What each paper of the A2 Key exam asks you to do
Thanks for the invitation, but I finish work at six. - The train was late, so I waited an hour and then walked home.
How to use this sheet
The exam has three papers. Reading and Writing lasts an hour and carries half of the marks; Listening takes about thirty minutes and Speaking eight to ten, and each of those carries a quarter. Speaking is taken with a second candidate, not alone. The two halves of the line at the top of this page show the two kinds of writing the first paper ends with: a short practical message of at least twenty-five words, and a short story of at least thirty-five built from three pictures. Results are reported on a scale from 100 to 150, where 120 is a pass and 140 or above earns a certificate at the level above.
| Paper | What it asks | What it rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing, Part 1 | Six signs, notes and short messages, each with three possible meanings. | Reading the whole short text; the answer rarely repeats its words. |
| Reading and Writing, Part 2 | Three short texts on one topic, and seven questions about details in them. | Scanning for one detail instead of reading everything twice. |
| Reading and Writing, Part 3 | One longer text with five three-option questions. | Following the whole text, including how the writer feels about it. |
| Reading and Writing, Part 4 | A text with six gaps and three word choices offered for each gap. | Vocabulary that fits the words on both sides of the gap. |
| Reading and Writing, Part 5 | A short email with six gaps and no choices given. | Small grammar words: articles, prepositions, auxiliaries, pronouns. |
| Reading and Writing, Part 6 | Write a message of 25 words or more that covers three given points. | Covering all three points; extra length on its own scores nothing. |
| Reading and Writing, Part 7 | Write a story of 35 words or more from three pictures. | A clear order of events, and past forms that stay past. |
| Listening, Part 1 | Five short conversations, each with three pictures to choose from. | Waiting for the end; the first thing mentioned is often wrong. |
| Listening, Part 2 | A page of notes with five gaps to fill with a word, number, date or time. | Spelling names and days correctly, and writing numbers accurately. |
| Listening, Part 3 | One longer conversation with five three-option questions. | Reading the next question while the recording is still running. |
| Listening, Part 4 | Five separate short recordings with one question on each. | Catching the main idea rather than every word. |
| Listening, Part 5 | One conversation and five items to match with a longer list of options. | Tracking who wants what, and ignoring the options left over. |
| Speaking, Part 1 | The examiner asks about your home, your studies and your daily life. | Answers of a sentence or two, never a single word. |
| Speaking, Part 2 | You discuss a set of pictures with the other candidate, then answer the examiner's questions on the same topic. | Replying to what your partner says instead of reciting a prepared speech. |
In use
Thanks for the invitation. I am free on Saturday, and I can bring the drinks. First the boy found a small dog in the park, then he took it home, and his mother was surprised. I live with my family in a small town, and I study English twice a week.
Watch out
Yesterday I go to the park and I see a dog.
The incorrect sentence above would cost marks in the last part of the first paper, and the reason sits in its two verbs. Both are in their present form, while the time word at the front has already placed everything in a finished day, so the sentence contradicts itself. This happens because the three pictures are in front of you as you write, which makes the events feel present, and because present forms are what an A2 candidate produces fastest under time pressure. That task is marked on three things - whether all three pictures are covered, whether the events are ordered, and how well the language is controlled - so verb forms that slip out of the past cost more than a single misspelling.