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GED Components The GED examinations are actually a battery of five separate tests: ➧ Language Arts, Writing Parts I and II ➧ Social Studies ➧ Science ➧ Language Arts, Reading ➧ Mathemati

ACING THE GED EXAMS

ACING THE

GED EXAMS

®

Copyright © 2005 LearningExpress, LLC.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.Published in the United States by LearningExpress, LLC, New York

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Acing the GED exams

Elizabeth Chesla is the author of many reading and writing guides for students, including TOEFL Exam Success.

She is from South Orange, NJ

Jelena Matic is a chemist and contributing science writer for ACT Exam Success She is from Queens, NY.

Maxwell Antor is a high school math teacher and math writer for SAT Exam Success He is from Oakland, CA.

Margaret Muirhead was social studies contributor for this book and is a history and career writer from

Arlington, MA

About the Contributors

PART I Preparing for the GED 1

Chapter 11 Tips and Strategies for the GED Language Arts, Writing Exam 87

Chapter 18 Tips and Strategies for the GED Social Studies Exam 155

Contents

– C O N T E N T S –

v i i i

Chapter 38 Tips and Strategies for the GED Language Arts, Reading Exam 341

Chapter 39 GED Literature and the Arts, Reading Practice Questions 347

ACING THE GED EXAMS

P A R T

the GED

Congratulations on your decision to take the GED, tests that can make

a dramatic difference in your life Of course, you want to be prepared forthese important tests—that’s why you bought this book There’s a lot more

to good preparation than just taking a practice exam or two That’s why this book gives youthe opportunity to review the knowledge and build the skills you will need for the exams.But first things first Before you being studying the different subjects tested on the GED,

you need to learn as much as you can about the tests That way, you will know exactly how

to prepare Chapter 1 will tell you all about the GED, including the structure of the exams,eligibility requirements, testing information, scoring, and fees

Your time is valuable, and you will want to make the most of your study time That’swhy the rest of this section is devoted to study strategies and test-taking skills Chapter 2reviews basic, effective study techniques Chapter 3 shows you how to better learn andremember material Chapter 4 provides tips and strategies for tackling standardized testslike the GED Read the chapters in this section carefully so you can create an effective studyplan and study wisely

Edward dropped out of high school at 16 when his mother became ill and could no longer work or take care of Edward and his younger brother He began working full time and never finished high school.

Rajesh came to America with the equivalent of a tenth-grade education from his native country He dreamed

of becoming a computer programmer but had to work full time He often worked extra shifts to help make ends meet.

Marie was a certified nurse in her native Caribbean country But when she immigrated, she found out her ing certification was not valid in the United States She could not apply to a U.S nursing program without a high school diploma.

nurs-Today, after taking the GED and earning their high school diplomas, Edward, Rajesh, and Marie—

like thousands of others who take the GED each year—are able to pursue the education and careers oftheir dreams For more than half a century, the GED diploma has given millions of people the opportu-nity to find better employment, enroll in colleges and training programs, improve their standard of living, and feelbetter about themselves and their futures

C H A P T E R

the GED

PLANNING TO take the GED? Here’s what you need to know to

get started This chapter covers the basic information about theseimportant exams You will learn how the tests are structured, how toregister, and how the tests are scored

 W h a t t h e Te s t s A r e A b o u t

The General Educational Development (GED)

exami-nation is a series of tests covering the broad range of

knowledge and skills students are expected to master in

high school They are tests for people who wish to earn

a high school diploma but who have been unable to

graduate in the traditional manner Passing the GED

cer-tifies that you have a high school level education and

entitles you to a GED diploma, the equivalent of a high

school diploma For hundreds of thousands of people

each year, the GED is an important stepping stone to a

better job and continued education

Did You Know?

The GED was originally developed for veterans

returning from World War II to help them

complete their educations and earn their high

school credentials The first test was

adminis-tered more than 60 years ago, in 1942 Since

then, an estimated 15.2 million people have

taken the GED

The GED is jointly administered by the General

Edu-cation Development Testing Service, a program of the

American Council on Education (ACE) Center for Adult

Learning and Education Credentials, and the education

department of each participating state or province The

GED exams are actually a battery of five tests that

meas-ure knowledge in five content and skills areas: writing,

reading comprehension (understanding literature), social

studies, mathematics, and science

GED Components

The GED examinations are actually a battery of

five separate tests:

➧ Language Arts, Writing (Parts I and II)

➧ Social Studies

➧ Science

➧ Language Arts, Reading

➧ Mathematics (Parts I and II)

The complete battery of GED exams takes a total ofseven hours and five minutes The level of difficulty is set

so that only two-thirds of traditional high school seniorswill pass On average, at least two-thirds of adults whotake all five exams earn their diploma, and many statesreport even higher pass rates In Utah, for example,nearly three-quarters (74%) of GED test takers passedthe exam last year And Iowa boasts a remarkable 95%pass rate for 2001

In many testing centers, you can take the GED one test

at a time until you complete all five exams In others,you must take the entire battery of tests in one or twosessions

The questions on the GED are all multiple choice withtwo important exceptions Part II of the Language Arts,Writing Test requires you to write an essay, and about25% of math questions are “alternate format” questionsthat may include short written responses You will learndetails about each exam, including the specific materialcovered and the kind of questions to expect, throughoutthe rest of this book

GED Fact Box

According to the American Council on tion, which oversees the GED Testing Service:

Educa-➧Over 860,000 adults around the world takethe GED tests each year

➧Test takers who pass the GED outperform40% of high school seniors on the exam

➧Approximately 14% of the high schooldiplomas distributed each year in theUnited States are issued to adults whopass the GED

➧Over 95% of U.S colleges accept studentswith GED credentials, and over 95% ofU.S employers offer GED graduates thesame hiring, compensation, and promotionopportunities as employees with a tradi-tional high school diploma

➧Approximately 1 in 20 first-year collegestudents are GED graduates

– A L L A B O U T T H E G E D –

4

 W h o Ta k e s t h e G E D — a n d W h y

The 860,000 people who take the GED each year are a

very diverse group who come from a rich variety of

back-grounds As different as their situations and experiences

may be, their main reasons for taking the GED are the

same Passing the GED:

■ enables them to apply to colleges and universities

■ allows them to apply for jobs or promotions that

require a high school diploma

■ demonstrates to others the importance of

education

■ is a significant accomplishment that improves

self-esteem

GED candidates range in age from 16 to over 60 The

ACE’s publication Who Took the GED? reports that

slightly over half the GED candidates in 2001 were

between the ages of 20 and 39, with an average age of

25.2 years Two-thirds of the test takers reported

com-pleting tenth grade; one-third had completed their

jun-ior or senjun-ior years Nearly two-thirds of the test takers

reported plans to pursue higher education after earning

their GED diploma

More GEDs Than Ever

2001 was a record year for the GED—over one

million people took all or part of the exams The

record number was partly due to the new GED

2002 test series Test takers had to complete

the old GED by December 31, 2001, or else

begin all over with the new exam Of the

979,829 adults who took all five exams,

669,403 (68%) earned their high school

equiv-alency diplomas

 G E D E l i g i b i l i t y R e q u i r e m e n t s

GED candidates must first meet certain eligibility

requirements set by the ACE and participating states and

territories You are eligible to take the GED if you meet

the following conditions:

1 You are not enrolled in high school AND

2 You have not graduated from high school AND

3 You are at least 16 years of age AND

4 You meet the requirements of your state,

province, or territory regarding age, residency, andthe length of time since leaving school Arkansas,for example, requires that you be a “legal resident”

of the state, which means that you must spendmost of your time in Arkansas, pay property taxes,and possess a valid Arkansas driver’s license orstate-issued identification card Kentucky’s eligi-bility requirements vary depending upon the can-didate’s age Be sure to check with your statedepartment of education or your local testing cen-ter for specific eligibility requirements

 Testing Centers and Registration

There are approximately 3,400 GED testing centersaround the world These centers are typically operated bylocal school boards, community colleges, and/or centersfor adult education Test takers outside the United States,Canada, or their territories may be able to take the GED

at a Thomson Prometric facility

Because test centers are run locally, registration cedures, fees, and testing times vary You need to contactthe center where you would like to take the tests to findspecific registration, fee, and test time information

pro-If you live inside the United States, Canada, or theirterritories, you can find the testing center nearest you by:

1 Calling 1-800-62-MY-GED OR

2 Checking in the blue pages of your local

tele-phone book (look for “GED Testing” under thestate department of education listing) OR

– A L L A B O U T T H E G E D –

Maine If you reside outside the United States, Canada,

or their territories and wish to take the online exam, you

must be at least 17 years old

For more information on international testing for

the GED, contact 866-776-6387 or Thomson Prometric,

1000 Lancaster Street, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21202

Ask for the Regional Registration Center in your

country or province Or visit their website at www

prometric.com

Thomson Prometric has testing centers available in

the following regions:

In addition to the standard English version of the GED,

there are also Spanish and French versions, initially

devel-oped for Puerto Rico and Canada, respectively These tests

are now authorized for use throughout the United States

but may not be available in all areas and are not available

at international testing centers (international GED

can-didates must take the English version) A new version of

both the Spanish and French GEDs went into effect on

January 1, 2004 Any partial scores from individual

Span-ish or French exams taken prior to December 31, 2003,

are invalid, and candidates must take the complete battery

of new exams

The Spanish GED

The structure and content of the Spanish GED is

essen-tially the same as the English GED, with the important

exception that the examples and test questions are based

on Spanish language and culture In the Language Arts,Reading Test, all excerpts are from Spanish-languagewriters with an emphasis on writers from the Caribbeanand Central and South America In the Language Arts,Writing Exam, grammar questions focus on issues spe-cific to the Spanish language, such as gender agreementand multiple-object pronouns The essay is scored byreaders whose first language is Spanish or who are sec-ondary or college-level Spanish instructors

The French GED

The French GED also follows the English GED in formatand structure Like the Spanish GED, it draws its ques-tions and context from French language and culture.Most measurement questions use the metric system.Essays on the French exam are scored by readers whosefirst language is French or who have taught French at thesecondary or college level

 S p e c i a l A c c o m m o d a t i o n s

Special testing accommodations are available for GEDcandidates with documented disabilities that may affecttheir ability to pass the GED These accommodationsinclude:

■ testing in English-language Braille

■ testing by audiocassette

■ large-print test editions

■ extended time

■ frequent, supervised breaks

■ use of a calculator or scribe

■ private testing rooms

Dictionaries and spell checkers are not permitted, nor is

having someone read the questions aloud to the candidate

If you will need special accommodations to take theGED, request the appropriate form from your local test-ing center:

■ Form L-15 for learning disabilities and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder

■ Form SA-001 for emotional and physicaldisabilities

– A L L A B O U T T H E G E D –

6

Once you have completed the form and provided the

necessary documentation, return the form to your GED

testing center Be sure to request and complete this form

well in advance of your test date to allow sufficient time

for processing

 G E D Te s t i n g F e e s

Fees for the GED vary widely In some states, you can

take the GED exams at no charge; in others, all testing

centers charge the same fee (usually between $20–$80);

and in others, individual testing centers determine their

own fees (also usually between $20–$80) In

Pennsylva-nia, for example, the fee varies from $25–$55, depending

upon the location of the center In Georgia, the fee at any

testing center is $55

 W h e n t h e Te s t A r e O f f e r e d

Each test center determines when and how often it will

offer the GED exams Some centers may offer the tests

only two or three times a year; others offer them much

more frequently The Paterson Adult and Continuing

Education Center in Paterson, NJ, for example, offers the

tests two or three times a month The Aurora Public

High School System in Aurora, CO, on the other hand,

offers the tests every Thursday and two Saturdays each

month Contact your local testing center to see when the

tests will be offered If the dates and times are

inconven-ient, check other centers nearby Their offerings may

bet-ter fit your schedule

 H o w t h e Te s t s A r e S c o r e d

Each of the five GED tests is scored separately on a

stan-dard scale of 200 to 800 points Each correct answer is

worth one point, but because the individual tests have

different numbers of questions, the score for each test is

converted to this 200–800 standard This allows the

scores on all five tests to be compared The Language

Arts, Writing Test score is a statistical combination of thescores for the multiple-choice questions and the essay,but a high score on Part I is no longer enough to pass the

exam Since 2002, candidates must pass both parts of the

test in order to pass the Language Arts, Writing Exam.The GED score reflects an estimate of your skills andknowledge in each content area as compared to recenthigh school graduates Your score will be reported in twoways: a number from 200–800 and a percentage Thepercentage indicates how your score compares with theperformance of graduating high school students If yourpercentile rank is 85, for example, that means you havescored better than 85% of graduating high school sen-iors Here’s a more detailed example:

Language Arts, Writing 606

What Is a Passing Score?

The minimum score required to pass the GED and earnthe GED diploma is set by individual states, provinces,and territories The passing score is usually a combina-

tion of both a minimum score per test and a minimum

average score overall Most testing jurisdictions use the

passing score set by the GED Testing Service:

■ a minimum score of 410 on each test

■ a minimum average score of 450 overall

If you answer approximately 60–65% of the questionscorrectly, you should receive a standard score of about

410 points per exam

– A L L A B O U T T H E G E D –

Enough to Pass

In most states, you must score 410 on each

exam and an average score of 450 overall in

order to pass the GED

Getting Your Scores

How and when you get your GED results will also vary

from testing center to testing center Most centers,

how-ever, will mail your results for all tests except Language

Arts, Writing in 2–4 weeks Scoring of the essay part of the

exam typically takes longer, so you may have to wait 4–6

weeks for those test results Some centers may also post

test scores or provide a number to call for test results

Getting Your Diploma

Most states will automatically issue your diploma if you

pass the GED The names of candidates with passing

scores are forwarded to the state department of

educa-tion, and you can expect to receive your diploma in the

mail in approximately 6–8 weeks

Retaking the GED

Fortunately, if you do not pass the full battery of tests or

would like to improve your score, you can retake the

GED Most states allow you to retake the tests two or

three times within a specified time period Often, you

can retest only after you have completed all five exams

New Jersey, for example, allows GED candidates to retake

the tests two times, with no additional fee, within six

months of the initial testing date and no more than three

times within one year Georgia’s retesting policy, on the

other hand, depends upon the candidate’s scores If the

candidate earned an average standard score of 430 or

more, he or she may retake the tests at any time If the

candidate’s score was between 400–429, the candidate

must wait three months or provide evidence of remedial

study before retaking the exams Candidates scoring

below 400 must wait six months or present evidence of

remedial study before retaking the tests

Check with your state or providence to find out the

regulations regarding retesting Also, be sure to check

with your testing center regarding fees for retaking the

exams These fees are usually significantly lower than the

initial exam fee, typically between $5–$30

 T h e S t r u c t u r e o f t h e G E D

Each of the five GED tests contains 40–50 choice questions, with the exception of the mathematicsexam, which also contains 25% “alternate format” ques-tions (this will be explained further in Chapter 40) TheLanguage Arts, Writing Test also contains an essay sec-tion The time allotted for each test varies from 45 min-utes (essay) to 90 minutes (math exam) The table on thenext page describes the basic structure of the exams,including length, number of questions, and type of ques-tions You will learn more about the kinds of questions

multiple-on each exam as you read Parts II–VI

 T h e G E D 2 0 0 2

A new battery of GED exams went into effect on January

1, 2002 The tests were revised to include a greateremphasis on higher-level thinking skills such as criticalanalysis and to incorporate reading skills on all of thetests, especially the science and social studies exams.Other specific changes include:

■ more questions about interpreting graphics, cially on the math, science, and social studies exams

espe-■ inclusion of business documents and more plete documents (instead of excerpts)

com-■ revised scoring of the Language Arts, Writing Test,

so that the essay is now scored separately, makingwriting skills essential for passing the GED

■ an increase in the percentage of questions abouthistory on the social studies exam

■ allowing the use of calculators for Part I of themath exam (test centers supply all candidateswith a Casio FX-260 Solar Calculator)—bothparts of the test are weighted equally and bothmust be completed to pass the exam

■ inclusion of “alternate format” questions on themath exam (questions that require students torespond in a format other than multiple choice)

■ more questions about higher math concepts dents must know more than arithmetic to passthe math exam)

(stu-You will find out much more about each of the GEDexams in the chapters ahead But first, it’s time to reviewstudy skills and create your study plan

– A L L A B O U T T H E G E D –

8

NUMBER OF

Writing, Part I 30% sentence structure

30% usage 25% mechanics 15% organization

Writing, Part II

40% history (25% national history, 15% world history) 25% civics and government

20% economics 15% geography

45% life science 35% physical science 20% Earth and space science

30–35% synthesis 20% comprehension 15% application 75% literary texts 25% nonfiction

Parts I and II alternate format (20%):

(Note: A standard 75% calculations

calculator is per- 25% set-up (determining the correct way

mitted for Part I of to solve the problem)

the math test Cal- 20–30% geometry and measurement

culators are provided 20–30% number operations and number sense

at the test site No 20–30% algebra, functions, and patterns

calculators are per- 20–30% data analysis, statistics, and probability

mitted for Part II.)

– A L L A B O U T T H E G E D –

Maybe it’s been a while since you last studied for an exam, or maybe you have never had to

pre-pare for standardized tests like the GED In any case, you may be unsure about the best way to getready for these important exams Fortunately, there are many strategies that can help you learn and

remember the material you need to know to succeed on the GED There are several important steps to take before you

begin to study

 E n v i r o n m e n t a n d A t t i t u d e

To study means “to give one’s attention to learning a subject; to look at with careful attention.” Notice that the word attention comes up twice in this definition To study well, you need to be able to focus all your attention on the mate-

rial So, the first step is to make sure you have the right kind of learning environment and attitude

The Right Mood

Studying can bring wonderful rewards You can gain new knowledge You can do well on tests—like the GED—thatenable you to achieve your academic and professional goals But it can still be difficult to get in the mood to study.After all, studying can be hard work, and you might be worried about whether you will pass the exam You may havemany other things you would rather do, or you might just have trouble getting started These are all reasons that may

C H A P T E R

HOW MUCH time you spend studying each week is important But

how you study is the key to your success This chapter shows youhow to set up an effective learning environment, determine your learn-ing style, and create an effective study plan

lead you to procrastinate and put off work that you need

to do But procrastinating can cause lots of trouble at test

time If you procrastinate too much or for too long, you

won’t be prepared for the exams

One of the best ways to beat procrastination is to use

a reward system Everyone likes to be rewarded for a job

well done, and if there’s going to be a reward at the end

of the work, it’s easier to get started So promise yourself

a small reward for each study session For example, you

might promise yourself a trip to the gym or a phone call

to a good friend as a reward for an hour of study You

might promise to treat yourself to a movie after you

fin-ish a chapter or give yourself a nutritious snack after you

finish a difficult lesson You can also think about the

reward you will give yourself when you pass the GED

Make sure this reward is a big one!

You can also get in the mood for studying by thinking

about the short- and long-term rewards you will receive

for your hard work Keep in mind the benefits you will

receive from your GED study time:

■ You will gain or reinforce important knowledge

and skills in five fundamental subject areas

■ You will be able to apply to U.S colleges and

universities

■ You will be eligible for jobs and training

pro-grams that require a high school diploma

■ You will get the education you need for a

success-ful future

Remember that while you are preparing for the GED,

your attitude is very important It can dramatically affect

how much you learn and how well you learn it Make

sure that you have a positive attitude You will study, you

will learn, and you will do well Your study time will be

time well spent

Mood Booster

Whenever you need help getting motivated to

study, try saying the following out loud:

➧ I know more today than I did yesterday

➧ I will know more after I study than I know

now

➧ Every minute I spend studying will help me

achieve my goals

The Right Conditions

You can have the best attitude in the world, but if you are tired or distracted, you are going to have difficultystudying To be at your best, you need to be focused,alert, and calm That means you need to study under theright conditions

Everyone is different, so you need to know what ditions work best for you Here are some questions toconsider:

con-1 What time of day do you work best—morning,

afternoon, or evening? How early in the day orlate in the night can you think clearly?

2 Do you work best in total silence? Or do you

pre-fer music or other noise in the background?

3 If you prefer music, what kind? Classical music

often helps people relax because the music is softand there are no words But you may prefermusic that energizes you, such as rock and roll.Others work best with music that has specialmeaning to them and puts them in a positivestate of mind

4 Where do you like to work? Do you feel most

comfortable sitting at the kitchen counter? At thedining room table? At a desk in your office orbedroom? (Try to avoid studying in bed You will

probably be relaxed, but you may be too

com-fortable and fall asleep.) Or do you prefer tostudy out of the house, at the library or a localcoffee shop?

5 What do you like to have around you when you

work? Do you feel most comfortable in yourfavorite chair? Do you like to have pictures offamily and friends around?

6 What kind of lighting do you prefer? Does soft

light make you sleepy? Do you need bright light?

If it’s too bright, you may feel uncomfortable Ifit’s too dark, you may feel sleepy Remember thatpoor lighting can also strain your eyes and giveyou a headache

7 How does eating affect you? Do you feel most

energized right after a meal? Or does eating tend

to make you feel sleepy? Which foods give you alot of energy? Which slow you down?

8 Can you put problems or other pressing

con-cerns out of your mind to focus on a differenttask? How can you minimize distractions so youcan fully focus on your work?

– S T U D Y S K I L L S –

1 2

Think carefully about each of these questions Write

down your answers so you can develop a good study plan

For example, say you work best in the morning but need

total silence to work If you have children, you would be

wise to schedule your study time early in the morning

before the kids are up or first thing after they leave for

school If you wait until they are in bed, you will have a

quiet house, but you may be too tired to study well

Sim-ilarly, if you have trouble concentrating when you are

hungry, schedule study time for shortly after meals, or be

sure to start your study sessions with a healthy snack

The Right Tools

Help make your study session successful by having the

right learning tools by your side As you study for the

GED, have:

■ a good English dictionary, such as

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition

■ paper or legal pads

■ pencils (and a pencil sharpener) or pens

■ a highlighter, or several highlighters in different

As you gather your supplies, keep your personal

pref-erences in mind Perhaps you like to write with a certain

kind of pen or on a certain kind of paper If so, make sure

you have that pen or paper with you when you study It

will help you feel more comfortable and relaxed as you

work

Learning How You Learn

Imagine that you need directions to a restaurant you

have never been to before Which of the following would

you do to find out how to get there?

■ Look at a map

■ Ask someone to tell you directions

■ Draw a map or copy someone’s written directions

■ List step-by-step directions

Most people learn in a variety of ways They learn by

from the world around them But most of us tend to

use one way more than others That’s our dominant

(strongest) learning style How you would handle gettingdirections, for example, suggests which learning style youuse most often:

■ Visual Visual learners learn best by seeing If you

would look at a map for directions, you are ably a visual learner You understand ideas bestwhen they are in pictures or graphs You maylearn better by using different colors as you takenotes Use a highlighter (or several, in differentcolors) as you read to mark important ideas.Mapping and diagramming ideas are good learn-ing strategies for visual learners

prob-■ Auditory Auditory learners learn best by

listening If you would ask someone to tell you

directions, you are probably an auditory learner.You would probably rather listen to a lecture thanread a textbook, and you may learn better byreading aloud Try recording your notes on a tapeplayer and listening to your tapes as one of yourmain study strategies

■ Kinesthetic Kinesthetic learners learn best by

doing (Kinesthetic means feeling the movements of the body.) They like to keep their hands and bod-

ies moving If you would draw a map or copydown directions, you are probably a kinestheticlearner You will benefit from interacting with thematerial you are studying Underline, take notes,and create note cards Recopying material willhelp you remember it

■ Sequential Sequential learners learn best by

organizing If you would create a step-by-step list

of driving directions, you are probably a tial learner You may learn better by creating out-lines and grouping ideas together into categories.Think carefully about how you learn Which is yourdominant learning style? Keep it in mind as you readabout learning strategies in Chapter 3

sequen- C r e a t i n g a S t u d y P l a n

Sometimes, we put off work because the task just seemstoo big to handle But you can make any task manageable

– S T U D Y S K I L L S –

If English Is Your Second Language

by creating a project plan Follow these four steps to

cre-ate a successful study plan for the GED:

1 Get the correct information Your first step is to

find as much as you can about the exams Get all

the details about the GED Contact your local

testing center to find out:

■ specific state eligibility requirements (make sure

you are eligible to take the exams)

■ when the tests will be offered

■ where they will be held

■ what you need to do to register

■ when you need to register

■ how much the tests cost

■ if you must take all the tests at once or if you can

take individual exams

In addition to these administrative matters,you need to learn as much as possible about thetests What exactly will be tested on the exams?What subjects? What kinds of questions? Chap-ter 1 provides general information about thebasic structure of the GED exams Parts II–VIeach begin with a summary of the content cov-ered on each exam and the type of questions youwill be asked on the tests Be sure to read thesesections carefully

2 Find out what you already know and what you need to learn To create an effective study plan,

you need to have a good sense of exactly whatyou need to study Chances are, you alreadyknow much of the test material well Some of ityou may only need to review And some of it youmay need to study in detail Take the pretests at

– S T U D Y S K I L L S –

1 4

Whatever your general learning style, most of

us learn to speak and understand language

best by listening If English is not your native

language and you need to improve your

read-ing and writread-ing skills, take some time to build

your listening skills, too The more familiar you

become with the sounds and rhythms of the

language, the more quickly you will learn

Spend as much time as possible around

peo-ple speaking English Go to places where you

will see and hear English, such as to plays or

to the cinema The more you hear the

lan-guage, the more comfortable you will be

thinking in that language This will make it

easier to understand written English and to

write effectively

Of course, the best thing you can do to

improve your English writing and

compre-hension skills is to read Read as much as

you can in English to learn the structure and

style of the language Rent movies based on

novels Watch the film to build your listening

skills, and then read the book to improve your

reading comprehension and writing skills

Good novel/movie combinations to try are

those by John Grisham, including:

A Time to Kill The Client The Firm The Pelican Brief

Of course, there’s more to movie adaptationsthan legal thrillers Here are some more goodchoices, from classics to contemporary, fromAmerican to world literature:

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt The Cider House Rules by John Irving The Color Purple by Alice Walker The Commitments by Roddy Doyle The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

You can also read English versions of booksthat you have already read in your native lan-guage The plot and characters will already

be familiar to you, so you will be able tounderstand more as you read