Password English language

tests
The Password suite of online English language tests have been designed by leading academics in
testing and assessment to balance the desire for speed, convenience and accessibility with the
need for accurate and reliable results. Tests span CEFR levels A1 - B2. 
The Password suite of online English language tests have been designed by leading academics in
testing and assessment to balance the desire for speed, convenience and accessibility with the
need for accurate and reliable results. Tests span CEFR levels A1 - B2. 

Password tests are securely delivered and assessed online, at times convenient to the test-taker,
and test-takers receive instant test results.

The Password tests have been designed by the Centre for Research in English Language
Learning and Assessment (CRELLA) at the University of Bedfordshire. Since its inception,
CRELLA, directed by Professor Cyril Weir, has established an international reputation as a
centre for development of and research into English language testing.

All Password tests:

 are a test of English language knowledge

 have thousands of questions in the Password data base
 are unique and randomised for each test taken
 use a secure browser for security (‘locking down’ the computer during the test)
 have clear examples of question types before each section
 have a user- friendly visual navigation menu
 display a clock indicating time remaining
 deliver instant results and certificates which can be co-branded
 offer online reports and verification of test results
Password tests offer a cost effective and reliable way of accessing the level of English language
knowledge of students.

Please note that inclusion of a link to a third party website does not imply endorsement of that
third party website by the British Council or any association with its operators. For further
information, please see our terms of use.

Website address
http://www.englishlanguagetesting.co.uk
Password Reading
Password Reading consists of five sections. In each section, there is one reading
task to be completed.
Test-takers have 1 hour and 15 minutes to complete the test module.

Section 1
There is one task to complete in section 1.
Test-takers put seven sentences together to show the order of events in a story.
Test-takers drag and drop each sentence into the table.
Please note the first sentence is always already in the table.

Ice Cream
1 Shirley’s children told her they wanted to eat ice cream.
2
3
4
5
6
7
They ate all the chocolate ice cream and then they ate all the strawberry ice cream.
When she got home, her children were surprised but happy.
She went to the supermarket to buy some for them.
In the end, she decided she would buy both, so they could choose.
She didn’t want to upset them by getting the wrong flavour.
When she got there, she couldn’t remember if they wanted strawberry or chocolate.
1 Shirley’s children told her they wanted to eat ice cream.
2 She went to the supermarket to buy some for them.
3 When she got there, she couldn’t remember if they wanted strawberry or chocolate.
4 She didn’t want to upset them by getting the wrong flavour.
5 In the end, she decided she would buy both, so they could choose.
6 When she got home, her children were surprised but happy.
7 They ate all the chocolate ice cream and then they ate all the strawberry ice cream.

Section 2
There is one task to complete in section 2.
Test-takers fill empty spaces with words from below the text.
Test-takers drag and drop words into appropriate spaces. There are more words than
spaces.

Stress
Stress is often thought to be one of the greatest problems of the modern world. In fact , it is
a natural part of our lives and you need to experience a certain level of it in order to
live  EXAMPLE TEXT  . It happens when the human body reacts to threats or dangers.
Your body begins to produce chemicals  EXAMPLE TEXT  cause your heart to beat faster
and carry fats to your  EXAMPLE TEXT  to give them extra fuel. This is meant to help you
to run away, fight off a predator or battle your enemies. When the threat has  EXAMPLE
TEXT   , or you have escaped from danger, the ‘relaxation response’ returns your system
to normal.
waits                                 what                                muscles                      that
healthily                           cleanly                             result                           passed
being                                lasts                                 foods                           harmful
The test-taker has answered correctly in the example below:
Stress is often thought to be one of the greatest problems of the modern world. In fact , it is
a natural part of our lives and you need to experience a certain level of it in order to
live  healthily  . It happens when the human body reacts to threats or dangers. Your body
begins to produce chemicals  that  cause your heart to beat faster and carry fats to
your  muscles  to give them extra fuel. This is meant to help you to run away, fight off a
predator or battle your enemies. When the threat has  passed  , or you have escaped from
danger, the ‘relaxation response’ returns your system to normal.

Section 3
There is one task to complete in section 3.
Test-takers must read the text and then answer eight questions about it.
Please note in the example below there is just one question. In the real test there are always
eight questions.

Desertification
Paragraph 1
Agriculture in all parts of the world depends on the fertility of the soil. Good quality soils
develop when organic materials such as fallen leaves are transformed by fungi and
microbes into essential plant nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous. In some
ecosystems, often those in dry areas with limited rainfall, there is a natural scarcity of rich
soil. Relatively small numbers of animals and people are able to survive there.
In Paragraph 1 the writer says that the farming is difficult in dry areas because…
  there is too little water for people and animals to drink
  there are too few plants to provide organic materials
  there are too few people to make farming practical
The test-taker has answered correctly in the example below:
  there is too little water for people and animals to drink
  there are too few plants to provide organic materials
  there are too few people to make farming practical

Section 4
There is one task to complete in section 4.
Test-takers read paragraphs of a text and then match headings to the paragraphs. The
paragraph headings can be found just below the text.
There is one more heading than is required.
In this example there is just one paragraph. In the real test there are always seven
paragraphs.

Bringing up children bilingually

Note: Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages and multilingualism is the ability to
speak many.

Publications for bilingual families

Multilingual Matters (MM) is a publishing company based in Bristol, England, that

specialises in books on many aspects of multilingualism, and publishes newsletters for
bilingual (and multilingual) families all around the world. It was started almost 25 years ago
by British born Mike Grover and his Finnish wife, Marjukka, who were raising their two sons
in Finnish and English, but were frustrated by the lack of practical advice.

THIS IS WHERE THE TITLE FOR THE BELOW PARAGRAPH GOES

Marjukka explains the decision to launch the company: “Unsound research in Wales in the
1950s led to quite negative conclusions and the suggestion that raising children with more
than one language would result in them having weak language skills. It wasn’t until the
1980s that these issues were clarified by more carefully designed studies in Canada. When
my children were born, I spoke to them from the beginning in my own language. Although I
was certain I was doing the right thing, I wanted to learn more about the process of raising
bilinguals. A lot of research has been done about this, but it had no real ‘home’. So we set
up Multilingual Matters.”

How and why MM started   A need to be flexible   A good time to begin   Mistaken
ways   Benefits of bilingualism   Three languages better than two   Cause of
conflict   The way forward
The test-taker has answered correctly in the example below:

Bringing up children bilingually

Note: Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages and multilingualism is the ability to
speak many.
Publications for bilingual families

Multilingual Matters (MM) is a publishing company based in Bristol, England, that

specialises in books on many aspects of multilingualism, and publishes newsletters for
bilingual (and multilingual) families all around the world. It was started almost 25 years ago
by British born Mike Grover and his Finnish wife, Marjukka, who were raising their two sons
in Finnish and English, but were frustrated by the lack of practical advice.

How and why MM started

Marjukka explains the decision to launch the company: “Unsound research in Wales in the
1950s led to quite negative conclusions and the suggestion that raising children with more
than one language would result in them having weak language skills. It wasn’t until the
1980s that these issues were clarified by more carefully designed studies in Canada. When
my children were born, I spoke to them from the beginning in my own language. Although I
was certain I was doing the right thing, I wanted to learn more about the process of raising
bilinguals. A lot of research has been done about this, but it had no real ‘home’. So we set
up Multilingual Matters.”

How and why MM started   A need to be flexible   A good time to begin   Mistaken
ways   Benefits of bilingualism   Three languages better than two   Cause of
conflict   The way forward

Section 5
There is one task to complete in section 5.
Test-takers read a text and then read some statements.
Test-takers put the statements in order to make a summary of the text.
The first statement is always answered.
There are two more statements than are required.
Please note in this example there are five statements. In the real test there are always eight
statements.

The Ancient Gods

Early human civilisations relied heavily on the cycles of the natural world for their survival
and these elements included the movement of the stars, the changing environmental
conditions, as well as local flora and fauna. Over long periods of time, certain civilisations
began to attach significance to these cycles of the Earth, believing that they were under the
control of omnipotent beings or gods with special powers to determine the lives of human
beings.
Often these beings known as gods were depicted in animal form in paintings and
manuscripts and many of them became ‘sacred’, generating traditional ceremonies and
rituals as illustrated by the cat in ancient Egypt. Primarily an agricultural society, rats
presented serious issues for the Egyptians in terms of hygiene and food production, and it is
thought that cats became revered in their culture due to their ability to keep the rat population
down. Cats were considered so sacred that there were severe punishments for harming
one, even if done so accidentally, which often resulted in death.

Rituals were constructed around these sacred animals, many of which were based on
sacrifice, a widespread practice which involved killing and offering animals to the gods in
exchange for favours. People would pray for good harvests, or to prevent bad weather or
natural disasters, and in some cultures, for example the Sumerian, people believed that the
thoughts of the gods could be seen by examining the internal organs of goats or sheep.
They thought that by being able to predict the thoughts of the gods, it would be possible to
keep them contented and in turn they would be blessed with good fortune.

The Ancient Gods

1.
2.
3.
Ancient peoples were able to predict the weather based on rituals.
Traditional rituals in Egypt killed farm animals to keep gods happy.
Ancient peoples believed that gods were responsible for the natural rhythms of the world.
Certain animals became sacred due to the importance of their natural talents.
People sacrificed animals for the gods in order to prevent harm.
The test-taker has answered correctly in the example below:
1. Ancient peoples believed that gods were responsible for the natural rhythms of the world
2. Certain animals became sacred due to the importance of their natural talents.
3. People sacrificed animals for the gods in order to prevent harm