The most useful part of a practice text may be the review afterwards. Use a few questions to discover how you reached an answer and what you need to practise next.
Identify the kind of mistake
Did you miss a detail, confuse two people, overlook a contrast or misunderstand the question? A specific explanation is more useful than “I need more vocabulary”. Keep the text beside you while reviewing.
Compare meaning rather than matching words
The same word can appear in an incorrect choice. Conversely, the correct answer may express the idea with different wording. Underline the evidence and explain the meaning in your own words.
Follow references
Words such as “this”, “they” and “the former” depend on surrounding sentences. Draw a small note linking the reference to the idea or person it points to. Then read the passage again with that relationship clear.
Notice the writer’s direction
Contrast and qualification can change the point of a paragraph. A sentence beginning “however” may limit the previous claim. Ask what each paragraph contributes: an example, an explanation, a problem or a change of view.
Choose a focused next session
If evidence location is the problem, practise finding the supporting lines before checking answers. If reference is the problem, work with connected paragraphs. Compare individual course outlines for the texts and tasks that suit that goal.
Try it in your next practice session
Select two incorrect answers and one correct answer. For each, write one line of text evidence and a sentence explaining why the answer follows from it.
Put the routine into practice
Compare these relevant course outlines and choose the topic set that meets your next goal.
Cambridge B2 First
Cambridge B2 First Reading — Course 1
Worked lesson C — Innovations headings 1–5 → A–H
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Practical study guide
How to review an OET Reading answer using evidence
Turn a wrong reading answer into a useful review by locating evidence and explaining the mismatch.
Practical study guide
A practical grammar review routine for exam preparation
Use your own sentences to identify an error pattern, make a correction and test it in a new context.