Who is this exam for?
This exam is for candidates with a beginner level knowledge of English needed to survive for social, travel and everyday purposes.
Candidates will be expected to understand very short, simple information and to express themselves simply and briefly, in speech and in writing, for practical purposes in everyday situations.
How is this exam structured?
The exam has a written paper (1 hour 15 minutes) and an oral test (12 minutes). The written paper is divided into five tasks which are linked to a theme. At Level A1 Foundation the theme is likely to be a series of everyday situations which the candidate might encounter as a visitor in an English-speaking environment.
Tasks 1 and 2: Listening (written paper)
Tasks 1 and 2 can be a monologue or a conversation with 2 or more people. Candidates may be asked to undertake some of the following tasks:
- follow directions or identify places on a map
- identify pictures and people based on information heard on the tape
- identify simple words, phrases or numbers based on information heard on the tape
- mark statements about a text as true or false
- complete pictures with information heard on the tape
Task 3: Reading (written paper)
Candidates read two or three short illustrated texts and will be asked to undertake some of the following tasks:
- put a sequence of pictures, illustrations or sentences in order according to information in the text
- mark statements true or false about a picture or text
- match texts with visuals
- multiple choice for recognition of specific information in the text
- answer very simple questions requiring a few key words
Task 4: Discourse Management (written paper)
a) Candidates read and match questions and responses in a dialogue.
b) Based on a series of pictures, candidates select the best response from a range of options.
Task 5: Writing (written paper)
Candidates will be required to write an account related to the theme of the test. This could be in the form of:
- a postcard
- an application form
- an email
- a description of a picture(s)
- a message or set of instructions
Oral Tests
Oral tests are conducted by an interviewer. Each candidate is assessed for effective communication, interaction, vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Candidates are assessed in pairs and are expected to ask and respond to each other’s questions, as well as to respond to questions and prompts from the interviewer.