Aptis reading Test: General Tips and Strategies

Part 3: You are a member of a bird-watching group. You are talking to other members in a 
chat room. Talk to them using sentences. You have 10 minutes in total. Answer all three 
questions.
George: Do you live in the town or the country? 
I live in the town, although I am planning to move to the country very soon. The place I live in is 
very convenient for shops, bars, and restaurants and it’s easy for public transport. I want to move to 
the country though as I’d like a quieter and more space.
Martino: What are the most popular places to visit in your country? 
The biggest attractions are the main cities and the historical sites and monuments in them. London 
has to be most people’s first stop, and everyone wants to visit Big Ben. The national parks are 
extremely popular too and if you have transport, you should try to visit one of those.
 
Frank: What do you do when you are stressed? 
Firstly, I try to get away from or stop whatever it is that is stressing me. If I can’t do that, then I tell 
myself that there is nothing I can do to change the situation and that stress won’t help me at all. 
Often people become stressed without noticing it. Consequently, recognizing when you’re stressed is 
important.
Top 10 Tips For The APTIS Writing Test 

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Tip 1: Use the right register. 
This is the level of formality, friendliness, politeness you use when you write. Knowing and being 
able to use the correct register when you write (and speak) shows that you can use English well. 
Using the correct register is more likely to get you the solution you want and so, it is also important 
for task achievement. 
Tip 2: Know the correct spelling. 
English spelling is difficult but when you learn the standard phrases, you can also learn the spelling. 
This will make spelling easier. We will look at other difficult words that occur often later. UK 
English and USA English sometimes have different spellings. It is not important which one you use 
but you should be consistent in every question. 
Tip 3: Improve your typing speed. 
Unless you opt paper-based version, APTIS writing test is computer-based. So the faster you type 
the better. Just make sure your typing speed isn’t too slow.
Tip 4: Know the word count. 
You lose marks if you write too little and waste time if you write too much (it isn’t counted). 
Therefore, you should know how many words should write and how long you have for each 
question. Then you can practice them at home. Remember that formal sentences are generally longer 
than informal sentences. 
Tip 5: Read model answers. 
Doing this will give you a good idea of what to expect. Think about the things the examiners are 
looking for and look at how accurate the grammar is. Ask yourself ‘is it cohesive and clear?’ ‘Is the 
vocabulary wide-ranging or repetitious?’ and ‘is it well planned?’. 
Tip 6: Get used to the timings 
Make sure that you know how long you have for each part and don’t go over that time. Practice ant 
home with a timer will stop you from getting any horrible surprises. If you know an APTIS examiner 
or trainer speak to them and ask them what you need to do to improve. 
Tip 7: Check your work 

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It is easy to lose points for making silly mistakes. Check what you have written. Look at spelling and 
punctuation. For grammar check- prepositions/dependant prepositions/verb-noun 
agreement/countable and uncountable/tenses. Remember you had flagged in option. You can always 
come back to a question where you had a doubt. 
Tip 8: Finish in time 
You don’t get any marks for blank spaces, so always write something. Even if you think it’s bad, and 
you might be surprised, it is better than nothing. 
Tip 9: Stay on topic 
This is again about answering the question and affects task achievement. If you are asked for an 
opinion you should give one. If you have to say, for example, why you are applying to join a club. 
Then you should write about clubs in general. 
Tip 10: Practice makes perfect! 
Doing practice tests will help you build your concentration levels and your instinct. More than that, 
practice will improve your English and help you with the timings you need to complete the test with 
the best result.