Aptis reading Test: General Tips and Strategies

You can make notes:
Get into the habit of making notes on the question paper when you hear 
something important. This can help you stay concentrated on the task and help you create a clearer 
picture of what is happening. You can cross out the words or replace them once you hear the next 
part of the audio. This strategy will help you to avoid skipping parts of the test. 
Hyphenated words
(like “full-time”) are considered one word. 
A
date
(1996) is considered one number. 
You will need to multitask:
This means reading and listening together. However, when we have 
words and speech together, as in a film with sub-titles, we naturally read before we listen. This 
means we can miss important spoken information. Try to listen a moment before you read. 
Don’t try to understand everything:
APTIS will add lots of extra information but you only need 
to listen for answers. Keep your answers focused in your mind and listen for cues that will give you 
the information you need to answer the questions. 
Answers might come quickly:
You might find that the answers coming quickly. Keep focused 
but remember you can go back to the question. Flag the answer and concentrate on what is coming 
next. 
Answers might also come slowly:
There might be gaps between answers. Don’t worry about this. 
Check the answers you are waiting for and think about the words/cues that will introduce them. 
If you don’t know an answer then guess:
After preparing for APTIS you should develop an 
instinct for English and for answering the questions (the more you practice, the better your instinct 
will become). Your first guess has a good chance of being right. Unless you are sure that your guess 
is wrong, don’t change it. 
Concentrate:
40 minutes is a long time to actively listen for answers. If you lose focus, you will 
miss the answers. Like any sport though, practice will help build the stamina and concentration you 
need to complete APTIS successfully.