IELTS Life Skills A2 practice tests

Choose a practice test

Each test has all four phases. The examiner and your partner are read aloud, the timed steps have a timer, and the listening task is marked for you. They are free and need no account.

• Practice test 1Answer questions about yourself, talk about your favourite room, listen to two conversations in a pharmacy and a bus station, and talk about places in your town.
• Practice test 2Answer questions about yourself, talk about a friend, listen to two conversations in a clothes shop and a hotel, and talk about clothes.
• Practice test 3Answer questions about yourself, talk about your morning, listen to two conversations at a school and a doctor's surgery, and talk about your daily routine.

The four phases of the A2 test

1. Phase 1a

   The examiner asks you questions

   4 to 5 minutes

   Questions about your name, where you come from, your work or studies, where you live and your free time.

2. Phase 1b

   Talk for one minute

   6 minutes

   Each of you gets a topic and one minute to prepare. You talk for about one minute, and your partner then asks you two questions. Then you swap.

3. Phase 2a

   Listen to two conversations

   4 minutes

   You hear two short conversations. You say where the people are, choosing from three options. You hear them again and answer two questions about the details.

4. Phase 2b

   Talk with your partner

   4 to 5 minutes

   You and your partner talk together about a topic linked to the recordings. The examiner only helps if the conversation stops.

What to expect at A2

• The topics are everyday ones: your home, family, friends, work, shopping, free time and the weather.
• You need to talk for about a minute without stopping, and to say why you like or do something.
• You talk about the past and the future too, for example last weekend and next weekend.

How to prepare

• Time yourself for one minute. Use the preparation minute to note four points, and say a sentence or two about each.
• Add a reason. "I like Fridays because I finish work early" shows more than "I like Fridays".
• Practise the past tense. The examiner often asks what you did yesterday or last weekend.
• Listen to what your partner says. Your two questions must be about their talk, so you cannot prepare them before.
• In the listening, find the place first. Words like "medicine", "platform" or "changing rooms" tell you where the people are.

Questions

How long is the IELTS Life Skills A2 test?

Up to 20 minutes. You take it with an examiner and one other candidate.

Is there reading or writing in IELTS Life Skills?

No. Life Skills tests speaking and listening only. The only thing you read is a card with three short answers to choose from in the listening task.

How is IELTS Life Skills A2 marked?

There are no band scores. Your result is a pass or a fail.

Can I practise alone?

Yes, although a friend is better because the real test is taken in pairs. Our practice tests read the examiner and partner lines aloud, time each step and mark the listening task, and give example answers for the speaking tasks.

Who needs IELTS Life Skills A2?

It is used to show A2 speaking and listening when you extend a family visa. Check GOV.UK for your own route, because some people are exempt.

Official sources

• IELTS: Life Skills A2 Speaking and Listening sample test A
• IELTS: Life Skills test format in detail
• GOV.UK: Family visa, knowledge of English
• GOV.UK: Prove your English with a secure English language test (SELT)

The topics, recordings and questions in our practice tests are our own. They are written to match the format of the official sample test and are not real exam questions.