Writing for English Exams

Universal Opening Chapter

The ISEP Iceberg Approach begins with one practical fact: the examination or task can change, but the underlying English language does not. A candidate may move from IELTS to PTE, from PTE to OET or from an English examination to a university application, professional report, board examination or employment interview. The format and purpose may be different, but accurate grammar, precise vocabulary, clear sentence construction and logical communication remain necessary.

Many learners reverse their preparation priorities. They spend most of their time memorising visible examination features, model phrases and procedures while giving too little attention to the English on which successful performance depends. ISEP corrects that imbalance by treating examination familiarisation as the visible 10% and English mastery as the supporting 90%.

The 90% and 10% figures are an ISEP teaching and preparation model. They are not official assessment weightings issued by IELTS, Pearson PTE, OET, TOEFL, an examination board, an employer or a professional organisation. However, the 90% and 10% figures, after being studied for over 25 years of teaching for exams are a very close approximation of any English exam or English Language task, such as job applications, written reports, letter/email writing or becoming a published author.

About the Author Keith Wakefield is an English language teacher from England, the largest country of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Director of Studies at ELA-English Language Academy in Tacloban City, Philippines. He has worked in English language education for more than two decades in England, Spain, China and the Philippines. He was one of the founding teachers of the English Council in 2000 and has continued to develop courses, assessments and teacher-training materials focused on accurate, transferable English rather than narrow examination techniques.