Written Examination: Reading, Listening, Grammar and Text Production
What the written paper assesses
The written examination tests reading and listening comprehension, grammar and vocabulary in context, and production of original Persian text in different registers. Comprehension sections require you to identify main ideas, supporting detail, and the writer's or speaker's attitude, then answer in Persian or English as instructed.
Concepts to master
Know the Persian alphabet and script conventions thoroughly, including distinguishing letters that look alike in handwriting, and correct use of the ezāfe (کتابِ من), the plural markers (ها and ان), and the verb system: present and past stems, prefixes می and ب, and the negative. Understand sentence connectors (اما, بنابراین, علاوه بر این, در حالی که) that signal contrast, cause and addition - these are the keys to inference questions. For writing, control register: a formal letter or article uses full verb forms and literary connectors, while a personal message may use colloquial forms.
Traps
Do not translate word for word from English; Persian word order places the verb at the end, and the ezāfe is easily dropped. In comprehension questions, do not lift a whole sentence where the question asks you to explain in your own words. Watch numbers and dates, which are often written in Persian digits, and watch negation - a single نه or بی can reverse the meaning.
Rule of thumb
For any production task, use the plan–draft–check cycle: spend two minutes planning three paragraphs (introduction, two developed points, conclusion), draft with connectors, then check verb endings, ezāfe and plural agreement.
Worked example. A comprehension question asks why the narrator stopped attending classes. The text says «چون کار پیدا کردم و وقت کافی نداشتم». The answer must state the reason (found work, insufficient time) in your own words, not merely quote the sentence.