Teaching

Strategies for
Specific Exams
Preparation
PLAN DECENAL DE EDUCACION 2006-2016 – ICFES
Solo vale ingles

Before the year 2006 English was not a requirement in

the ICFES exam
it was optional

Different surveys have shown that Colombia has a very

low level in
this subject.

Around 50 to 60% of English teachers do not have a B1

level

Implementation of the PLAN COLOMBIA BILINGUE

Implementation of the NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR

ENGLISH
 THE
EXAM
The English part of the exam is based on The
Preliminary English Test which is at Level B1 of the
Common European Framework

It’s main focus is:

Assessment of candidates’ ability to understand

the meaning of written English at word, phrase,
sentence, paragraph and whole text level.
 ‘Can Do’
summary
Overall general ability
CAN understand straightforward instructions or public
announcements.
CAN understand routine information.
CAN answer and complete sentences in affirmative,
interrogative and negative form in the different tenses.
CAN understand factual articles in newspapers, book
passages and letters.
CAN understand the general meaning of non-routine
letters and theoretical articles.
CAN understand most general knowledge information.
 The ICFES exam is divided into
6 parts.
PART
1: •CAN understand straightforward
instructions or public
announcements.
 Deba
te
1. How can you implement the above exercise in your

classroom?

2. What resources can you design to help your classes?

3. How could you implement this format in your classroom

PART •CAN understand routine information.
2:
It is presented in two columns, the student must match
the information
From one side to the other
a.

b.

c.

d.

e
.

f.

g
.

h
PART •CAN understand routine information.
2:
It is presented in two columns, the student must match
the information
FromEx.one side to the other
2
Preguntas 6 a 10
Lea las descripciones de la columna de la izquierda (6-10) y las palabras de la columna
de la derecha (A-H)
Cual palabra (A-H) concuerda con la descripcion de cadaFase de la izquierda (6-10)
Marque la letra correcta

6. A building where products are

a. Flat
made b. World
c. City
7. A population center larger
d. Villag
than a town e
e. Factor
8. The planet earth and its y
inhabitants f. Land
g. House
h. Mixtur
 Deba
te
1. How can you implement the above exercise in your

classroom?

2. What resources can you design to help your classes?

3. How could you implement this format in your classroom

PART •CAN answer and complete sentences in
affirmative, interrogative and negative form in

3: the different tenses.

Preguntas 11 a 15
Complete las cinco conversaciones. En las preguntas 11-15,
marque A, B, o C
En su cuadro de repuestas
11. Are you busy, Sarah?
a. Yes, I’m making a
cake.
12. Would you like anything to
b. Me, too
c. In the evening.
a. At home
drink? b. Yes, please I’d like a
coke.
c. Don’t worry
13. I’m having dinner at the rose

a. Certainly
with b. Let’s go
c. That would be
great!
Martha. Why don’t you join us?
a. Oh, dear!
b. We’re having a barbecue on
Saturday.
14. What are you doing this c. That’s a good idea

a. It’s really hot

weekend? today.
b. Not really.
c. That’s just what I
 Deba
te
1. What skills do students need to be able to answer?

2. How can you implement the above exercise in your

classroom?

3. What resources can you design to help your classes?

4. How could you implement this format in your classroom

PART •CAN understand factual articles in newspapers,
routine letters from hotels and letters.

4:
Preguntas 16-23

Lea el text de la siguiente parte. Escoja la palabra adecuada (A, B , C)

para cada espacio
Y marque A, B o C en su cuadro de respuestas

The Walt Disney Company was started in 1923, 16 Walt Disney

and his brother Roy. They rented a small office in Los Angeles
and 17 to produce small animated films. In 1928, they 18 Mickey
Mouse and Pluto; Goofy, and Donald Duck 19 soon to follow.
With the help of these cartoon character, the Walt Disney
Company grew into the huge international entertainment 20 it is
today. Besides 21 movies, Disney publishes books, produces
music and runs Disneyland in California, Disney World in Florida,
Euro Disney outside of Paris and Tokyo Disney 22 Japan. The
Disney brand is one of the 23 famous names throughout
16. a. for b. by c. to
17. a. began b. begin c. begins
18. a. created b. have created c. are creating
19. a. was b. are c. were
20. a. where b. whose c. that
21. a. to produce b. producing c. produce
22. a. in b. near c. out
23. a. more b. less c. most
 Deba
te
1. What skills do students need to be able to answer?

2. If your students are not at a B1 level how can you implement

these exercises?

3. What resources can you design to help your classes?

4. How could you implement this format in your classroom

PART •CAN answer reading comprehension questions.
5: The
the
first English settlers to arrive in what is now the USA are known as

Pilgrim fathers because of the fact that they wished to form a new
country free from the religious persecution, they felt they were
suffering in Britain at the time. (A pilgrim is someone who makes a
religious journey). They set sail from Plymouth in Britain on September
6, 1620, and their ship the Mayflower,
Arrived on land on November 11. Their hope was to create a new world
that God would approve of. Some historians believe that this aim still
has a modern day legacy, reflected in the fact that the USA is

24. The American people’s ancestors camea.from

Great Britain
b. B. USA
c. The whole of
25. The pilgrims suffered persecution becauseEurope
of
a. Political ideas
b. Religious beliefs
their c. Desire to go to
america
26. The first settlers arrived in Americaa.inSixteenth
the century b. fifteenth century c.
seventeenth century
a. By
plane
27. The first settlers arrived in America
b. By ship
c. On a. Pilgrims
b. Persecuted
28. According to the text, American people c. A religious
nation
a. A harbor and a
considered they are ship
b. A ship and a
a. Three city
29. Plymouth and Mayflower are, respectively, the
months
b. Two
 Deba
te
1. What skills do students need to be able to answer?

2. If your students are not at a B1 level how can you implement

these exercises?

3. What resources can you design to help your classes?

4. How could you implement this format in your classroom

worksheets?

5. Analyze the worksheet, do you think it might help your students

 PART •CAN understand factual articles in newspapers, book passages and
letters.

6:
LIFE STRATEGIES
Life Law # 2 YOU CREATE YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE
Strategy: Acknowledge and accept accountability for your life. understand your role in creating
results.
You cannot dodge responsibility for how and why your life is the way it is. If you don’t like your job,
you are accountable.
If you are overweight, you are accountable. If you are not happy, you are accountable. You are
creating
The situations you are in and the emotions that flow from those situations.

Don’t play the role of victim, or use past events to build excuses. It guarantees you no progress,
No healing, and no victory. You will never fix a problem by blaming someone else. Whether the cards
you’ve been dealt
are good or bad, you’re in charge of yourself now.

Every choice you make – including the thoughts you think – has consequences. When you choose the
behavior or though,
you choose the consequences. If you choose to stay with a destructive partner, then you choose the
consequences of pain a
ndsuffering. If you choose thoughts contaminated with anger and bitterness, then you will create an
experience of alienation
And hostility. When you start choosing the right behavior and thoughts – which will take a lot of
discipline – you’ll get the
right consequences.

Ex. Questions:
 Practi
ce
1. What is different from the reading in part 5 and part 6.

2. Write down 5 more questions based on the example for

this passage.

3. Design a worksheet for the reading.