Aptis reading Test: General Tips and Strategies

Write an email to the coordinator of the club (about 120-150 words). Tell them your thoughts 
about this and what you would like to do. You have 20 minutes.
i.e. formal style
 
Dear Angela,
Thank you for your email.
I am upset to hear the news about John Lethbridge, who can no longer attend the event. I had been 
looking forward to the social for months with the hope that I could meet my favourite photographer. 
I have followed him and his work for years. In fact, he is the reason I started taking photos! I know I 
will still enjoy the exhibit, but it won’t be as great.
I have spoken to others and I know that many fellow club members are also quite disappointed in 
this. We purchased tickets with the promise of meeting our idol. Do you think the club can try to 
reschedule his appearance? It would be great if he could come to our next social or if we could 
arrange another time.
Please let me know if this is possible.
Regards, 
Patricia 
 

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Top 10 Tips For The APTIS Writing Test 
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 can "flag 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.