Unified State Exam test in English. Demo versions of the exam in foreign languages. Features of the written part of KIMs

English is the most popular of the languages. Today, without knowledge of a foreign language, it is difficult to achieve career heights in almost any profession, so a significant number of humanitarian universities require them to present an appropriate certificate. The English exam is chosen by students who plan to devote their lives to linguistics, teaching, technical and literary translation, diplomacy and international relations.

In recent years, examinations in foreign languages ​​have become increasingly difficult for graduates - now they are required not only to know the basic rules and language norms, but also to have significant speaking skills, because the oral part has been added to the Unified State Examination. To successfully pass the exam, you will need months of persistent and systematic independent work, and maybe even the help of a tutor. Another important point is awareness of possible innovations. Let's figure out how this exam will go in 2018!

Demo version of the Unified State Exam-2018

Unified State Examination dates in English

The approved schedule for the all-Russian examination will be published in January 2018. But today you can find out the approximate periods for conducting the Unified State Examination, designated by Rosobrnadzor:

• Early examination will take place from the second half of March to mid-April 2018. The starting date is stated to be March 22. Let us remind you that not all schoolchildren can take the Unified State Exam early. These graduates include those who graduated from school earlier than the 2017/2018 academic year, unsuccessful students from previous years without a certificate, as well as evening school students. Those who decided not to enroll in a university, but to go to college, applicants to foreign universities, children going to live abroad, or those who came to study in Russia from abroad can also take the test ahead of schedule. An exception is made for children leaving for sports, cultural or scientific competitions and competitions, as well as for schoolchildren who are prescribed medical or rehabilitation procedures during the main testing;
• From the last days of May to the beginning of June 2018, the main period of the Unified State Examination is scheduled. Most likely, the first exams will begin on May 28, 2018;
• The start of the additional period of the Unified State Exam is announced on September 4, 2018. Additional examinations will take place during the first half of September.

How did past graduates pass English?

The popularity of the English language among future students of Russian universities is confirmed by official statistics - about 9% of all graduates (which is about 64.5 thousand schoolchildren in 2017) choose the Unified State Exam in this foreign language. In 2017, the proportion of graduates who were unable to score even the required minimum of 22 points decreased significantly.

The percentage of such failing eleventh graders in recent years has fluctuated between 1.8-3.3%, which looks very optimistic in comparison with other exams. The average score that Russian schoolchildren demonstrate when passing English is 64.8-65.1 points, which is approximately equal to the “four” mark. This is significantly higher than the results of other Unified State Examinations show.

According to statistics, English is one of the easiest exams

Innovations in the Unified State Examination in English

Specialists from FIPI did not make any significant changes to the 2018 materials. The only innovation is that in English KIMs, the criteria-based approaches to assessing assignments numbered 39-40 have been clarified.

Contents of the English language ticket

The main purpose of the all-Russian examination in English is to check the level of mastery of a foreign language. The primary goal of the commission is to determine how free the student feels in various types of language activities, which include listening, reading, writing and speaking. High school students will have to show their skills in mastering lexical units, morphological forms and syntactic structures. The exam card itself is divided into two parts:

• written - within 180 minutes, students will have to solve 40 tasks. In this part of the exam, you need to pass listening (worth 20 primary points, which is 20% of all exam points), demonstrate reading skills (another 20 primary points), convince the commission of your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary (20 primary points), and show your level of written language proficiency (20 primary points);
• oral - within 15 minutes, students will have to solve 4 more tasks. They will have to answer questions and describe the pictures. This part is worth another 20 raw points (or 20% of the total exam points).

In total, graduates will have to cope with 44 tasks of basic, advanced and high levels of complexity, which in total give 100 points.

Written part of KIMs

Structurally, KIMs in English are presented in several main sections:

• Listening assessment, aimed at identifying how well the student understands the text being listened to. This task is allotted 30 minutes of exam time, during which the student must complete the following tasks:
  • 1 – identifying the correspondence of statements and statements made in the recording. Students are asked to evaluate 6 statements, comparing them with 7 proposed answer statements, one of which is incorrect. The student is given 20 seconds to read the answer statements, then the audio recording will be played 2 times. After this, the student must mark the correct answers on the exam form;
  • 2 – assessment of the correctness of judgments, which must be made after listening to an audio recording in dialogue form. The student is required to enter only the words “true”, “false” or “not stated”;
  • from 3 to 9 – an audio task in the form of a short interview, after listening to which the student will need to choose the correct answer from the options presented on the form. Most often, the task is presented in the form of a question that needs to be answered, or an unfinished sentence that needs to be supplemented with the correct words.
• Reading aimed at checking the understanding of structural and semantic relationships in the proposed text. The student will receive 30 minutes, during which he must complete the following tasks:
  • 10 – familiarization with seven short texts and identifying the correspondence of the information presented with 8 headings, among which one option will be incorrect;
  • 11 – working with text that has missing parts. There will be 6 such gaps in total. They need to be filled in by choosing words from the seven proposed options;
  • from 12 to 18 – familiarization with an artistic or journalistic fragment, to which interrogative sentences and statements with missing words are attached. You will need to choose the correct answer or complete the phrase.
• Grammar and vocabulary - this part of the Unified State Exam will test how well the student operates with these language skills. This part of the ticket is considered the most difficult, because this is where students lose the most points. You will be given 40 minutes to work with this part of the ticket, during which you will have to solve the following tasks:
  • from 19 to 25 – familiarization with several fragments of text in which words or phrases will be missing. The blanks will need to be filled in based on the answers, which must first be converted;
  • from 26 to 31 – exercises testing word formation skills. The student is asked to read the text with missing pieces to determine which parts of speech are missing. To write down the correct answer, the missing word will need to be transformed (for example, turning a noun into an adjective);
  • from 32 to 38 – vocabulary exercises that involve working with text fragments in which words are missing. Options for the correct answers are offered in the KIM form, so you just have to make the right choice.
• Writing – This part of the ticket will test your ability to produce different types of written text. You are given 80 minutes to complete the tasks, during which you need to complete the following exercises:
  • 39 – the student will need to write a letter of a personal nature, keeping it to 100-140 words (it is proposed to complete the task in 20 minutes);
  • 40 – writing an essay (200-250 words). Focus on the plan and topic proposed in the KIMs. In this task you will need to write a short introduction to the problem, express your opinion on this issue, support it with argumentation and draw a conclusion. You should allow approximately 60 minutes to complete this task.

This Unified State Exam will require not only knowledge of the rules, but also language skills

Oral part of the exam

In this part of the exam, the commission will evaluate the student’s speech skills. A separate day will be allocated for this test. Each student will receive 15 minutes to complete the following types of tasks:

1. Reading aloud a short text. For 1.5 minutes, the student has the opportunity to read the text to himself and then speak it out loud;
2. Formulation of five questions based on a fragment of text. Most often this is an advertising message. The student will have 1.5 minutes to read the text, and then another 20 seconds to voice each question;
3. Description of the photo. Students are given a choice of five photos, among which they need to take one and describe it according to the plan proposed in KIMs. 1.5 minutes will be allotted for preparation, and then within 2 minutes you will need to express in your own words what you see in the picture;
4. Comparison of two photographs. The student will have to identify similarities and differences between two pictures in 1.5 minutes, and then tell them to the commission in 2 minutes.

Examination procedure

The examination is regulated by strict standards. Firstly, during the Unified State Exam it will not be possible to use smartphones, video and audio equipment, smart watches and reference materials. Secondly, you should not look at someone else’s answer sheet, talk to other exam participants, or leave the classroom without an observer - this will be a reason for the cancellation of your work. Remember that in 2018, 100% of exam classrooms will be equipped with online surveillance systems.

Each classroom allocated for the written part of the examination will be equipped with technical means for playing audio recordings during listening. Classrooms for conducting the oral part of the Unified State Exam will be equipped with computers with headsets, microphones and appropriate software for recording answers.

How do exam scores translate into grades for a certificate?

Points for work affect the certificate and are easily transferred to the usual school system:

• 0-21 points correspond to the “two” level;
• 22-58 points indicate satisfactory preparation and are equal to a “three”;
• 59-83 points allow you to get a “B”;
• 84 points and above tell us that the student knows the subject “excellent”.

The minimum score that you need to score to receive a certificate is 22. However, it is worth remembering that to enter a “mediocre” university you need to score at least 45 points, and in this case we are not talking about budget places. Educational institutions in the capital usually accept schoolchildren on a budget who have managed to score 86 points or higher in English.

Preparation for the Unified State Exam in English

To pass the English language test, you will have to spend a lot of time preparing. Try to properly distribute the time remaining before the exam to repeat the school course and work on demo versions of CMMs. Their solution will help you understand the structure of the exam - you must agree that if you see a ticket for the Unified State Exam for the first time, you will probably get nervous. And this, in turn, will lead to a lot of small annoying mistakes. Official CMMs can be downloaded on our website simply by using the link at the beginning of the article.

When preparing for the Unified State Exam, not only textbooks, but also audiobooks will help you!

Don’t forget about preparing for listening, because not every teacher at school devotes enough time in class to teach students to perceive foreign speech by ear. Audio books, songs by your favorite artists, films or television series in English will come to your aid. Watch at least a couple of episodes of an interesting TV series or movie a day, and listen to a book on the way to school. After a few months of such training, you will be able to distinguish words and learn to understand the meaning of the text by ear.

A common problem is also the inability to speak - if in vocabulary, grammar and writing the majority of the children who have chosen a foreign language for the Unified State Exam demonstrate good results, then the oral part causes certain difficulties. You can practice this skill in a fairly simple way - constantly playing small dialogues with everyday situations in your head, or describing objects, people and buildings that you see while going to school or shopping at the supermarket.

Writing an essay also requires special preparation. Hone your mini-essay writing skills using previous years' papers. Each new essay will help you better formulate your thoughts and present arguments in favor of your point of view. When writing an essay, keep these tips in mind:

• do not choose the first topic that comes to you - it is better to think about which one will be closer to you and will not require significant effort for argumentation. Part of the points in this task are awarded specifically for understanding the subject of discussion. If a committee member notices that you do not understand what you are writing about, the assignment will be given a zero;

Hello friends! As for preparing for the Unified State Exam in English, you should know that you need to prepare for it in advance, and the sooner the better. And even if you have a good level of English, you still need good preparation, and this takes time, at least a year.

There are no substantive changes to the Unified State Exam in English this academic year.

A graduate can score a maximum of 100 points in the exam. The minimum score to pass the exam is 22 points.

To pass the Unified State Exam well you need:

• become familiar with the exam format;
• have a good level of English;
• master reading and listening strategies. An excellent understanding of the main content is assumed.
• familiarize yourself with the assessment criteria for assignments.

Table for converting Unified State Exam scores in English into a five-point system

Structure of the Unified State Exam in English 2018

The listening test lasts 30 minutes and consists of three parts. The first two parts are the first and second tasks, respectively, and the third part is tasks No. 3-9 (out of a total list of 40 tasks).

• listen carefully! After all, such a trick is often used when they first say one answer and then correct it differently;
• you need to read the assignment carefully;
• look at the endings of what you wrote and try to find possible minor errors;
• if you didn’t hear something, don’t panic, you will have the opportunity to listen again;
• if you don’t know how to answer a question, answer at least something, but the main thing is to answer;
• if they speak too quickly, don’t get upset, try to relax and then it will be easier for you to perceive the information.

Task 1: 7 statements are given. The student listens to 6 statements and matches them with statements, one of which is redundant. Maximum points: 6 points.

Example: exercise 1

exercise 1

Task 1_mp3

Task 2: 7 statements are given. The student listens to the dialogue and determines which statements correspond to the content of the dialogue (True), which do not correspond (False), and which are not mentioned in it (Not Stated). Maximum points: 7 points.

Example: task 2

task 2

task 2_mp3

Task 3: 7 questions are given, each of them has 3 possible answers. The student listens to the audio recording and selects the correct answer to each question. Maximum points: 7 points.

Example: task 3

task 3

task 3_mp3

Reading

• if you are not familiar with the topic discussed in the text, do not worry, because in order to find the answers in the text, you do not need special knowledge;
• if you are given tasks in which you need to insert words or phrases instead of gaps, read the sentence before and after the gaps, try to guess what exactly is missing;
• don’t get hung up on one question, you can always return to it, but in the meantime, move on to others;
• you always need to read the entire text to understand the meaning;
• if you don't know the answer to a question, try to guess it;
• When preparing for the Unified State Exam, read as many texts of different styles as possible.

The reading lasts 30 minutes and consists of 3 parts (9 tasks). We recommend spending no more than 10 minutes on each part in order to complete the allotted half hour. Task 1: Given 7 short texts (3-6 sentences each) and 8 headings. You need to read the texts and choose the appropriate heading for each of them. In this case, 1 heading will be redundant. Recommended execution time: no more than 10 minutes. Maximum points: 7 points.

Example: exercise 1

Task 2: Given a text that has 6 gaps. Below are 7 passages, 6 of which must be inserted in place of the gaps. Recommended execution time: no more than 10 minutes. Maximum points: 6 points.

Example: task 2

Task 3: A short text and 7 questions for it are given. For each question there are 4 answer options, from which you need to choose 1 correct one. Recommended execution time: no more than 10 minutes. Maximum points: 7 points.

Example: task 3

Written assignment

• it is worth writing about the same thing only in different words;
• don't go off topic;
• do not use the same vocabulary as in the task. Choose synonyms for words;
• keep track of time;
• do not write more than necessary, because this may indicate that you have written a lot of unnecessary things;
• Remember that you need to take the time to re-read what you have written and, if necessary, correct any errors you find.

The graduate is given 80 minutes to write and check 2 written works. Task 1: Given the text of a short letter from a friend asking questions. The student needs to read it and write a response letter: answer the friend’s questions and ask him questions. Recommended execution time: no more than 20 minutes. Volume: 100-140 words. Maximum points: 6 points.

A letter to a friend is written in an informal style. The structure of this work is as follows:

1. We design the “header”

In the upper right corner we write the address: on the top line we indicate the city, below it - the country of residence. There is no need to write the street and house number: this may be regarded as disclosing confidential information, even if the address is fictitious.

After the address, skip 1 line and write the date the letter was written in the same upper right corner. Next, as usual, on the left we write an informal address: Dear Tom/Jim (the name will be given in the task). It is unacceptable to write Hello here.

After the address, put a comma and continue writing the text of the letter on a new line.

2. Text of the letter

We start writing each paragraph with a red line. In the first paragraph, you need to thank your friend for the letter you received (Thanks a lot for your last letter) and apologize that you didn’t write earlier (Sorry I haven’t been in touch for so long).

You can also mention some fact from the letter you received. What follows is the body of the letter, including the second and third paragraphs. In the second, you write answers to all the questions asked to you, in the third, you ask your questions to a friend.

In the fourth paragraph, you need to summarize - inform that you are finishing the letter (I’ve got to go now! It’s time for my favorite TV show), and offer to keep in touch (Take care and keep in touch!).

3. End of the letter

At the end, you need to write a final cliche phrase, which is always followed by a comma: All the best, Best wishes, etc. On the next line, under this phrase, you indicate your name.

Task 2: A statement is given (usually controversial).

The graduate writes an essay in which he discusses this topic, expresses his point of view, and also gives an opposing opinion and explains why he disagrees with it.

The essay is written in a neutral style and consists of 5 paragraphs:

1. Introduction: we formulate the topic-problem and immediately indicate that there are two opposing points of view.
2. Your opinion: we express our point of view (one) on this issue and give 2-3 arguments that confirm it.
3. Opposing opinions: we write 1-2 opposing points of view and give arguments in favor of their existence.
4. We express disagreement: we explain why we do not agree with the above points of view, and provide arguments in defense of our own opinion. However, they should not repeat the arguments from point 2.
5. Conclusion: We draw a conclusion on the topic, point out that there are different points of view, and finally confirm our point of view.

Vocabulary and grammar

• if you need to insert a word, try to determine in what number and form it should be;
• if you don’t know the correct answer, don’t leave any blanks anyway, look for the answer by contradiction;
• check your spelling.

This section of the Unified State Exam in English 2018 tests the graduate’s knowledge of grammatical structures and vocabulary. The student is given 40 minutes to complete it. Let's see what the student has to do.

Task 1: Given a text in which 7 words are missing. To the right of the text are words that need to be transformed grammatically (for example, put the verb in the right tense) and inserted in place of the gap. Recommended execution time: no more than 12 minutes. Maximum points: 7 points.

Task 2: Given a text with 6 gaps. On the right are words that need to be transformed both lexically and grammatically - to form a single-root word that matches the meaning of the text. Recommended execution time: no more than 15 minutes. Maximum points: 6 points.

Task 3: Given a text with 7 gaps. You need to choose 1 correct answer out of the four proposed for each of them. Recommended execution time: no more than 12 minutes. Maximum points: 7 points.

Oral speech

The oral part of the exam is the shortest, it takes only 15 minutes. The graduate needs to complete as many as 4 tasks, for which he can receive a maximum of 20 points. The student submits assignments in front of the computer, his answers are recorded using a headset, and the time countdown is shown on the screen. There is an organizer in the audience who monitors the progress of the exam.

Task 1: A popular science text is displayed on the screen. In 1.5 minutes you need to prepare and in the next 1.5 minutes read it out loud expressively. Execution time: no more than 3 minutes. Maximum number of points: 1 point.

Task 2: An advertisement is offered, for which you need to make 5 direct questions based on keywords. 1.5 minutes are allotted for preparation, then each question must be formulated within 20 seconds. Execution time: about 3 minutes. Maximum points: 5 points.

Task 3: Show 3 photographs. You need to choose 1 and describe it according to the plan proposed right there in the task. Execution time: about 3.5 minutes. Maximum points: 7 points.

Task 4: Given 2 pictures. It is necessary to compare them, describe the similarities and differences, and explain why the chosen topic is close to the graduate. Execution time: about 3.5 minutes. Maximum points: 7 points.

This section was not included in the Unified State Exam 2010, but it is still worth knowing the tips for this part.

• if you are unclear about a task, ask the examiner about what is unclear;
• use as many words as possible, show your vocabulary;
• you must understand that you are required to express your personal opinion and not discuss the topic with professionalism;
• Perhaps you will forget a word, in this case there is no need to get lost, you can replace it with another word.;
• You should be aware that this section is not intended for you to demonstrate that you can construct sentences correctly. You need to demonstrate communication skills.

Demo versions of the Unified State Exam 2018 in English

Unified State Examination in English: Grammar

English has been and remains the most popular foreign language studied at school. Exams in this subject have become more difficult since oral tests were introduced a few years ago. Will there be any changes in the content of tickets and the procedure for conducting the Unified State Examination in English in 2018? What can you do to effectively prepare for tests? How will this help in further study and work?

About the importance of the subject

Few people today need to explain how important knowledge of English is in the modern world. This is the language of computer terms, the language of many business documents, and simply a convenient tool for international communication.

By 2020-2022, they plan to introduce it into the list of disciplines for which an exam is required. While it remains among the items of choice, one of the most popular in this category.

Those, Those who pass this subject with high results in 2018 can apply for admission to universities in very prestigious, popular specialties. And these are not only specialized foreign languages, diplomacy or computer technologies. Good knowledge of English is rated in educational institutions in such areas as:

• regional studies;
• management;
• journalism;
• hotel business;
• philology;
• international relationships;
• world economy;
• sociology and a number of others.

Even at technical universities, sometimes an applicant is given a choice: to count points in physics or English.

In addition to actual knowledge of the subject, graduates will also be required to master the technical means with which audio recordings will be played during the oral part of the Unified State Exam. Of course, members of the commission will help if there are difficulties, but this will take time and will introduce unnecessary nervousness. During the exams, the classrooms will have computers equipped with headsets, necessary software, and microphones.

Unified State Examination dates in English in 2018

This exam is available ahead of schedule to graduates of previous years and some categories of current 11th graders who, for objective reasons, will not be able to come on the dates of the main tests.

Most of the high school students will appear for the main exam. It will take place June 11 (written), and two days were allotted for the oral format: June 14 and 16. In reserve for the written Unified State Exam June 26, orally - 27 . There's still a day June 29: General reserve for all items.

Finally, in September there will still be an opportunity to take the Unified State Exam for those graduates who planned to do this together with everyone else, but some valid reasons prevented them (illness, etc.).

What will be on the Unified State Examination tickets in English in 2018?

Since 2016, KIMs have introduced tasks not only for the written answer, but also for the oral part of the exam. The written and oral parts are due separately, on different days.

Examiners need to test the level of knowledge of phonetics and grammar, the ability to speak fluent English, and not just read and translate. You even need to be able to listen: listening to a foreign language is not as easy as it seems.

In the written exam, which lasts 180 minutes, you will have to complete 40 tasks.. Such as:

• listening, that is, listening to a prepared text (a maximum of 20 primary points are given for it);
• reading (plus 20 points);
• for knowledge of vocabulary and grammar of the language, examiners have the right to add up to 20 points;
• Finally, for fluency in written language there is a chance to get the remaining 20 points.

Only 15 minutes are allotted for the oral exam, during which time 4 tasks are completed. This is a description of the pictures and answers to questions. The maximum score for this “semi-exam” is 20 points.

Along with the written test, there are 44 tasks of different difficulty levels and 100 maximum possible points.

What's in the oral part of the test?

The oral “portion” of tasks is otherwise called speaking, although not all of them consist of conversation. It is important to understand spoken language, conduct dialogue and demonstrate your public speaking skills in a foreign language.

Testing takes place either in special language laboratories or in computer classes, where the equipment is equipped with a special headset. In 15 minutes you need to cope with several tasks.

First, each graduate will be offered a short text. You can quickly skim through it (in a minute and a half) and then read it out loud.

Then, based on a fragment of text, you will need to formulate five questions. Again there will be 1.5 minutes to read the passage, and then you will have to quickly voice all 5 questions, only 20 seconds are given for each.

The next item in the “program” is a description of the photograph. One of the five proposed is selected, the examinee studies it (in the same minute and a half), and then states what he sees in two minutes. To help students in KIMs, a presentation plan will be given.

The last thing to do is compare the two pictures. Find similarities and differences in 1.5 minutes and briefly, in 2 minutes, tell the commission about them.

Features of the written part of KIMs

In the written, as well as in the oral part of KIMs, in 2018 there are no new topics or tasks provided. The 40 tasks in this section of the Unified State Exam are divided into 4 groups:

1. Questions 1 to 9 are devoted to listening.
2. Students demonstrate the ability to read correctly, with correct intonation, and clearly thanks to questions 10-18.
3. The next ten tasks (19-38) are the actual letter.
4. The examination committee checks knowledge in the field of vocabulary and grammar using questions 39-40.

All together you are given 3 hours.

Tests in the form that were before are no longer available. Although there are a number of questions on the tickets, the answer to which must be extremely brief: a word, letter or number.

Other tasks (they are located in the final part of the KIMs) require more detailed answers. There are also questions of increased complexity, they are based on the student’s full understanding of the text. The most difficult task is also task number 40 (in the “Writing” block): it involves writing an essay, short, but not descriptive, but with analysis and reflection.

Translation of Unified State Exam scores in English in 2018

As stated above, the highest score for both parts of the exam will be 100 points. When converted to commonly used estimates, the result will look like this:

• If you score up to 21 points, the exam is considered failed - this is “ deuce».
• From 22 to 58 points translated into a five-point system are equivalent to “ troika».
• Those who score from 59 to 83 points receive “ four».
• The exam is considered passed " five”, if the graduate scored a total of 84 points or more.

Those who cross the threshold of academic failure by earning 22 points will be issued a certificate. But this result is not enough for obtaining higher education. Exactly how much is needed to get into the desired specialty at the chosen institution, you definitely need to find out in advance on the websites of these universities.

The experience of previous years suggests that even 45 points give only a ghostly chance to enter the ranks of students at “average” universities, and then, most likely, on a paid basis. And those who want to study in the capital, and even on a budget basis, need to collect at least 85 points for the Unified State Exam in English.

Preparation for the Unified State Exam in English in 2018

Quite a lot of high school students study in clubs, schools, and English language studios. When professionals work there, the level of training is usually quite high. There are elective classes in schools.

Other students choose self-study or tutoring. They have at their disposal demo versions of the Unified State Exam in English 2018, as well as versions of tasks from previous years with ready-made correct answers. In order to consolidate knowledge for successfully passing the written section of the Unified State Exam, this can be a very good help. In any case, the language requires systematic study; one-time actions will not help here.

It is very important to listen to competent oral speech: audiobooks, lesson recordings, songs, poems in English. You can also turn to classical or children's English literature, films. In such a living form, the language is perceived more emotionally, in addition, situational memory and associations are triggered, which helps memorization.

But it’s not enough to recognize speech by ear; for many, correct pronunciation becomes a stumbling block. That is why it is extremely useful to study in pairs or in a small group. We rarely notice our flaws in speech, but a look and auditory control from the outside will be very useful. If someone in the family speaks the language, you can practice speaking with them in English about the simplest everyday things for at least a month before the exam. This is an excellent workout, besides, fear disappears, you become more free in communication, which is extremely important for your psychological mood.

Written part. It takes 180 minutes (3 hours) to complete.

Section "Listening". Running time – 30 minutes

Exercise 1. The audio recording contains 6 statements. It is necessary to establish a correspondence between statements (letters A-F) and statements expressing their main idea (numbers 1-7). One of the proposed statements is redundant. The recording is played twice: first, 20 seconds are given to familiarize yourself with the statements; After the first and second listening, you are given 15 seconds to think about it. Your answer is a sequence of seven numbers. For each correct answer (one match) you receive one point, the maximum number of points is 6.

Task 2. You need to listen to a short dialogue and read 7 judgments regarding this dialogue (A-G). After listening to the task, you will need to draw a conclusion which of the judgments is correct (1 – true), which is incorrect (2 – false), and which was not discussed at all (3 – not stated), i.e. Based on the text, one cannot give either a positive or negative answer. Your answer is a sequence of six numbers. For each correct answer (one judgment) 1 point is given, a total of 7 points for the task.

Tasks 3-9. Here you need to listen to the text (usually an interview) and answer 7 questions about this text, choosing the correct answer from the three options provided. For each correct answer, 1 point is given, for a total of 7 points for the task.

Total: 9 tasks, 20 points per section.

Section "Reading" in the Unified State Exam. Running time – 30 minutes

Task 10. The assignment contains 7 small texts (usually united by topic) and 8 headings. It is necessary to establish a correspondence between texts A-G and headings 1-8. One extra title! Your answer is a sequence of seven numbers. For each correct answer (one match) 1 point is given, a total of 7 for the task

Task 11. You need to read a coherent text in which parts of sentences are missing (a total of 6 gaps A-G), and fill these gaps with the fragments suggested after the text (1-7), one of which is extra. It is necessary to select a fragment suitable in meaning and grammatical structure for each gap. Your answer is a sequence of six numbers. For each correct answer (correctly selected part) 1 point is given, a total of 6 for the task

Tasks 12-18. You need to read a text of 1-1.5 pages (usually a journalistic text or an excerpt from a work of fiction). After the text you are asked 7 questions, each of which is offered four possible answers. You only need to choose one answer. For each correct answer, 1 point is given, for a total of 7 points for the task.

Total: 9 tasks, 20 points per section.

Tasks 19-25. Grammar (word inflection) tasks. You need to read 1-2 small texts with gaps. To the right of the gaps are words in the initial form that must be transformed so that they grammatically correspond to the content of the text. Attention: the FORM of the word changes (number, tense, case, voice, etc.), not the part of speech! For example, go-went, man-men, one-first, etc. For each correct answer, 1 point is given, for a total of 7 points for the task.

Tasks 26-31. Word formation tasks. Similar to the previous task, you need to read 1-2 small texts and transform the proposed words so that they grammatically and lexically correspond to the content of the text. The main difference from the previous task is that you form a NEW word, a new part of speech: for example, what was a verb has become an adjective (different-different). For each correct answer, 1 point is given, a total of 6 points for the task.

Tasks 32-38. Lexico-grammatical compatibility. You need to read a short text with missing words. In each of tasks 32-38 you need to choose which of the 4 proposed words is missing.
For each correct answer, 1 point is given, for a total of 7 points for the task.

Total: 20 tasks, 20 points.

Section “Writing” in the Unified State Examination. Running time – 80 minutes

Task 39. Letter. In task 39 you need to write a personal letter to a friend, following the rules of writing. Volume – 100-140 words. Completion time – 20 minutes. The maximum score is 6.

Task 40. Essay. In task 40 you write a detailed essay-argument on the proposed topic. Essentially, you need to comment on the statement given in the assignment in accordance with the plan. The essay has a clear structure: an introduction, an expression of your opinion with 2-3 arguments, an opposing opinion with 1-2 arguments, an expression of disagreement with the opposing opinion (1-2 counterarguments) and a conclusion. Volume - 200-250 words. Completion time: 60 minutes. The maximum score is 14.

Total: 2 tasks, 20 points.

Unified State Exam 2018. English language. Oral tasks

Section "Speaking"

The oral part is taken on a separate day. The delivery time is 15-20 minutes (while waiting in line in the corridor can last much longer). The oral part is optional, but without it (only for the written part) you can get a maximum of 80 points for the entire exam.

Task 2. Here is an advertisement. You need to ask 5 questions about this ad (5 points of the plan). Preparation time is 1.5 minutes, 20 seconds are given to voice each question. The maximum score is 5 (one point for each question).

Task 3. In front of you are 3 photographs - supposedly from your photo album. You must choose one (only one!) of them and describe it to a friend in accordance with the proposed plan. Attention! In 2018, the wording of the task changed slightly: the word “imagine” was removed and the word “present” was replaced with “describe”. Thus, your answer should be as close to reality as possible and devoid of “fantastic elements.” Time to prepare – 1.5 minutes, time to execute – 2 minutes. The maximum score is 7.

Task 4. Here are 2 photos. You need to compare these photographs based on the plan given in the assignment. Time to prepare – 1.5 minutes, time to execute – 2 minutes. Maximum score – 7. Total: 4 tasks, 20 points.

Let's present everything described in the form of a table:

Structure of the Unified State Exam in English 2018

Written part (180 min.)				Oral part (15-20 min.)
Chapter	Exercise	Time (min.)	Point	Chapter	Exercise	Time	Point
1. Listening	1		7	5. Speaking	1	1.5 (preparation) +2 (answer)	1
	2		6
	3-9		7
2. Reading	10	10	7		2	1,5 + 1,5	5
	11	10	6
	12-18	15	7
3. Grammar and vocabulary	19-25	10	7		3	1,5 +2	7
	26-31	10	6
	32-38	15	7
4. Letter	39	20	6		4	1,5 +2	7
	40	60	14
Total for the written part			80	Total for the oral part			20
Total exam points							100

Thus, the primary and final scores are the same. 1 correctly completed task = 1 point. This means that you need to concentrate extremely hard and try to complete all tasks as best as possible!

“Godograph” sincerely wishes you good luck in your exams!

Are you taking the Unified State Exam in English? This means that you need to master such a difficult section as speaking, or the oral part. These are tasks C3, C4, C5 and C6 in the Unified State Exam version. It is in these tasks that graduates make the most mistakes.

We have prepared for you two real Unified State Exam tests in English and examples of how to perform these tests. Each of them contains 4 tasks. On this page - Test 1

Task C3 - reading.

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Task 1. Imagine that you are preparing a project with your friend. You have found some interesting material for the presentation and you want to read this text to your friend. You have 1.5 minutes to read the text silently, then be ready to read it out aloud. You will not have more than 1.5 minutes to read it.

Many lands that had once been swamps were drained or filled in. There are different reasons why people drained swamplands. Some were drained to fight diseases caused by insects that lived in them. Because swamps were considered unpleasant places in which to live and harmful to health, many people thought that unless they were drained the land was worthless.

Other swamps were drained to make new land. As the population grew and more land was needed, people drained swamps or filled them to make room for more farms and factories, more roads and airports.

Few people thought that it might be harmful to get rid of swamps. As swamps disappeared, other things happened. There were both more floods and more droughts than before. There were also more fires, for swamps had acted as firebreaks. Hunters noticed that there was less wild game. Wild life that once lived in the swamps was dying out, because it had no place to live.

Task C4 – make up questions.

Task 2. Study the advertisement.
You are going to visit Japan this summer and you’d like to have more information about the flights to Japan. In 1.5 minutes you are to ask five questions to find out the following:

1) departure dates
2) travel time
3) return ticket price
4) discounts for students
5) buying the ticket online
You have 20 seconds to ask each question.

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Example of completing a task:
1. What are the days of departures? (What are departure dates?)
2. How long will it take to travel?
3. How much does the return ticket cost? (What is the price of the return ticket?,
How much is the return ticket?)
4. Do you offer any discounts for students? (Are there any discounts for students available?)
5. Is it possible to book the ticket online?

Task C5 – description of one picture.

Task 3. Imagine that you are showing pictures of your pets to your friend. Choose one photo to present to your friend. You will have to start speaking in 1.5 minutes and will speak for not more than 2 minutes. You have to talk continuously. In your talk remember to speak about:
when you took the photo
what/who is in the photo
what is happening
why you took the photo
why you decided to show the picture to your friend
Don’t forget to start with “I have chosen photo number...”

Example of completed task C5:

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I have chosen photo number 1.
To begin with, people keep pets for different reasons. They make our lives more exciting and become the members of our family. They can also be our closest friends forever.

I took this photo last summer in our country house. We have got several pets and this dog is among them. All our pets are friendly and cute creatures.
Let me tell you a few words about this photo. In the background you can see a wonderful Russian landscape. In the foreground there is a wonderful lawn framed with lovely birches and bushes. In the center you can see my elder sister Sveta and our dog Snowflake. We called him so because he is as white and fluffy as snow.
The weather is fine, sunny and warm. Snowflake likes to go for a walk very much. In the photo Sveta is telling him something to keep him calm. You can’t see me as I am taking the photo.
Taking this photo I wanted to start a collection of our pets’ pictures and to display it on the wall in our living room. Besides, the photos will always remind us of our pets.
I decided to show this picture to you because you told me a lot about your dog. Now it’s my turn to give you the first impression of my pet. Isn’t he friendly and cute?
I believe when you come to our place, Snowflake will accept you as his best friend.
That is all I wanted to tell you about this photo.

Task C6 – comparing and contrasting two photographs.

Task 4. Study the two photographs. In 1.5 minutes be ready to compare and contrast the photographs:
Give a brief description (action, location)
say what the pictures have in common
say in what way the pictures are different
say which kind of life you’d prefer
explain why

You will speak for not more than 2 minutes. You have to talk continuously.

Example of completed task C6:

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In our modern world some jobs are very important for our society.
Here are two pictures to compare and contrast on the topic. This is a photo of a man doing his job outside and that is a photo of a policeman standing on the side of the road.
These two pictures show jobs and this is the first similarity. The people in both pictures are wearing uniforms, and that is also what these pictures have in common. The weather is rather warm.
However, the pictures are somehow different. The main difference is that in picture one we can see a worker, while in picture two there is a traffic policeman. Also, their actions are different: the worker is paving a sidewalk and the policeman is on duty watching the traffic on the road.
As far as I am concerned, the job of a traffic policeman (cop) is more important for the society because people of this profession are responsible for our safety and order on the roads. Besides, they control all drivers to keep and obey traffic rules. It is very important for all drivers and passengers’ lives.
I’ve come to the end of my speaking. Thank you for listening.