Preparing for the Test & Practice Tests - AMIRAM

The AMIRAM test is a computerized test of proficiency in English. We recommend practicing in a similar test: AMIRAM Tryout, which includes explanations of how the questions appear in the test, how to answer them, and the time allocation.

 

Preparing for the test

To practice with AMIRAM Tryout click here.

You can also find examples and practice questions at the following links:

Test format & components - AMIR 

Test format & components -  the Psychometric Entrance Test

 

If you have not recently had the opportunity to read texts in English, we recommend refreshing your knowledge by reading during the time leading up to the test. We also recommend practicing solving questions similar to the questions in the test. Be aware that since it takes longer than a few weeks to acquire proficiency in a language, it is worth taking time to prepare for an English test and not rely on a short period of preparation.

 

Sample Questions

1. Sentence Completions

Questions of this type consist of sentences with a word or words missing in each. Below the sentence are four possible ways to complete the sentence. You need to choose the answer which best completes the sentence. Here is a sample question of this type:

most psychologists today believe that adopted children should be permitted and even *missing word* to learn about their biological parents. possible answers: 1) encouraged 2)endured 3) enriched 4) enclosed

2. Reading Comprehension

Questions of this type include a passage for you to read, followed by five questions relating to it. The questions test your ability to read and understand texts. They look at the connections between the ideas and statements expressed in the passage to be read. They will probably involve words used in the passage and details of the material, connections between different sections, drawing conclusions from the content and more. Here is a sample text with two questions:

One afternoon in 1993, an American gem expert named Benjamin Zucker received an unexpected visit from a Swiss gem dealer. The dealer placed a plain box on Zucker's desk and casually opened it, revealing 23 pearls, so large and of such a brilliant orange color that Zucker thought they could not possibly be genuine. The largest was 32 millimeters in diameter - bigger than a robin's egg. Zucker had seen few pearls of that size and had never seen an orange pearl of any kind. The Swiss dealer knew nothing of the pearls' history, except that they had been purchased in Vietnam and were said to have come from the imperial treasury. Though the pearls were not for sale, Zucker became determined to trace their origins. Zucker brought the pearls to Kenneth Scarratt at the Gemological Institute of America. Scarratt confirmed that the pearls were real and that they were almost definitely from Vietnam. Scarratt had seen one such pearl several years before and had traced it to a type of shell found in Vietnamese waters. He reported that only four orange pearls had ever been documented, all in the past 30 years and all from Vietnam. He was astounded to see such a large collection. Scarratt's information suggested to Zucker that, indeed, the pearls must have belonged to Vietnamese royalty: in a country like Vietnam, where wealth and power had been concentrated for generations in the hands of the emperors, no one else could have acquired such an extraordinary collection. Scarratt also told Zucker that the pearls were probably hundreds of years old. He based his conclusion on a pattern of tiny wear marks, which indicated frequent handling over a long period of time. Zucker set out to learn everything he could about pearls in Vietnamese art and history. He found that many 18th- and 19th-century Vietnamese royal objects featured a pearl with a flaming tail, often pursued by a dragon, the symbol of the Vietnamese emperor. This suggested to Zucker that the Vietnamese emperors had indeed owned flame-colored - that is, orange - pearls. Zucker then traveled to Vietnam, where he met with scholars and with people who had been close to the royal family. None of them had seen or even heard of such pearls. Nor could he find any record of the collection. Nonetheless, Zucker remains convinced that the pearls were once the treasure of the emperors of Vietnam. 1. According to the first paragraph, when Zucker first saw the pearls, he thought that they were - (1) Vietnamese (2) not for sale (3) stolen (4) not real 2. The second paragraph is mainly about - (1) how Scarratt first found the royal pearls (2) what Zucker told Scarratt about the pearls (3) what Zucker learned at the Gemological Institute about the pearls (4) how the Vietnamese emperors acquired the pearls3. Restatements

In questions of this type a sentence is given, followed by four possible ways of restating the main idea of that sentence in different words. You need to choose the one restatement which best expresses the meaning of the original sentence. Here is a sample question of this type.

1. Analysts claim that an increase in exports is responsible for Poland's economic recovery. (1) Analysts suggest that growth in Poland's economy can be achieved by increasing exports. (2) Analysts believe that only if Poland's economy recovers will the country be able to export large amounts of goods. (3) According to analysts, the improvement in Poland's economy is the result of increased exports. (4) According to analysts, the recent growth in Poland's economy will encourage the export of more goods.