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Examice Cambridge Exams Practice Test: Teacher’s Notes

Pract
Pre A1 Starters

Introduction
The Cambridge Exams for Young Learners are for children The official syllabus and wordlist are available at
between the ages of 7 and 12. The exams do not pass or fail http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams/young-learners-
children but instead award them a number of attainment english. Pre A1 Starters has three papers, testing the four
shields on a scale from one to five. The exams are in three language skills:
levels relating to the levels of the Common European
Framework of Reference (CEFR): Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers
and A2 Flyers.

Paper Timing Number of Parts of the test

test items
Reading 20 25 Part 1: Reading short sentences and recognising words. There are five items and
and Writing minutes the children tick ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Part 2: Reading sentences about a picture. There are five items and the children
write ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Part 3: Spelling of single words. There are five items and the children write
the words.
Part 4: Cloze text with a wordpool with pictures. There are five items and the
children copy words.
Part 5: Reading questions about a picture story. There are five items and the
children write one-word answers.
Speaking 3–5 26 Part 1: Understanding and following spoken instructions. The children respond to
minutes responses six instructions by pointing at or placing object cards on a scene picture.
including 6 Part 2: Understanding and responding to spoken questions. The children answer
non verbal questions about the scene picture including one ‘Tell me about …’ question.
Part 3: Understanding and responding to spoken questions. The children answer
questions about the object cards.
Part 4: Understanding and responding to personal questions. The children answer
personal questions.
Listening 20 20 Part 1: Listening for names and descriptions. There are five items and the children
minutes draw lines between the names and the people in the picture.
Part 2: Listening for particular numbers and spellings. There are five items and the
children take notes.
Part 3: Listening for specific information. There are five items and the children
choose from a three-option multiple choice.
Part 4: Listening for words, colours and prepositions. There are five items and the
children follow instructions to colour items in the correct colour.
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Examice Cambridge Exams Practice Test: Teacher’s Notes
Pract
Pre A1 Starters

Pre A1 Starters Reading and Writing

Part 1: R
 eading short sentences and Part 4: Reading and understanding
recognising words 5 marks a factual text 5 marks
In this task, the children read five statements. Each statement In this task, the children read a factual text, which has a title
is accompanied by a picture and a tick box. If the statement and an illustration to give the general idea of the content.
matches the picture, the children write a tick in the box. If The text has five gaps, which the children complete with the
the statement doesn’t match the picture, the children write a appropriate word from a wordpool.
cross in the box.
Answers
Answers 1 hats 2
boat 3
football 4
kites 5
camera
1 2 3 4 5
Part 5: Reading a story and answering questions
Part 2: Reading sentences about a picture5 marks with one-word answers 5 marks
In this task, the children look at a picture and read five In this task, a story is told in three pictures. There are five
statements about the picture. Some of the sentences correctly questions about the pictures and the children write one-word
describe the picture and some do not. The children write ‘yes’ answers.
and ‘no’ accordingly.
Answers
Answers 1 lemons 2
sheep 3
beans 4
grey 5
grape
1 yes 2 yes 3 no 4
yes 5 no

Part 3: Spelling of single words 5 marks

In this task, there are five pictures of objects. The word for
each object is given as scrambled letters. There are dashes to
show the number of letters in each answer. The children write
the word for each object on the dashes.
Answers
1 train 2
plane 3
lorry 4
helicopter 5
motorbike
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Examice Cambridge Exams Practice Test: Teacher’s Notes
Pract
Pre A1 Starters

Pre A1 Starters Speaking

Time: approximately 3–5 minutes
4 Parts
A total of 15 marks

Part Task and output Number of questions

Part 1 Understanding and following spoken instructions: 6
• The children point at or place object cards on scene picture.
Part 2 Understanding and responding to spoken questions: 5
• The children answer questions about the scene picture, including one ‘Tell me
about …’ question.
Part 3 Understanding and responding to spoken questions: 12
• The children answer questions about three of the object cards.
Part 4 Understanding and responding to personal questions: 3
• The children answer personal questions.
Before the test, cut out the object cards into individual cards.

Part 1 Part 2
First ask the child: What’s your name? Introduce yourself and Ask the child two questions about two of the people or things
ensure that the child is at ease. in the scene picture. For example, ask:
Show the child the scene picture (the landscape scene) and • What’s this? (Answer: a bus)
allow them time to familiarise themselves with it. • What colour is it? (Answer: red)
Ask the child to point to certain items on the scene picture. For • Who’s that? (Answer: It’s a girl.)
example, ask: • What’s she doing? (Answer: She’s riding a bike.)
• Where’s the bus / lorry / train / helicopter / bike? Ask the child to describe one of the objects from the scene
• Where’s the sea / beach? picture. For example, say:
• Where’s the girl? • Tell me about the helicopter. (Answer: It’s big. It’s red and
• Where are the children? blue. It’s flying.)
Ask the child to place the object cards in various locations on
the scene picture. For example, say: Part 3
• Put the watch on the lorry. Ask the child four questions about three of the object cards.
• Put the potato under the helicopter. For example, ask:
• Put the sun next to the sea. • What’s this? (Answer: a radio)
• Put the chair on the bus. • What colour is it? (Answer: grey, red and yellow)
• Put the pear next to the train. • Do you have a radio? (Answer: Pupils’ own answers.)
• What do you listen to on a radio? (Answer: Pupils’ own
Possible acceptable answers answers.)
The child points and places items in the correct place. The
children should not worry if items are put in unusual places! Part 4
Ask the child three questions about themselves. For example,
ask:
• How old are you?
• Do you have any brothers or sisters?
• What’s your favourite colour?
• What’s your friend’s name?
• Can you play tennis?
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Examice Cambridge Exams Practice Test: Teacher’s Notes
Pract
Pre A1 Starters

Pre A1 Starters Listening

Part 1: Matching 5 marks Part 4: Listening for specific information about

In this task, the children look at a picture and listen to a colour and place 5 marks
dialogue between an adult and a child describing people In this task, the children are tested on vocabulary, particularly
in the picture. The children draw lines to identify the different colours and prepositions of place. There is one big picture
people. with a number of examples of the same object. The children
Answers listen to a dialogue between an adult and a child. The
children find the correct objects in the picture by listening to
Ben – boy on his phone, middle right
information about their positions. Then they colour the objects
Jill – girl painting, back right
Sam – boy playing guitar, front middle
in the correct colour.
Grace – girl with camera, middle left Answers
Sue – girl eating grapes, front right 1 next to the TV – red guitar
2 under the table – pink guitar
Part 2: Note-taking 5 marks 3 next to the bookcase – brown guitar
In this task, the children listen to a dialogue between an 4 on the table, next to the radio – orange guitar
adult and child. There is a picture to set the scene and five 5 under the window – yellow guitar
comprehension questions. The answers are either names
or numbers. The numbers can be written as both digits or
words. The names are all spelled out, letter by letter, so the
children must spell them correctly to get the mark.
Answers
1 Bird 2
two 3
Tony 4
Cross 5
14

Part 3: Listening for specific information and

matching pictures 5 marks
In this task, the children listen to five dialogues between
different pairs of speakers. For each dialogue, the children
are given a question to answer and a choice of three picture
answer options. The children tick the correct picture.
Answers
1 B 2
A 3
C 4
A 5
C
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Examice Cambridge Exams Practice Test: Pre A1 Starters
Pract
Audioscript

Narrator: Hello. Narrator: Five.

Look at Part One. M: Who’s that? The girl with the yellow hat? She’s
Look at the picture. eating grapes.
Listen and look. Fch: That’s Sue.
There is one example. M: She likes grapes!
PAUSE 00’03” Fch: Yes, she does. I like grapes, too!
Fch: Look at this picture of me and my friends, Mr Park. PAUSE 00’05”
M: Oh yes! What a fantastic day! Who’s that boy with Narrator: Now listen to Part One again.
the orange kite? PAUSE 00’03”
Fch: That’s Tom. He likes kites. [REPEAT PART ONE WITH ONLY 00’03” PAUSES]
M: So do I! Narrator: That is the end of Part One.
PAUSE 00’03” PAUSE 00’05”
Narrator: Can you see the line? This is an example. Narrator: Part Two.
Now you listen and draw lines. Look at the picture.
PAUSE 00’03” Listen and write a name or a number.
[REPEAT FROM HERE] There are two examples.
Narrator: One. PAUSE 00’03”
M: There’s a boy on his phone. He’s got brown hair. Fch: Hello, I’m new.
What’s his name? M: Hello! Welcome to tennis!
Fch: His name’s Ben. Fch: Thank you. My name is Anna.
M: He’s very happy! M: Is that A-N-N-A?
Fch: Yes, he is! Fch: Yes.
PAUSE 00’05” PAUSE 00’03”
Narrator: Two. M: How old are you, Anna?
Fch: There’s Jill. She’s Ben’s sister. She’s painting! Fch: I’m nine.
M: Oh yes, I can see her. She has got brown hair and M: Nine?
brown eyes, too. Fch: Yes, it’s my birthday today!
Fch: Yes. M: Happy birthday!
M: I like her green watch. PAUSE 00’03”
Fch: Me, too. Narrator: Can you see the answers? Now you listen and
PAUSE 00’05” write a name or a number.
Narrator: Three. PAUSE 00’03”
M: Who is the boy with the cool, purple glasses? [REPEAT FROM HERE.]
Fch: That’s Sam. He goes to my school. Narrator: One.
M: He likes playing the guitar. M: What’s your family name?
Fch: Yes, he does. Fch: It’s Bird.
PAUSE 00’05” M: How do you spell that?
Narrator: Four. Fch: Bird. That’s B-I-R-D.
M: Who’s that? The girl with the camera? She’s got M: Thanks.
long brown hair. PAUSE 00’10”
Fch: That’s my friend, Grace. Narrator: Two.
M: Is she taking a photo? M: Have you got any brothers or sisters?
Fch: Yes, she is. She takes great photos. Fch: Yes, I have. I’ve got two sisters and one brother.
PAUSE 00’05” M: That’s a big family!
Fch: Yes, I know!
PAUSE 00’10”
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Examice Cambridge Exams Practice Test: Pre A1 Starters
Pract
Audioscript

Narrator: Three. F: Do you like basketball, Lucy?

M: I think I know your brother. What’s his name? Fch: No, I don’t. I don’t like basketball and I don’t like
Fch: His name is Tony. gymnastics. I like music.
M: Can you spell Tony? F: Let’s listen to some music.
Fch: Yes, I can. T-O-N-Y. Fch: Yes, please!
M: Yes, I know Tony Bird. He comes to football. PAUSE 00’05”
Fch: Yes, he does. Narrator: Two. What has Tom got in his bedroom?
PAUSE 00’10” PAUSE 00’03”
Narrator: Four. F: Have you got a TV in your bedroom, Tom?
M: Where do you live, Anna? Mch: No, I haven’t. There’s a TV in the living room.
Fch: We live on Cross Street. F: What about a radio? Have you got a radio in your
M: How do you spell that? bedroom?
Fch: C-R-O-S-S. Mch: No, I haven’t. I’ve got a computer. I can listen to
M: OK. music on my computer.
PAUSE 00’10” PAUSE 00’05”
Narrator: Five. Narrator: Three. Where’s May’s phone?
M: What number’s your house? PAUSE 00’03”
Fch: It’s fourteen. F: Where’s my phone? I can’t find it.
M: Fourteen? M: Is it in the living room?
Fch: Yes, I live at 14 Cross Street. F: No, it isn’t. It isn’t in the living room and it isn’t in the
kitchen.
M: Great, OK, let’s play tennis!
M: Here it is! It’s in the hall.
PAUSE 00’10”
PAUSE 00’05”
Narrator: Now listen to Part Two again.
Narrator: Four. What is Sam eating?
PAUSE 00’03”
PAUSE 00’03”
[REPEAT PART TWO WITH ONLY 00’05” PAUSES]
F: What are you eating, Sam?
Narrator: That is the end of Part Two.
Mch: I’m eating some peas. Peas are my favourite food!
PAUSE 00’05”
F: Do you like beans, too?
Narrator: Part Three.
Mch: No, I don’t. I don’t like beans and I don’t like
Look at the pictures.
tomatoes.
Now listen and look.
PAUSE 00’05”
There is one example.
Narrator: Five. How does Pat get to school?
PAUSE 00’03”
PAUSE 00’03”
Narrator: What is Kim drawing?
Mch: Do you go to school on the bus, Pat?
PAUSE 00’03”
Fch: No, I don’t. My brother has got a motorbike!
F: What are you drawing, Kim? Is it a bear?
Mch: Wow! Do you go to school on his motorbike?
Fch: No, it isn’t. I can’t draw bears and I can’t draw
Fch: No, I don’t! I go on the train.
crocodiles.
PAUSE 00’05”
F: I know! It’s a giraffe!
Narrator: Now listen to Part Three again.
Fch: Yes! I’m colouring it in orange and black.
PAUSE 00’03”
PAUSE 00’03”
[REPEAT PART THREE WITH NO PAUSE AFTER THE
Narrator: Can you see the tick?
QUESTION BUT THE SAME 00’05’’ PAUSE AFTER EACH
Now you listen and tick the box. DIALOGUE]
PAUSE 00’03” Narrator: That is the end of Part Three.
[REPEAT FROM HERE] PAUSE 00’05”
Narrator: One. What does Lucy like? Narrator: Part Four.
PAUSE 00’03” Look at the picture.
Listen and look.
There is one example.
PAUSE 00’03”
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Examice Cambridge Exams Practice Test: Pre A1 Starters
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Audioscript

M: Look at this picture of a living room. There are a lot Narrator: Four.
of guitars! M: Now, can you see the guitar on the table, next to
Fch: Yes! I can see seven guitars! I’d like to colour one! the radio?
M: Yes, OK! There’s a guitar on the sofa. Colour that Fch: Yes, I can.
guitar green. M: Have you got an orange pencil?
Fch: Green? Fch: Yes, I have. [sound of looking through a pencil
M: Yes, please. case] I can’t find it.
Fch: OK! I’ve got a green pencil. M: Let’s look. [sound of looking through a pencil case]
PAUSE 00’03” Ah, here you are. Here’s your orange pencil. Now
Narrator: Can you see the green guitar on the sofa? This is you can colour the guitar on the table orange.
an example. Fch: Thank you!
Now you listen and colour. PAUSE 00’15”
PAUSE 00’03” Narrator: Five.
[REPEAT FROM HERE] Fch: What now?
Narrator: One. M: Now, look at the guitar under the window.
M: Can you see the guitar next to the TV? Fch: Yes, I can see it.
Fch: Yes, I can. M: You can choose the colour for that one.
M: OK. Colour that one, please. Fch: Yellow is my favourite colour!
Fch: What colour? M: OK, colour that guitar yellow.
M: Would you like to colour it red? Fch: Great!
Fch: Yes, OK! The guitar next to the TV is red! PAUSE 00’15”
PAUSE 00’15” Narrator: Now listen to Part Four again.
Narrator: Two. [REPEAT PART FOUR WITH ONLY 00’10” PAUSES]
M: Now, colour the guitar under the table, please.
Fch: OK. Can I colour it pink?
M: Yes, you can. Do you like pink?
Fch: Yes, I do.
M: Me, too!
PAUSE 00’15”
Narrator: Three.
M: Find the guitar next to the bookcase, please.
Fch: Yes, OK. I can see it.
M: Good!
Fch: What colour for that one?
M: Make that guitar brown, please.
Fch: OK!
PAUSE 00’15”
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