As the MUET Reading paper is the one which carries the highest weightage of 40%, we

have approached a MUET expert, Madam Audrey Wiles, to share with you her invaluable
tips for your MUET Reading paper 800/3.

1.

Read (There is a reason why its called a MUET Reading paper)

Read everything but with a notepad in hand

Copy down words which you dont understand AND more important, phrases that
you would like to use in your MUET written essay.

2.

Read quality materials

Read articles that are published by reliable sources such as: Readers Digest, TIME
Magazineetc.
-

Articles used in the exams are usually from these types of source

Keep yourself updated on current issues by reading newspapers (Example: The

STAR, New
Straits
Times, The
Edge)

3.

Use your time wisely!

You only have 1.5 hours to answer 45 exam questions

If you do the math, that would mean that you only have 2 minutes per question

ALWAYS read the question first, and underline the keywords

Make sure you dont just skim through the text but scan for specific information

4.

Know your vocabulary

There will be 6 texts altogether in the exam paper, and the first one always has a
non-linear stimuli (Example: graph, chart or diagram)
You will need the relevant vocabulary knowledge to describe the trend(s) shown in
the given diagram(s)
This is also a useful practice for report writing as it deals with the same language
functions

5.

DONT ACT SMART!

For some questions, you will be asked to infer or make intelligent assumptions
based on the given evidences in the texts
For True/False/Not Stated questions, NEVER use your own opinions to answer
because what is logical to you may not be academically correct
-

My tip to you is that you should underline the evidence(s) in the texts

For True, you must be able to identify proof that shows that the statement is
correct
You should also underline evidences that prove a statement to be wrong in order to
choose False as your answer
For Not Stated, you will find that it is almost impossible to underline any evidence
at all. Hence, these are the fundamental differences between the answer selections
True/False/Not
Stated

6.

Train your brain

Guessing the meaning of a vocabulary can be quite tricky especially when you dont
have the access to a dictionary or the internet (Google.com) during your exam. Hence,
you need to train your brain to assess the root word
-

Focus on the prefix/suffix in order to identify the meaning

If you think the word is a positive, negative or neutral one reconfirm again by
looking at the context of the texts for clues to support your assumption

Review the answers and options given by eliminating the answer that is most
unlikely to be correct before making a calculated guess
For example, in the phrase: the degradation of water quality, the
worddegradation comes from the root word grade which means level or standard.
Thede suffix has a negative connotation where it means the removal of something,
while tion is a noun that explains the process of something
-

7.

Thus,

the

phrase

means

the drop of

standard/quality

of

water

Assess the writers intentions

The MUET level comprehension questions do not focus on content alone

Instead, the questions given require candidates to assess the writers:

(A) Purpose
-

Example: to inform, discuss, argue, compare, persuadeetc.

(B) Style of writing

Example: describing, comparing and contrasting, giving examples, explaining
causes and effects, sequencing eventsetc.
(C) Tone
-

8.

Example: supportive, opposing, indifferent, neutral, biasedetc.

Assess the articles as a whole

Sometimes you may be asked to give a suitable title to an article

Or to summarize a specific paragraph

Or to come up with a suitable conclusion based on the options given. This clearly
requires critical thinking skills or HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills) from you

9.

Keep practicing!

Essentially, nothing beats practice and more practice

Buy good quality reference books such as Longman or Oxford model tests/actual
exam workbooks and try doing each reading paper 3 times
First attempt: do it as if youre sitting for the real exam. Do not refer to any
workbooks or dictionaries
Second attempt: allow yourself to refer to books, and discuss with your friends if
you need to (and if you are doing it as a group) before marking both attempts
-

Note: Your 2nd attempt should score better than your first.

Third attempt: Try doing the same set of exam paper again after 2-3 months to see if
you are able to retain the knowledge of vocabulary and concepts which you have learned
before.

10. Grade yourself

Heres a useful guide for you to follow when you attempt the exam questions so that
you can know where you stand
-

You will need to score:

(A) 21/45 Band 3

(B) 27/45 Band 4
(C) 33/45 Band 5
(D) 39/45 Band 6
-

Reading is the MOST important MUET paper as it carries 40% or 120/300 marks

MUET SPEAKING 800/2 TIPS - SAMPLE ANSWERS

Candidate A
Instructions to candidates:
Task A: Individual presentation

Study the stimulus or topic given.

You are given two minutes to prepare your responses.

You are given two minutes to present.

Listen to the others while they are making their presentations and take down notes
for the group discussion in Task B.

Task B: Group discussion

You are given two minutes to prepare points to support or oppose the other
candidates views.

After you have listened to everyone, try to come to a decision as to which of the
four suggestions is the best.

Your group is given ten minutes for the discussion.

Task A and Task B will be carried out consecutively.

Situation
Your brother has been given the opportunity to study in England on a government
scholarship. You and your family are very proud of him. Decide on a special gift for him
to prepare for his trip abroad.
Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why.
Task B: Discuss which of the following would be most useful.
i. cash
ii. a computer
iii. some suitable clothing
iv. some Malaysian foodstuff

Candidate A
Task A: Suggest that they give him cash. Say why.

Good morning to the examiners and my fellow friends. Im very happy that my
brother has just received a scholarship to study in England. My relatives and I would like
to give him a special gift. We all think that the best gift is money because it will be very
useful for him.
The first reason is with cash he can buy the things that he needs when he gets
there. There will me a lot of things that he will need like new books, stationery, clothes
and food. He will also need to pay for transportation like taking the bus or train to go to
the university campus. As we know, it is very expensive in England so any money we
give him will be very useful.
Secondly, my brother can use the money to buy a mobile phone when he gets
toEngland. I think this is very important in case of emergencies so we can contact him
easily. Furthermore, he can sms us and keep us updated with his progress in his studies
there. Hence, if we really miss him we can just give him a call.
Finally, I also think giving him money is the best choice because it is light and
doesnt take up a lot of space. If we were to give him a computer, books or winter clothes
it will be very heavy and bulky for him to bring to England. Therefore, I think that it is
much easier to bring money and buy those things when he gets there.
In conclusion, these are some of the reasons why I think giving him cash is the
best choice. To me, it is the most useful gift we can give him. Thank you.
Candidate B
Task A: You suggest that they give him a computer. Say why.
A very good morning I bid to one and all. My relatives and I are very proud of my
brother. He has just received a scholarship to study in England and so we would like to
give him a special gift. We believe that the best present for him is a laptop computer.
Firstly, as a university student, my brother will have to do many assignments. If he has a
laptop computer he can bring it everywhere and consequently, do his work anytime and
anywhere. Thus, he will not have to share the computers at the computer room with other
students and he will be able to do his work more quickly and efficiently.
Another point is that when he boards the plane from KLIA to London, he will be able to
bring the laptop with him easily because it is compact and light compared to a desktop
computer. Hence, it will not be too much trouble to transport it to England.
Last but not least, if he has a laptop he will be able to connect to the internet. This has
two main advantages as firstly, he can do a lot of research online. The world wide web is

a fountain of information so it will be very useful for him to make full use of this
technology. Furthermore, he can keep in touch with friends and family here
in Malaysiaby e-mail.
In short, a laptop computer will prove to be very useful to my brother. He can do his
assignments, research for information and keep in touch with us using it therefore it will
make the best gift. Thank you for listening.
Candidate C
Task A: You suggest that they give him some suitable clothing. Say why.
To the examiners and my fellow candidates, a wonderful morning I bid you. My brother
was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to study overseas. We want to send him off
with a nice gift so we have decided to buy him some suitable clothing.
The main purpose for buying him some suitable clothing is because the weather
inEngland is very different from the weather in our country. There are four seasons there
so he will need to have different clothes for different situations. For example, we can buy
him some sweaters, cardigans, scarves, snowcaps, thick socks and gloves and many
more. These will definitely keep him warm in winter.
The second reason is we think that he should have clothes that reflect our Malaysian
identity. This is because he will be a young ambassador for our country so if he has a few
sets of traditional clothing like the Baju Melayu or formal Batik shirts, I am sure he will
not only look good but promote our culture overseas.
Lastly, neat clothes make a good impression. For instance, if we buy him some everyday
clothes like jeans and trousers with nice shirts and matching ties, this will give him a
good feeling about himself so he will walk a bit straighter and talk a bit wiser. Moreover,
people will look at him and have a good impression about Malaysian students.
To conclude, I think that the best present to give him is some suitable clothing because it
will be very useful and will reflect positively on him. Thank you very much.
Candidate D
Task A: You suggest that they give him some Malaysian foodstuff. Say why.
I would like to wish everyone here a very good morning. As we all know, my brother has
won a scholarship to study in England. Therefore, some relatives and I have decided to
give him some Malaysian foodstuff as a going away present.
First and foremost, one of the main problems Malaysians face when studying overseas is
that it is hard to find Halal food. We feel it is a good idea to give him some Malaysian

foodstuff because it will take time for him to get used to the place and find out where to
buy Halal food. Thus, in the meantime he can enjoy the Malaysian foodstuff that we have
given to him.
The next reason is because some of the foodstuff we are used to having here
in Malaysiais quite hard to find in UK. Most students studying overseas really enjoy
eating Maggi Mee and sambal belacan. For instance, it is also hard to find the right
spices for curryand rendang and so on so if we supply him with enough Malaysian
foodstuff, he can eat it whenever he misses home.
The final point I have is that he can use the Malaysian foodstuff we give him and cook it
for the Westerners there. Sometimes, universities organise events like Malaysian Night
and so he and his friends can cook some Malaysian specialities for them to taste a bit of
our way of life. Hence, the Malaysian foodstuff will be very useful to promote our
culture.
In a nutshell, giving my brother Malaysian foodstuff to take with him to England is a
good idea. This is because he will have some familiar food to eat when he misses home
and he can also share it with his new friends. Thank you for listening to my opinion.
Task B: Discuss which of the following would be most useful.
i. Cash
ii. A computer
iii. Some suitable clothing
iv. Some Malaysian foodstuff
* Work together in your respective groups and complete the following discussion.
A: Good morning once again to everyone. We are here to focus on the issue at hand
which is __________________________________________________________.
I would like to invite anyone of you to kickstart this discussion by giving us your
point of view.
B: Allow me to begin. First of all, Im happy that our brother has won the scholarship to
study in England. Therefore, we must decide what would be the most useful gift
for

him.

In

my

opinion,

strongly

believe

that

_______________

_________________________________________________________________.
This is because I think he can _________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.

For

example,

______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________.
C: I see your point but how about getting him ______________________________. In
this way, he can use it to ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
D: I dont quite agree with you because ____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
I think it would be more useful if we bought _______________________ for him.
Does anyone agree with me?
A: Yes, I agree with you. To add to your point, I feel that ______________________
_________________________________________________________________.
This is so he will ___________________________________________________.
C: Im afraid I dont see eye to eye with both of you. Buying that as a present for him is
not the most useful gift because __________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
Moreover, ________________________________________________________.
Can you all understand what Im trying to say?
B: Indeed, I do see your point of view but I still feel that the most useful gift is
__________________ because it can ___________________________________.
Another reason is ___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
For instance, _______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
D: Thats an interesting perspective and I agree with you that ___________________
_________________________________________________________________.
However, I think we should consider other points. We should also think about
buying him _______________________________________________________.
If he gets this as a present, he can ______________________________________ and
____________________________________________. Wouldnt you agree?
A: Im not sure I understand what you are saying. Can you explain it again, please.
D: What I mean is we should buy him _____________________________________
because it will me more useful for him when he is studying in England. This is

because ___________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
A: Aaah I see. Yes, I think it would be a very useful gift too. This way, he can
_________________________________________________________________.
C: Thats a good point, but dont you think if we gave him _____________________ it
will be the most useful for him as a student. I still believe that this is the most
useful because _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
Remember, we need to think of the best and most useful choice.
B: I agree with you, Candidate C. In addition, he can use this gift to _____________
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________. So candidates A & D, what do you guys think?
D: Now that youve explained it like that, I also agree that it will be the most useful. In
fact, he could also use it to _________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
A: As for me, I feel that it is also the most useful. When he arrives at his university
inEngland,

he

will

be

able

to

____________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________.
C: Thats right. Well, after listening to all the points on the four choices we have, I think
it is time to make a conclusion.
D: Yes, I think so too. Does everyone agree that we should give our brother
_______________________________________ as a special going away present?
All: Yes, I agree.
B: In a nutshell, we all agree that _______________________________ is the best
choice because firstly, he can _________________________________________,
secondly, ________________________________________________ and finally
_________________________________________________________________.
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What to conclude if after 10 minutes of discussion.
A) AGREE = 3, DISAGREE = 1
Conclusion: To conclude, MOST OF US agree that ______________________
is the best choice because ________________________________.

___________________________________________. Thank you.

B) AGREE = 2, DISAGREE = 2
Conclusion: In conclusion, we were unable to make a solid decision because
SOME OF US stongly believe that the best choice is __________
because _______________________________________________
whileTHE REST OF US think that giving him _______________
is the most useful because _________________
___________________________________________. Thank you.
C) ALL DISAGREE
Conclusion: In a nutshell, we were unable to come to an agreement on which of
the four options is the best choice. It seems ALL OF US strongly
believe in our own points so as we have run out of time, we think
that we should each buy him a gift individually. Thank you.

3MUET speaking test is one of the four areas which will be tested apart from reading,
writing, and listening. This test is to evaluate the students fluency as well as their level of
command in the English language.
Exam
Exam
Total weightage: 15%

paper
duration:

code:
30

800/2
minutes

Unlike the other tests, the MUET speaking test is the only one which will require you to
interact with three other students. It is aimed at testing your ability to:

Effectively convey your message and opinion across to others

Think critically

Keep a conversation going

Use the English language in a fluent and confident manner

During the test, all four students will be given the same scenario but each of you is given
different questions. There are two parts to the speaking test Task A and Task B.
Check out universities and colleges in Malaysia that accept MUET.

Below is a sample question obtained from I Like English, to help you practice your
speaking skills.
Sample question:
A person's character is often influenced by other people around
him/her. Who has the greatest influence on a person's
character? Discuss which of the following has the greatest influence on
a person's character:
Candidate
A:
Candidate
B:
Candidate
C:
Candidate D: Famous Personalities

Parents
Teachers
Friends

Task A Individual presentation

Given the situation, you now have:
2 minutes to prepare your responses
2 minutes to present
Tips:
Study the scenario or topic given carefully
Double check which candidate you are (A, B, C, D) to make sure you dont prepare
another candidates speech
Make sure you dont run out of topic
Prepare 2 to 3 points to present on
You MUST agree with the point that is given to you (you can disagree or favor another
point in Task B)
Make full use of the 2 minutes that you have. Dont go less than 1 minute 45 seconds /
more than 2 minutes.
If you dont have as many points to speak about, talk slower.
Dont relax after your turn! Keep an attentive ear to what the other candidates are
talking about.
Write down the other students answers as they present their 2-minute speech (to prepare
yourself for Task B)
Sample answer: Candidate A

Hi, a very good morning to the examiners and my fellow friends. As we are talking
about how a persons character can be influenced by another person, the persons whom I
think have the most influence in a persons life are parents. There are three reasons why
I think so.
Firstly, parents are the people whom know us since birth. We become like the person
whom we spend the most time with. Parents are the people whom we see every day from
the moment we are born, till the day we are adults. Hence, very naturally, they become
the people whom we look up to and start imitating the way they talk, act, and even think.
My second reason is because parents are the first educators to their child before
anybody else. Table manners and basic etiquettes are taught at home, by the parents. This
gives an influence so vast that we ourselves fail to recognize it sometimes
Thirdly, parents are the ones who impart values into our lives. Values are assets which
we hold on to for the rest of our lives and this is the greatest influence of all. Values are
what we make our decisions upon, and it is what shapes our character.
In conclusion, I think that though there may be many others who can influence a
persons character ultimately, parents are the greatest influencers of all. With that, I
conclude my speech. Thank you very much.
Task B Group discussion
You are given:
2 minutes to prepare your points to either support or oppose the other candidates views
Decide on which of the 4 points you think is the best (Note: it is perfectly fine to agree
with another candidates points just as long as you explain why and how it is the best
point)
Example: I think that parents play a big part in influencing their childs character, but
after listening to Candidate D I would have to agree that famous personalities have more
influence in a persons character. The reason is because (add on one point to Candidate
Ds answers).
The entire group is given 10 minutes for this discussion
Tips:
NEVER keep silent
It is a plus point when you initiate the discussion. (Example: To kick start the
discussion, after listening to all of the other candidates answers I still stand by my own
point that parents can influence a persons character the most.)
Ask other candidates questions to keep the discussion alive (Example: How about you,
Candidate B? What do you think? What do you mean by that, Candidate C? Could you
elaborate more on that point?)

 If you want to interrupt when someone is speaking, do it politely. (Example: Im sorry,

may I interrupt?)
Overall Tips:
Speak loudly and clearly so that the examiners can hear you.
Dont be too nervous up to the point where you cant speak properly. Take a deep
breath, and speak slowly and clearly.
Make eye contact with the examiners and the other candidates especially during Task
B as it is a group discussion.
Use good language. Good choice of words and sentence structure are plus points.
Dont be rude. Always say excuse me when you wish to interrupt, and thank you
after giving your speech in Task A.