Versant English Test Story Retelling – 6 Tips to Improve Your Score
1. Focus on key information
Focus on catching names, actions, and the ending.
Don’t try to catch every single word.
The engine checks if you include key facts and events, not every word. Missing minor details is fine.
2. Aim to speak for about 30 seconds
Don’t make your response too short.
Answers around 10–15 seconds usually hurt your score because the engine expects a longer response.
Long silences and dead air are bad for your score.
Avoid dragging on with fillers. Around half a minute is ideal.
3. Use linking words
Even simple connectors like first, then, after that, finally, because, and so make your retelling more coherent.
This helps both grammar and fluency scores.
You should divide your retelling into three parts:
- Introduction: “The story is about (name)…”
- Actions: “First… Then… After that…”
- Ending: “In the end…” or “Finally…”
4. Keep grammar simple but correct
Simple, correct grammar is good for your score.
Complicated grammar with errors is bad for your score.
It’s better to say: “The boy went to the shop and he bought milk” than to attempt a complex structure and get it wrong.
Consistent use of the simple past tense usually works well.
5. Speak at a steady pace
Don’t rush to squeeze in every detail.
Clear pacing helps both pronunciation and fluency scores.
Speak at your natural pace.
6. Paraphrase if you forget a word
If you can’t recall a word like “escalator”, say “moving stairs in a building”.
The system rewards flexibility with vocabulary.
Describing the same idea using different words is better for your score than copying exactly what you heard.