Sample answers: Examiner: Candidate: Examiner: Candidate: Examiner: Candidate: Do you w o rk o r are you a stu d e n t?
I've ju s t fin is h e d seco nd ary scho ol. I got th e best re s u lts in m y yea r so I'm hoping to get a
s c h o la rs h ip to s tu d y E nglish L ite ra tu re .
W hy did you choose th a t course?
B ecause I love lite ra tu re . I love g e ttin g lo st in a book; I m ean, it's a fo rm of escapism fo r m e.
B ut I also enjoy le a rn in g about th e h is to ric a l and c u ltu r a l con texts th a t in flu e n c e d a w o rk
and I 'll have a m p le o p p o rtu n ity to le a rn about th e se th in g s at university.
W hat w as the m o s t d iffic u lt th in g ab ou t y o u r stud ies?
A t seco nd ary scho ol, th e m o s t d iffic u lt su b je ct fo r m e w as C hem istry. I c a n 't stand Science,
and I w o u ld dread every lesson! I s tru g g le d in C h e m is try lessons, and I had to w o rk re a lly
hard to pass m y exam . For som e reason, I ju s t c o u ld n 't re m e m b e r a ll th o se c h e m ic a l
s y m b o ls and e q u a tio n s no m a tte r how long I sp e n t revising.
Track 17 Candidate: My d re a m jo b w o u ld be to te a ch c h ild re n to s a il. I have s o m e q u a lific a tio n s , in s k ip p e rin g ,
fo r e x a m p le , b u t it's v e ry lik e ly I w o u ld need m ore , such as a te a c h in g c e rtific a te fro m the
Y ach ting A s s o c ia tio n . I have so m e o f th e r ig h t e x p e rie n c e in th a t I've been s a ilin g a long
tim e - I'm c o n fid e n t in h a n d lin g a y a c h t and I've d e a lt w ith m an y m in o r c ris e s in m y tim e ,
lik e g e ttin g tra p p e d in s to rm s and saving so m e o n e w h o 'd fa lle n o v e rb o a rd . It's tru e th a t
I've n e ve r ta u g h t an yone b u t I d o n 't th in k th a t w o u ld be a p ro b le m , pro vid e d I w a s given
a d e q u a te tra in in g - I'm q u ite good w ith pe op le and can e x p la in th in g s c le a rly . I im a g in e
th e jo b w o u ld involve e n c o u ra g in g y o u n g s te rs to t r y s a ilin g fo r th e f ir s t tim e ; and a ls o
te a c h in g th e m th a t by w o rk in g to g e th e r as a te a m th e y co u ld d is c o v e r th e y have h idd en
s tre n g th s . The m o s t d iffic u lt th in g w o u ld be having s u ffic ie n t p a tie n c e w h e n th e c h ild re n
d id n 't do as th e y w e re to ld . I s u s p e c t it w o u ld be fr u s tr a tin g if th e y d id n 't re a lis e th a t th e
ru le s w e re th e re fo r t h e ir ow n safety. W hy is it m y d re a m jo b ? It's m y d re a m jo b because I