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The Michigan ECPE Speaking Test

The Michigan ECPE speaking test involves two candidates and two examiners with a structured
conversation that is divided up into five stages. It can look nasty at first and far too complicated.
Fullspate thinks it is too complicated, but with a little practice it turns out to be not too difficult. Here's a
description of what is involved in each stage, with some advice about how to excel.
Stage 1: Introductions (3-5 minutes)
The first stage is a familiar conversation about the students' lives, but with the added demand that
candidates don't just sit passively waiting to be asked questions. Here is the key sentence from the
official description of the new ECPE speaking test: "Candidates are expected to actively participate in the
conversation by providing expanded responses and also by asking each other and [the] examiner
questions." Here's an example of the beginning of a conversation that would tick the right boxes.
Examiner: So, Angelos, what do you like doing in your spare time?

Angelos: I'm really into extreme sports. In fact, most weekends I'm off bungee jumping.

Nafsica: Bungee jumping! Wow! I've always wanted to go bungee jumping but my
uptight Dad won't let me. He says it's too dangerous. What would you say? Is it really as
dangerous as it looks?

Angelos: Well, as long as you do all the safety checks and you're really careful to get the
right match between the height of the jump, the weight of the person and the elasticity of
the rope, it's really no more risky than crossing the road.

Nafsica: If it's as safe as that, I should definitely be allowed to have a go. (Turns to the
examiner) What do you think, Mr Examiner? If you had a daughter ... Do you have a
daughter?

Examiner: No.

Nafsica: But if you had a daughter, would you let her go bungee jumping?

Examiner: Well,...

Few students, I imagine, would feel comfortable being as direct as Nafsika, but most should be able to
become comfortable asking a simple question about whether the examiner has ever done any extreme
sports or would be interested in trying them. More importantly, though, Students need to practise
commenting on what their partner has said in response to the examiner's question.
The candidates can help each other have the right kind of three-way conversation by turning their chairs
so that they face slightly towards each other. Then when one candidate answers the examiner's question
it is easy to look across to the other candidate as well as looking back at the examiner. The eye contact
will help the partner feel included in that part of the conversation and make it easier to chip in with his or
her comment.
Remember that by helping your partner and helping to keep the contributions to the conversation fairly
equal, you will be scoring more points yourself. And of course, it isn't a competition. Candidates that
ignore and exclude their partner are likely to score less than candidates that involve their partner more in
the conversation.
Stage 2: Summarizing and Recommending (5-7 minutes)
This is where the long, four-stage task begins. One of the official examples of this task involves choosing
between four candidates for the post of high school science teacher. Each student is given a sheet of
paper with the briefest of notes about two of the four candidates.
Here we reprint one of the sample sheets from the Michigan website.
Candidate 1 Information Sheet

Hiring A High School Science Teacher

Jessica Peters
The following is a list of some of Ms. Peters' personal characteristics and comments made by her
coworkers.
• 4 years experience as laboratory technician
• Recently graduated with science teaching certification
• Recent "Employee of the Year" Award
• Good presentation skills
• Experience with newest technology
• No experience with high school students

Robert Barton

The following is a list of some of Mr. Barton's personal characteristics and comments made by students
and teachers at your school.
• 20 years teaching English at your school
• Conducts training courses for teachers
• Also qualified to teach science
• Interesting classroom lessons
• Organizes many field trips
• Doesn't stay after school to help students
Candidates have time to quietly read their information sheets. The Fullspate advice here is to sort out the
points into three categories: facts that simply describe the options; points in favor; points against. Why
not write a little plus next to the benefits and a little minus next to the drawbacks? Only if you sort the
points out into these categories, will you know how to introduce them with the most appropriate linking
phrases (on the other hand, by contrast, in addition, etc).
After reading the points through quietly, the students take it in turns to describe their two options, and at
the end of their description they ask their partner to express an initial opinion about which of the two
options is better.
When candidates are listening to their partners' descriptions, they can take notes if they wish. This might
or might not be helpful. You need to practise doing it both ways to see which is better for you. Note: If
your partner is taking notes, you need to look at him/her and make sure he or she can keep up with you.
It would also be perfectly natural (and I presume acceptable) for the candidate taking notes to briefly
interrupt if there is a point that they didn't manage to get down.
Do you have to remember everything that is said in your partner's description? No, you don't. It is more
important to evaluate what is being said so that you will have an opinion about which of the two options
is better.
Some advice about what to say in your presentation:
1) Include comments about what you are going to say. E.g. "Well, Helen, let me present my two
candidates for the post of science teacher at our school. The first candidate whose details I have is
called..." Similarly, when you move onto the second option, "Now let me turn to the second candidate,
whose name is..."
2) Although the official instructions ask you to paraphrase or summarise, really you need to elaborate.
Usually, this involves saying why an advantage is indeed advantageous (or the opposite). For instance,
you are presenting options for a charity and one note says that this option is cheaper. You can elaborate
by saying, "This will mean we have more money left to devote to the rest of our charity's work."
3) Avoid very informal English in your presentation (things like: "Hey, this is awesome/absolutely wicked/
crazy/gross, etc").
4) When you finish, ask your partner to comment: "Well, those are my two options, Helen. Which do you
think is better?"
5) When you give your opinion about your partner's options, briefly give a reason. You could just
highlight the biggest advantage of the preferred option.
6) Take the initiative to move the conversation on, saying something like, "Let me present my two
options now. The first is..."
At the end of this section the examiner will probably ask you to state which of your two options you
prefer. You shouldn't give any reasons for your choice at this stage.
Unfortunately, the preferences expressed at this stage are completely ignored in what follows.
Stage 3: Consensus Reaching (5-7 minutes)
The candidates begin this stage by saying which of their own options they prefer, and then they must
discuss those two preferences in order to come to an agreement about which one they will finally
recommend.
If you made notes in stage 2, you can refer to them in stage 3. However, if you didn't make notes, it
shouldn't matter because you will have enough time in stage 3 to ask your partner about any points that
you can't remember, and because questions are such big point scorers in the interview it might actually
be beneficial to have a few gaps in your memory. Note that candidates are not allowed to look at each
other's information sheets at this stage.
Some advice about how to conduct the discussion:
1) Don't assume that your task here is to fight for your option and pressurize your partner into agreeing
that yours is best.
2) Don't begin with a long speech in defense of your chosen option. Begin with a question. Questions are
good - they help to keep the conversation bouncing back and forth, and that will help both of you get a
higher score. You might begin like this: "So, Helen, why do you think your preferred option is the one we
should finally recommend?"
3) If there is an important point that you can't remember, ask your partner like this: "What did you say
about the location of the school? Where is it exactly?"
4) Keep your discussion focused on the task in hand. You have to make a decision in an imaginary
situation. Refer back to it from time to time. For instance, if you have to choose a summer school for a
group of kids, ask: "Which of these two schools would be best for our kids?"
5) You might want to explore or highlight the criteria that ought to be important. For instance: "I think
we need a school that is..." Or: "A good place for a camp like this ought to have..."
6) Keep your eye on your watch (which you might want to put flat on the table in front of you). Within
five minutes you need to have come to a consensus about one of the options. Avoid taking too long, but
also avoid coming to a consensus too quickly. Even if you think your partner's option is the best, spend
some time talking about the strengths of your chosen option.
Stage 4: Presenting and Convincing (5-7 minutes)
For the first 2-3 minutes of this stage the students must prepare a formal and well-organised
presentation which will be made to the examiner, who will be playing a role (perhaps the principal of a
school, for instance). Before making the presentation, candidates have to clarify, between themselves,
which are the four strongest reasons for their chosen option (reasons chosen from those that have
already been discussed in some depth). Having clarified the four, they must quickly decide how to
allocate them so that they present two reasons each.
This is the stage where we do think you should jot down four very, very brief notes - notes of the topics
of the four points you are going to make to persuade the examiner that your jointly chosen option really
is the best. You will also note which points you will present and which your partner will present. This will
help avoid the nightmare scenario in which your partner accidentally covers one of your points and leaves
you with little to say.
It is worth noting that it is only in stage four that the two candidates can look at each other's information
sheets (although there is probably no need now since they have their notes and they are likely to know
all the important points off by heart).
Having decided who will say what and in which order, the students must turn to the examiner and
present their allocated points as persuasively as possible - driving home the arguments that they have
already discussed between themselves and ignoring the fact that the examiner has already heard
everything. (This is made only slightly less artificial by the fact that at the beginning of this stage the two
examiners swap places so that the one that was off to the side quietly marking now comes to sit opposite
the students.)
Within two or three minutes of the beginning of stage four, the candidates should turn to the examiner
and say something like: "We are ready now to present our chosen option."
Again, don't skip the introductory comment: "Well, we are convinced that X is the best option. There are
four main reasons why we believe this. The first, although not the most important, is that ..."
If you speak first, pass the presentation over to Helen. Don't just stop speaking and expect Helen to
jump in. Say something like: "Those are two of our justifications. Helen has another two, don't you
Helen?"
Remember that the presentation is supposed to be rather formal, so avoid any obviously informal
language.
Stage 5: Justifying and Defending (5-7 minutes)
Phew! The last stage.
Having heard the arguments (again) the examiner is to "question the candidates about the decision they
have made and about the reasons for that decision." I am glad I am at not going to be an examiner for
the Michigan ECPE speaking test. During the 20 minutes or so prior to stage five reasonably proficient
students will have mentioned or discussed the pertinent points four times already (twice in stage four and
once in stages two and three). How much more can be said about a candidate for a science teaching
post, for instance, who may have been described in only 24 words?
Some advice about this stage (which will probably be the easiest):
1) Remember that there are no right answers (you can't lose a single point because of the particular
option that you chose to defend or because of the particular arguments that you used to defend it). The
examiner's questions in stage 5 might convey the impression that he or she thinks your choice was the
wrong one, but remember that he/she is obliged to say something along those lines just to keep the
conversation going.
2) As in Stage 1 the examiner will want this to be a three-way conversation, instead of interrogating you
individually. Bear this in mind, and help by passing a few things over to your partner. You might say, for
instance: "I think Helen's point about the unpopularity of that option was a good one. What was it you
said again, Helen?" Or you might say: "In my experience, teachers who try to be very friendly with
students don't always get the best out of their students. What do you think, Helen? Have you observed
that as well?"

3) Be prepared for a question about the possible drawbacks of the option you recommended. In your
presentation you will have highlighted four advantages. Now the examiner will probably want to find out
about a weakness or failing you didn't mention. You need to be able to say why that drawback is not so
serious.
The End

Hey, that's it! Is it really so painful? We don't think so.

If you have any questions or comments about the new ECPE speaking test, do send us an
email. We'd love to hear from you.

Footnotes
1. Elaboration: a grey area

One problem with this multi-stage task is that candidates end up having to say the same few things over
and over again. Talented candidates might be tempted to elaborate. For instance, in the discussion of the
four applicants for the science teaching post nothing may have been said about race, for instance, and
the imaginative student might suddenly say that Jessica Peters (the recommended applicant), despite her
rather WASPish name, is the only black candidate, which is a huge advantage because all the other
teachers at the school are white and the racial mix of the teachers ought to reflect that of the pupils,
which happen to be predominantly coloured.
That might sound ridiculous, but the information sheets come close to inviting students to start
improvising in this way. Have another look at the first point about Robert Barton in the example sheet
above: "20 years teaching English at your school". If I (as an interviewee) am supposed to say this guy is
a teacher at my school, am I not supposed to know more about him? Am I not supposed to know how
good a teacher he is - how funny, how poetic he is and yet how stern with miscreants? And if I don't
volunteer any extra information, would it not be perfectly natural for the other interviewee (perhaps also
the interviewer?) later on to ask me to provide a few more details, given that I know the guy?
If imaginative students respond to these cues or even begin elaborating without them (and elaborate in a
way that keeps the story intact and does not make the whole game unplayable), should the examiner in
the interview just go with the flow and accept these unexpected revelations, or is she supposed to nip
this in the bud and insist that the students stick to the facts explicitly stated in the 24 or so words that
are printed on the sheet? To be honest, I don't know what the answer is here.
2. What has been lost

Once upon a time we assumed that at the very heart of a proficiency-level interview there would be a
discussion about a controversial topic like hunting, juvenile crime, or the imbecility of the media, or the
degradation of the environment. No point assuming that now, though. Topics like those are unlikely to
come up in the "multi-stage, semistructured task", which will almost certainly stick to safe and simple
situations like the one with the vacancy for a science teacher. Now that traditional topic discussions have
been dropped from the ECPE speaking test my worry is that teachers who were already inclined to keep
speaking to an absolute minimum will reduce it even further in the belief that this "multi-stage, semi-
structured task" is just the sort of thing that can be practised and honed in an intensive fashion over a
two- or three-week period towards the end of the course. I hope not.

The Michigan ECPE Survival Guide

How to do well in the different sections of the Michigan ECPE test of English and how best to prepare for
the ECPE exam.
ECPE Listening
In general, don't underestimate the listening. It can be very difficult. To make it especially difficult the
University of Michigan puts the questions for part three of the listening test (and only part three has
questions) on the CD and it puts them at the end of the relevant dialog.
To improve the ease of understanding spoken English movie dialogs with American accents provide useful
material. This will particularly help in parts one and two of the ECPE listening test, where the language is
everyday conversational English.
For part three, with its longer and more technical dialogs, listening to discussions on news and current
affairs programs or documentaries should help.
Note-taking for part three is something else that will need practice. With the long ECPE dialogs the
instructions are that students can take notes and there is space on the test booklet for this. One
technique is to ignore the answer choices and just try to identify and remember (and note down where
necessary) the points that seem to be the most important. Another technique is to look at the answer
choices while listening to the dialog and try to connect them with what is said (although the connection is
not always clear). Some people will find that this technique helps them focus their listening more
effectively.
Remember when taking notes to just use the shortest possible abbreviations – just a few letters and
symbols (like arrows for things going up and down, for instance) instead of whole words and sentences.
You just need enough to jog your memory a few minutes later. If you have three dates as the answer
choices for one question, for instance, make a very brief note next to them of what they refer to so you
don't get mixed up later.
Making notes can also help you keep calm and keep a clear head. It can help you focus on what is being
said now instead of panicking about how difficult it will be to remember everything that was said earlier.
As general practice for taking notes (without ECPE-type questions) you could listen to part of a
documentary (a five or 10-minute segment, say) and make enough notes so that you can tell your
partner the most important things that were said, including the most important dates and facts.
To do well in the exam you really have to concentrate, which means you have to have a clear mind with
no troubling thoughts once the examiner presses the 'play' button. If you are the sort of person that has
problems keeping a clear head in situations like this you might consider following in the footsteps of Ricky
Martin and doing a few yoga classes.
GCVR
With 120 questions in 75 minutes (allowing time for carefully filling in the computer-marked answer
sheet) students have to work at a brisk pace. Here are some points to bear in mind:

Grammar: The material tested in the 40 grammar multiple choice questions is much
more limited and so more predictable than the material that can come up in the other
sections of the GCVR so it is easier to do well in this section. Most students will need to
get more than 65% because the mark in the vocabulary section may well be below 65%.
This is a reason both for being especially well prepared and for taking a little more time
over the grammar questions to avoid falling into too many of the traps so cunningly laid
by the examiners at Michigan.

Cloze: Students need to realize that, in large part, this is a test of comprehension. The
questions avoid tricky vocabulary but the passages are written so that students who don't
have a good understanding of what is being said will get the answers wrong. Hence, it is
best to have a quick look at the passage first to get some idea of what it is saying, and
then, while filling in the blanks, try to piece together a detailed understanding of the
meaning of the whole passage.

Vocabulary: Be prepared for quite a few words here that you might not recognize at all.
When trying to build up your vocabulary prior to the exam, bear in mind that although the
reading passages tend to be scientific and technical, the vocabulary tested in the GCVR is
much more general. In the ECPE here is a preference for less common formal expressions.

Here are three typical ECPE questions from 2004.

She always gets what she wants because she

knows how to _____ the rules.

a. circumvent
b. desert
c. slack
d. elicit
I tried to catch the mouse, but it was too _____
for me.
a. intentional
b. obsolete
c. uncommon
d. elusive
Peter does everything himself because he
doesn't like to _____ control.
a. extinguish
b. relinquish
c. vanish
d. elicit
There is no need to panic if you have not come across: circumvent, elusive and relinquish. The chances
are that you will have come across some of the other answer choices and you should be able to
understand what each sentence means. With this knowledge you should quickly be able to eliminate one
or two possible answers for each tricky question. If you can get the choices down to two likely words and
then just guess, you may well have a 50:50 chance of getting it right, which is excellent.
Because there is not much to think about here – you either know the answer or you don't – there is
no point spending extra time on this section. You should speed through the vocabulary section to leave
more time to get a high mark in the final reading section. If you don't immediately know the right
answer, eliminate choices that are almost certainly wrong, then guess and move on.

Reading: The four reading passages in the ECPE are very short with only five multiple
choice questions each. Generally speaking, this is an area where students can get high
marks, which can compensate for problems elsewhere.

The topics are often scientific and technical but they don't presuppose any advanced
scientific knowledge. The comprehension exercises are really testing your ability to deal
with the unfamiliar, and that's what you need to practise before the exam. Read passages
that are at the limits of your understanding and try to work out what they are saying. But
don't then assume that you must memorize all the new technical terms. There is a risk
that if you concentrate too much on the technical terminology your general English will
suffer.

To prepare for the ECPE exam it will be worth reading a fair number of short articles that
briefly explain the latest scientific advances to the general reader. There are a number of
sites on the web that collect articles like this. One that we use often is
www.sciencedaily.com

In the exam the best way to tackle the reading exercises is to read the passages carefully
before worrying about the questions (which will be in the wrong order anyway). The texts
are very short and if you have understood what is said it should then be relatively easy to
locate the parts of the text referred to by each question and choose the right answer.

Writing
Ideally ECPE students should be prepared to write both argumentative essays and descriptive pieces
dealing with their personal experiences. Although it may seem easier to write about personal
experiences, good descriptive writing needs a rich vocabulary and there is more of a risk that students
will write rambling pieces that get low marks because they lack structure.
Seeing that there are two questions to choose from and there will always be at least one argumentative
essay question, some students may make the tactical decision not to prepare to write a descriptive
composition.
The University of Michigan makes so-called benchmark essays - genuine essays from past ECPE exams -
available on its website so that teachers and students can see the level to aim for. These are worth
looking at.
When developing their essay writing skills students should …
• show an appreciation for some of the complexities of the topic. According to comments on the
Michigan website, examiners want to see that students explore some of the complexities of the
topic they have been asked to write about, so students should not think that the simplest, most
superficial ideas are all they need.
• plan – a good ECPE essay needs two or three good ideas that can be developed into paragraphs
in the main body of the essay, and these need to be chosen carefully and ordered in the planning
stage. Examiners will not be kind to candidates who obviously begin writing about the first idea
that comes into their head and then change track or repeat themselves in the essay.
• compose their compositions with some care. Examiners do not just look at individual sentences;
they want to see a good beginning, main body and end.
 • develop their main ideas. With very short essays like this there is a risk of paragraphs being little
more than lists of loosely related aspects of the topic. Instead of listing lots of undeveloped ideas
it is much better to choose one main idea for a paragraph and then develop it, pointing out the
consequences, the presuppositions, the problems of putting something into practice, etc, etc.
• include a few more complex sentence structures. Students will have learnt a long list of
inversions, less frequent conditionals, participle phrases and linking devices, and they should find
opportunities to use two or three in their essays. (See the brief list of impressive ECPE essay
structures on this site.)
• do all this in just 30 short minutes, or preferably…
• do it in less than 30 minutes so that there is time at the end for the quickest of checks to spot
those silly mistakes that we all make when we are in a rush.
Speaking
(See our long analysis of the new ECPE speaking test for details of this part of the exam.)
Students will need to practise:
• talking about themselves
• asking their partner about his or her interests and ambitions, etc.
• asking the interviewer questions as part of a genuine three-way conversation
• speaking for a couple of minutes to expand notes on a number of options
• taking notes while their partner describes his/her options
• discussing the pros and cons of different options with their partner
• planning a presentation together with their partner
• making a formal presentation of a chosen option
• defending the chosen option in the face of criticism or skepticism
Students need to know that the priority here is fluency combined with a rhythm of speech approaching
that of the native speaker. Although in other parts of the exam it is the big words that matter, in the
speaking test it is better not to worry about trying to use some of those many difficult words that were
learnt for the GCVR. Students should be content sticking to a simpler vocabulary if that enables them to
demonstrate greater fluency.

ECPE Grammar Practice Test

1) 'How about some sausages?'

'Not after ___ that big piece of cheese pie.'

did I eat
have I eaten
eating
was it eaten
2) 'When can we move into the apartment?'

'When it ___.'
will decorate
will be decorated
decorates
is decorated
3) 'Did Jane win?'

'She would have ___ a little more luck.'

had she had
won if she has
has she
won were she to have
4) 'You don't mind beginning at 6:00am, do you?'
'No. I'm accustomed ___ an early start.'
to
at
from
by
5) 'What's a plow?'

'It's the tool ___.'

that is prepared the field
with which is prepared the field
to be prepared the field
with which the field is prepared
6) 'The dessert was far too sweet.'

'They ___ put too much sugar in it.'

must have
should
ought to have
had to have
7) 'Why is Frank being questioned by the police?'

'___ of stealing company property.'

There is an accusation
He has been accused
They have him accusing
An accusation has been made
8) 'Did you give Fiona an invitation?'

'Yes. I wonder ___ it or not.'

that she accepts
if accepts
whether she will accept
what she will accept
9) 'Was it a good book?'

'___, it wasn't bad.'

On the whole
Wholly
In whole
The whole is
10) 'Were there lots of people at the concert?'
'I've never seen ___ crowd.'
a such massive
a so massive
as massive as a
so massive a

11) 'She's tried everything it suggests in the manual but the machine ___ work.'
won't
has no
wouldn't
couldn't
12) 'Didn't they arrest Hugh.'

'No, but he is still under ___.'

suspect
suspicion
suspecting
suspected

13) '___ the number of people who are starving, will this quantity of food be sufficient?'
To give
Given
Giving
Having given

14) 'The date is inconvenient. It coincides ___ an important meeting.'

to
at
on
with
15) 'Was your team successful?'

'Out of the 16 salespeople ___ achieved their targets.'

only nine
whom nine
nine of which
only nine of whom
16) 'Have we got our message across?'

'I feel that ___ people realize how dangerous the situation is.'
the least
few
least
fewest
17) 'Chuck's always depressed.'

'Yeah. It's a mystery why ___.'

does he never smile
he doesn't never smile
is he never smiling
he never smiles

18) 'They changed the battery but still couldn't get the engine ___.'
going
to be going
gone
to be gone
19) 'Why did you hit the child?'

'I can't stand ___ so badly behaved in public.'

him to be
it he is
him being
the way he
20) 'How's the project coming along?'
'I'll have it finished ___ the end of the month.'
from
by
within
during

21) 'The farmers still do not appreciate how ___.'

limited water supplies are
are limited water supplies
are limiting water supplies
limited are water supplies
22) 'What's the outlook for the coming year?'

'Only by cutting costs ___ a profit.'

will we make
we make
we are going to make
there will be made

23) 'The captain didn't know how to use the life rafts and ____ the crew.'
neither
either didn't
also didn't
neither did
24) 'Is it a good movie?'

'According to the reviews, it is ___.'

recommended high
highly recommended
recommended highest
high recommended

25) 'It's been two years ___ John.''

she hasn't seen
for not seeing
when she saw
since she last saw

26) 'She hasn't slept. The baby was crying ___ night long.'
each
all
at
through the

27) 'Temperatures are going up due to ___.'

the rise in CO2 emissions
rising CO2's emissions
the CO2 emissions rise
rise of CO2 emission's

28) 'Anna danced ___ she could to impress the casting director.'
so well that
as well as
so much better that
her best so that

29) 'Elisabeth won't make the grade because she ___ in a good assignment over the last year.'
isn't handing
won't hand
hasn't handed
wasn't handing

30) '___, what would happen?'

If both engines fail
Were both engines failed
Were both engines to fail
If both engines would fail
31) 'Sandra was so tired she was ____ able to keep her eyes open.'
almost
nearly
hardly
not only

32) '____ the food supplies get through, none of the refugees will starve.'
Provided
Were
Unless
Despite

33) 'Before ___ a decision, she listened to a lot of advice.'

she had taken
being taken
the taking
taking

34) 'He is a ___ criminal.'

known
known to be
knowing
known as

35) 'The results were ___ this year.'

unexpecting low
unexpected low
lowly unexpected
unexpectedly low
36) 'Have you made your mind up?'

'I still can't decide ___ to take a year out or go straight to college.'
if
either
whether
between

37) 'Is there an alternative explanation for why ___ recently?'

the crime rate has been rising
has the crime rate risen
the crime rate was risen
rose the crime rate

38) '___ for their retirement will face serious financial difficulties.'
Should people not prepare
Anyone not preparing
Supposing people do not prepare
Were people unprepared
39) 'The Z-Box uses the ___ latest gaming software.'
most
only
absolutely
very
40) 'I don't suppose you liked the lobster.'

'___ the contrary, I thought it was delicious.'

By
At
On
In

ECPE Cloze Practice Test

The following is a Fullspate cloze designed to be as similar as possible to the passages used in the
Michigan ECPE test of English.

It has (1) been known that grapefruit juice can boost the potency of certain drugs, (2) increasing the risk
of overdose. However, it has only recently come to (3) that the same juice can inhibit the absorption of
other drugs to (4) an extent that patients could be at risk of (5) receiving the dose needed to deal with
their medical condition. These (6) startled the research team led by David Bailey at the University of
Western Ontario in Canada, (7) had been expecting to see the opposite effect.
In the experiment fexofenadine, which is an antihistamine (8) to fight allergies, was given to healthy
volunteers. (9) swallowing juice with fexofenadine absorbed (10) half as much of the drug (11) those
who swallowed it with plain water. One (12) explanation is that naringin, which gives grapefruit juice its
bitter taste, (13) the proteins that ferry the drugs across the gut wall into the bloodstream. Chemicals
with a similar (14) are also found in orange and apple juice.
(15) makes these results so important is the fact that many patients are in the habit of consuming fruit
juices with their medication. This could be particularly dangerous in (16) where people are being treated
for heart disease, cancer and organ transplant rejection. (17) if medications for these conditions are
taken with water on an empty stomach (18) patients be sure to receive the correct dose. (19), it is
recommended that juices not (20) drunk for at least two hours afterwards since this is the time taken for
the drug to be absorbed.

1)
long
recently
just
widely
2)
thereby
which
rather
are

3)
known
realization
publicity
light

4)
be
so
exceed
such

5)
them
few
inability
not
6)
patients
findings
conditions
doses

7)
where
they
who
after

8)
drug
used
taking
treatment
9)
Those
After
Consequently
Apparently

10)
as
the
only
approximate

11)
compared
than
as
that

12)
similar
likely
other
such

13)
blocks
and
which
reacts

14)
behavior
protein
gut
way

15)
This
What
That
It

16)
occasions
diseases
operations
cases

17)
What
Only
Therefore
Even

18)
ache
the
method
will

19)
Furthermore
Contrast
Nevertheless
Whatever

20)
be
even
preferably
ever

ECPE Vocabulary Practice Test

1) It's a shop where people can buy ___ army stock like clothes and boots.
evicted
derelict
surplus
redundant

2) In the ___ of the drought there were crop failures and the country now faces famine.
wake
series
repercussion
stride

3) The rebel soldiers have handed in their weapons as part of their agreement to ___ violence.
withdraw
retreat
renounce
declare

4) Economic growth will continue to be slow for the ___ future.

plausible
foreseeable
conceivable
consecutive

5) When designing public information signs it is important to avoid anything ___.

ambient
ambiguous
constituent
contagious

6) We've wasted enough time already. We need to ___ to work.

get down
set off
take off
stand in

7) The drop in profits can be ___ to the rising cost of raw materials.
excused
deduced
derived
attributed

8) The advertising campaign aimed to generate a ___ of interest in the once popular product.
renovation
repulsion
revival
repercussion

9) Taking on this job will ___ working at the weekends.

entail
revolve
oblige
provoke

10) After sleeping in the car his suit was badly ___.
cropped
wrinkled
withered
creased

11) She ought to have been asleep but she was ___ awake.
wide
upright
utterly
high
12) The ink on your blouse won't come out in the wash if it is ___.
indelible
eternal
detergent
deterrent

13) There wasn't a ___ of truth in his statement to the police.

spot
knot
lump
grain

14) It is feared that the newer audio-visual media will make reading skills virtually ___.
elusive
obsolete
adjacent
senile

15) She was ___ for breaking the rules.

resumed
alleged
implied
reprimanded

16) Now that Ron has changed schools he's really beginning to ___.
flourish
harvest
plow
accumulate

17) The building was ___ damaged in the earthquake.

meticulously
vividly
extensively
instinctively

18) With ___ she can see that it had been a terrible mistake.
posterior
retrospect
memorial
hindsight

19) The police had to ___ to force to maintain public order.

resort
employ
exert
retaliate

20) The holiday homes are ___ around an attractive garden.

clustered
stacked
piled
heaped

21) Only those under 24 years of age are ___ for this special kind of rail ticket.
permissible
available
eligible
insatiable

22) Because he could be fired if the soccer team loses, the manager is in a very ___ position.
pertinent
precipitous
precarious
petty

23) It is vitally important that the athletes begin the race ___.
immensely
excessively
vaguely
simultaneously
24) There is not a ___ of hope that the company can be saved from bankruptcy.
glimmer
glare
glance
glimpse

25) ___ on the top of the cliff, the climbers enjoyed the view before beginning their descent.
Nestled
Pierced
Stared
Perched

26) There are some significant ___ between the statements of the two suspects.
conversions
omissions
discrepancies
adversaries

27) She is an expert in the latest techniques for ___ oil reserves from deep underground.
extracting
depositing
proliferating
resurrecting
28) The ___ of the proposal argue that it will raise people's living standards and benefit almost everyone.

proprietors
detractors
proponents
rivals

29) It was the powerful documentary that ___ her to do so much to help the charity.
briefed
prompted
elicited
initiated

30) When he saw that his wallet had not been stolen he gave a ___ of relief.
gasp
breath
trickle
sigh

31) The crowd were ordered to ___.

diverse
disperse
deviate
divert
32) The patient was unwilling to ___ another painful operation.
subject
undergo
submit
undertake

33) The occupants refused to vacate the property in ___ of the order from the courts.
denial
deviance
deference
defiance

34) She still had ___ doubts about the wisdom of the plan.
lingering
strenuous
pervasive
prominent
35) In a few cases the ___ mention of spiders causes a sense of panic.
sole
bare
sparse
mere

36) How well ___ are you with the latest computer-aided design software?
grasped
familiar
acquainted
intrigued

37) The two surfaces can be stuck together with this powerful ___.
adhesive
contaminant
delegate
equation

38) Tommy is having problems ___ into the group.

adapting
fitting
suiting
uniting

39) After running out of fresh food, they made ___ with canned food.
amends
alteration
congestion
do

40) There are good environmental reasons why we must ___ our use of pesticides.
contravene
prevail
curb
dispense

ECPE Practice Reading Test #1

A series of research projects in recent years have looked at the small, spiny, marine invertebrate known
as the sea urchin. The sequence of their genetic code has been successfully analysed, revealing a
remarkably close resemblance to that of humans. This provides a firmer foundation for the claim that
humans and sea urchins share a common ancestor, which must have lived over 540 million years ago.
The red sea urchin, found off the West coast of North America and elsewhere, was considered a pest in
the 1960s and attempts were made to eradicate it wherever locals were farming kelp. In the 1970s,
though, American sea fisheries discovered a lucrative market in Japan, where certain internal organs of
these creatures were considered a delicacy, and by the 1990s they had become one of the most valuable
marine resources.
There are implications for these fisheries in the latest findings about the way sea urchins mature. Not
only are the invertebrates capable of reaching an age of 200 years or more, but they also show no signs
of age-related degeneration. In fact, the more advanced the age of an urchin is, the more enhanced its
powers of reproduction seem to be. On the other hand, population growth is limited due to the ease with
which juvenile urchins fall prey to a range of environmental threats.
Studies have also looked at growth rates, using measures of carbon-14, which has increased in all living
organisms following the atmospheric testing of atomic weapons in the 1950s. These studies confirmed
earlier findings, obtained using injections of tetracyclin, that the process of enlargment never reaches a
ceiling. Growth rates may diminish to only an extra millimeter in circumference per year but they do not
cease.

1) According to the passage, what do red sea urchins eat?

rotting animal matter
tetracyclin
microscopic animal life
kelp
2) What can we learn from the passage about the techniques to measure the increase in the size of

urchins as they age?

One technique was not possible before the 1950s.
They are generally unreliable.
The latest technique involves using tetracyclin.
Atmospheric tests affect the growth rates.

3) Which of the following is NOT true?

Sea urchins first appeared no more than 540 million years ago.
Harvesting sea urchins was a profitable business in the 1960s.
There are no similarities between the DNA of sea urchins and that of humans.
The red sea urchin is not found only off the West coast of America.
4) According to the passage, there are not more sea urchins in the oceans because...
of contamination from carbon-14.
age-related degeneration is widespread.
of the vulnerability of very young urchins.
sources of kelp have drastically declined.

5) Sea urchins that have lived for a very long time...

lose their ability to reproduce.
do not suffer from the effects of ageing.
start to show a slight reduction in size.
are more easily attacked by other marine animals.

Essay Writing Advice (for ECPE and C2 EFL exams)

Here we tell you how to write an essay that will get good marks in an English language (EFL/ESL) exam
such as the Michigan ECPE. The advice would be the same for the essays that candidates have to write in
other EFL/ESL exams such as the IELTS, TOEFL and Cambridge CPE exams.
First, let's have a look at some actual ECPE exam writing tasks so that we can see the different types of
essay that we might have to write.
1994

Topic 1: In most families there is one family member who doesn't follow society's rules
and often embarrasses the rest of the family by doing or saying something unusual or
funny. Describe one of your relatives who is like this. Include several examples of this
person's behaviour.

Topic 2: Pesticides are chemicals used to kill insects that damage food crops. Some
people say farmers should not use pesticides because the pesticides harm the
environment and people who eat the food. Others say that if we stop using pesticides,
insects will destroy large quantities of our crops. Do you think farmers should stop using
pesticides? Explain the reasons for your opinion.

1995

Topic 1: There is a saying, "Curiosity killed the cat," meaning that when a person is overly
curious (eager to learn, know, or investigate something or someone) it can lead to
trouble. Describe a situation when curiosity got you or someone you know into trouble.
Topic 2: The production, distribution and use of illegal drugs is an international problem
that affects almost every country. What actions should be taken to reduce the production,
distribution or use of illegal drugs around the world? Discuss.

1996

Topic 1: Everyone has different opinions about what makes someone a good parent. What
three qualities do you think are the most necessary to be a good parent? Why are these
qualities important? Discuss, giving examples.

Topic 2: Unemployment is a problem facing many countries today. Should the

government and/or businesses take an active role in reducing unemployment? Discuss,
providing reasons.

2002

Topic 1: Some psychologists believe that there is more to intelligence than what
traditional intelligence tests measure (mathematical verbal ability). They say there are
many kinds of intelligence and many ways to be smart. Besides mathematical and
linguistic intelligence, in what other ways do you think people are smart? Be specific in
your discussion and provide concrete examples.

Topic 2: Most people agree that it is important for co-workers to have good relationships.
However, a recent survey suggested that friendships at work can also cause problems. In
what ways can friendships at work be harmful. Discuss, giving specific examples.

2004 (Only one topic provided in the sample from ELI-UM)

The United States government recently passed a law that would punish schools whose
students do poorly on national exams. Some people think that schools should not take all
the blame. In your opinion, what factors influence students' performance? Discuss, giving
specific examples to support your point of view.

2010 Topic 1. Some people believe that body language shows more about people’s
true feelings than spoken language. Body language includes people’s facial
expressions, hand gestures, and posture. Do you believe we can tell more from body
language than from what people say? Be specific and give concrete examples in your
response.

Topic 2. Every generation of people is different from the previous one. What is one
important way in which your generation is different from your parents’ generation?
How will this difference affect your country or culture? Give specific details and reasons to
support your viewpoint.

Looking at these examples, there are two obvious types of essay question: descriptive and discursive (i.e.
presenting arguments and opinions). Some students who have experience of creative writing in their own
language may find it easy to write the descriptive essay, but in our experience the majority of students
feel more comfortable with the discursive essay, partly because it is usually possible to use a formula and
a number of set phrases. Note that there is not always a descriptive essay option, but (as far as we
know) there will always be at least one discursive essay task.
On the rest of this page we will concentrate on the discursive essay.
Planning
Plannning can seem like a waste of time, but it isn't, especially when time is short and there is no
possibility of redrafting the essay. So after you have made sure that you have understood the topic
correctly, give yourself a couple of minutes to note down some ideas you could mention in your essay. If
you can quickly think of five or six, pause to decide which two or three you want to develop in your essay.
Choose ideas that you know you have the vocabulary to discuss. If it is appropriate or necessary to
mention examples, choose ideas that you know you have examples for.
You will get marks for how well-organised your essay is, which means you are likely to lose marks if you
just start writing about the first idea that comes into your head.
Formula for a discursive essay
Every discursive essay needs an introduction and a main body. Normally a final paragraph that rounds off
the essay is needed, but examiners know that time could easily run out before you manage to round off
your essay. Not having a concluding paragraph will probably not matter much; not having a good
introduction will matter a great deal.
Introduction
Begin by redescribing the phenomenon, the trend or the debate that is the focus of the essay question.
In a short ECPE essay this might only need one or two sentences.
In the past, it seemed obvious to many that the only reliable test of intelligence was one which assessed
a person's ability to reason, especially the ability to see patterns in words, numbers and symbols. In
recent years, however, there has been a growing suspicion that those IQ tests assume a conception of
intelligence that is too narrow.
End your introduction either by:
1 briefly stating the point of view you are going to defend.
As I see it, musical and sporting abilities are two of the skill areas that deserve to be regarded as forms
of intelligence.
2 stating what you are going to do in the rest of the essay.
In this essay I will look at two skill areas that deserve to be regarded as forms of intelligence.
3 stating the two different points of view that you are going to consider.
Although the vast majority of farmers look upon pesticides as invaluable, some consumers and pressure
groups have spoken out against them.
4 stating the question you are going to answer.
This raises the question of whether the benefits of pesticides outweigh their drawbacks.
If the essay question specifically asks about your opinion, it might be better to briefly state this at the
end of the introduction, without giving any details or arguments (but it is not absolutely necessary,
especially if you don't have a firm opinion).
If you want to look at different points of view before you weigh them up and give your final assessment,
it might be better to use techniques three and four above.
Main body
This needs two paragraphs, each of which should develop one point.
Depending on the essay task, you might need to describe examples (as in the question about
intelligence), discuss different points of view, describe causes, make suggestions, and give reasons for
your point of view. Below are examples of paragraphs that do each of these things.
Describing examples

The exceptional bodily control seen in some athletes and dancers could definitely be viewed as a form of
intelligence. The ability of a ballerina, for instance, to maintain perfect balance and turn her movements
into a work of art can only be developed with years of strenuous training. In a sense, ballet has its own
language, and it seems reasonable to compare the skill of using this language with the skill of using the
verbal language that has been traditionally tested when measuring a person's IQ. Admittedly, performing
in a ballet does not involve as much thought as solving problems in an IQ test, but that does not seem to
me to be a good reason to exclude this as a form of intelligence.

Another area in which people can show how smart they are is music. ...
Discussing different points of view

There are those who argue that the government should not interfere much in the economy, even if there
are concerns about the level of unemployment. It is said that the rate of unemployment will fall naturally
if there is economic growth, and the best way to guarantee economic growth is to allow the market to
develop without government interference. Those with this point of view accept that the government has a
responsibility, but they insist that it should not go beyond providing a minimal unemployment benefit to
those who are temporarily out of work.

On the other hand, it is often argued that...

Describing causes and making suggestions

One of the reasons why some children fail at school is poverty. Students will only make good progress if
they do their homework well, but a child from a large and poverty-stricken family who does not have a
quiet room at home in which to study will not be able to do her homework well. Furthermore, in poor
families the parents sometimes have a very low level of education and may even have a negative opinion
about the importance of education. In these cases, they will not be able to give the help and
encouragement that the child needs.

As regards the steps that need to be taken to remedy this situation, the first priority should be to...
Giving reasons for your point of view

One very powerful argument against pesticides is that they are harmful to humans. Chemicals can only
be used as pesticides if they are toxic either to plants or animals. These are poisons, and it is hardly
surprising that chemicals that are poisonous to some forms of plant life, for instance, also have
detrimental effects on human health. Eating rice that has been sprayed during storage and transport to
prevent it being eaten by insects may not make us ill immediately, but by continually eating sprayed fruit
and vegetables it is almost certain that we increase our risks of suffering from cancer.

Another reason for banning pesticides concerns the effect they have on the environment. ...
Final paragraph
Use this paragraph to re-emphasize the main point or points you want to make, or to weigh up the
opinions presented earlier in the essay. Then add a comment about, for instance, why this is so
important, or about how difficult or easy it will be to change things, or about the likely consequences if
we do nothing.
In conclusion, for the sake of both the environment and human health drastic reductions in our use of
pesticides must be made. Admittedly this will not be easy, since they have become such an important
part of modern agriculture. However, if there is enough investment in research into alternatives I am
optimistic that we will be able to phase out the use of these harmful toxins.
Try to avoid simply repeating what you have already said. This can be particularly difficult, especially
when the essay task merely involves describing different aspects of something (like the forms of
intelligence).
To sum up, it is clear that the ability to do the old-fashioned IQ tests is not the only form of intelligence.
Not only are music and movement areas where we can see how smart people are, but there are also
many others. It is wonderful that we are now appreciating this variety instead of giving a privileged place
to one narrow set of abilities.
Formal or informal English?
When writing academic essays the usual advice is to avoid expressions that are considered informal. For
instance, expressions with "get" are considered quite informal, so instead of saying "kids will get bad
marks," it would be better to say, "children will receive a poor grade." One good reason for following this
advice is that most of the language you have been learning on your proficiency course is formal, and so
by choosing a formal register (as we call it) you give yourself more opportunities to show what you have
learnt on the course.
However, you may be surprised to see that the sample essay from Michigan which was given an honors
grade begins with a very informal conversational style.
OK, so your son got a low score in his IQ tests. Don't be discouraged since this does not mean he is not
"intelligent". It simply means they may not have tested his main intelligence. More and more reassuring
news is coming from new research. These new studies indicate that there is more to intelligence than the
traditional mathematical and linguistic intelligence.
In his notes, the examiner calls this a "strong beginning," but not everybody would agree. (By the way,
the rest of that essay didn't use a conversational style.) Our advice is to use more formal and
sophisticated language wherever you can because this will give better proof that you have become a
proficient user of the kind of academic English that makes up most of the ECPE exam.
Dos and Donts
• Do make sure you have understood the task correctly.
• Do ask if you are not sure about the task.
• Do spend a couple of minutes thinking of ideas, choosing the best ones and the order you will
discuss them in.
• Do try to have a good introduction. This creates the first impression on the examiner, and first
impressions are very important.
• Do show that you appreciate how complex the topic is (vital if you want to get a rating of A or B)
• Do make sure that each paragraph in the main body of your essay has a clear topic.
• Do develop your ideas by giving arguments for the opinions you mention, and/or giving
examples, or drawing a contrast, or by acknowledging the opposite point of view (if you have not
planned to do that in the following paragraph).
• Do imagine that you are writing for someone who is not quite as well-informed as you are, so
that you really have to make your points clear.
• Do try to use a good range of vocabulary. Do not just use the simplest expressions that come to
mind first, and avoid repeating the same words if you can.
 • Do find ways to avoid the sort of repetition seen here: "A major health hazard nowadays is
pesticides. Pesticides are widely used in modern agriculture."
• Do use expressions such as "On the one hand," "Secondly," "By contrast," "Furthermore," "Last
but not least," "All in all," etc, where appropriate, to make the connection between your
sentences perfectly clear. See our list of useful phrases for essays.
• Do vary the length of your sentences. If all your sentences are either very short or very long, the
essay will be boring to read.
• Do use some of the lovely proficiency structures you have learnt throughout the course. See our
essay grammar structures to get a few ideas.
• Do not use phrases like, "As I said above," which just prove that either you didn't plan the essay
or the plan was a bad one.
• Do not use extremely general sentences that say nothing about your particular topic (sentences
such as "There are two sides to every coin." "Everything has its drawbacks." "Nothing is perfect."
etc).
•
• Do try to write sufficiently neatly so that your essay is easy to read. As long as you manage this,
it does not matter if certain words and phrases are crossed out.
• Do keep one eye on the clock and leave yourself a minute or so to check your work. We all make
mistakes, and if you can correct some of yours, you will save valuable marks.
Useful Phrases for Proficiency Essays
Introducing the phenomenon to be discussed
More and more families are choosing to have only one child.
The trend nowadays is towards having smaller families.
Over the past ten years or so the media have frequently carried reports of ...............
Recent research indicates that the number of teenagers who smoke is increasing.
Hardly a week goes by without another report of ................. appearing in the media.
This raises the issue of whether .................
Although most people would generally agree that ............... few would deny that ................
Stating your opinion
As I see it,
It seems to me that ............ I would also say that ....
I am convinced that ...............
I am inclined to believe that ..................
There is no doubt in my mind that ..................
One of the drawbacks of ....... is ..........
However, one of the benefits is that ............
Changing topic
As regards the causes for this, ..............
Concerning the causes for this, .........
As for the causes, ...........
Presenting arguments
One justification often given for ........... is that.................
Advocates/Proponents would claim that ..................
Those who object to ................. often argue that ...................
Another objection is that ......
However, it should not be forgotten that ..............
........... are opposed to ................ on the grounds that .................
From the point of view of .................
According to ....................
Describing causes
One factor which has led to ............ is ..............
One of the factors which has brought this about is .........
The problem often stems from ....................
The situation has been exacerbated by ................
.............. has only made the situation worse.
One consequence of ................ is ................
Proposing steps and measures
As regards the most appropriate response to this situation, one suggestion would be to .........
The first step to be taken would be to ........
To alleviate the situation people should ...........
In addition they ought to ...............
To begin to tackle this situation society/individuals/the government need/s to ..........
.............. would certainly ameliorate the situation.
This can only be dealt with if ............
To overcome this problem, ..............
Were the government to ..............., the situation would doubtless improve.
Individuals can do a great deal to ............
The burden of responsiblity lies in the hands of ........
It is vitally important that .........
Legislation should be introduced to control .................
It would be a grave error if we .................
Concluding
All in all it seems to me that ...........
The obvious conclusion to be drawn is that .......................
All things considered, .............
On balance, I tend to believe that ............
The world would surely be a better place to live in if ..............
If people stopped ....ing, we would have/ we could look forward to a ...............
The prospects for the future will be bleak/grim unless ...................
Tip
You should have a few pages safe somewhere where you can keep a record of other useful essay phrases
that you come across in your reading. Note them down and practise using them in your own writing.
Look out for more advanced expressions that you can use in place of phrases that weren't even
impressive at the B2 level - phrases like "solve the problem". Here are a few alternative problem and
solution phrases to get you going.:
a crisis in education which must be addressed
something that must be tackled / be dealt with
a challenge which must be met
something must be done to restore law and order in the inner cities

Useful Advanced Essay Structures

To be sure of writing an essay that is good enought to pass a C2 exam like the ECPE you need to use
some of those lovely structures you have been learning in the grammar sections of your proficiency
courses. Here are some examples of the kinds of structures you should be using in your exams. Use a
sprinkling of...
Participle phrases and gerunds up front:
 "Burning plastics produces dioxins."
        "Reducing the retirement age would create significant difficulties for pension funds."
     "Having been bullied at school, I know how psychologically damaging this can be."
        "Having been released from prison, many people subsequently reoffend."
Conditionals with inversions instead of "If.."
        "Were the government to ......... , we would .............."
        "Had television not been invented, economic growth would have been slower."
        "Had the police implemented the law more strictly, fewer people would now be
disabled."
Cleft sentences
        "What ecologists object to is ............"
        "What many people would like to see is ......................"
        "It is the ................. that I object to."
Inversions
        "Not only are landfill sites unsightly but they are also a source of pollution"
        "Rarely do we see our political leaders riding bikes."
Passives
        "It is often forgotten that ..................."
        "............. is considered to be ............."
        "...... has been attributed to ......."
      ".......has been linked with ........"
        "The conlusion to be drawn is that ............."
The advanced use of 'so'
        This is so grave an issue that ........