres)
3. Grammar (23 exercises + 3 tests)
4. Use of English (31 exercises, including idioms and phrasal verbs)
5. Writing (formal and informal letters, reviews, describing places, biography)
6. Speaking (tasks for working in pairs and groups, for monologue and dialogue training)
___________________________________________________
Here is a small list of manuals that I use in my work to prepare for the State Examination and which I recommend to my students. Of course, I try to update my modest collection, but in recent years they haven’t changed much.
What benefits do you like best?
In a foreign language - one of the selective exams for ninth graders. Many high school graduates choose an exam in this subject, because the prospect of getting into a specialized linguistic class is quite tempting. Well, the future associated with the use of a foreign language as a professional tool provides a chance to ensure good earnings and a decent standard of living.
Among all the foreign languages studied by modern schoolchildren, English holds the palm. This is not surprising, since it is recognized as the language of international business and diplomatic communication. Practice shows that passing the OGE in this subject is not so easy - for a good grade, it is not enough to memorize the basic rules and language norms.
In addition to passing the written exam, students in 2018 will demonstrate their listening skills as well as their ability to speak English. In addition to preparing on your own and working with a tutor, you should also study the features and structure of the ticket, understand how points will be awarded, and also find out what innovations may await you in the 2018 KIMs!
Demo version of OGE-2018 OGE dates in EnglishRosobrnadzor has already announced the approximate OGE schedule for 2018. Schoolchildren will take a foreign language (including English) on the following dates:
- Early delivery of a foreign language is scheduled for April 28 (Saturday). The reserve day will be April 30, 2018 (Tuesday);
- The main OGE will take place on May 25 (Friday). The reserve day for the main OGE will be June 20, 2018 (Wednesday);
- The additional day for passing a foreign language will be September 14 (Friday). Booked September 21, 2018 (Friday) as a reserve.
In 2018, English language tickets remained unchanged in terms of structure and content. The subject commission reports that the only innovation was a change in the criteria by which task number 33 (writing a personal letter) will be assessed.
What is included in the KIM OGE in English?The main purpose of the exam is to test the ability of ninth-graders to communicate in English. The commission will test your skills in understanding spoken language, speaking, reading and writing in English. It is the OGE that will determine whether the student is ready to study in high school, and will also identify students who can be recommended for grades 10-11 with a linguistic focus. The ticket structure can be divided into two parts:
- written part – sections of the ticket from the first to the fourth. Students will demonstrate their ability to perceive speech by ear (listening), as well as demonstrate their reading skills in English, the ability to write and use lexical and grammatical skills. The maximum points that can be scored for this part of the CMM is 55;
- oral part - consists of one section, which includes tasks from the speaking part. The maximum you can get for the verbal part of the ticket is 15 points.
Correct completion of all CMM tasks gives the opportunity to receive 70 points.
Speaking will require not only knowledge of the rules, but also the ability to maintain a dialogue In most tasks (namely, thirty-two), the student will be able to give a short answer to the question posed by establishing correspondences for sets, choosing the correct answer from the list provided, filling in gaps in the text, or converting words into the correct lexical form. Tasks with a detailed answer include writing a personal letter, reading aloud a passage of a popular science text, conducting a dialogue with the teacher and a monologue on a given topic. The entire ticket can be structurally divided into the following parts:
- listening - includes tasks based on phrases used in everyday communication, informational texts and advertisements. Each fragment lasts about one and a half to two minutes and is played twice. The complexity of the tasks is identical to the language level A2;
- reading - tasks are based on texts of a pragmatic, popular science, journalistic and artistic nature. The volume of the fragment ranges from 220 to 600 words. The complexity of the tasks corresponds to the language level A2;
- grammar and vocabulary - tasks that will test the depth of understanding of school material and the ability to operate with it;
- personal letter – writing a text of at least 100-120 words. Letters containing less than 90 words will not be assessed according to other criteria - the student will immediately receive 0 points for the entire assignment. It is no less dangerous to write a letter that is too long - if it contains more than 132 words, the commission will check only the first 120 words in the work, and will ignore the rest;
- speaking – tasks involving the use of several types of vocabulary. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to use social and everyday vocabulary (talk about leisure time, relationships with friends, hobbies, prominent cultural or scientific figures, environmental problems, etc.), as well as vocabulary from the educational and work sphere (dialogue is possible about choosing a future profession or the role of a foreign language in different areas of our lives).
The student will have to complete the tasks from the first four sections in 120 minutes. In this case, the specialized commission recommends distributing time as follows:
- 30 minutes – listening (section 1);
- 30 minutes – for tasks testing reading skills (section 2);
- 30 minutes – to identify skills in grammar and vocabulary (section 3);
- 30 minutes to write a personal letter and test other written English skills (section 4).
15 minutes will be allotted for speaking.
Any textbooks and reference materials will have to be passed before the start of the OGE Students are not allowed to bring additional materials and items to the OGE that are not related to the exam. You will only be allowed to take a pen with you. All other materials and equipment are provided by Rosobrnadzor - the classrooms will be equipped with technical means to ensure the playback of audio recordings, and the speaking classes will be equipped with computer equipment, programs for recording sound and microphones necessary to record the student’s answers.
How do raw scores translate into grades?The exam scores will be transferred to the usual school grading system. The translation scale looks like this:
- from 0 to 28 points – “unsatisfactory”;
- from 29 to 45 points are translated into “satisfactory” and will allow you to receive a certificate;
- from 46 to 58 points means that the student will receive “good”;
- from 59 to 70 points are identical to the “excellent” rating.
When assigning students to specialized linguistic classes or entering specialized lyceums, students who score 56 points and above have priority.
Preparation for the OGE in EnglishRemember: none of the foreign languages, including English, can be passed right away! Only long-term and competent preparation for the OGE will give a chance to successfully pass this test. First, identify possible gaps in knowledge - for this you need to download and work through demo versions of CMMs published by FIPI. Demo versions of tests, listening files and a requirements codifier can be found at the beginning of the article.
Do not forget that knowledge of the rules of the English language is absolutely useless if it is not supported by the ability to perceive speech by ear and speak a foreign language. To prepare for listening, regularly listen to audio books and English-language music, watch movies and television series with original dubbing (it’s better not to watch videos with subtitles - a line with words will distract your attention from listening to the speech of the characters).
Spend enough time preparing for the OGE - you should start in September Speaking is another problem for 9th grade graduates. Vocabulary, grammar and writing usually bring students good points, but when conducting a dialogue or monologue, many are lost. To practice speaking, you should play out everyday scenes in your head, conduct small dialogues with friends, sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers, and also describe in English the situations that just happened to you in the cinema, supermarkets and buses.
Greetings, my dear readers.
I know that Russian-speaking schoolchildren are terribly afraid of taking oral exams. And the oral part of the OGE in English seems completely impossible (not to mention). But believe me, proper and timely preparation is all you need to ensure you get a perfect score on the test. Therefore, today we will have a complete analysis of the oral part, as well as examples of tasks with answers.
What is it and what has changed in recent yearsThe oral part of the test only takes 6 minutes! But in 6 minutes you have to show everything you can do. You will be tested on everything: your pronunciation and speed of speech, your ability to understand questions and give a quick and clear answer to them, your ability to conduct an unprepared speech for 2 minutes.
Since 2016, the structure of the oral part has changed radically. You will have to cope with not two, but three tasks: you will need to read the text out loud, answer dialogue questions, and also make a monologue based on the picture (and, perhaps, without it this year!). Everything seems completely different from what it was just 3-4 years ago.
What does it consist of and how does it work?The oral part consists, as I already said, of 3 parts, which in total take 15 minutes, of which 6 minutes go directly to the answer, and the rest to preparation.
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- Part 1 - reading a passage of text.
The task seems easy, right? Especially when you consider that you are given 1.5 minutes to read in advance. And after that - another 2 minutes to read out loud. You must read clearly, understandably, with correct pronunciation of sounds and correct intonation. And you only have 5 chances to make a mistake. After this, the points are reduced (that is, you will receive 1 or 0 points out of 2 possible!).
Let's look at an example (click on the picture to enlarge).
First of all, pay attention to reading long and short sounds. I underlined the words with long and short [i] in red.
di different, li ved, hi dden, - here the stressed sounds are read as short
peo ple, belie ved, nee ded - but here they read like long
I have highlighted in blue the words that have a short and a long [u]
roo m, too ls - the sound here is long
coul d, pu t - here it is short
I have highlighted in green the words where you can notice the sound [a], but again they will differ in longitude:
dar k - long sound
hu nters - short sound
A very important point here is the correct pronunciation of interdental sounds (words in the text are underlined in yellow), which children so often like to replace with Russian [v, f] or.
sympath etic, th ey - hold your tongue between your teeth and go!
In yellow frames I placed phrases in which I want to show differences in intonation. In the first case, we see a special question - and in these types of questions the intonation should be descending, in other words, it should fall. Listen
The second phrase is an introductory construction, which, firstly, must be separated from the rest of the sentence by a pause, and secondly, read with rising intonation. Listen.
Hope you can hear the difference! Observe, my dears, and those evaluating your answer will be very happy to give you the highest score!
- Part 2 - answers to questions.
The task of this part is a dialogue where you will have to answer 6 questions. This part of the test is designed to test how quickly, correctly and competently a student can use foreign speech.
For each answer to a question you can get 1 point. If you answer too briefly where open answers are required, or make a lot of mistakes, you will not receive your point for the answer.
What I can advise you is to learn a couple of cliches for those answers where you need to express your opinion or give advice. For example:
In my opinion … - In my opinion…
From my point of view… - Cmypointsvision…
I reckon … - I think …
I advise … - I advice…
You’ d better do ... - You better do...
You should do. ...You should do...
In addition, it is important to answer clearly, without going into the wilds, and to follow grammatical rules!
So, an example of a task in question-answer format:
How old are you?
— I'm 15 years old.
What's your hobby and why are you interested in it?
- My hobby is swimming. I"m interested in it because I adore swimming — it makes me cheerful and confident.
How much time a week do you spend on your hobby?
- As a rule, I spend on it about 4 hours a week.
What hobbies are the most popular with teenagers nowadays?
- From my point of view the most popular hobbies with teenagers now are computer games and some extreme sports like snowboarding.
Why do you think people take up hobbies?
- In my opinion people take up hobbies in order to find new friends, to get some new skills and just to feel happier.
What would you advise a person who wants to start a hobby?
— You should find a hobby which will give you pleasure. If I were you I would go to the nearest sports club and find out what they offer...
- Part 3 - monologue based on the picture.
You will be given 1.5 minutes to prepare this task and 2 minutes to complete it. You will have a picture before your eyes ( but it is needed only for support, and not for description!), and the questions that need to be answered. This task is difficult, to be honest, but it is worth as much as 7 points.
Note: in 2018 it is planned to remove the picture and leave only questions.
Let's see an example:
-Why people like traveling.
-What way of traveling you prefer and why.
-Whether you prefer to be a package tourist or to be a backpacking traveler. Why.
My answer would be:
“And now I am going to talk about travelling.
People may travel for different reasons. For one group of people it may be the chance to spend their vacation at a completely different place from the one they are used to. For others it may be the way of living - their lifestyle.
Personally I prefer sight-seeing type of travelling. As I am keen on history I cannot stand the idea of not visiting all the historical places in Europe or Asia. What is more, I prefer traveling by bus as it allows me to spend a lot of time on the road and think about everything I need. Besides, it is much cheaper than traveling by plane.
According to this I may conclude that I am an absolutely backpacking traveler. The idea that you can spend one day in one city and move to another part of the country the following day appeals to me very much.
In the end I would like to say, that traveling broadens our minds and gives us an amazing experience we will never forget. Besides, you will be left with unforgettable memories. What could be better?"
How to preparePreparing for an oral exam is difficult. But finding a trainer for it will not be so difficult. I can recommend you the following helpers:
- "English language. OGE. Oral part." Author - Radislav Milrud.
- "OGE-2016. English language". Author - Yu.A. Veselova.
- Books published by MacMillan dedicated to this exam.
Recently, I have been purchasing most of the manuals and textbooks for myself and my students online. There you can always buy profitably and get it quickly. My favorite stores:
The training tasks in these textbooks are selected specifically for the level, and their number is enough for you to practice. What’s also important is that you can buy them in any bookstore (including online stores).
It’s even easier and, in my opinion, more interesting to use the online OGE simulator (GIA) from LinguaLeo. There you can also find other high-quality and really effective English language courses, which I recommend to everyone!
Don’t forget, my dears, that I constantly share new tips on how to improve your English and how to better prepare for the exam. Subscribe to my blog newsletter and be the first to receive information on how to succeed on the test. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments!
In the meantime, I say goodbye.