iTEP Academic-Core cheat sheet

Listening passages are played once; answers must be selected while or immediately after the audio plays.

Short conversations (1-2 exchanges) usually test implied meaning, not literal repetition of words heard.

Question order follows audio order; the answer to item 3 is heard after the answer to item 2.

Distractor options often reuse exact words from the audio while the correct answer paraphrases them.

Signals of intent: 'Actually,' 'To be honest,' and 'I was going to' typically precede a change of plan.

Numbers, times, and prices are frequent traps; the first number heard is often corrected later in the passage.

Lecture-style items test main idea and speaker attitude; tone words (doubt, enthusiasm) mark the answer.

If two options seem true, choose the one answering the specific question word (who, when, why).

Main-idea answers must cover the whole passage; an option true only of one paragraph is a detail distractor.

Vocabulary-in-context items are solved by substituting each option into the sentence and checking fit.

Inference answers require textual support; an option that is merely plausible outside the text is wrong.

Chronological or causal passages: answer order usually matches the order of information in the text.

Extreme wording (always, never, all) in an option is usually incorrect unless the passage states it.

Pronoun reference items: the antecedent must agree in number and make sense in the surrounding sentence.

Author-purpose questions are answered by genre: narrate, explain, persuade, or compare.

Skimming for structure first (topic sentence per paragraph) locates detail answers faster than linear reading.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb agrees with the head noun, not a prepositional phrase (The list of items is).

Present perfect (has/have + past participle) pairs with for/since; simple past pairs with finished time markers (yesterday, in 2010).

Conditionals: If + present, will + base (real); If + past, would + base (unreal); If + had + participle, would have + participle (past unreal).

After prepositions and after 'enjoy, avoid, suggest,' use a gerund (-ing), not an infinitive.

Comparative: one-syllable adjectives take -er; multi-syllable take more; never combine both (more easier is wrong).

Passive voice = be + past participle; the object of the active sentence becomes the subject.

Relative clauses: 'who' for people, 'which' for things, 'where' for places; omit only when it is the object.

Articles: 'a/an' for first mention or one of many; 'the' for specific or already-mentioned nouns; no article for general plurals.

Core writing tasks are short responses (typically a few sentences to a short paragraph) scored on grammar, vocabulary, and task completion.

Answer the prompt's exact question; an off-topic response scores zero on content regardless of grammar quality.

Sentence variety rule: combine at least one complex sentence (because, although, while) with simple sentences.

Use explicit connectors (however, therefore, in addition) to signal contrast, cause, and addition.

Avoid sentence fragments: every sentence needs a subject and a finite verb.

Paraphrase the prompt rather than copying it; copied phrasing earns no vocabulary credit.

Proofread for the three highest-frequency errors: subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, and plural -s.

Vocabulary range is rewarded: replace 'good/bad/very' with precise words (beneficial, harmful, extremely).