A lot of language teachers believe that teaching a class for exam prep is different from teaching a general English class. Actually, the only difference is the layout of the test. We embed the test format into the general English class for exam prep; however, we don't teach a test format. A misconception spread among teachers is to have the test as a core within the last term before learners actually sit for it. test parts, techniques and focus areas have to be introduced, integrated and well grasped ahead before the last term.

1. PET EXAM PREPARATION
WORKSHOP- PAPER 1
PRESENTED AND PREPARED BY: MS FELLA BOUDJEMA, MSC, MA, CELTA
HOLDER AND KET/PET EXAMINER

2. WHAT’S PAPER 1?
Reading
Writing
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3

3. READING SKILLS TESTED IN PET
• Reading to
understand
signs, notes,
messages
Part 1
• Reading for
details
Part 2
• Reading for
specific
information
Part 3
• Reading for
MCQs (facts,
opinions,
attitude)
Part 4
• Gap fill to
test
vocabulary
and grammar
Part 5

4. HOW TO IMPROVE THOSE SKILLS? CHOOSE THE
STRATEGY FOR THE RIGHT PART
Part……
•Try to predict
the answers
•Choose,
check, fit into
the text
Part……. •Predict from
the title
•Read the
beginning for
gist
•Scan and
choose the
option
Part……..
•What is it
about?
•Key words in
the message
and the
alternatives
•Check and
match
Part………
•What is the
context?
•Related key
words in a
bubble
•Read to match
the bubbles
and details
Part……..
•Predict from
the title
•Read the topic
sentence for
gist
•Check the
answers for
opinion,
attitude or
facts.

5. WRITING SKILLS TESTED IN PET
Part 1 - task 1
Sentence transformation
(5 sentences)
Part 2 - task 2
A message (35-45 words)
Part 3 – task 3
A letter / a story (100
words)

6. WRITING SKILLS NEEDED TO SUCCEED IN THE EXAM
PunctuationSpelling
Syntax Cohesion
paraphrasingcoherence
Summarizing Drafting/editing/redrafting
Style/ register
layout

7. WRITING: PART 1 FOCUS AREAS
Focus
areas
Part 1
Time
expressions
Different ways
of emphasis
Conditional
expressions
Verb patterns
Reported/
direct speech
Opposite
adjectives
Comparatives/
Superlatives
connectives
Changing
positive to
negative and
reverse
Passive/active

8. WRITING PART 2: FOCUS AREAS
Focus
areas of
part 2
syntax
coherence
Cohesion
editing
Style/
register
Spelling
Punctuation

9. WRITING PART 3: FOCUS AREAS
Focus
Areas
Part 3
coherence
syntax
layout
punctuation
Summarising
Style/
register
Spelling
paraphrasing
Drafting/ re-
drafting/
editing
Cohesion

10. HOW DO WE BUILD A GOOD WRITTEN PIECE
• Assess in each writing one or two focus areas,
• Do not overwhelm your learners with different pieces of writing,
• Use the same draft for different focus areas,
• Scaffold their writing by activating their schemata,
• Introduce the learner to what is the writing scheme used in order to allow his self-correction, self-
esteem and self-error diagnosis to improve until he becomes autonomous,
• Four major areas are assessed in Writing pieces: content, communicative achievement, organization
and language.