How to Impress Admissions Officers

Many universities and colleges require applicants to take admissions tests. In the UK, over half of all universities have admissions tests in at least one subject. At the University of Oxford, for example, over 90% of applicants take an admissions test.[1] In the US, over 1.8 million students take the ACT exam and over 1.6 million students take the SAT college entrance exam.[2]

Admissions tests are designed to test students’ critical reading and essay writing skills. By taking an academic English language exam you will develop the skills you need for admissions tests, such as:

• Scanning texts for relevant information  
• Understanding the main topics and ideas in complex texts
• Reading quickly enough to cope with the demands of an academic test
• Writing essays with a good organizational structure
• Selecting the most relevant ideas and representing them clearly and briefly
• Presenting arguments and supporting conclusions.[3]

Students who take academic English language exams also learn how to discuss abstract concepts and keep up a conversation with a good degree of fluency. These skills are essential at the interview stage.

The interview is not a test of English, but it cannot be taken with the help of an interpreter and therefore good communication skills are needed. You can impress the interviewer by:

• Listening carefully: Think about why a question is being asked and what the interviewer wants to know.
• Being confident: If you do not understand something, don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer to explain the question or speak more slowly.
• Showing clarity of thought: Give your opinions and argue your point logically.
• Expressing yourself clearly: Avoid slang, use professional language, be positive and enthusiastic.