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A2 English test: free practice

For extending a UK family visa. Checked against GOV.UK on 11 October 2026

The A2 English test is the speaking and listening test for people extending a UK family visa after their first period of leave. It is one step above A1: you describe your routine, say what people are doing, and talk simply about the past. Like A1, it has no reading or writing.

Level
CEFR A2
Skills
Speaking and listening
Valid for
2 years
Taken
At an approved centre

Which A2 test can I take?

There is no single “A2 English test”. For extending a UK family visa, a pass at A2 from any approved provider counts the same. Here are the four we have free practice for.

  • Trinity A2 test · GESE Grade 3

    One conversation of up to 7 minutes with an examiner, about your routine, places near you and the past. Taken at Trinity centres in the UK.

    2 free practice testsTips

  • IELTS Life Skills A2 · IELTS SELT Consortium

    Up to 20 minutes with an examiner and one other candidate. The result is a pass or a fail.

    6 free practice testsIELTS Life Skills A2 sample questions with answersTips

  • PTE Home A2 · Pearson

    Up to 30 minutes alone at a computer, marked by computer as a pass or a fail. Tasks: repeat sentence, describe image, retell story.

    1 free practice testTips

  • LanguageCert A2 · ESOL SELT Access

    9 to 11 minutes with one examiner, in four parts, ending with your own talk of up to 60 seconds. The pass mark is 60 out of 100.

    2 free practice testsTips

Not sure which to book? Compare the four tests.

Who needs A2

  • People extending a family visa as a partner or spouse
  • People extending a family visa as a parent
  • Some other routes that ask for A2. Check the GOV.UK page for your visa

What you must be able to do

  • Describe your daily routine and your free time
  • Say what people are doing in a picture
  • Give dates, times and simple directions
  • Talk about the past in a simple way

A2 English test questions with example answers

These come from our Trinity A2 practice (Grade 3), and the other A2 tests ask about similar subjects. For a full sample test, see the Trinity A2 sample questions or the IELTS Life Skills A2 sample test.

What time do you get up?
Example answer: I get up at half past six.
What do you do in the evening?
Example answer: I cook dinner and then I watch television.
What's the weather like today?
Example answer: It's cold and it's cloudy.
Can you swim?
Example answer: No, I can't, but I can ride a bicycle.
What is the man doing?
Example answer: He's walking in the park with his dog.
Is the man sitting on the bench?
Example answer: No, he isn't. He's walking.

How to prepare

  1. Build on what you did for A1. If you passed an A1 test for your first visa, you already know one format. You can take A2 with the same provider or a different one.
  2. Practise the past every day. Say five sentences about what you did yesterday, out loud, before you go to bed.
  3. Describe what you see. PTE Home and LanguageCert both have picture tasks at A2. Describe a photo on your phone: the place, the people and what they are doing.
  4. Join your sentences. Use and, but, because and so in every answer. Joined sentences are the clearest sign of A2.
  5. Time your booking. Results are valid for 2 years, so plan the test date around your extension application.

Worked example: talking about the past at A2

A2 tests ask about what happened, not only about how things are. Here is one question and how a good answer is built.

  1. The question

    "What did you do last weekend?"

  2. Find the tense

    The question uses did, so the answer needs past verbs: went, visited, cooked, watched.

  3. Answer first

    "Last weekend I visited my cousin in Manchester." One sentence that answers exactly what was asked.

  4. Add when and who

    "We went on Saturday by train, and we had lunch in the city centre." Times, places and people are the easiest details to add.

  5. Finish with a comment

    "It was a really nice day, but the train home was very busy." A comment joined with but shows you can link two ideas, which is what A2 asks for.

Common mistakes in A2 English tests

At A2 the examiner listens for the past, for comparisons and for linked sentences. These are the slips that most often get in the way.

  • Not: "Last week I am very busy."

    Better: "Last week I was very busy."

    Past time words such as last week, yesterday and ago need past verbs, including was and were.

  • Not: "I didn't went to work."

    Better: "I didn't go to work."

    After did and didn't, the verb goes back to its basic form.

  • Not: "It is more cheaper by bus."

    Better: "It is cheaper by bus."

    Short adjectives add -er, and more is for long ones like more expensive. Never use both.

  • Not: "I go to the gym two times in a week."

    Better: "I go to the gym twice a week."

    Say once a week, twice a month, three times a year, with no in.

  • Not: "The film was very bored."

    Better: "The film was very boring."

    The -ing form describes the thing, and the -ed form describes how you feel: I was bored because the film was boring.

  • Not: "When I will finish work, I go home."

    Better: "When I finish work, I go home."

    After when, use the present tense for a regular or future time.

Sample A2 answer, explained

A typical A2 question: "How do you get to work?"

Every morning I walk to the bus stop at the end of my road. It takes about five minutes. I usually catch the number 42 bus at half past eight, and I get off near the hospital, where I work. The journey takes twenty minutes, but when the traffic is bad it can take forty. I don't mind, because I can listen to music on the bus.

Why it works

  • It describes a routine with every morning and usually, in the present simple throughout.
  • Numbers, times and places (five minutes, half past eight, the number 42) make it concrete.
  • Where I work adds information without starting a new sentence.
  • But and because show a contrast and a reason, which separates A2 from A1.
  • At about 70 words it is a full answer to one question, roughly half a minute of speaking.

Questions

What questions are asked in the A2 English test?
Questions on everyday subjects at A2 level, for example "What time do you get up?" or "What do you do in the evening?" This page shows more examples with example answers, and each approved test above has free practice with full sets of questions.
What is the A2 English test?
It is a speaking and listening test at CEFR level A2, taken at an approved centre. The Home Office accepts A2 tests from several providers, including IELTS Life Skills A2, PTE Home A2, Trinity GESE Grade 3 and LanguageCert A2.
How is A2 different from A1?
Your answers need to be longer and joined together. You are asked about routines, dates, what people are doing and where you were, not only simple facts about yourself.
Which A2 English test is easiest?
Each is set at A2, so none is easier on paper, but the tasks differ. PTE Home A2 asks you to retell short stories to a computer. LanguageCert A2 includes a picture task and a one-minute talk. Trinity GESE Grade 3 is a single conversation of up to seven minutes, and IELTS Life Skills A2 is taken with another candidate.
I passed A1. Do I need A2 as well?
Usually, yes, when you extend a family visa. If you already hold a pass at a higher level, such as B1, that can be used instead. Check the GOV.UK page for your route.
Do I have to use the same provider as for A1?
No. Any approved provider's A2 test counts the same, so you can switch to a format that suits you better.
How long is the result valid?
GOV.UK says results from a secure English language test are valid for 2 years from the date the test is awarded, so do not take your A2 test too long before you apply.
Am I exempt from the A2 test?
The exemptions are usually the same as for a first family visa, such as being aged 65 or over or a national of a majority English-speaking country. The GOV.UK guidance for your route has the full list.

Other levels and tests

Official sources

TestWise Prep is independent and is not connected to the Home Office or to any test provider. This page is general information, not immigration advice. Rules change, so read the GOV.UK page for your own route before you book.