ENGLISH COMPETENCY TEST

Nama : ____________________________________ Date : __________________

SECTION 1: GRAMMAR FUNCTIONS

Directions:
This part of the test has incomplete sentences. Four words or phrases, marked (A), (B), (C),
(D), are given beneath each sentence. You are to choose the one word or phrase that best
completes the sentence.

1. Technical support ______________ are predicting that both London and New York customers
will be migrated to a new Microsoft exchange server.
A. analytical
B. analyze
C. analysts
D. analysis

2. Transferring our ________________ supervisors to a new site will have an impact on the entire
operational logistics.
A. train
B. training
C. trains
D. have trained

3. The Company’s physical therapist recommended that my supervisee __________________ the

treatment until stress levels have gone down.
A. continue
B. continued
C. has continue
D. is continuing

4. Many call center administrators believe that the latest figures shows that Service Level
Agreements (SLA) _________________ significantly over the past six months.
A. has improved
B. improving
C. was improved
D. have improved

5. Hardly_____________________ of the Token Cards that we ordered are in stock.

A. some
B. few
C. any
D. none

6. ___________ our CEO pointed out at the meeting, centralizing the order processing system will
mean standardizing procedures across all business units (BU’s).
A. As
B. Such as
C. So
D. Since

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7. The human resources manager has warned all employees that not complying with dress code
and proper behaviour could ________________________ the company’s reputation.
A. penalize
B. monopolize
C. economize
D. jeopardize

8. All professionals who need to sit at work most of the day should always be reminded of the
______________ effects of physical exercise at least once a week.
A. beneficiary
B. benefits
C. beneficial
D. benefiting

9. Access to certain applications require ___________________________ from the Access

Control Manager (ACM).
A. dismissal
B. initiative
C. approval
D. disapproval

10. This project report must be completed and ____________________ to both supervisors and
managers within a timeframe of 48 hours.
A. subjected
B. submitted
C. subscribed
D. substituted

SECTION 2: READING COMPREHENSION

Directions:
Read the passages below and answer the questions by marking the correct option.

11. When will the participants arrive?

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A. On Friday
B. On Saturday and Sunday
C. On Monday
D. On Thursday

12. What are the participants asked to do?

A. Provide their travel details.
B. Indicate their room preferences.
C. Change their schedules.
D. Arrange their own transportation.

13. When will E-Convention take place?

A. at the beginning of the year
B. at the end of the year
C. on the weekend
D. on Thursday

14. What do the words “fast approaching” imply?

A. Upcoming
B. Outgoing
C. Input
D. Output

15. What type of business is McGuire Inc.?

A. An investment bank
B. A software supplier
C. A brokerage firm
D. A livestock trading company

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16. What is the company going to do?
A. Pay a cash dividend.
B. Buy back its own stocks.
C. Increase the number of shares.
D. Invest in storage facilities.

17. How much will each share be worth after the split?
A. $70.
B. $35.
C. $20.
D. $10.

18. Thomas Edison did things in this order:

A. he became a telegraph operator, a newsboy, and then got his first patent.
B. he became a newsboy, got his first patent, and then became a telegraph operator.
C. he got a patent, became a telegraph operator, and then became a newsboy.
D. he became a newsboy, a telegraph operator, and then got a patent.

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19. Edison considered his deafness:
A. a disadvantage.
B. a blessing.
C. a necessity.
D. a gift.

20. This was probably the most important invention for civilization:
A. the vote recorder.
B. the stock ticker.
C. the light bulb.
D. the motion picture camera.

21. The main idea of this passage is:

A. Thomas Edison was always interested in science and inventions, and he invented many
important things.
B. Thomas Edison could not keep a job.
C. Thomas Edison worked day and night on his experiments.
D. Deaf people make good inventors because they can focus without the distraction of spoken
conversation.

22. Where in Europe, besides the Swiss school, is English increasing in use?

A. In Latin America.
B. In all European countries.
C. In Africa and Asia.
D. In the Middle East.

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23. The English program has caused an uproar. It means that:
A. an improvement.
B. a state of happiness.
C. a real excitement.
D. a new lifestyle.

24. People agree that English should become the Continent language, but:
A. it should become the second language.
B. it should be promoted since pre-school education.
C. their own languages should be protected.
D. it may substitute their native tongue.

25. Where exactly did Antonio Sanz live in 1965?

A. In Valencia.
B. In Zaragoza.
C. In Málaga.
D. In Madrid.

26. What did his father do?

A. He worked on a dairy farm.
B. He was an American.
C. He used to be an executive at Vodafone PLC.
D. He was a professor.

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27. What opportunity did Antonio have and who offered it to him?
A. An American professor asked his parents if she might take the boy to the U.S. and enroll
him in public school.
B. He was granted a scholarship by the government.
C. He won a prize for his good grades.
D. His school teacher granted him a tour through Europe.

28. Did Antonio come back to see his parents?

A. No, he did not have the time to do it.
B. He came back to Spain every summer with stories from Philadelphia and boxes of New
World artifacts.
C. He came to Spain during Christmas time.
D. He used to come to Spain every other year.

29. Was Sanz a good student?

A. He suffered from Attention Deficit Disorder.
B. He needed private tutoring.
C. Sanz learned fast and by senior year he outscored most of his honors in English.
D. He was good at sports.

30. Where did Sanz study?

A. In Madrid.
B. In high school.
C. He graduated from Hamilton College in Clinton.
D. He used to work in Philadelphia.

31. What was Sanz’s first job?

A. In IBM
B. In P&G.
C. In Clinton.
D. In Vodafone PLC.

32. What does he do now?

A. He works in Düsseldorf.
B. He is an executive in Madrid.
C. He lives in Paris.
D. He is a university professor.

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SECTION 3: TEXT COMPLETION

Directions:
Read the text. A word or phrase is missing in some of the sentences. Four choices are given
below each of the sentences. Select the best answer to complete the text.

To: All Employees

From: Gilbert Ribley
Date: June 19
Subject: Performance Plan

Dear Employees, As you know, the past year was a great success for us. To reward you for your
excellent performance, the Board of Directors has approved a bonus for all employees. This bonus
will be ______________________ (33) in your next paycheck. __________________ (34), we are
calculating wage increases for
the upcoming year. Each employee’s performance will be examined carefully as we determine the
appropriate increate. All full-time employees are eligible for this increase. Your
supervisor______________________ (35) you of the amount of
your increase during the first week of January. Thank you again for making last year such a
success!

Sincerely, Gilbert Ribley

Human Resources

33. A. involved
B. joined
C. composed
D. included

34. A. Instead
B. In addition
C. Beforehand
D. Otherwise

35. A. informed
B. to inform
C. will inform
D. was informing

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SECTION 4: ERROR RECOGNITION

Directions:
In questions, 36 to 50, each sentence has four words or phrases in CAPITAL LETTER.
Identify the ONE word or phrase that must be changed to be correct.

36. I would be happy to ACT in the role of consultant to RECOMMEND you on how to best design
your products. My fee is SGD500 per day. I’m afraid the dates you SUGGEST are not possible
as I am away at a conference, but any time the following week would suit me.
A. recommend
B. act
C. suggest
D. suit

37. On your resume, you should write a brief history of your education and training, mentioning
your QUALIFICATIONS and the GRADES you obtained. Also include a work HISTORY.
Include a section about your personal interest, and don’t forget to write the contact information
for two REFERRALS.
A. referrals
B. qualifications
C. grades
D. history

38. In order to achieve CERTIFICATION for our products, we need the highest possible
STANDARDS. Each PRODUCE must be checked thoroughly before packing. Any faulty items
should be placed in the box marked “REJECTS”.
A. produce
B. certification
C. standards
D. rejects

39. Could you make few ALTERATIONS to report please? Rachel Wells spells her name Rachael,
not Rachel, so could you TRANSFORM the spelling? We’ve got last month’s figures in now,
they can be ADDED to the report. The average monthly income will need to be ADJUSTED to
take these new figures into account.
A. alterations
B. added
C. transform
D. adjusted

40. Do you mind TO SWAP offices with me this afternoon? We’ve got a departmental meeting, but
we can’t use the usual meeting room because it’s BEING RENOVATED. You’ve room’s a bit
ROOMIER than mine is. Hope I’m not BEING TOO AWKWARD!
A. being renovated
B. to swap
C. roomier
D. being too awkward

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41. Anyone WHO TAKES the Rorschach test for personality traits ARE ASKED to interpret a
SERIES of inkblots.
A. who
B. takes
C. are asked
D. series

42. TODAY, the glaciers of the world OCCUPIES ABOUT 10 PERCENT of the Earth’s surface.
A. Today
B. occupies
C. about
D. percent

43. In 2004, a team LED by the government environment ministry SAY THAT CHEMICALS from
the factory had CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT in the bay and ENTERED the food chain.
A. say that chemicals - (said that chemicals)
B. contaminated sediment
C. led by
D. entered

44. In MANY LANGUAGES, the form of a word VARIES to express SUCH contrast as number,
gender, and TENSE.
A. many languages
B. varies
C. such
D. tense

45. Hewlett-Packard HAS introduced MUCH useful and high PRODUCTS throughout ITS history.
A. has
B. much
C. products
D. its

46. ALTHOUGH Bill Hewlett and David Packard started in a small garage, they MANAGED to
succeeded and make a worldwide KNOWN Company.
A. Although
B. managed
C. succeeded
D. known

47. The factory WHERE a great quantity of color TV sets MADE next year is now BEING BUILT
IN THE SOUTHERN suburb of Shanghai.
A. where
B. made
C. being built
D. in the southern

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48. Before you BEGIN SEARCHING the internet, ASK YOURSELF the question: “What kind of
job AM I SUITED CURRENTLY to do?”
A. begin searching
B. ask yourself
C. am I
D. suited currently

49. The group that IS ORGANISED to review new RULES HAS MET three times this month and
HASN'T PASSED even one resolution.
A. is organised
B. rules
C. has met
D. hasn’t passed

50. THOSE HAVING problem with chemistry, WHICH ARE an exact science, HAVE TO train
themselves TO BE ANALYTICAL.
A. Those having problem
B. which are
C. have to
D. to be analytical

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