Four kinds of material
The materials available do different jobs, and the common mistake is buying several of one kind and none of another. Knowing which job each does makes the shelf much shorter and much more useful.
| Type | Job | How many |
|---|---|---|
| Textbook | Teaches the level's grammar | One |
| Drill book | Practises one section | One, for your weakest |
| Past papers | Format, pacing, diagnosis | As many as you can |
| Vocabulary tool | Handles volume | One app or deck |
| Reading practice | Speed and stamina | Any material at level |
The third row is the one most often missing and the one with the highest return. Buy it first rather than last.
Why past papers come first
A textbook teaches the material; a past paper tells you what the exam does with it. Those are different, and the second is what determines whether you pass.
Taking one early, before you feel ready, is uncomfortable and is exactly when the information is most useful, because there is still time to change what you are doing.
- Take one early to establish the gap.
- Take one timed to establish the pacing problem.
- Use the section breakdown to choose a drill book.
- Take a second one late to check the change worked.
- Do not save them all for the final week.
One textbook, not three
Textbooks for a given level cover largely the same syllabus, because the syllabus is what defines the level. A second one mostly repeats the first at the cost of time you do not have.
The exception is when the first book is not working for you, in which case switching is reasonable. Buying a second to use alongside the first rarely is.
- Choose one and finish it before considering another.
- Prefer one with answers and explanations, not just exercises.
- Check it covers all sections, not only grammar.
- Switch if it is not working; do not stack.
- Finishing one book beats sampling three.
Drill books for the weak section
Drill books target one section: vocabulary, grammar, reading or listening. They are efficient when aimed at a known weakness and wasteful when bought as a set.
The past paper tells you which one to buy, which is another reason to take one early.
- Buy for the section your past paper identified.
- One at a time, finished, before buying another.
- Reading drill books help with speed as well as comprehension.
- Listening drill books are worth it if listening is weak; the audio matters.
- Grammar drill books suit learners who have the knowledge and lose marks on format.
Vocabulary is a volume problem
Vocabulary at the upper levels is a matter of quantity, and quantity suits spaced review rather than a book. This is the one area where an app is usually better than paper.
The important thing is a single system used consistently rather than a good one used briefly, because the volume only accumulates with consistency.
- Pick one system and stay with it.
- Use spaced review rather than lists.
- Add words from your reading as well as from the level list.
- Keep the daily load sustainable; volume comes from months, not days.
- Do not switch systems midway; the interval history does not transfer well.
What people over-buy
The predictable over-purchases are second and third textbooks, complete drill sets bought before knowing the weak section, and material for a level above the one being taken.
The predictable under-purchase is past papers, which are the cheapest per unit of useful information and the most often left until the final fortnight.
A workable shelf for one level is a textbook, one drill book chosen after a past paper, a vocabulary system and as many past papers as are available.
If you are unsure what to buy next, buy another past paper. It is almost always the right answer and it tells you what to buy after that.