Inglese Scientifico B2

Exam description

The exam is written and divided into two parts: Reading Comprehension (Part I) and Grammar (Part II-A and Part II-B).

Part I

Part I consists of a scientific article followed by multiple choice/matching questions testing general comprehension skills, key vocabulary and referents.

Part II

Part II-A consists of multiple choice questions on the following topics: transition signals (linkers), problem structures/verb patterns, nominal groups, verb/preposition and noun/preposition combinations, modal verbs of deduction, and countable/uncountable nouns.

Part II B consists of completion/transformation exercises testing various B2-level grammar points (see a complete list of the these points below).

The following grammar topics may be included in Part II-B:

• The present simple;
• The present continuous (including action and non-action verbs);
• The past simple: regular and irregular verbs;
• Used to;
• The past continuous;
• The past perfect;
• The future forms: going to for intentions and predictions; the present continuous for future arrangements; will/won’t for predictions; promises, offers, and decisions;
• he present perfect simple;
• The present perfect continuous;
• Conditionals (1st, 2nd and 3rd);
• Reported speech;
• The passive form (all tenses);
• Modals: can, could, be able to (ability and possibility); must, have to (obligation); may, might (possibility); should, shouldn’t (advice); must, may, might, might not, can’t (deduction);
• Relative clauses (defining and non-defining): who, whose, which, where, that;
• The comparative and superlative;
• Gerunds and infinitives;
• Articles (use of definite, zero and indefinite articles);
• Prepositions of time and place (at, in, on);
• Common verb/preposition and noun/preposition combinations;
• Quantifiers;
• Problem structures: suggest, recommend, allow, advise, enable, make possible, likely, unlikely, appear, seem;
• Nominal groups;
• the infinitive of purpose;
• uncountable and countable nouns;
• transition signals (linkers);

You will find the grammar points listed above in a good grammar reference book, such as “Oxford Grammar 360°” (Oxford University Press); or "English Grammar in Use" by Raymond Murphy (Cambridge University Press)

N.B.: Students will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis ('idoneo'/'non idoneo') and need an overall score equivalent to at least 18/30, or 60%, to pass. Students will have approximately one hour to complete the test.