Foreign Language - English or French
What the paper tests
Candidates take English or French. The paper tests reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary in context, and guided writing. Reading passages are usually short and practical; grammar items target tense, articles, prepositions, agreement, conditionals, and passive voice.
Core rules
- Read the questions before the passage, then locate the sentence that answers each one.
- For grammar, identify the time marker and the subject before choosing a form.
- Paraphrase in your own words; do not copy a long phrase unless the question asks for a quotation.
- In writing, use a clear opening sentence, linkers, and a closing sentence.
Worked example
Complete: “If she ______ (study) harder, she ______ (pass) the exam.” The sentence describes an unreal past condition. English uses if+past perfect, then would have+past participle: “If she had studied harder, she would have passed the exam.” French uses the same unreal-past logic: “Si elle avait étudié davantage, elle aurait réussi.”
Traps
Mixing conditional forms (“if she studied, she would have passed”); using the wrong preposition after a verb; choosing a word by its Khmer translation rather than its English collocation; and writing a reading answer that is copied but does not answer the question.