NSSCAS English Second Language 8202 common mistakes
NSSCAS English Second Language 8202 · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In the listening paper, candidates write the first number or name they hear and move on, without checking it against the rest of the recording, so answers taken from self-corrections ('actually, make that Thursday') or from a later speaker are wrong.
Recordings are played once or twice and candidates panic under time pressure, treating listening as a transcription task rather than a comprehension task. They also fail to read the questions before the audio starts, so they do not know which details to listen for.
What to do instead
Before each recording, underline the key word in every question (a date, a reason, a number) and predict the type of answer needed. During playback, write in shorthand and leave a gap if unsure; use the pause or second playing to confirm each answer against the whole exchange, and train with self-correction dialogues where the speaker changes a detail.
In the oral examination, the candidate gives one- or two-word answers to the examiner's prompts and never initiates or extends, producing a monologue of short replies that cannot be assessed for range.
Candidates prepare topics but not interactional language, so they have no phrases for asking for clarification, buying thinking time, or developing a point. Anxiety about making errors leads them to say as little as possible.
What to do instead
Build a bank of functional phrases (asking the examiner to repeat, giving an opinion, agreeing and adding a reason, speculating) and practise extending every answer with a reason and an example. Record yourself answering ten common prompts and check that each answer lasts at least 20-30 seconds and contains a developed idea.
In reading comprehension, the candidate lifts a whole sentence from the passage as the answer to a question that asks for a word, a phrase, or the candidate's own words, and loses marks for exceeding the permitted length or for not answering the question asked.
Candidates equate 'finding the answer' with 'copying the sentence containing the answer' and do not read the instruction carefully or check the word limit. They also misread question stems such as 'in your own words' or 'give two reasons'.
What to do instead
Before answering, circle the instruction words in each question (how many, whose words, which paragraph). After locating the relevant sentence, rewrite the answer to fit the exact requirement, then count the words. Practise a set of questions where the same passage is tested with different limits to see how the answer must change.
In directed writing, the candidate produces a piece that ignores the specified audience, purpose and format, for example writing an informal letter when a formal letter or article was required, or omitting the bullet points that must be covered.
Candidates focus on grammar and length and treat the task as free composition, missing that directed writing is assessed on task fulfilment and register as well as language. They also run out of time and cut required content.
What to do instead
Spend two minutes planning: list the audience, the purpose, the format features (salutation, headings, sign-off) and every bullet point as a checklist. After writing, tick off each bullet point and check that tone matches the audience (contractions and exclamation marks are wrong for a formal letter). Practise the same content as a letter, a speech and an article to see how format changes.
In extended composition, the candidate writes a narrative with no clear structure, drifting between tenses and ending abruptly, or produces a description with no development, so the piece scores low on content and organisation despite correct sentences.
Candidates write without a plan and start before deciding on a shape, so they run out of ideas and pad. Tense control slips because they are composing and monitoring grammar at the same time.
What to do instead
Plan in five minutes: opening, two or three developed paragraphs, a deliberate ending, and a note of the tense to be used. Write topic sentences first, then develop each with detail and one or two varied sentence structures. Keep a short editing pass for tense consistency and paragraphing, and practise writing to a strict time limit so planning becomes habitual.
In the summary and note-making tasks, the candidate copies whole sentences from the source text, includes examples and repetitions, and writes notes as full prose rather than as condensed points, so the answer exceeds the word limit and loses marks for selection and brevity.
Candidates are unsure how to compress language and fear that rewriting will change the meaning, so copying feels safer. They also fail to identify the main ideas before writing.
What to do instead
Read the passage twice: first for the overall topic, then underline only the main points and cross out examples, repetitions and minor detail. Rewrite each point in your own words using noun phrases and reduced clauses, and count words. For notes, use headings, bullet points and abbreviations rather than sentences.
The candidate loses marks on punctuation and spelling in the language paper, particularly with commas in relative clauses, apostrophes for possession versus contraction, and commonly confused homophones such as 'their/there', 'affect/effect', 'practice/practise'.
Candidates rely on how a sentence sounds rather than on rules, and they have never been taught the specific conventions tested. They also do not proofread, so slips remain uncorrected.
What to do instead
Learn the small set of rules that carry most marks: apostrophe placement, comma use with non-defining relative clauses, and the spelling of a personal list of confused words. Keep an error log and add every mistake from marked work. In the exam, reserve five minutes to proofread specifically for punctuation and these words, reading each sentence slowly.
The candidate misreads the register and purpose of a directed writing task, producing an over-familiar or over-formal tone, or failing to include the persuasive or informative elements the task specifies, such as a counter-argument or a recommendation.
Candidates do not analyse the prompt's wording (for example 'persuade your head teacher' versus 'inform a new student') and have a single default style they use for everything.
What to do instead
Underline the verbs in the prompt (persuade, inform, complain, advise) and decide the register before writing. Learn the fixed features of each text type: a formal letter needs a formal salutation and no contractions; a speech needs an address to the audience and rhetorical devices. Draft one paragraph in the required register and check it against the prompt before continuing.
In listening, the candidate misses answers because the audio moves on while they are still writing the previous answer, and they leave blanks rather than making a plausible attempt.
Candidates write full answers instead of shorthand, and they do not use the pause between sections to look ahead at the next set of questions.
What to do instead
Write abbreviated answers (initials, numbers, symbols) and complete them during the pause. Use the pause to read the next questions and predict answers. If an answer is missed, mark the question and move on; at the end, fill every blank with the most plausible answer from context, since a guess may earn a mark and a blank cannot.
The candidate treats the reading paper as a single pass, reading the passage once and answering from memory, so answers to questions about later paragraphs are unsupported and inference questions are answered with literal detail.
Time pressure encourages skim-reading and guessing, and candidates do not distinguish between questions that ask for stated detail and those that ask for inference or the writer's attitude.
What to do instead
Practise the locate-read-answer loop: identify the paragraph named or implied in the question, reread that part closely, then answer. Learn to recognise inference stems ('suggests', 'implies', 'the writer's attitude') and support each answer with a specific phrase from the text, without copying it wholesale. Time yourself so that one pass plus checking fits the paper.