Listening and Reading 690, Writing 14: My Study Methods and Exam Experience

Writing

• Word count: T1 76 words, T2 125 words, T3 155 words.
• For T1 and T2, just meet the word count and try to do well. The main point is to answer the question and make few mistakes.
• T1 has many variables: except for the introduction and conclusion, the content changes according to the prompt but all use simple sentences. The most important for T1 are the simple future tense, passé composé, and present indicative, plus the conjugations of pouvoir and vouloir for je / tu / nous / vous. Memorizing these makes it much easier to follow with the infinitive.
• T2 basically relies on a template: memorize 6 positive and 6 negative adjectives each, so you can swap feelings for neutral or negative experiences. The template doesn’t need much change and can even be shortened. My T2 template is about 100+ words.
• I summarized and combined T1 and T2 myself. Only T3 was copied directly from a template, but I tried it and copying usually exceeds the word limit, so I deleted the last sentence of the template. I think I made many mistakes in T3.

Speaking

• T1: Prepared a 2-minute script about my background, quite "human-machine" style; also prepared 24 follow-up questions. The examiner didn’t interrupt me.
• T2: Used classic question banks, initially had GPT generate a 3.5-minute dialogue at about B2 level (skip if too hard). After reviewing 10–20 answers, I got a general idea of typical questions, then started timed practice: 2 minutes prep, 3.5 minutes Q&A. I never practiced with a real person, so when the examiner challenged me in the exam, I wasn’t used to it. Also, the topics were quite off, the usual tourism or moving house patterns didn’t apply, so my answers weren’t great. I asked 8 questions during the exam, 6 of which were unrelated.
• T3: Didn’t use a template, just stated my opinion. Started with « Personnellement, je pense que… », then gave two positive arguments and one negative argument, with some examples. For each point, I said about five sentences, and they were fragmented. I didn’t have time for a conclusion, just pieced together phrases to reach 4 minutes 30 seconds.
• Except for T2 where I couldn’t speak well and got cut off on time, the other two went over time by about ten seconds.

If Starting from Zero

• First learn pronunciation, then directly do a set of grammar lessons.
• After finishing grammar, start exam prep by practicing questions. This is a test-oriented exam; practicing listening and reading helps familiarize vocabulary, grammar structures, and verb conjugations. The more you see, the more familiar you become.
• For speaking and writing, start by looking at classic question bank answers to get familiar. For speaking, it’s best to start speaking on day one, whether reading writing samples or T2 answers. Consistently speaking every day leads to quick progress, even if just 5 minutes.
• At first, not understanding or hearing will be frustrating. Set daily time for listening, reading, speaking, and writing, even half an hour is fine.
• For writing, it’s recommended to practice at least 20 sets.
• Speaking: prepare T1 yourself or have ChatGPT write and translate a 2-minute script; list some questions based on possible exam themes and prepare answers for possible examiner follow-ups in the script, memorize and practice daily. For T2, practice at least 5 sets per topic; for T3, at least 3 sets per topic. Get familiar with their patterns; once familiar, practicing becomes somewhat enjoyable.