Read on to explore our useful tips in getting the most out of your Malaysian University English Test (MUET) band score.

MUET is an English proficiency test administered by the Malaysian Examination Council. The MUET exam covers all the four skills in language (listening, speaking, reading, writing) and it is made compulsory for students who wish to enrol into public universities in Malaysia. Its certificate is widely recognised by all universities in Malaysia and Singapore.

MUET is also one of our most popular in-house exam preparation courses for teachers. Let’s get started!

Top Tips to Ace Your MUET – Listening

Do you know that noting down everything you listen to is a big no-no in listening test? This attempt might cause you to lose track on the important information, as well as key answers to the questions!

• Read the instructions

Instructions come first. Read them to keep yourself reminded on the number of words allowed in your answers. Caution: do not write more than instructed and note that a hyphenated word is counted as one word.

• Skim the questions

Second, skim the questions beforehand to get a clear picture of all the potential information you are looking for from the audio tracks. Familiarising yourself with the questions helps you to tackle the answers better. To keep you informed you are given one minute to do so before your test begins. Be smart!

• Selective listening

Do not forget to practice selective listening, select and note down only the required information as you listen to the audio tracks. Do not worry, do not be panic, if you miss out a word or two. During your second listening, catch up on your missing information while checking your answers. Remember to mind your grammar and spelling too!

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Top Tips to Ace Your MUET – Speaking

Speaking does not have to be daunting when you have our guidelines in hand. Master these techniques and speak out your mind like a pro!

• What, Where, When, Why, Who, How

Firstly, we highly recommend you to brainstorm with wh-question words (what, where, when, why, who and how) to help in developing your ideas and views on the topic. Also, convey at least three main ideas with supporting evidence and appropriate vocabulary.

• Master multipurpose phrases

Next, it is important that you master the multipurpose phrases that help in presenting and linking your ideas effectively. For instance, when you wish to introduce your first point, you can use phrases like “first of all” and “to begin with”.

• Avoid filler words and Malaysian colloquialisms

Thirdly, we hereby strongly advise you to avoid using filler words, especially the good-old Malaysian “lah”, when it comes to your speaking test. It noticeably degrades your speaking skills. Why not you change your habit to speaking standard British English from today onwards? Nothing beats practice, and more practice.

According to our MUET experts, situations given in MUET speaking tests are mainly based on current issues. Our suggestion for you is to practice reading newspaper or listen to broadcast news.

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Top Tips to Ace Your MUET – Reading

Get your feet on the ground and find out our top three strategies to ace your MUET reading test, the test component which carries the highest weightage in your total band score.

• Skim and scan

First, you are always advised to skim and scan the questions before reading the text passages to get a general idea on information that you are going to look for later on. Meanwhile, you can underline the key words as it aids you in tackling the answer and in turn saves your time.

• Read quality reading materials

Also, we would highly recommend you to read quality reading materials such as the Reader’s Digest, TIME Magazine as well as local newspapers, like the New Straits Times. As the articles in MUET reading test are mostly adapted from these sources, you can stand a chance to familiarise yourself with the articles’ level of complexity beforehand and apply your skills while reading.

• Practice past year questions

Lastly, doing past year questions is a good way to familiarise yourself with the format as well as the types of questions in MUET. At the same time, you will get to know your weaknesses, apply your reading skills and train your critical thinking skills which in turn shape you into a more skillful test taker. Effort pays back!

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Top Tips to Ace Your MUET – Writing

Here is all you need to know to conquer the writing component of MUET. Be in tip top shape for your writing test with these great tips in mind:

• Follow proper format and structure

Here’s a kind reminder for you: follow the proper format of essay writing to aim for a high score. For instance, do not include your personal opinions in task A and ensure that you provide a proper structure for both essays with a thesis statement. Use linking words where appropriate.

• Mind your writing mechanics

Besides, we would like to emphasise that contractions and abbreviations are not allowed in academic essays. Bear in mind that all you need to do is to spell the words out and stick firmly to formal writing voice. Do not forget to pay close attention to your grammar and spelling too.

• Practice

Lastly, do you know that reading and writing are intimately connected? You can always improve your writing by doing a lot of reading as it helps in developing varied vocabulary, ideas and viewpoints. Meanwhile, you will get to broaden your horizon on certain topics and it aids you in your task B. However, reading itself is not enough to brush up your writing skills. All you need to do is read and write at a consistent manner. Hands-on experiences, peeps!

According to our MUET experts, topics given in MUET writing test are mainly based on current issues.  We bet you know what to do!

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