Author: Deb Bullock | Published on 1 September 2023
Question: How can I prepare my learners for tests in a fun way?
Answer: Use interactive activities.
Many tests include question types such as gap-fill, multiple-choice, matching and short answers. But learners can get bored just sitting and writing answers to these questions. Below are 3 ideas on how to practise these questions in a fun and interactive way:
Team quiz
Teams write quizzes with different questions types, e.g. 3 true/false questions, 2 multiple-choice and 2 short answer questions.
Gap-fill pair work
Write a short text. Make 2 copies: text 1 has 5 verbs missing; text 2 has 5 nouns/adjectives missing. Half the class fills the gaps in text 1; half in text 2. Pairs check their answers.
Matching
Do a mingle in the yard. Give each learner a piece of paper with some text. They find their match.
Opposites: e.g. ‘tall’ and ‘short’.
Chunks: e.g. ‘listen to’ and ‘the radio’.
Sentence transformation: e.g. ‘She is taller than him’ and ‘He is shorter than her.’
These are just 3 activities to make test practice fun – can you think of more?