Exam Preparation at School and University: 99 English Phrases

Part 1. A2. Elementary.

What I Am Preparing For

I have an English exam in June.
My exam is on the fifteenth of June.
This exam is important for me.
Our last year at school is almost over.
Do you remember your own school exams?
I do not know the full timetable yet.

My Study Plan

I study for two hours every evening.
My plan for the week is on the wall.
The phone stays in another room.
Sunday is my day off.
How many hours a day do you study?

What I Keep Getting Wrong

Grammar is the hardest part for me.
I always forget irregular verbs.
Reading is fine, but writing is slow.
Listening tasks are difficult for me.
I do not understand long texts.
What was the hardest subject for you?

Asking for an Explanation

Can you explain this rule again, please?
I did not understand the last example.
My teacher gives me extra tasks.
When I am stuck, I ask my classmate.
Can we do this exercise together?

Exam Nerves

I am nervous about this exam.
The night before a test I sleep badly.
My hands are cold in the exam room.
Tea and a short walk help me.
I am not afraid of the speaking part.
What helps you before an exam?

How It Went

I passed my first exam last week.
The result was better than I expected.
I made two mistakes in the first part.
My parents were happy with my mark.
I can take this exam again in autumn.

Part 2. B1. Intermediate.

What I Am Preparing For

If this one goes badly, I can retake it in autumn.
I am going to take my English exam in June.
This exam decides where I can apply.
I have already signed up for the written part.
I used to think exams were easy, but not anymore.
Have you ever had to retake an exam?

My Study Plan

I have studied every evening since March.
My plan for the week is on the wall, and I stick to it.
I am going to finish the grammar book by May.
I would like to do one test paper a week.
I used to revise at night, but early mornings work better.

What I Keep Getting Wrong

Grammar has always been my weak point.
Irregular verbs still slip out of my head.
Reading is fine, although writing takes me ages.
I have never been good at listening tasks.
I should revise the tenses one more time.
Do you lose marks on spelling too?

Asking for an Explanation

Could you explain that rule once more, please?
I am not sure I got the last example right.
My teacher has given me a few extra papers.
If I get stuck, I usually ask my classmate.
Would you mind going through my essay with me?

Exam Nerves

I get really nervous the night before an exam.
I have not slept properly since the exams started.
My hands go cold as soon as I sit down.
A short walk helps more than another hour of revision.
I am not worried about speaking, because I practise a lot.
What do you do to calm down before a test?

How It Went

I have just passed my first exam.
The result was better than I hoped.
I lost a few marks because I misread the task.
My parents were proud, although they did not say much.
I am going to take the second exam in two weeks.

Part 3. B2. Upper-Intermediate.

What I Am Preparing For

By the end of the month I will have sat both exams.
By June I will have been preparing for six months.
A lot depends on this exam, whether I like it or not.
My place at university is riding on these two papers.
If I had known the format earlier, I would have practised differently.
Would you retake an exam just to get a better grade?

My Study Plan

I have been revising for two hours every evening since March.
My week is planned around mock papers, not around moods.
The hardest topics are left for the morning, when my head is clear.
I would rather do one full paper than ten random exercises.
Had I planned it this way last year, I would not have panicked.

What I Keep Getting Wrong

Grammar has always been the thing that lets me down.
Irregular verbs are the one list I have never managed to learn.
Reading comes easily, whereas writing against the clock does not.
Listening used to terrify me, until I started doing it daily.
I should have booked a mock exam much earlier.
Which skill would you drop, if you were allowed to?

Asking for an Explanation

Could you possibly explain that rule from the beginning?
I am afraid I have misunderstood the point of the last example.
My teacher has been giving me extra papers since the autumn term.
If I get stuck, I would rather ask than guess.
I would appreciate it if you could look through my essay.

Exam Nerves

The night before an exam I am a complete wreck.
I have hardly slept since the exam period began.
My hands go cold the moment the papers are handed out.
A walk clears my head better than another hour of cramming.
I would not say I am calm, but I am not panicking either.
Does the fear ever go away, or do you just get used to it?

How It Went

I have passed the first exam, which I had not expected at all.
The result came out higher than I had dared to hope.
I would have scored more if I had read the task twice.
My parents said little, but they had clearly been worried.
Whatever happens in June, these months have not been wasted.

Three Levels Side by Side

I have an English exam in June.
I am going to take my English exam in June.
By June I will have been preparing for six months.

I study for two hours every evening.
I have studied every evening since March.
I have been revising for two hours every evening since March.

I always forget irregular verbs.
Irregular verbs still slip out of my head.
Irregular verbs are the one list I have never managed to learn.

Can you explain this rule again, please?
Could you explain that rule once more, please?
Could you possibly explain that rule from the beginning?

I am nervous about this exam.
I get really nervous the night before an exam.
The night before an exam I am a complete wreck.

I passed my first exam last week.
I have just passed my first exam.
I have passed the first exam, which I had not expected at all.