Social Behavior and Crime Cambridge First Certificate

Social Behavior and Crime

Cambridge First Certificate Exam

The Cambridge First Certificate Exam or FCE is somewhat complex to pass however with a plan in place to study and prepare it will be less of a challenge. The level of the test is the Intermediate level of English also called Upper Interim or B2. This is based on the CEFRL or Common European Frame of Reference for Language (Driscoll, 2008). The test comes in five distinct parts or Papers. The first is Reading which will be the focus of this discussion. The other subjects include Listening, English Use, Writing, and Speech (Cambridgeesol. org, 2011). Steps for getting prepared for the first paper which is Reading will ensure proper success.

The first Paper is Reading (Englishspeaker. com, 2011).

This certification has a time limit of 60 minutes and three segments. For each segment there is a separate topic related to reading that is being tested. It is important to keep track of how much time spent on each segment. Since the level of difficulty for each segment is specific to that topic, it is wise to equally divide your time so that there is enough left to complete the other segments. The level of complexity is similar for each segment however the first two segments are worth 2 points each. The last segment is worth a single point. The first two segments have about seven to eight questions. The third segment has fifteen questions.

Now the first segment has a Multiple Choice testing format which requires an answer in the range of letters A through D. In addition to the multiple choice question an explanation of the reading paragraphs are required for the first six questions while the last one or two require an overview or brief summary answer. The questions are related to one another so it is not wise to skip ahead to answer the next question before the current one. Continue to work question by question through the segment in chronological order. Tip, the last couple of questions have answers that are in the first or last paragraphs of the reading where the requirement is to get the main idea or determine the tone of the material. Some phrasing that can give the wrong impression are words that give an opinion vs. The author's point-of-view. The phrases may start with the words "according," or "based on."

The second segment is a fill in sentences or Gap testing where the ability to understand context of a sentence structure is being critiqued. There will be gaps in the paragraphs where texts is missing. The student is expected to fill in the missing sentences with the correct sentence text or paragraph. Usually an added sentence is included that is placed there to further test the student's abilities. The object of this segment is to test the student's understanding of grammar and the aptitude for deciphering the context of the sentence or paragraph (CIC, 2011). The student has to match the sentences based on the content and also a key is to look at how the sentence is structured in length and spacing.

Here is an example for the second segment:

"The girl laughed out loud with her hands to her face but he did not hear her. He had not heard her laughing but saw her face and smiled."

This example uses different present and past tense of the words hear and heard. It is also possible to discern that the guy may have been deaf since he could not hear her laugh but saw her face and realized she was laughing. Another example is

"He is running down the hallway to get to class, the teacher did not hear him approaching so she closed the door." This time pronouns "he" corresponds with "him," while the noun "teacher" corresponds with pronoun "she." The context of this sentence also gives the impression that the teacher was unaware of the student approaching the classroom, though he was 'running' down the hall. Either she too may be deaf or simply preoccupied.

This second segment also builds the story from the preceding questions. So they answers have to be completed in chronological order. It is better to read all the sentences before beginning to fill in the missing parts. Once reaching the first blank section, find the text to answer that sentence before moving to the next missing part. If the student skips ahead, again this may cause confusion so be careful if the next answer requires a search further down the page.

The third and final segment has multiple descriptions of the same topic and the student has to figure out which topic matches to the fifteen comments. The topics are labeled A-D. An example would be four different holidays. Each of the statements relates to one of the four holidays so the answer involves connecting the relevant comment.

The purpose of this segment is to determine if the student can read and comprehend the material then apply the proper meaning. It also tests the speed or ability to find the matching information. It is still best to complete the questions in a chronological order in this way the student will not skip any answers and forget to go back and complete them. It is best to complete one topic at a time applying the correct match from the fifteen comments. An example would be if the first topic 'A' was Independence Day also called the Fourth of July. Reading through the list of fifteen answers there is fireworks, barbecues, parades, and presents. Well the correct matches of course would be fireworks, barbecues, and parades. These three answers would be marked 'A'. Presents is not usually a part of an Independence Day celebration so would not be the correct response.