There are two types of rearrangements in ACER style tests – they are rearrangement of letters and rearrangement of words.

Rearrangement of Letters

Look at the question and, if appropriate:

1. Find out possible words to meet the new meaning
2. Do any of the removed/added letters meet the solution easily?
3. If the above two is too difficult, look at the solution options if it can assist and work backwards

Make sure that you have a good vocabulary i.e. know what words fit the meaning provided.

Example of Strategy in Action:

Add three letters to the word TOP to make a new word meaning 'to exile'. The three added letters are:

(A) RED (B) ISH (C) ISP (D) SED

Correct answer is (a) RED

Why?

• Looked at the word and found words that could meet that meaning – I would need to have good vocabulary and know meanings of words in order to do this.
• The word is DEPORT. There are a number of other words meaning 'to exile' however, none of these words contained T, O and P.
• Therefore added letters over TOP is DER = RED
• Therefore the correct answer is (a).

Rearrangement of Words

Look at the question and, if appropriate:

1. Look at the words and try to match up parts of words together e.g. might match up an adverb with a verb, a noun with an adjective.
2. Then try an put together your matches to form a meaningful sentence
3. Look at your sentence, could it be expressed differently or in a way that is better?
4. Check that your last words usually are nouns, adverbs or a subject to which an action is done e.g. They played it! As last words are hardly ever adjectives or linking words such as 'for', 'to' etc…. Sentences usually start with 'he', 'she', 'it' or 'I'.
5. If so, change it. If not, leave as is.

Make sure that you Know your sentence structure and order of words e.g. Adjectives before nouns, prepositions, starting words, what nouns contain other nouns e.g. a house would contain a room – but make sure what you organise makes sense!

Example of Strategy in Action:

If you rearrange the words to form the best sentence possible, which word would be second from the last

documents exactly were time delivered on the luckily

(A) ON (B) THE (C) DOCUMENTS (D) TIME

Correct answer is (a) ON

Why?

• Need to know sentence structure and matched, 'the documents' and 'were delivered', 'on time'. Then put the words together in a sentence
• Best sentence: Luckily, the documents were delivered exactly on time.
• Second last word is ON.
• Therefore the correct answer is (a).

The video will go through the below four examples:

Add three letters to the word IRON. Rearrange the letters to make a word meaning persistent and incessant usually referring to illness. The added letters are:

A: CCH

B: DEF

C: ICY

D: ICT

E: EDY

Rearrange the words to make the best possible sentence. What is the third word from the beginning?

_tea childcare just Emma morning at time for in arrives _

A: childcare

B: at

C: just

D: time

E: None of these

Rearrange the following words to form the best sentence possible. What is the second last word of this sentence?

_admired the creation chef his back and stood newest _

A: admired

B: stood

C: newest

D: creation

E: None of these

Take three letters away from the word LAWYER to make a new word that means wonder. The removed letters are

A: YER

B: RYL

C: LER

D: WER

E: None of these

Key Rules to remember:

• Remember parts of speech in your sentence formulation
• Prepare beforehand by reading!
• Remember there is always elimination available to you so look at the available options.

Now it's time to do your assignment.

1. Download the assignment question here.
2. Print it out or if you want to do it electronically, save it.
3. Complete the questions to it.
4. Then check the solutions on the video below.
5. If you want the written answers (instead of the video), you can download them here.