The go-to exam prep course for teenagers just got even better!
Now part of a 10-level exam programme with Academy Stars
The go-to exam prep course for teenagers – now with even more benefits for students, teachers and schools!
Optimise Stars, the new edition of Optimise, combines the hugely popular methodology of the original Optimise series with new content that is genuinely relevant to teenagers. It teaches students essential exam skills and techniques to optimise their exam performance and ensure no surprises on the day. It gives teachers comprehensive
Teenage content for teenage students
Optimise Stars integrates teen-friendly reading lessons, grammar animation videos, real-world videos, and gamified digital activities to keep students engaged. Engaged learners absorb information better, retain knowledge, and develop a positive attitude towards their studies. By creating an interactive and stimulating environment, Optimise Stars enhances comprehension and motivates teenagers to actively participate in their learning journey.
exam-prep guidance and offers additional wellbeing support for both students and teachers.
Optimise Stars is also now part of a new 10-level exam-focused programme for schools that offers a seamless classroom experience from primary through to secondary.
Essential Exam Skills and Strategies
In response to teacher feedback, we have streamlined the programme by reducing the number of core units per level and adding a dedicated starter and preview unit. This allows teachers to comfortably cover the entire course within the academic year while reinforcing key language skills. The core units include the Optimise Your Exam and Exam Skills boxes, giving students essential tools and strategies to excel in their exams.
Designed as a comprehensive, 10 level programme
Optimise Stars has been carefully designed to align with Academy Stars 2nd Edition to provide a cohesive and complete 10-level course designed for both primary and secondary students preparing for Cambridge exams. This ensures a seamless learning experience for students with several shared features including:
• Engaging Educational Tools: Every unit features thought-provoking questions that foster critical thinking, an essential skill directly linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Targeted Cambridge Exam Practice: Students benefit from practice tailored for Key for Schools, Preliminary for Schools, and First for Schools.
• Inductive Grammar Approach: An inductive approach to grammar instruction promotes deeper understanding and retention.
• Autonomous Learning Tips: A new ‘Learning to Learn’ feature in the student components encourages self-directed learning.
• Dynamic Learning Tools: Each unit includes a grammar video to enhance comprehension and engagement.
Exam prep
Global Citizenship skills
Learning strategies
Animated Grammar
Optimise your student wellbeing
Teenage students often face anxiety from study workloads, tight deadlines, and the pressure of exam preparation. The Optimise Your Wellbeing section, located at the end of each Review (every two units), provides essential tips and strategies to manage examrelated anxiety and pressure effectively.
What’s new in Optimise Stars:
New Reading Texts
Fresh contemporary reading materials included in both the Student’s Book and Workbook.
Updated Visuals
Vibrant new photographs and
Full-Colour Workbook
A vibrant resource that enhances engagement and makes learning more enjoyable.
Brand New Video Content
Resources that support learning and provide varied content delivery aligned with teenage student’s interests.
Wellbeing Feature
A new section in the review materials focused on student wellbeing.
Mock Exams
Each level includes two mock exams to support effective student preparation.
Digital Games
Twenty engaging activities per level designed to reinforce learning interactively.
Every unit starts with either a new digital game or a new documentary or situational video to introduce the topic.
UNIT WALKTHROUGH
Stimulating, out-ofthe-ordinary topics and photographs have been chosen to get students reading, thinking and speaking about the world.
New critical thinking question linked to the unit topic and an SDG goal in every unit. This feature also appears in Academy Stars
The popular Exam Skill boxes give students skills to optimise their exam performance.
New Optimise Shield icon indicates an exam-type task. This feature also appears in Academy Stars
Think boxes at the end of the section encourage students to reflect more on the topic.
UNIT WALKTHROUGH
Optimise presents grammar in context: this enables students to assimilate, understand and use language sooner and better.
Exercises are staged so as to be progressively more challenging as students work through the lesson.
Word patterns help students increase their vocabulary competence and prepare for a number of exam tasks.
Brand new Digital practice activities reinforce learning in a gamified and engaging environment.
Lessons include details of the Vocabulary reference at the back of the Student’s Book. This provides reference materials to support students during vocabulary tasks and also acts as a revision tool.
Digital practice is available to bolster grammar and vocabulary practise inside and outside the classroom.
Listening lessons always feature a specific exam skill and provide support and guidance to help students develop the skill further.
UNIT WALKTHROUGH
The Optimise your Exam box in the Listening lessons always gives students advice on how to approach this kind of task.
A new animated grammar video in each unit simplifies the process of learning new grammar rules.
The Exam skill boxes in Listening lessons focus on specific subskills needed to achieve success in listening.
Personalisation activities encourage students to reflect more on the topic.
Remember boxes on the grammar pages provide clear additional information and direct students to the Grammar reference at the back of the Student’s Book for further details and examples.
UNIT WALKTHROUGH
The Optimise your Exam box develops the lesson skill in order to prepare students for the exam task that follows.
The Exam Skill box in the speaking lesson highlights one of the sub-skills that are required for success in the speaking test.
The lesson ends with a speaking-test task consolidating the skill developed on this page.
All the common Language in use exam tasks are covered: multiple-choice cloze, open cloze, word formation and sentence transformations.
Exam Skill boxes kept from the 1st edition.
Writing lessons focus on the different types of writing that students may be expected to produce in an exam situation.
UNIT WALKTHROUGH
The Exam skill box develops key language functions that students will need to apply in writing tasks.
Students analyse the task and make notes to prepare for the writing in each unit.
After writing, students are encouraged to check their work carefully.
The new Learning to Learn feature at the end of the writing section offers students tips on how to study independently and set their own goals. This feature also appears in Academy Stars
Cross references to the workbook for further practice.
UNIT WALKTHROUGH
Review sections appear after every 2 units and include a new Optimise your wellbeing section for students, with tips and suggestions on how to look after their own wellbeing and stay calm in stressful situations.
Optimise Stars Student’s Book also includes a lot of end matter – including the Optimise Your Exam section, which explains what is involved in each paper and includes exam videos showing real students doing the actual exam tasks. There are also reference sections for grammar, vocabulary, speaking and writing with examples of all the different text types in the exam.
Explore the next generation platform and experience
Macmillan Education Everywhere (MEE)
With Optimise Stars you can transform your teaching with the next generation Macmillan Education Everywhere Platform. New planning and grading features streamline your work, saving you valuable time. Elevate your classes with engaging content and gamified practice while gaining insights to enhance outcomes and support students’ specific needs. Enjoy offline access, flexible assessments, and seamless progress tracking — all in one comprehensive platform.
Learn more about the next generation platform: macmillanenglish.com/mee
