APTIS For Teachers: Writing Tests And Model Answers

In this article, we will provide you with speaking sample questions, model answers, general tips and strategies to prepare for APTIS for Teachers.

What Is APTIS For Teaches?

The APTIS for Teachers is a language proficiency test designed by the British Council as a more tailored version of the APTIS General Test. In this way, it follows the same format as the original. It is comprised of five components that test Core Skills: Grammar and Vocabulary as well as Reading, Listening, Writing and Speaking. There are a variety of tasks within each module and each section has a specified time limit. In total, the test runs about 2 hours and 40 minutes. Despite this, Ministries of Educations or private language schools can opt for a modified version of the test to examine the skills that they find to be the most necessary. Depending on the purposes of the institution, the APTIS for Teachers can be computer- or paper-based or a combination of both.

APTIS for Teachers Reading Test is separated into four parts. Each part becomes harder, so that part 1 is the easiest, while part 4 is the hardest. You are given 35 minutes in APTIS for Teachers. If you would like to access simulated tests for APTIS for teachers, please follow the link here.

For further details please visit the British Council website here.

APTIS For Teachers: Writing Practice Test #1

Part 1: You are joining a teacher’s social committee. Fill out the form. Write short answers (1-5 words) for each message. You have 3 minutes.

What is your name? _______________________________________

What subject do you teach?_________________________________

Where are you from?_______________________________________

How long have you been teaching?____________________________

What is your favourite genre of music? ___________________

Part 2: You are a new member of the teacher’s social committee. Fill out the form. Answer the question in 20-30 words. You have 7 minutes.

Please tell us about what you do in your free time and why:

________________________________________________________________

Part 3: You are speaking to fellow members of the teacher’s social committee in a group chat. Respond to them in full sentences (30-40 words per answer). You have 10 minutes.

Christina: Hey! Welcome to the group. Can you tell us why you decided to join our social club?

________________________________________________________________

Diana: What kinds of activities do you hope to do with us?

________________________________________________________________

Mike: I heard that the club wants to have events on weekends. What is your opinion on this?

________________________________________________________________

Part 4: You received this email from the president of the club.

Dear new member,

Thank you for your interest in the Eastmount High School Teacher’s Social Committee. As a member of the group, we understand you enjoy having fun, and we hope you can help the students have fun as well. For this reason, we are requesting that each of you sign up to supervise one of the student activities this academic year. This may be a dance or a field trip. There is a sign-up sheet in the staffroom. Please provide your availability by Tuesday.

Thanks.

President of the Social Committee.

Write a short email to your friend (about 50 words). Tell your friend your feelings about this and what you plan to do. You have 10 minutes.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Write an email to the president of the committee (about 120-150 words). Tell them your thoughts about this and what you would like to do. You have 20 minutes.

________________________________________________________________

If you would like to access more simulated APTIS writing tests then please visit our exam library here.

APTIS For Teachers: Writing Practice Test #2

Part 1: You are joining a group for new teachers. Fill out the form. Write short answers (1-5 words) for each message. You have 3 minutes.

What is your name? _______________________________________

What do you do? _______________________________________

Where do you work? _______________________________________

What is your favourite subject? _______________________________________

What did you do last weekend? _______________________________________

Part 2: You are a new member of the group for new teachers. Fill out the form. Answer the question in 20-30 words. You have 7 minutes.

Please tell us about why you are joining the group for new teachers:

________________________________________________________________

Part 3: You are speaking to fellow members of the group for new teachers in a group chat. Respond to them in full sentences (30-40 words per answer). You have 10 minutes.

Alicia: Hey! Welcome to the group. Can you tell us why you wanted to become a teacher?

________________________________________________________________

Kalyn: I still remember my kindergarten teacher. Who was your favourite teacher and why?

________________________________________________________________

Connor: I heard that some senior teachers might watch our lessons. What is your opinion on this?

________________________________________________________________

Part 4: You received this email from the principal.

Dear New Teacher,

Welcome to the team! We understand how difficult it is to transition from being a student to a teacher in your first year of work. In light of this, we would like to offer you more support. Beginning on the first Friday in October, we will hold weekly training meetings led by more senior staff to help you in your new role. These meetings are unpaid, and therefore, not mandatory. However, we feel that it is in your best interest to attend them for your own professional development.

Write a short email to your friend (about 50 words). Tell your friend your feelings about this email and what you plan to do. You have 10 minutes.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Write an email to the principal (about 120-150 words). Tell them your thoughts about this email and what you would like to do. You have 20 minutes.

________________________________________________________________

APTIS For Teachers: Writing Practice Test #3

Part 1: You are joining a volunteer organization. Fill out the form. Write short answers (1-5 words) for each message. You have 3 minutes.

What is your name?_______________________________________

When is your birthday?_____________________________________

Where are you from? ______________________________________

What are your hobbies?_____________________________________

What are your plans for the weekend?_________________________

Part 2: You are a new member of the volunteer organization. Fill out the form. Answer the question in 20-30 words. You have 7 minutes.

Please tell us if you have volunteered before. What did you do:

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Part 3: You are speaking to fellow members of the volunteer organization in a group chat. Respond to them in full sentences (30-40 words per answer). You have 10 minutes.

Emily: Hey! Welcome to the group. I like to help out at a homeless shelter. Where do you like to volunteer?

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Luc: I donate money to different charities. What charity organizations can you donate to in your area?

________________________________________________________________

Sylvie: I heard that the club is organizing weekly outings to volunteer. What is your opinion on this?

________________________________________________________________

Part 4: You received this email from the leader of the volunteer organization.

Dear member,

In order to meet the new group requirements, you must complete a compulsory 20 hours of volunteer work in one academic year (September-June). You can spend your time tutoring children or talking to seniors in a retirement home. However, we encourage you to try different things.

If you are looking for new opportunities, please let us know. We have limited positions at a soup kitchen serving the hungry and may be able to arrange a position for you.

Regards,

Mr. Arsenault

________________________________________________________________

Write an email to the leader of the volunteer organization (about 120-150 words). Tell them your thoughts about this and what you would like to do. You have 20 minutes.

________________________________________________________________

APTIS For Teachers: Example Answer To Practice Tests #1

Part 1: You are joining a teacher’s social committee. Fill out the form. Write short answers (1-5 words) for each message. You have 3 minutes.

What is your name? My name is Jennifer Nguyen

What subject do you teach? I teach mathematics and science.

Where are you from? I am from Vietnam.

How long have you been teaching? I have been teaching for 2 years.

What is your favourite genre of music? My favourite type of music is pop.

Part 2: You are a new member of the teacher’s social committee. Fill out the form. Answer the question in 20-30 words. You have 7 minutes.

Please tell us about what you do in your free time and why:

In my free time, I am into reading fiction books. I like reading about magic and fantasy because it is interesting.

Part 3: You are speaking to fellow members of the teacher’s social committee in a group chat. Respond to them in full sentences (30-40 words per answer). You have 10 minutes.

Christina: Hey! Welcome to the group. Can you tell us why you decided to join our social club?

Hi Christina! I decided to join a social club to make new friends. I have just moved to this town and it would be nice to make friends who have the same interests as me.

Diana: What kinds of activities do you hope to do with us?

I am interested in learning more about teaching. Many of the group members have been teaching for more years than me, so I think we can have some interesting discussions when we hang out.

Mike: I heard that the club wants to have events on weekends. What is your opinion on this?

To be honest, I don’t really like that idea. I like to relax and chill out. I also go to see my family every weekend. They live far away, so I cannot attend meetings on Saturdays or Sundays.

Part 4: You received this email from the president of the club.

Dear new member,

Thanks.

President of the Social Committee.

Write a short email to your friend (about 50 words). Tell your friend your feelings about this and what you plan to do. You have 10 minutes.

i.e. informal style

Hey Plato,

Do you remember that social group for teachers that I joined? They want us to do social activities with students too! I don’t like that idea. I already spend a lot of time with students and I think it is a lot of extra responsibility. I am going to talk to the president of the club about this issue.

Speak soon,

Jenn

Write an email to the president of the committee (about 120-150 words). Tell them your thoughts about this and what you would like to do. You have 20 minutes.

i.e. formal style

Dear President,

I am writing to you in response to the new policy of the Teacher’s Social Committee.

Firstly, we joined the committee to spend time with our colleagues, not with students. It is important to get to know our coworkers as friends. We don’t have a lot of free time because we always have to plan lessons and correct assignments.

Secondly, supervising student events is a lot of responsibility. At fun events, students don’t like to follow the rules of a classroom. In fact, they might try to cause problems. For this reason, I think it should be part of our paid duties.

I hope you can consider my reasons for not wanting to sign up for an activity.

Regards,

Jenn

APTIS For Teachers: Example Answer To Practice Tests #2

Part 1: You are joining a group for new teachers. Fill out the form. Write short answers (1-5 words) for each message. You have 3 minutes.

What is your name? My name is Julia Rodrigues

What do you do? I am a teacher.

Where do you work? I work in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

What is your favourite subject? My favourite subject is history.

What did you do last weekend? I went to the gym.

Part 2: You are a new member of the group for new teachers. Fill out the form. Answer the question in 20-30 words. You have 7 minutes.

Please tell us about why you are joining the group for new teachers:

I am joining this group to meet other new teachers. I think that we can help each other adjust to our new jobs.

Part 3: You are speaking to fellow members of the group for new teachers in a group chat. Respond to them in full sentences (30-40 words per answer). You have 10 minutes.

Alicia: Hey! Welcome to the group. Can you tell us why you wanted to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher because I love children. They are creative and always like learning new things. Moreover, it has been my dream since I was a child to become a history teacher.

Kalyn: I still remember my kindergarten teacher. Who was your favourite teacher and why?

My favourite teacher was my English teacher, Mr. Maxwell. He was from the United Kingdom, but he lived in Brazil when I was in high school. He taught us English and History in English and was patient and kind.

Connor: I heard that some senior teachers might watch our lessons. What is your opinion on this?

On one hand, I believe that having senior teachers watch us is intimidating and it makes me a bit nervous. On the other hand, it would be useful to hear tips from experts on how we can improve our lessons.

Part 4: You received this email from the principal.

Dear New Teacher,

Write a short email to your friend (about 50 words). Tell your friend your feelings about this email and what you plan to do. You have 10 minutes.

i.e. informal style

Hey Felipe,

I got an email from the principal about the group for new teachers that I joined. We are being told to attend unpaid staff meetings every Friday! I am grateful for the opportunity, but I don’t want to spend my Friday afternoons at work for no pay!

Speak soon,

Julia

Write an email to the principal (about 120-150 words). Tell them your thoughts about this email and what you would like to do. You have 20 minutes.

i.e. formal style

Dear Principal,

Thank you for your email about the staff meetings for new teachers!

On one hand, I am quite excited about the idea. I am looking forward to learning from my colleagues. On the other hand, I am upset by the choice of day. After a long week of teaching, many of us new teachers would like to go home and relax. Instead, we have to spend our free time at work.

Although I am eager to participate in these training sessions, I am wondering if we could arrange another date. I have spoken to some other group members and we believe that a week night meeting after school would be best for all of our schedules. Could we consider Monday or Wednesday instead? Please let me know if this is possible.

Regards,

Julia Rodrigues

APTIS For Teachers: Writing Practice Test #3

Part 1: You are joining a volunteer organization. Fill out the form. Write short answers (1-5 words) for each message. You have 3 minutes.

What is your name? My name is Sumandeep Kaur.

When is your birthday? My birthday is July 12th, 1990.

Where are you from? I am from Mumbai, India.

What are your hobbies? I am into reading novels.

What are your plans for the weekend? I am going to study.

Part 2: You are a new member of the volunteer organization. Fill out the form. Answer the question in 20-30 words. You have 7 minutes.

Please tell us if you have volunteered before. What did you do:

When I was back home in my country, I volunteered once a month. I used to teach English to poor children in Mumbai.

Part 3: You are speaking to fellow members of the volunteer organization in a group chat. Respond to them in full sentences (30-40 words per answer). You have 10 minutes.

Emily: Hey! Welcome to the group. I like to help out at a homeless shelter. Where do you like to volunteer?

Since I am a teacher, I really like to volunteer with children. Besides teaching at a home for poor children, I would also help out at schools with after-school activities like coaching sports and homework club.

Luc: I donate money to different charities. What charity organizations can you donate to in your area?

I think donating money is really important for international catastrophes, so I tend to donate to the Red Cross. Recently, I gave money to the relief program for Lebanon after the terrible explosion in Beirut.

Sylvie: I heard that the club is organizing weekly outings to volunteer.

What is your opinion on this?

It is important for organizations to have regular volunteers, so I believe this is a great idea. However, I cannot commit to helping once a week because my schedule is too busy.

Part 4: You received this email from the leader of the volunteer organization.

Dear member,

If you are looking for new opportunities, please let us know. We have limited positions at a soup kitchen serving the hungry and may be able to arrange a position for you.

Regards,

Mr. Arsenault

Write a short email to your friend (about 50 words). Tell your friend your feelings about this and what you plan to do. You have 10 minutes.

i.e. informal style

Hey Matt,

I’ve just received an email from the volunteer organization that I am involved with. We have to complete 20 hours of volunteer work in different places. I think this is a lot, but they are helping us find new positions. I’m going to contact them for more information.

Speak soon,

Sumandeep

Write an email to the leader of the volunteer organization (about 120-150 words). Tell them your thoughts about this and what you would like to do. You have 20 minutes.

i.e. formal style

Dear Mr. Arsenault,

Thank you for your email.

Although 20 hours of volunteer work seems like a lot, it will be easy to complete in more than one location. Currently, I am helping out once a month at an after-school program for poor children. I opted for this position because it gives me more teaching experience. At the end of the academic year, I will have only completed 10 hours.

For this reason, I am requesting help finding another opportunity. You have mentioned serving food in a kitchen, but I do not think I would be a good fit in this position. I am terrible in the kitchen and very clumsy. Instead, I would prefer to work with children. I think that I am patient and could really make a difference.

Please let me know if you can arrange a position in that field.

Regards,

Sumandeep Kaur

Top 10 Tips For The APTIS Writing Test

Tip 1: Use the right register.

This is the level of formality, friendliness, politeness you use when you write. Knowing and being able to use the correct register when you write (and speak) shows that you can use English well. Using the correct register is more likely to get you the solution you want and so, it is also important for task achievement.

Tip 2: Know the correct spelling.

English spelling is difficult but when you learn the standard phrases, you can also learn the spelling. This will make spelling easier. We will look at other difficult words that occur often later. UK English and USA English sometimes have different spellings. It is not important which one you use but you should be consistent in every question.

Tip 3: Improve your typing speed.

Unless you opt paper-based version, APTIS writing test is computer-based. So the faster you type the better. Just make sure your typing speed isn’t too slow.

Tip 4: Know the word count.

You lose marks if you write too little and waste time if you write too much (it isn’t counted). Therefore, you should know how many words should write and how long you have for each question. Then you can practice them at home. Remember that formal sentences are generally longer than informal sentences.

Tip 5: Read model answers.

Doing this will give you a good idea of what to expect. Think about the things the examiners are looking for and look at how accurate the grammar is. Ask yourself ‘is it cohesive and clear?’ ‘Is the vocabulary wide-ranging or repetitious?’ and ‘is it well planned?’.

Tip 6: Get used to the timings

Make sure that you know how long you have for each part and don’t go over that time. Practice ant home with a timer will stop you from getting any horrible surprises. If you know an APTIS examiner or trainer speak to them and ask them what you need to do to improve.

Tip 7: Check your work

It is easy to lose points for making silly mistakes. Check what you have written. Look at spelling and punctuation. For grammar check- prepositions/dependant prepositions/verb-noun agreement/countable and uncountable/tenses. Remember you can "flag in" option. You can always come back to a question where you had a doubt.

Tip 8: Finish in time

You don’t get any marks for blank spaces, so always write something. Even if you think it’s bad, and you might be surprised, it is better than nothing.

Tip 9: Stay on topic

This is again about answering the question and affects task achievement. If you are asked for an opinion you should give one. If you have to say, for example, why you are applying to join a club. Then you should write about clubs in general.

Tip 10: Practice makes perfect!

Doing practice tests will help you build your concentration levels and your instinct. More than that, practice will improve your English and help you with the timings you need to complete the test with the best result. If you would like to increase your APTIS score by practicing more APTIS tests then please check the exam library in our website here. There you will find largest simulated APTIS test database. Totally free with no registration (we won't even ask for your email).