FCE Paper 1 Reading - How to deal with our Practice papers

In this part of the test you will have to find the strategy that works for you. Some students prefer to read the questions before they start reading while others read the text once to get the general idea and then move on to the questions and go back to the text again. I personally prefer the second option but it's up to you. Here are a couple of things that you should do:

1. Once you've read the questions underline the passages in the text that provide you with the answers.
2. Try to understand the meaning of words from the context. If you stumble on a word that is essential to the full understanding of that sentence or paragraph, move on and go to the next question. Go back to the word later -- maybe the next question/answer will help.
3. Check your answers after you finish. Go through the underlined sections of the text and see if they make sense.
4. When you move on to the answer sheet pay extra attention to the numbers. Concentration is vital at this point. If you miss one line you will mess up with all the others.
5. When doing your assignments, keep track of the time and save at least 15 minutes for the answer sheet. If you have any last minute doubts you will still have time to go back to the test.
6. Get yourself familiar with all sorts of topics ranging from family to environmental issues and last but not least, remember that Cambridge University is a British institution. It means that you should get acquainted with English life as well.
7. Needless to say, the more you read the better.
8. If you made a mistake, find out why. If you still have a question, get the answer. If you don't understand a word, look it up in the dictionary.
9. Keep a vocabulary notebook. Write down the meaning of the word and create a sentence using it. Use the words from your notebook in your compositions! You have no idea how helpful it is.