SQU English Placement study plan
SQU English Placement · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Reading Comprehension & Grammar and Structure
Diagnose your baseline by completing one full-length timed Reading section and one timed Grammar section, then tabulate your error types in a log.
Skim every passage in a set before answering, and practice locating the sentence that supports each answer before you look at the choices.
Separate main-idea questions from detail questions and write a one-sentence summary of the main idea for ten short passages.
Identify the five most common structural error categories in your log (subject-verb agreement, tense, pronouns, modifiers, parallelism) and label each missed item with one of them.
Your checkpoint
An error log covering at least 60 Reading and Grammar questions, with each miss tagged by question type and error category, plus a written baseline score for both sections.
Reading Comprehension & Grammar and Structure
Practice inference and vocabulary-in-context questions by justifying each answer with the exact line that supports it.
Complete two timed Reading sets under a strict per-passage time limit and record your finishing time for each passage.
Drill subject-verb agreement and verb tense by correcting 40 flawed sentences and explaining each correction in writing.
Review every miss from week 1 and re-answer it without looking at the original explanation.
Your checkpoint
A timed log of two Reading sets showing per-passage times and accuracy percentages, plus 40 corrected sentences with written justifications.
Reading Comprehension & Vocabulary
Build a personal vocabulary list of 100 academic words drawn only from passages you have read, and record each word with its context sentence.
Practice guessing unfamiliar word meanings from surrounding clauses before checking a dictionary.
Answer author-purpose and tone questions by identifying the language cues that reveal attitude.
Reduce your average time per Reading passage by at least 15 percent compared with week 2 while keeping accuracy above 70 percent.
Your checkpoint
A 100-word context vocabulary list with example sentences, plus a timed Reading set completed under the reduced time target.
Reading Comprehension & Grammar and Structure & Vocabulary
Complete a full-length Reading section under exam conditions with no breaks and no dictionary.
Review all Grammar error categories and re-drill the two that still produce the most misses.
Test your 100-word list with a self-made matching quiz and retire words you already know.
Identify the three question types that still cost you the most time and write a specific strategy for each.
Your checkpoint
A full-length timed Reading score report with section-by-section accuracy, plus a written plan naming your three weakest question types and a strategy for each.
Grammar and Structure & Vocabulary
Drill parallelism, modifier placement, and pronoun reference by editing 50 sentences and rewriting the flawed portion.
Extend your vocabulary list to 200 words, adding collocations and parts of speech rather than isolated translations.
Complete two timed Grammar sets and compare category-level accuracy with week 1.
Practice sentence-combination and sentence-reduction items by choosing the option that preserves meaning with the fewest words.
Your checkpoint
A 50-sentence editing set with rewrites, plus a week-1-versus-week-5 comparison table of Grammar accuracy by category.
Listening Comprehension & Writing
Practice listening to short academic talks and take structured notes that capture main idea, supporting details, and the speaker's stance.
Answer listening questions from notes only, without replaying the audio, then replay once to check what you missed.
Write two timed 30-minute essays with a clear thesis, two or three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Self-edit each essay against a checklist covering thesis clarity, paragraph unity, transitions, and grammar errors from your log.
Your checkpoint
Two timed essays with completed self-edit checklists, plus notes and answer accuracy for four listening talks.
Reading Comprehension & Listening Comprehension & Writing
Complete one full-length mixed practice set covering Reading, Grammar, Vocabulary, and Listening under strict timing.
Rewrite your weakest essay from week 6 using the feedback checklist and compare the two versions side by side.
Practice listening for signal words (however, therefore, in contrast) and mark them in your notes.
Review your error log and re-answer the 20 oldest unresolved misses.
Your checkpoint
A full-length mixed practice score report by domain, plus a revised essay with a written comparison against its first draft.
Reading Comprehension & Grammar and Structure & Writing
Complete two full-length timed practice exams on separate days and record scores by domain.
Review every remaining miss and write a one-line rule for each error category you still hit.
Rehearse your essay planning routine so you can outline a thesis and two body points within five minutes.
Confirm your exam-day timing plan for each section and practice it once end to end.
Your checkpoint
Two full-length practice exam score reports with a final one-page rule sheet covering your remaining error categories.
Milestones
Week 4: Complete a full-length timed Reading section with accuracy at or above 65 percent and finish within the time limit.
Week 6: Write two timed essays that each include a clear thesis and at least two developed body paragraphs, and score at least 70 percent on listening note-based questions.
Week 8: Score at or above your week-4 baseline on every domain in two full-length practice exams and finish each section within the allotted time.