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Part 1 – sample questions
- Are you a full-time or part-time student?
- What subject(s) are you studying?
- Why did you choose this/these subject(s)?
- Which topic/subject do you find the most difficult/interesting?
- What was your favourite subject when you were at school?
- What do you plan to do when you finish studying?
- Is there anything else you would like to study in the future?
Part 2 – sample task card
Describe a teacher that had a positive influence on you.
You should say:
- what subject this teacher taught
- how long he/she was your teacher
- what positive attributes this teacher had
and explain why you remember this teacher in particular.
Part 3 – sample questions
- Some people say that your school days are the best days of your life. Do you agree?
- Do you think school and university prepares young people adequately for real life?
- Do you agree there is too much pressure on young people at school these days?
- Some people argue that end-of-year exams should be replaced by continuous assessment. What do you think?
- Have there been significant changes in schooling methods in your country in recent years?
- Do you think schools and universities provide enough careers advice to their students?
Useful Vocabulary
School
- nursery / primary / secondary school / education
- state school / private school / boarding school
- all girls / all boys / single-sex / co-ed school
- to go to / attend school
- the curriculum / syllabus
- extra-curricular activities
- school trips / holidays
- school playground / dinners / uniform
- school pupils / teachers
- schoolchildren / schoolboy / schoolgirl
- to sit / do / take an exam
- to resit / retake an exam
- to revise / to study (for an exam)
- to pass / to fail an exam
- to get exam results
- to get qualifications / to be qualified
- to leave school / a school-leaver
- to drop out of school / a dropout
- to be academic / to be an all-rounder
University/College
- tertiary / higher / further education
- colleges of higher education / technical colleges / universities
- to apply for a course
- to get an (un)conditional offer
- to do a course in [subject]
- halls of residence / student accommodation
- student union / student body
- a fresher / an undergraduate / a graduate
- a graduation ceremony
- to get a university degree / a Masters / a Doctorate (Phd)
- to graduate from university / to graduate in [subject]
- a postgraduate student / course
- to do / take a postgraduate course / a Masters / a PhD (Doctorate)
- to be a qualified [job title] / to qualify in [subject]
- to take a gap year
- to drop out of university
Useful linkers for contrasting ideas
- However....
- ...whereas / while...
- On the one hand…. but on the other hand…
- Although / Even though…
- Despite (the fact that)…
- But…
Sample Answer
Is there a system of free state education in your country?
In my country there is a state education system offering free education for children from 3-18, although parents still have to pay for food, materials, school trips and other extra-curricular activities. This is only one part of the system, however, because there are also private schools and semi-private schools, which are partly funded by the state. So on the one hand it appears that we do have free state education, but in actual fact it isn’t available to everyone because places are limited.