Oxford CEQ practice tests pre a1 starters teachers guide

CAMBRIDGE ENGLISH
QUALIFICATIONS

Practice Tests
Pre A1 Starters
• PETRINA CLIFF •

Teacher’s Guide

1


1
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acknowledgements
pp.4&5 reproduced by kind permission of the University of Cambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate
Illustrations by:
Peter Stevenson / Linden Artists pp title page, 13, 21
Jon Davis pp 17, 25

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Contents
Introduction4
An overview of Pre A1 Starters

4

Tips
Listening6
Reading and Writing

8

Speaking10

Revision tips

12

Practical tips for test day

12

Test 1 Key and transcripts

13

Test 2 Key and transcripts

17

Test 3 Key and transcripts

21

Test 4 Key and transcripts

25

© Copyright Oxford University Press


Introduction
The Cambridge English Qualifications tests are designed to test the English of
primary school learners between the ages of 7 and 12. There are three levels:

Pre A1 Starters, A1 Movers and A2 Flyers. The three tests are designed to take young
learners of English as a foreign language from beginner to Waystage. There are no
pass or fail grades for these tests. All students taking the tests receive between one
and five shields in each component to show how they have performed.
Pre A1 Starters, the first level, is aimed at students aged 7+.

An overview of Pre A1 Starters
Listening
20 minutes/20 items
There are four parts. Each part begins with a clear example. All the texts are heard twice.

Main skill focus
Input
Expected response/item type

Part 1 Listening for names
Picture and dialogue
Match names to figures



5
in a picture by drawing a line

and descriptions

Part 2 Listening for


Illustrated dialogue

numbers and spelling

Part 3 Listening for



Pictures and dialogue
information
(present tenses)

Part 4 Listening for lexis


Number
of items

Picture and dialogue
and relative position

Write down numbers and names

5

3-option multiple-choice
(pictures; tick the correct picture)

5

Carry out instructions, locating,
and colouring correctly

5

Reading & Writing
20 minutes/25 items
There are five parts, each starting with a clear example.

Main skill focus
Input
Expected response/item type
Number

of items
Part 1 Reading for recognition 5 lexical items with
Indicate true with a tick or false5


of lexis

pictures

with a cross

Part 2 Reading for recognition 1 picture



of lexis, number,
location and grammar

Write yes/no next to the sentences 5

5 sentences

Part 3 Spelling of single words 5 pictures




Part 4 Reading and writing


to complete a text

Part 5 Reading and writing

about a story


Write words

5

Semi-factual cloze with
picture prompts

Gap-filling (prompted);
one-word answers

5

Story presented through
3 pictures with 5
questions

Write one-word answers
to questions

5

5 sets of jumbled letters

4
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Speaking
3–5 minutes/4 parts
This takes the form of a one-to-one exchange. The language used by the examiner is
based on and controlled by a script (there are examples of this in the Key).


Input

Expected response/item type

Part 1

Greeting and name check (unassessed);
scene card and identify objects

in this picture and place object cards in
various locations on the picture

Carry out instructions; point to the correct part
of the picture and place object cards on the picture





Part 2

Questions about the scene card


Answer questions with one-word answers and/or
short phrases

Part 3

Questions about the object cards


Answer questions with one-word answers
and/or short phrases

Part 4Questions from interlocutor on topics

Answer questions with one-word answers
and/or short phrases

such as name, age, family, school,
likes, dislikes

Wordlist
You may notice that there are some words that appear in these tests that are not
in the Vocabulary List at the back of the Student’s Book. These are words that are
commonly used in coursebooks at this level and that students will be familiar with.

5
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Tips
Listening
All the information students need to answer the questions is repeated on the
recording in each part, and each part is heard twice.

Part 1

Tips
Teaching tips

Students look at a picture
surrounded by names, then listen
to descriptions of people. Students
have to listen to descriptions and
draw lines from the people in the
picture to the appropriate names. All
key information is heard twice.

Test focus: listening for names and
descriptions.

For each action mentioned in the activity, ask students to act it
out in groups. Ask children to draw the different clothes they
hear, or place pictures of the clothes around the room and ask
students to go and touch the clothes as you say them.
Alternatively, turn the pictures over so students cannot see what
is on them. In groups, students then have to try to remember
the different people and what they are wearing or doing. For
example, Anna is sitting on the purple rug, wearing a white dress.

Tips for the test
• Tell students to listen carefully for the descriptions of the
people so that they know where to draw their line.

Part 2

Tips
Teaching tips

Students listen to a conversation
between a child and an adult
which is divided into seven short
dialogues, each containing a
number or a name. The first two
dialogues provide examples for
the students. The students then
answer five questions by writing
down a name, which is spelt out,

or a number. A visual provides the
context for the conversation and
help with the examples and first
two questions.
Test focus: recognising numbers,
names and letters of the alphabet

Whenever students learn a new item of vocabulary, make sure
they can spell the word aloud. Practice spelling sounds which are
sometimes confusing, e.g. a and e, g and j.
Give students a list of recently learned words. In pairs, one spells
out the words and the other writes the word down. They then
compare their lists and reverse roles.
Read, or get students to read, prepared conversations or short
texts. Tell them to listen for names to spell (the letters will be
spelt out for them), and numbers from 1–20, and to write them
down. Prepare conversations which are similar to those students
will hear on the recording and read them out twice.

Tips for the test
• Encourage students to learn easy boys’ and girls’ English
names such as Sue, Kim, Pat, Ben, Nick, Tom, and to recognise
titles e.g. Mr., Mrs., Miss. Colours are also used for names, e.g.
Mr. Brown, Miss Green.
• Tell students to listen very carefully for names and numbers. If
they need to put a name, it will be spelt out on the recording.
If it isn’t spelt out, the answer will be a number.

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Part 3

Tips
Teaching tips

Five short dialogues between a
variety of paired speakers. Students
have to answer five questions that
are printed in their books and are
heard on the recording. For each
question the students look at three
pictures and as they listen, tick the
appropriate picture by deciding how
the pictures differ from each other.
Test focus: listening for detailed
information

Using sets of pictures from past papers, read out a simple
description of one of the pictures in each set. Students have
to say which picture you are describing. Once students get the
hang of this they can then work in pairs to describe and identify
pictures for each other.
Using pictures, e.g. cut from magazines, read out some
statements about the pictures. Some of the statements are
correct, others are not. Students call out No when the statement
is incorrect, and Yes when it is. Again, more confident students
could go on to try this as a pairwork activity.

Tips for the test
• Tell students to look carefully at the pictures and try to work
out what the differences are before they listen.
• Tell them to listen to the whole conversation before
they decide and not to decide on an answer too quickly.
Remind them that they will get the opportunity to hear the
conversation again. They should be encouraged to listen
to check their answer even if they have managed to tick a
picture on the first listening.

Part 4

Tips
Teaching tip

Students look at a black and white
picture and listen to instructions in
the form of a conversation between
an adult and a child. Students
have to locate and colour in five
objects in the picture. At this level
the objects are the same, e.g. five
books. There will be an extra object
that they do not need to colour.
Students can write the colour if they
prefer.
Test focus: following instructions,
recognising colours, lexical items
and understanding prepositions of
place

Photocopy black and white pictures suitable for the level, e.g.
a kitchen scene, a garden scene. Give each student a copy of
the same picture. Read out instructions, e.g. Colour the flower
pink, quite slowly to begin with. Read each instruction twice.
The student who produces the best, accurately coloured picture
wins. As students gain in confidence, make the instructions more
difficult, e.g. Colour one flower pink and the other yellow, and
read out the instructions more quickly.

Tips for the test
• Tell students to make sure that they have the full range of
coloured pencils for the test (listed in the Revision section).
• Encourage students to listen carefully for the preposition
telling them where the object is and what colour to use.
Students should be told that this is not a test of their colouring
skills and that they should move on from one question to the
next, without worrying whether they have completely finished
colouring every part of the object.

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Reading & Writing
Part 1

Tips
Teaching tips

Students look at five individual
pictures and read a sentence
attached to each picture. They
indicate with a tick or cross whether
the sentence is true or false.
Test focus: understanding lexical
items; both singular and plural.

Prepare a set of flashcards on a specific topic, e.g. animals, clothes,
places, and for each set prepare separate cards with sentences
which describe the pictures, e.g. This is a snake, These are shirts,
This is a station. These can then be used for various games.
Divide students into groups. Each group of students matches
their sentences to the pictures as quickly as they can.
Students can play snap in small groups. One student has the
pictures and puts one down on the table. The other students
share the sentences and shout snap when the picture matches
one of their sentences.

Tips for the test
• Tell students to underline the important word in each sentence
and look at the pictures carefully before they decide.
• It’s important that they make sure their ticks (✔) or crosses (✘)
are very clear.

Par

Teaching tip

Students look at a picture, read five

short sentences and indicate with
yes or no whether the information is
correct or not.

Find pictures in children’s books that are suitable for the level,
e.g. the home, the classroom, the farm, the park. Prepare a set
of cards containing different sentence halves that describe each
picture, e.g. to describe a scene in a park:

Test focus: understanding of verbs
in present continuous, lexical items,
prepositions of place

Tips

1 There are birds
2 The children are playing
3 The man is sitting

a) with a kite.
b) on a chair.
c) in the trees.

Divide students into groups and give one picture and one set
of sentence halves to each group. Students match the sentence
halves to describe the picture. They then exchange pictures and
sentences with another group.

Tips for the test
• Tell the students to underline the nouns, prepositions and

verbs in each sentence. Tell them to read each sentence
carefully and ask themselves questions to find out if all the
information is correct. E.g. Are there five fish? Are the birds in
the trees? Is the boy between the two girls?
• Ensure students are familiar with action verbs, e.g. run, walk,
ride, throw, hold, etc.

Part 3

Tips
Teaching tips

Students look at five pictures
accompanied by five anagrams.
They need to arrange the letters
correctly to spell the word. Dashes
represent the number of letters in
the target lexical item.
Test focus: names of lexical items
and spelling

As a follow-up to a lesson on a particular vocabulary topic, e.g.
Food and Drink, make cards containing letters of the alphabet.
Prepare more copies of the high frequency letters e.g. vowels, and
consonants like s, b, r. Spread the cards out on a table. Allow two
or three minutes for students, working in pairs, to make as many
words as they can on the vocabulary topic using the letters on the
table. Give students a mark for each word that is spelt correctly.

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The letters could also be used for other simple vocabulary games
such as scrabble, where students are given seven letters and
have to use their letters to make or build up a grid of words on
the table.

Tips for the test
• Tell students that if they know the word for the object, they
should circle the first and last letter of the word, then try to
arrange the other letters correctly.
• Tell them to cross the letters out as they use them to check
that they have used all the letters and have not missed, e.g.
double letters, or the letter e on the end of a word.

Part 4

Tips
Teaching tip

Students fill in five gaps in a text
with singular or plural nouns. They
choose from eight labelled visuals
and put the nouns into the correct
place in the text. The first is given
as an example and there are two
options which the students will not
need to use.
Test focus: reading, names of lexical

items and spelling

Put students into small groups and give them a pile of cards
showing different nouns from the Starters wordlist. Place the
cards face down. Each student takes a card. Tell them not to
show their cards to each other. Ask them to take it in turns to
give one piece of information about their picture and each time
the other students have one guess about what’s in the picture.
The first student to guess what is in someone else’s picture wins
the card. The students keep going until they have used all the
cards and the student who has got the most cards at the end of
the game is the winner.

Tips for the test
• Tell students to check all the possible nouns in each space
before making their decision.
• Remind students that some of the nouns will be singular and
some plural. They should check the spaces to see whether
the missing noun is singular or plural. Teach them to look for
clues, e.g. ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘two’ etc.

Part 5

Tips
Teaching tip

Students look at three pictures
which tell a simple story and are
asked to produce one-word answers
to five wh- questions.

Test focus: understanding and
spelling of, e.g. numbers, verbs in
present continous tense, lexical
items

Show students one of the pictures you prepared for Part 2. Read
out 10 statements about the picture. Tell students that some of
the sentences are correct, others are not. In groups, students
decide how many sentences they think are correct. Give each
group a point for each correct sentence. At the end ask the class
if they can correct the sentences which are wrong, e.g. There are
five children in the park. This is wrong because there are four.
As in other parts of the test, activities that encourage accurate
spelling will be helpful.

Tips for the test
• Tell students to read the question words very carefully so that
they know what they are looking for, e.g. Where? Who? How
many?
• Ensure they know how to spell colours and the numbers from
1–20, and tell them to count carefully.

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Speaking
Before the test starts the student is introduced to the examiner by an usher,
for example, their teacher. The examiner then greets the student.
Throughout the test the examiner will ask back-up questions if the student

has difficulty in responding.

Part 1

Tips
Tip for the test

Students are shown a large picture
of a scene that the examiner makes
comments about, e.g. Look at this.
This is a street. The children are going
to school. The students are asked to
identify two different lexical items
in the scene, e.g. Where’s the bus?
Where are the flowers? They point to
the appropriate items in the picture.

• Tell students not to worry as it will be easy to see where the
things are in the scene. All they are expected to do in this part
of the test is to point to them.

The examiner lays out a set of
cards showing pictures of different
objects. Students point to one of
the cards and put it in a particular
place on the scene card, e.g. Which
is the bird? Put the bird on the house.
Students are then asked to place
two further object cards on the
scene card.

Tips for the test
• Tell students not to worry if they are asked to put things in
what they consider to be the wrong place, e.g. the giraffe in
the bedroom, but just to do what the examiner asks them to.
• Tell them to have a good look at the scene and to listen for the
preposition and objects mentioned by the examiner.

Test focus: identifying lexical items,
prepostions of place
Please note: the object cards are in
the Student’s Book and will need to
be cut out before use.
Test focus: identifying lexical items

Tips

Part 2

Tips for the test

Students are asked four whquestions about the scene card.
These questions test vocabulary,
colour, number and verbs in present
continuous tense.
e.g. W
 hat’s this? (a) parrot
How many parrots are there? five
What’s the girl doing?
  (She’s) writing.

• Tell students to have a go even if they’re not quite sure of the
answer. A one-word answer is enough.
• Ensure students know and can use the following expression:
Sorry, I don’t understand.

Test focus: understanding lexical
items, colour, number, present
continuous tense

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Part 3

Tips
Teaching tip

Students are shown three object
cards that haven’t been talked
about. The examiner asks three
questions about each card. The first
question asks about the object on
the card, e.g. What’s this?
The second question is more
personal and requires a yes/no
answer, e.g. Have you got a cat?
The third question is also personal
but requires the student to produce

a short lexical response, e.g. What’s
your favourite animal?
Test focus: understanding lexical
information and giving personal
information

For the scene activity
Divide students into pairs. Give student A a picture, (e.g. of a
park scene) and a set of simple sentences describing the picture,
(e.g. The girl is playing with a kite. The duck is on the water.
There are five birds in the tree. The dog is next to the tree.) Tell
student A not to show student B the picture.
Give student B a piece of paper showing a basic outline of the
complete picture, e.g. a lake, a tree. Student A then reads out
the set of sentences, and student B draws the objects in the
correct place on the outline picture. Students could then be
asked questions about the picture, e.g. Where is the dog? Where
are the birds? Students compare pictures at the end.
For the object cards
Prepare pairs of pictures showing nouns from the wordlist and
divide students into groups. Give each group a set of 10 pairs of
pictures for each group of students. Mix the pictures and place
them face down on a table. Students take it in turn to turn over
two pictures and say what they can see on the cards. If the two
pictures are the same, the student keeps the pair of pictures. If
they are different, students then replace the pictures in their
original position. The student with the most pairs of pictures at
the end wins.

Tip for the test

• Tell students to listen carefully to the question words the
examiner uses, e.g. Which is ...? What colour is ...? How
many ...? Where is ...? and try to answer all the questions
(one word is enough).

Part 4

Tips
Teaching tip

The examiner asks the student
three questions not related to any
pictures that require one-word
answers. e.g. What’s your friend’s
name? How old are you? What’s your
favourite lesson?
The examiner then thanks the
student and says good-bye.
Test focus: giving personal
information

Give students plenty of practice of introducing themselves and
talking about their life within the limitations of the wordlist.
They should be able to say:
what their name is.
how old they are.
where they live.
what their best friend is called.
what their favourite school subject is.
what they like doing after school / at weekends.

Tip for the test
• Tell students not to worry about giving the right answer
to the questions (it is unlikely at this level that they will be
able to communicate all they would like to and this can be
frustrating), but just to say something. So if the examiner asks
them What’s your favourite lesson? they should answer with a
word they know, e.g. Reading, even if it’s really Geography!

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Revision tips
Make sure your students:
• know their colours (black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, yellow).
• are confident about counting and recognising the numbers from 1 to 20 and can
recognise the difference, e.g. between 7 and 17.
• have learnt prepositions of place very carefully and are confident about the difference
between them. Many questions rely on their knowledge of these prepositions.
• have had plenty of practice of spelling out words and recognising all letters of the
alphabet. They should pay particular attention to the sound of vowels, e.g. the
difference between the letters e and a.
• know the meaning of the word double, e.g. double t.
• look at pictures carefully, paying attention to details of where things are, what colour
they are, what people and animals are doing, etc.
• revise lexical items using pictures of objects and verbs from the Starters vocabulary
list, where possible arranged into lexical sets. This list is provided in the Student’s
Book.

Practical tips for test day
Tell your students to:
• arrive in good time for their tests.
• have several sharp pencils with them.
• write in pencil so that they can make changes neatly.
• take a rubber with them.
• make sure they have all the coloured pencils (ready sharpened) they will require for
Listening Part 4.
Remind students to:
• look at the words and pictures very carefully.
• underline the important words in sentences.
• check carefully before deciding on an answer.
• make changes clearly.
• only put one word if the answer is written.
• stay calm if they miss something on the tape during the listening test as they will
get another chance to hear key information.

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© Copyright Oxford University Press


Key

3




Test 1

4



Listening
Please note: when using the CD for the
Listening paper teachers will have to replay the
CD for Parts 1–4. In the actual test students
1 Listening
wouldTest
hear
each Part twice.



B: A
 nd can you see that boy there? His
name’s Dan. He’s got some carrots.
A: Yes, he’s giving them to the donkeys.
B: He’s one of my classmates.
A: Oh, I see.
A: But there’s a girl there. Who’s she?
B: Which girl?
A: Well, she’s wearing a white dress with
blue flowers on it.
B: Oh yes, that’s May. May doesn’t like
bees.

Part 1

- 5 questions -

5.

Part 1 
Tracks 2 and 3
Listen and draw lines. There is one example.
Dan

May

Eva






Lucy

B: C
 an you see my sister, Eva? She’s
sleeping.
A: Oh yes. She’s lying on that purple rug.
B: Yes
A: So that’s Eva. Do you play with her?
B: No, she doesn’t like playing games.

Part 2 Tracks 4 and 5
1 G/grace  2 6  3 9  4 12  5 H/hugo

Transcript

Matt

Transcript

Anna

Examples

A: Hi Alice. That’s a really nice picture! Is
that your brother?

B: Yes, that’s right

A: Oh, and what’s his name?

B: It’s Tom.

A: Tom? That’s a nice name! Can you spell
it?

B: Yes, T-O-M.

Sam

4

Example

A: Hi Sam. I really like that picture!

B: Yes – it’s me and my family and friends.
We’re at the park. Can you see me?

A: Yes, I can, Sam. You’re running!

B: Yes, that’s me! I’m with our pet dog. He
wants to catch that cat!
01 CEYL_starters_Test1.indd 4

1



2




15/09/2017 14:16

A: Who’s that girl sitting under the tree?
B: Is she reading a book?
A: Yes, she is.
B: That’s my cousin, Lucy. Lucy loves
reading.
B: L
 ook there. That’s my friend, Matt. Can
you see him?

A: No. Where is he?
B: He’s sitting on the grass next to the
water.
A: Oh, so that’s Matt. He’s got a very nice
boat.






A: How old is Tom?
B: Oh, he’s very young! He’s five.
A: Five? And do you like him?
B: Yes, but he can be a bit silly!

1





A: And who’s with Tom in the picture?
B: Oh, that’s my sister, Grace.
A: And how do you spell Grace?
B: G-R-A-C-E.
A: That’s a really nice name too!

2

A: S o, how many people are there in your
family?
B: Well, there’s Mum and Dad and then all
the kids – we’ve got a baby brother too!
So that’s six.
A: Six?
B: Yes, that’s right.




3




A: S o, how many rooms are there in your
house?
B: Oh, there are lots, there are nine!
A: Nine rooms in your house?
B: Yes – and it’s a really nice house.

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4

5





A: Tell me about your bedroom, Alice.
B: Oh, well – I love it. I’ve got posters on
all my walls!
A: Really? How many posters?
B: Twelve!
A: Twelve?
B: Yes!




Part 4 Tracks 8 and 9
book
book
book
book
book

B: A
 nd I’ve got lots of games and toys in my
bedroom. My favourite toy is a donkey.

A: That’s nice. And has he got a name?
B: Oh yes! His name’s Hugo.
A: Hugo. That’s a really cool name for a
donkey! How do you spell it?
B: H-U-G-O.

Example

A: Look. This is a picture of some children
in their classroom. Do you like it?

B: Yes.

A: Can you see the boy standing next to
the box? He’s holding a book.

B: Yes.

A: Good. Well, can you colour his book red?

B: OK! So – the boy standing next to the
box has got a red book.

1 A  2 B  3 C  4 B  5 B
Transcript

Example Which is Kim?

A: Is Kim in the kitchen?
B: No. That’s Kim’s sister. Kim’s in the
living room.
A: Oh yes! Is she eating a banana?
B: No she isn’t. She’s eating an orange.

1





What’s Bill doing?
A: What’s Bill doing?
B: He’s playing ball in the garden.
A: And is he kicking the ball?
B: No he isn’t – he’s throwing it.

2





Which is Mrs. White?
A: Is Mrs. White in her house today?
B: No she isn’t. She’s in the street.
A: Is she wearing her blue hat or her red hat?
B: She’s wearing her red hat today.

3


What’s Pat doing today?
A: Pat’s going to see a friend today – is she
going on the bus?
B: No, she’s going on the train.
A: Oh. And is she reading her book?
B: No – look – she’s got a pen – she’s
writing in her book.




4

What are Ben and Tom doing?






A: What are Ben and Tom doing? Are they
at school?
B: No they’re not – they’re in the park.
A: Yes, I see. Are they running in the park?
B: No, they’re riding their bikes.

5

What’s Nick’s hobby?




A: Have you got a hobby Nick?
B: Yes – I like taking photographs.

held by boy wearing glasses = blue
on the table between two pens = green
held by girl under the table = pink
next to the ball = brown
on the board = yellow

Transcript

Part 3 Tracks 6 and 7




A: T
 hat’s nice! And do you like taking
photographs of animals or people?
B: Oh, animals.

1

2

A: N
 ow can you see the boy with the
glasses?
B: Who?
A: The boy with the glasses. Can you see
him?
B: Oh yes.
A: Well, colour his book blue.
B: So … I’m colouring his book blue.
A: Good.







A: N
 ow, look at the book between the two
pens.
B: Where?
A: There … between the two pens.
B: Oh yes.

A: Colour it green. Colour that book green.
B: OK.

3




A: Now, find the girl under the table.
B: The girl under the table … I can see her.
A: Right. Well colour her book pink.
B: OK … it’s pink now.

4




A: Now, can you see a book next to the ball?
B: Next to the ball? Oh yes, I can see it.
A: Well, colour it brown.
B: OK. I’m colouring it brown. There!

5

A: And you see the girl standing on the
chair? She’s drawing a book on the board.
B: T
 he girl on the chair … drawing a book
… yes. Can I colour her book yellow?

A: OK. Colour it yellow.
B: Right.





14
© Copyright Oxford University Press


Reading & Writing

Part 4
1  boxes  2 board game  3 cake  4 beach  
5  K/kids

Part 1
1  ✔  2 ✔  3  ✘  4 ✔  5 ✘

Part 5

Part 2

1 (a) duck/bird  2 beach  3 sleeping  
4 badminton  5 ball

1 no  2 yes  3 yes  4 no  5 no

Part 3

1 lamp  2 radio  3 window  4 bookcase  
5 painting

Speaking
Please note: in the actual test the scene card will be A3 in size.
Words in italics are possible answers only.


To do


Usher brings

candidate in.




To say

Response (by student) Back-up

Usher to examiner: ‘Hello.
This is (child’s name*).’
Examiner: ‘Hello, *.
My name’s … ’

Hello

1 Point to

Scene card.


Look at this picture. The
mother’s saying goodbye
to her child.

Point to cat in
in scene card.



Here‘s the cat.




* Where’s the snake?
Where are the birds?

Points to items in
picture.

Point to Object Now look at these.
Points to Object
cards.
Which is the hippo/giraffe? card.

I’m putting the hippo/
giraffe next to the door.





Now you put the hippo/
Puts Object card
giraffe between the tiger
in place.
and the boy.

Is this the snake?
Are these the birds?
Is this the hippo/giraffe?
(pointing to hippo/giraffe)

Where’s the hippo/giraffe?
Between the tiger and the
boy.


Which is the picture?


Points to Object
card.

Is this the picture?
(pointing to picture)




Puts Object card
in place.

Where’s the picture?
Under the clock.

Put the picture under
the clock.

15
© Copyright Oxford University Press


To do

To say

Response (by student) Back-up




Which are the flowers/
shoes?

Points to Object
card.

Are these the flowers/shoes?
(pointing to flowers/shoes)




Put the flowers/shoes
behind the woman.

Puts Object card
in place.

Where are the flowers/shoes?
Behind the woman.

bag

Is it a bag?

red
(pointing to red bag)

Is it yellow? red?

How many bags are there?

three

Are there two? three?

What’s the man doing?

reading

Is the man reading?



2




Remove Object Now, *, what’s this?
cards and point
to bag in Scene What colour is it?
card.



Point to man.
3 Put Scene card

away and pick
out 3 Object

cards.

3.1 Show milk card. What’s this?
milk

Do you like milk?
yes/no

What do you eat

for breakfast?
egg

3.2 Show trousers
What are these?
trousers

card.
Are you wearing
yes/no

trousers today?

What colour are
brown

these/your trousers?


3.3 Show pencil

What’s this?
pencil

card.
Do you like drawing?
yes/no

What do you draw
pictures

in your lessons?

Is it milk?

4 Put away

all cards.



Now, *, how old are you?

9

Are you 8, 9?

Is your teacher old or
young?

young

Is your teacher young?




What games do you
tennis
play at school?




OK. Thank you,*.
Goodbye.

Goodbye

* Remember to use the child’s name throughout the test.

16
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Do you eat egg for
breakfast?
Are they trousers?

Are these/your trousers
brown?

Is it a pencil?
Do you draw pictures?

Do you play tennis
at school?


Test 2




B: How old is Alice?
A: She’s six.

4

A: C
 an you see that boy there? He’s
looking at the jelly fish. Well, that’s my
friend, Sam.
B: Where is he?
A: Look ... there. He’s wearing a green T
shirt.
B: Oh yes, I can see Sam now.

Listening

Please note: when using the CD for the
Listening paper teachers will have to replay the
CD for Parts 1–4. In the actual test students
wouldTest
hear
each Part twice.
2 Listening



Part 1

- 5 questions -

5


Part 1 
Tracks 10 and 11
Listen and draw lines. There is one example.
Alice

Hugo

Jill

Pat

B: So, where’s your friend, Jill?
A: She’s there Dad ... look, she’s holding a
very big tennis racket.
B: Oh yes, there she is!
A: And Dad ... Jill’s wearing her new white
trousers. I’d really like some!

Part 2 Tracks 12 and 13
1 M/matt  2 2  3 L/lucy  4 5  5 S/sue
Transcript

Examples

A: Hello. What’s your name?

B:I’m Tom.

A:And how do you spell Tom?

B: T-O-M.

A: Great.
Sam

Transcript

Grace

Tom

18

Example

A: Hi Dad. Do you like this picture? I’m on
the beach with my classmates.

B: Yes, it’s fantastic! And the woman with
the brown hair – is that your teacher?

A: Yes. That’s Mrs Hall. Her first name’s
Pat! She’s got a purple dress on, with
flowers on it.

B: Pat Hall ... I don’t know that teacher.
02 CEYL_starters_Test2.indd 18

15/09/2017 14:26

1




B: Is that you on the donkey, Grace?
A: Yes, that’s me.
B: You don’t look very happy, Grace!
A: No, riding a donkey’s really scary!

2

B: W
 ho’s that boy? He’s having a ride in a
balloon!
A: Well there are two boys in the balloon,
Dad.
B: Oh yes – well ... he’s holding a kite!
A: That’s Tom. Tom’s wearing his new
baseball cap.




3







A: How old are you, Tom?
B: I’m seven
A: Seven?
B: Yes, that’s right.

1

A: That’s a very nice picture of you.
B: Thanks and I’m holding my pet mouse.
Do you like him?
A: Well, yes. What’s his name?
B: It’s Matt!
A: Matt the mouse! That’s a cool name!
Can you spell it?
B: Yes I can. That’s M-A-double T.

2




A: And how old is your mouse, Tom?
B: Well, he’s two years old.
A: Two? That’s old for a mouse!
B: Yes it is. He’s a great pet!

3

A: N
 ow, tell me about me about your
family.
B: Well, my mum’s very nice.
A: So, what’s your Mum’s name?
B: Oh, she’s Lucy.
A: Spell Lucy for me.

B: That’s L-U-CY.











B: A
 nd who’s that girl there? She’s playing
in the sand.
A: She’s Mrs Hall’s daughter, Alice. She
loves shells!

17
© Copyright Oxford University Press


4



5

B: A
 nd you know, I’ve got lots of brother
and sisters!
A: Have you?
B: Yes, I’ve got two brothers and three
sisters. So that’s five!
A: Five brothers and sisters ... a big family!

5

What does Bill eat for breakfast?



A: W
 hat do you eat for breakfast Bill? Do
you like eggs?
B:I do like eggs, but not for breakfast.
A:Well, sausages then?
B:Sausages for breakfast? No! I eat burgers!





A: W
 ho’s your favourite person in your

family?
B: Oh, that’s my grandma.
A: And what’s her name?
B: She’s Sue.
A: Sue?
B: Yes- you spell that S-U-E.

Part 4 Tracks 16 and 17
duck
duck
duck
duck
duck

in the bath = red
on the mat = blue
under the chair = pink
in the picture on the wall = orange
between the T-shirt and jeans = brown

Part 3 Tracks 14 and 15

Transcript

1 C  2 C  3 A  4 B  5 C

Example

A:Look, this is a picture of a boy having a
bath. Do you want to colour it?

B:Yes please.

A:Can you see the duck next to the boat.

B:The duck next to the boat … yes.

A:Colour it yellow.

B:OK. It’s yellow now!

Transcript

Example Where’s the handbag?





A:I can’t find my handbag.
B:It’s on the floor Mum.
A:Where? In the kitchen?
B:No, in the living room … look … there
by the table!

1

What are Mark and Eva doing?

A:There’s no school today! They’re playing
at home.
B:Are they playing with a ball in the
garden?
A:Not today. They’re playing a board
game in the living room.
B: Oh, that’s fun!

2

Which is Nick’s picture?






A:Are you drawing a hippo Nick?
B:No! It’s a monkey!
A:And is the monkey in the zoo?
B:No, it’s playing in a tree.

3

Where does Anna live?

A: Do you live in a house or flat Anna?
B: In a flat.
A: That’s nice. Is it next to that big park?
B: No, it’s next to the sea.

4

How does Alex go to school?



A:Does your mother drive you to school
Alex?
B:She’s got a car but she doesn’t drive me
– no.
A:Do you go on the bus or on your bike
then?
B:On a big green bus with two doors.

1







A:And can you see the duck in the bath?
B:Yes.
A:Well, colour it red.
B:The duck in the bath?
A:Yes.
B:OK, I’m colouring it red.
A:Good.

2

A:Now. Look on the floor. There’s a duck
on the mat. Can you see it?
B:Where?
A:On the mat.
B:Oh yes.
A:Right, colour it blue. Colour that duck
blue.

3



4




5




B:And I can see a duck under the chair!
A:Under the chair? Oh yes. Do you want
to colour it?
B:Yes … can I colour it pink?
A:OK, pink’s a good colour.
A:Now there’s a duck in the picture on the
wall.
B:Is there?
A:Yes … look … in the picture.
B:Oh yes. And can I colour it orange?
A:Yes, colour it orange. That’s nice!
A:Now, can you see the duck on the floor,
between the T-shirt and the jeans?
B:Between the T-shirt and the jeans? Yes.
A:Good. Do you want to colour it brown?
B:Brown?! OK then.

18
© Copyright Oxford University Press


Reading and Writing

Part 4
1 trees  2 ships  3 camera  4 school  
5 painting

Part 1

Part 5

1  ✔  2 ✔  3 ✘  4 ✘  5 ✔

1 reading  2 box  3 three  4 painting  5 wall

Part 2
1 no  2 yes  3 yes  4 yes  5 no

Part 3
1 rice  2 bread  3 orange  4 kiwi  5 pie

Speaking
Please note: in the actual test the scene card will be A3 in size.
Words in italics are possible answers only.

To do

To say

Response (by student)


Usher brings

candidate in.



Usher to examiner: ‘Hello.
This is (child’s name*).’
Examiner: ‘Hello, *. My
name’s … .’

Hello

1 Point to Scene

card.


Point to robot
in Scene card.

Look at this. This is a
bedroom. The children are
in bed.

Point to Object

cards.




Now look at these.
Points to Object card.
Which is the camera?




Now you put the camera
next to the picture.

Back-up

Here’s the robot.
*. Where’s the guitar?
Where are the books?

Points to items in
picture.

Is this the guitar?
Are these the books?
Is this the camera?
(pointing to camera)

I’m putting the camera
under the lamp.
Puts Object card in
place.


Which is the dress/flower?
Points to Object card.


Where’s the camera?
Under the picture.
Is this the dress/flower?
(pointing to dress/flower)


Put the dress/flower between Puts Object card in place. Where’s the

the beds.
dress/flower?

Between the beds.

Which is the radio/clock?
Points to Object card.

Is this the radio/clock?
(pointing to radio/clock)

Put the radio/clock behind
Puts Object card in place. Where’s the radio/clock?
the tiger.
Behind the tiger.

19
© Copyright Oxford University Press


To do

To say

Response (by student)

Back-up

2




Remove Object

cards and point
to a plane in
Scene card.

Now, *, what’s this?

plane

Is it a plane?

What colour is it?
How many planes are there?

yellow
three

Is it red? yellow?
Are there two? three?



Point to boy.

What’s the boy doing?

sleeping

Is he sleeping?

3.1 Show

hair card.


What’s this?
Is your hair long or short?
What colour is it?

hair
long
brown

Is it hair?

3.2 Show chicken
card.


What’s this?

chicken

Is it chicken?

Do you like chicken?

yes/no

What’s your favourite food?

rice

Do you like rice?

3.3 Show dog

card.

What’s this?
Have you got a dog?

dog
yes/no

Is it a dog?



What animals do you like?

cats

Do you like cats?



3 Put Scene card

away and pick

out 3 Object
cards.

4 Put away
How do you go to school in
(I) walk

all cards.
the morning?

What do you do at school?
lessons



What’s your favourite lesson? English




OK. Thank you,*.
Goodbye.

Goodbye

* Remember to use the child’s name throughout the test.

20

© Copyright Oxford University Press

Is it brown?

Do you walk to school?

Do you have lessons at
school?
Do you like English?


Test 3




B: Yes, he has.
A: I don’t know Bill.

4

B: M
 y favourite is that woman there. She’s
standing on one leg! Look! Her name’s
Grace.
A: Grace? I see. She’s wearing a funny pink
hat!
B: Mm – I don’t like it.
A: Oh, I do!

Listening


Please note: when using the CD for the
Listening paper teachers will have to replay the
CD for Parts 1–4. In the actual test students
Test
3 Listening
would
hear
each Part twice.




Part 1

- 5 questions -

5

Part Listen
1 Tracks
18 and 19
and draw lines. There is one example.
Bill

Lucy

Matt

Grace




A: W
 ho’s that boy ... the boy with the
green T shirt?
B: Do you mean that boy – he’s eating an
ice cream?
A: Yes.
B: That’s Matt. Matt goes to school on the
bus with me.

Part 2 Tracks 20 and 21
1 4  2 16  3 G/green  4 3  5 H/happy
Transcript

Pat

Dan

Examples

A:Anna – who’s that in the picture you’re
drawing?

B:It’s my friend Lucy.

A:Lucy. How do you spell that?

B:L-U-C-Y.

A:Right.

May

32

Transcript

Example

A: That’s a great picture!

B: Yes, I’m with my classmates. Look at
that man there.

A: Where?

B: He’s standing next to the elephant.
That’s Dan, the animal man!

A: Is it really? Dan? I like his name.
03 CEYL_starters_Test3.indd 32

1

2



3


15/09/2017 14:28

B: C
 an you see that girl? She’s wearing a
green dress.
A: Oh, yes – isn’t that Lucy?
B: Yes, and Lucy’s holding a red balloon! I
really like it.
A: Yes, it’s nice.
B: L
 ook at that woman. She’s wearing a
blue skirt.
A: Which woman? Is she pointing her
foot?
B: Yes, she is. Her name’s Pat.
A: Pat? That’s a nice name.
B: A
 nd that boy there, pointing at the
animals – his name’s Bill.
A: Bill? Has he got brown hair?

A: How old’s Lucy?
B: Oh, she’s nine like me.
A: Nine?
B: Yes, that’s right.

1






A:Now what’s that?
B:That’s our school bus.
A:Right. And who do you go to school
with?
B:Lucy and my brothers … Tom and Bill.
A:So, there are four of you on the bus?
B:Yes that’s right, four of us.

2

A:Is this your school?
B:Yes, it’s great!
A:How many children are in your class?
B: Sixteen.
A:Sixteen? A big class!
B:Yes.

3







A: And is that your teacher?
B: Yes.
A: What’s his name?
B: Mr Green.
A: Can you spell green?
B: G-R-double E-N.
A: Well done!

21
© Copyright Oxford University Press

4



5





A:How many lessons do you have in the
morning Anna?
B:Well … we have English, sport and
drawing.
A:So that’s three then?
B:Three. That’s right.





Part 4 Tracks 24 and 25

A: Now, what’s this?
B: Oh, that’s my cat. Her name’s Happy
because she’s always nice and happy.
A: Can you spell her name?
B: Yes. H-A-P-P-Y.
A: Well done!

fish
fish
fish
fish
fish

Example

A: Look. This is a picture of a monster and
a girl under the sea. Do you like it?

B: Yes.

A: Can you see a fish between the girl’s feet?

B:Between the girl’s feet … yes.

A:Can you colour it orange?

B:OK! I’m colouring it orange.

A:That’s good.

1 C  2 B  3 A  4 A  5 C
Transcript

Example What does Ben want for his birthday?

A: W
 hat do you want for your birthday
Ben?
B:Oh … a big bike!
A:What – a blue bike like your brother?
B:No - a big red bike.

1

1 Where’s the bread?










A:Where’s the bread? I can’t find it!
B:Well it isn’t here on the table …
A:No, and it isn’t in the cupboard.
B:Look it’s on the chair! Who put it there?



A:Where’s your school book Pat?

B:I don’t know. Has Kim got it?
A:No, and Tom hasn’t got it … he doesn’t
like books.
B: I know that! Oh no! Look! The baby’s
got it again!

3

What’s Nick doing?






A:What’s Nick doing? Is he watching TV
again?
B:No he isn’t, he’s in his bedroom.
A:Oh good. Is he working?
B: No, he’s sleeping.

4

Which girl is Alex’s sister?





5

A:Which one’s your sister Alex?
B:Well she’s got long hair. Can you see
her?
A:Is she wearing a blue or a pink dress?
B:A blue one … look … that’s her waving!
What’s Kim’s favourite animal?



A:So what’s your favourite animal then

A: N
 ow, there’s a fish behind the ball. Can
you see it?
B: Where?
A: Behind the ball?
B: Oh yes. Can I colour it blue?
A: Yes, blue’s a good colour.







A: C
 an you see a fish in the monster’s
hand?
B:In the monster’s hand? Yes.

A:Can you colour it green?
B:What colour?
A:Green please!
B:OK.

3




A:Now find the fish under the hat.
B:Under the hat? Oh yes! I can see it.
A:Good. Well can you colour it purple?
B:Purple? OK then.

4





A:And there’s a fish on the boat.
B:Is there? On the boat? Oh yes, I see it!
A:Well colour it yellow.
B:OK. I’m colouring it yellow.
A:Good.

2

2 Who’s got the school book?

behind the ball = blue
in the monster’s hand = green
under the hat = purple
on the boat = yellow
between the two frogs = pink

Transcript

Part 3 Tracks 22 and 23



Kim?
B:Well, I’ve got a dog, he’s really nice ...
A:But … do you like crocodiles!
B:No I don’t! No, my favourite animal’s a
horse.

22
© Copyright Oxford University Press


5

Part 3

A:And now, the fish between the two frogs
… can you see it?
B:Between the two frogs? Yes I can.
A:OK. Colour it pink.
B:That’s a nice colour. It’s pink now.
A:Great!

1 ship  2 plane  3 lorry  4 train  
5 motorbike

Part 4
1 desk  2 crayons  3 posters  4 cupboard
5 toys

Reading and Writing

Part 5
1 3  2 reading  3 bag  4 elephant 
5 sleeping

Part 1
1  ✘  2 ✔  3 ✔  4 ✘  5 ✘

Part 2
1 no  2 yes  3 no  4 yes  5 no

Speaking
Please note: in the actual test the scene card will be A3 in size.
Words in italics are possible answers only.


To do

To say

Response (by student)




Usher brings
candidate in.

Usher to examiner: ‘Hello.
This is (child’s name*).’




Examiner: ‘Hello, *.
My name’s … .’

1


Point to

scene card.

Look at this. The children
are painting the house.




Point to table
in Scene card.

Here’s the table.

Hello




*. Where’s the door?
Where are the spiders?




Now look at these.
Points to Object card.
Which is the apple?

Point to Object
cards.

Back-up

Points to items in
picture.

Is this the door?
Are these the spiders?
Is this the apple?
(pointing to apple)

I’m putting the apple in
the tree.
Now you put the apple
Puts Object card in place.
under the dog.


Which is the cat/frog?
Points to Object card.


23
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Where’s the apple?
Under the dog.
Is this the cat/frog?
(pointing to cat/frog)




To do




To say

Response (by student)

Put the cat/frog between
Puts Object card in place. Where’s the cat/frog?
the houses.
Between the houses.


Which is the chair/handbag? Points to Object card.

2 Remove Object

cards and point

to a window in

Scene card.




Point to

birds.

Back-up

Is this the
chair/handbag?
(pointing to
chair/handbag)

Put the chair/handbag next Puts Object card in place. Where’s the
to the ball.
chair/handbag?

Next to the ball.
Now, *, what’s this?

window

Is it a window?

What colour is it?

blue

Is it yellow? blue?

How many windows
can you see?
What are the birds doing?

six

Are there five? six?

singing

Are they singing?

3 Put Scene card

away and pick

out 3 Object
cards.
3.1 Show

shirt card.


What is this?
shirt
Are you wearing a shirt today? yes/no
What clothes do you like?
T-shirts

Is it a ice-cream?

3.2 Show ice-cream
card.




What’s this?

ice-cream

Is it ice-cream?

Do you like ice-cream?
What do you like to
drink?

yes/no
milk

Do you like milk?

3.3 Show computer
card.




What’s this?

computer

Is it a computer?

Do you play on the
computer?
What games do you like?

yes/no
football

Do you like football?

Now, *, do you live in a
house or a flat?

flat

Do you live in a flat?

4 Put away

all cards.



Where do you have your
kitchen

dinner?


What’s your favourite room? (my) bedroom




OK. Thank you,*.
Goodbye.

Goodbye

* Remember to use the child’s name throughout the test.

24
© Copyright Oxford University Press

Do you like T-shirts?

Do you have your

dinner in the kitchen?
Do you like your
bedroom?


Test 4

3


Listening




Please note: when using the CD for the
Listening paper teachers will have to replay the
CD for Parts 1–4. In the actual test students
would Test
hear
each Part twice.
4 Listening

4




Part 1

Part 1 Tracks 26 and 27

- 5 questions -

Listen and draw lines. There is one example.
Bill

Alice

Nick

Kim

5




B: A
 nd isn’t that Alice there? She’s
pointing at the poster – the one with
the skateboard in it.
A: Yes, that’s Alice. Do you like her boots,
Dad?
B: They’re OK.
A: Well I think they’re really cool.
B: A
 nd look at that boy there, on the
motorbike. What’s his name?
A: Oh, that’s Alex.

B: Alex?
A: Yes, he’s wearing a really cool baseball
cap.
B: A
 nd who’s that girl there? She’s standing
next to the helicopter.
A: That’s Eva. Eva’s got a new camera. She
loves taking photos.
B: That’s great!
A: Dad, can I have a new ….

Part 2 Tracks 28 and 29
1 M/may  2 5  3 M/monster  4 11  5 12
Transcript

Hugo

Transcript

Eva

Examples

A:Hello Ben. How old are you?

B:It’s my birthday today – I’m seven.

A:7?

B:Yes.

A:That’s old!

Alex

46

Example

A: Hi Dad! Come and look at this picture.
These are my classmates from school.

B: It’s a great picture.

A: Can you see my friend Nick? He’s the
boy with the blue shorts.

B: Yes, I can see Nick. He’s pointing at the
ship.
04 CEYL_starters_Test4.indd 46

1




2

15/09/2017 14:31






A:And this is?
B:My Grandpa. His name’s Sam.
A:Is that S-A-M?
B:Yes, that’s right. And he’s very old!

1


A: A
 nd there’s Kim. Kim’s wearing green
trousers.
B: Is she sitting under the picture with the
old bikes on it?
A: Yes.
B: And is she having fun?
A: Not really, no.




A:Now you’re drawing pictures.

B:Yes. And this is a house. Grandma lives
here with Grandpa. Her name’s May.
A:Is that M-A-Y?
B:Yes, that’s right..

2




A:And what’s this?
B:It’s a cow. Grandpa’s got five cows.
A:Five cows!
B:Yes!

B: W
 ell that boy there’s having fun. Look,
he’s on the bus.
A: That’s my friend Hugo –he’s waving at
me, Dad!
B: Oh yes. So is Hugo a good friend?
A: Yes, but he’s very silly!

3


A:And is this his horse?
B:Yes. He’s very big, you know. His name’s
Monster.
A:What? M-O-N-S-T-E-R?

B:Yes!
A:That’s a great name!





25
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