CRE Use of English Exam Outline and Practical Preparation

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CRE Use of English Exam Outline and Practical
Preparation

• ILC WORKSHOP

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The Questions

• 40 MC questions in 45 mins
• Reading Comprehension 10
• Error Identification 10
• Sentence Completion 10
• Paragraph Improvement 10

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BASICS

• Published practice material? No!
• Use GMAT/GRE/TOEFL material
• The top score in CRE Use of English level 2is
  equivalent to 6.5 IELTS 6 all sections

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Timing

• About 1 minute per question 5 minutes reading
  time
• Decide which question types YOU need to spend
  more time on (individual variation)
• Practice a timed mock test 2 or 3 times before
  sitting the examination.

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Sentence Completion

• 10 questions
• Use of English- grammar
• Identify grammar area tested
• Tenses. Agreement. Articles. Infinitive/gerund.
  Parallel structure. Relative pronouns. Clauses

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Error Identification- 10 questions. CRE website
example question .

• Irrespective for the outcome of the probe, the
  whole sorry affair has already cast a shadow over
  this mans hitherto unblemished record as a loyal
  servant to his country.
• Irrespective for B. sorry C.cast D.
  Hitherto E. No Error
• bnc British National Corpus
• Use the bnc site for discovering usual
  associations of nouns/ adj/ verbs with
  prepositions. Useful for preparation for error
  identification.

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Further practice

• The document in the Mock CRE Test practice
  materials box entitled Error Identification in
  Sentences can be used to add sentence making
  exercises to your practice.
• Remember that any practice materials available
  through the ILC are NOT based on the real exam-
  no one publishes old exam papers as yet. We have
  tried to help you by analysing the examples from
  the website and by adapting material for other
  examinations.

bnc British National Corpus Use the bnc site
for discovering usual associations of nouns/ adj/
verbs with prepositions. Useful for preparation
for error identification.
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Reading Comprehension

• TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR READING COMPREHENSION
• 10 MC questions. Probably one passage.
• Familiarise yourself with the passage, paying
  attention to the main idea and the structure.
• Use skim, scan and rapid reading techniques.
• Identify the topic sentence(s) in paragraphs.
• Read the question, find the lead/key words, make
  sure you understand what is being asked.
• Use lead words and line references in the
  questions to quickly find the relevant part of
  the passage.
•  

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• Re-read about five lines above and below a line
  reference.
• Mentally form your own answer.
• Eliminate flaws in the suggested answers use a
  Process Of Elimination (POE)
• Sort the good from bad answers
• Focus on identifying flaws rather than nearly
  right answers. Half wrong wrong.
• Be wary of extreme words must, no, all,
  everywhere, never
• Re-read about five lines above and below a line
  reference.
• Mentally form your own answer.
• Eliminate flaws in the suggested answers use a
  Process Of Elimination (POE)
• Sort the good from bad answers
• Focus on identifying flaws rather than nearly
  right answers. Half wrong wrong.
• Be wary of answers that reproduce a lot of the
  passage or repeat parts of the passage they are
  often traps.
• Check answers/questions related to the same
  relevant part of the passage misleading answers
  may use the passage phraseology.
• Note that extreme, contemptuous or socially
  unacceptable answer choices are nearly always
  wrong.

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ADDITIONAL PRACTICE MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN ILC

•  
• The following practice materials to help
  candidates prepare for the CRE Reading
  Comprehension section has been selected from the
  published practice materials for examinations
  including TOEFL, GRE and GMAT examinations.
• CALL No. Title Author/Publisher
• PE 1126 M333 The Heinemann TOEFL Preparation
  Course, Duffy and Mahnke, (1996)
• PE 1128 H46 Barrons TOEFL Strategies ,
  Hinkel, (1998)
• HF 1118 O33 The Official Guide for GMAT Review,
  ETS 9th ed. (1999)
• LB 2367.4 C73 The Princeton Review Cracking the
  GRE , Lurie, Pecsenye Robinson w. Ragsdale,
  (2007)

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Paragraph Improvement

• 10 Questions _at_12 minutes
• Time yourself in practice sessions
• Probably a very time consuming part of test.
• Look for
• parallel structure, genre style, repetition,
• inference and attitude,
• cause/effect etc,
• tense/ agreement,
• change of topic
• and use a POE-process of elimination.
• You are looking for the best out of several
  possibly acceptable answers.
• Some obviously unacceptable options may make a
  grammatically incorrect passage.

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Paragraph Improvement

• Read the short paragraph carefully.
• You need to use hints from the context to
  eliminate the LESS CORRECT options.
• Look for the topic sentence. Get the main idea
  and pay attention to the linking words.
• Study the suggested changes within the given
  paragraph paying careful attention to
  relationships between s/v etc.

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Commonly Asked Questions CRE results are valid
permanently IELTS 6.5 point taken in one
sitting a level 2 pass in CRE Use of English
paper Candidates who have failed one or two
papers of the CRE examination only need to retake
the failed papers. see website for updated
conditions
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Since 2003, CRE Part I and Part II have been
combined into one CRE process. The new CRE
(2008) consists of three 45 minute papers Use
of Chinese - 45 Qs Use of English - 40
Qs Aptitude Test - 35 Qs All applicants
for civil service posts at degree/professional
level need CRE unless otherwise specified in the
advertisement. BLT a 20 minute, bilingual, 15
question m/c test of Basic Law knowledge is a
requirement for applicants from Sept 2008.
Check and update from civil service website
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ILC practice resources

• http//www.ilc.cuhk.edu.hk/english/elearning.htm
• http//www.ieltspractice.com/reading.html
• MOCK CRE Test Box with papers and exercises.

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• Advanced Grammar in Use (2005)
• English Vocabulary in Use Upper-intermediate
  and advanced level (2005)
• Collins Cobuild Confusable Words (1993)
• Websters New World Power Vocabulary, 2nd
  edition, 1994.
• http//ec.hku.hk/vocabulary/tutorial/index1.asp

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Resources

• TOEFL CBT and iBT preparation books cover most of
  the same type of exercises at the same level.
  Useful for Reading Comprehension and Error ID.
  See useful resources in the ILC.
• GMAT, GRE and some IELTS preparation materials
  are also helpful.
• Govt. reading- see www.gov.hk for samples of news
  releases, statements and many documents. See also
  for BLT preparation.

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Language Consultation Hours

• Monday 3pm- 5pm
• Tuesday 1000 am- 1200pm
• Wednesday 3pm- 5pm
• Thursday 1000 am- 1200pm
• Friday 3pm- 5pm
• Hours may vary. Please phone first to be sure of
  an appointment. 2609 8764