Use of English examinations for first-year students usually last 2 to 3 hours and come in one of two shapes. Many schools set a written paper, often with one compulsory question (frequently a summary or comprehension passage, or a composition such as a letter or essay) plus a choice of two or three from four to six shorter questions. Others, especially with very large classes, set a computer-based or objective paper of 50 to 100 multiple-choice items, sometimes alongside a short written section. Continuous assessment (tests, assignments) usually makes up 30–40% of the final score.

The recurring question types are easy to predict. Definitions and explanations: study skills, SQ3R, note-taking versus note-making, types of reading, types of library, the catalogue and classification, plagiarism. Applied grammar: identify parts of speech, name and give the function of phrases and clauses, classify sentences, correct errors of concord and usage, and punctuate a passage. Writing tasks: write a paragraph, an essay, a summary in a set number of sentences, or a formal, semi-formal or informal letter of a given length. Objective papers lean heavily on concord, correct usage, spelling, punctuation and the facts of study skills and library use.

A calm strategy: read every question once before you start and plan your time by the marks. Do the writing task early, while you are fresh, and spend five minutes planning it. In grammar items, always give the label and the reason. In letters, get the layout right first, because format carries marks of its own. And keep five minutes at the end to proofread: in an English paper, your own careless errors cost you marks twice.