LanguageCert A1 Speaking and Listening practice

Free practice tests

• LanguageCert A1 practice test 1

  Questions about your day and your family, role plays in a café and a shop, a picture of a bakery, a talk about Omar's weekend, and a talk about your weekend.

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• LanguageCert A1 practice test 2

  Questions about your country and your friends, role plays at a hotel and at a bus stop, a picture of a classroom, a talk about Lena's new flat, and a talk about your home.

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What happens in the A1 exam

1. Part 1: Questions about you · about 1½ minutes

   The test opens with your name: you say it, spell your family name and say where you are from. Then come three simple questions about you, such as your free time, your home or your favourite food.

2. Part 2: Role plays · about 1½ minutes

   Two very short everyday situations, such as ordering in a café or asking the way. The examiner opens the first and you open the second, and each is only two short turns for each of you. The examiner plays a waiter, a shop assistant or a friend, while you are yourself.

3. Part 3: Two pictures · 1 to 1½ minutes

   You and the examiner hold different pictures of the same place, such as a bakery or a classroom. At A1 you find the differences with simple questions: Is there...? How many...? What is the man doing?

4. Part 4a: Listen and answer · 2 to 2½ minutes

   A short, simple talk about someone's day, home or weekend is read to you twice, and you may write notes. The three questions that follow each need only a word or a short phrase.

5. Part 4b: Your talk · about 2 minutes, with questions

   You get an everyday topic and 30 seconds to note a few words. You talk for up to half a minute, which is four or five short sentences, and then answer a few simple questions about what you said.

How LanguageCert marks the test, with the five marking criteria.

How to prepare

• Practise spelling your family name. The examiner asks you to spell it at the start. Practise the English names of the letters until you can say them without stopping.
• Answer with a short sentence. "I live in a small flat" is better than "flat". You don't need long answers at A1, but a full sentence shows more English.
• Learn questions for Part 3. You need to ask, not only answer: "Is there a cat in your picture?", "How many people are there?", "What is the man doing?"
• Write key words in Part 4a. The talk is read two times. The first time, write the answers you hear. The second time, check them.
• Prepare a 30-second talk on everyday topics. Your home, your weekend, your family, your favourite food. Three or four sentences each is enough.

For each part in detail, with useful phrases, common mistakes and a study plan, see our LanguageCert A1 tips.

Worked example: an A1 role play where you start

A role play written for this page in the style of Part 2 (not from a real paper), and how to handle each turn.

1. The examiner sets it up

   "I work at the station ticket office. You want a ticket to Manchester. You start."

2. Your first turn

   "Hello. A ticket to Manchester, please." Say what you want straight away. Hello and please make it polite without needing difficult words.

3. The examiner answers

   "Single or return?" If you are not sure what single and return mean, ask: "Sorry, what is a return?" Asking is better than guessing silently.

4. Your second turn

   "Return, please. How much is it?" Answer the question, then add your own question. Two short sentences show you can keep the exchange going.

5. The end

   The examiner gives a price and the role play stops. You do not need to finish the story or say goodbye at length.

Common mistakes at A1

These are the slips that cost marks in a LanguageCert A1 conversation. Most come from nerves, not from not knowing the English.

• Not: "G-E-E" when spelling a name with J and I.

  Better: Practise the letter names until J, G, E and I are automatic.

  Spelling your family name is the first thing the examiner hears from you. A smooth start calms you down for the rest of the test.

• Not: "There is a cat?" in Part 3.

  Better: "Is there a cat in your picture?"

  A question puts is before there. The examiner needs to hear that it is a question, not a statement.

• Not: "I am live in Bradford."

  Better: "I live in Bradford."

  Am, is and are do not go in front of everyday verbs like live, work and like.

• Not: "I have 34 years."

  Better: "I am 34." or "I am 34 years old."

  English uses be for age. It is a question many examiners ask, so have the answer ready.

• Not: Writing whole sentences in Part 4a.

  Better: Writing one or two words for each answer.

  The talk keeps going while you write. Key words are enough, and the second reading is for checking.

• Not: Stopping after one sentence in Part 4b.

  Better: Four short sentences from your notes, then "I like it because..."

  Half a minute feels long when you are nervous. A reason at the end gives you one more sentence and shows more English.

Sample A1 talk, explained

Topic: your favourite food. You have 30 seconds to make notes and then talk for up to half a minute. Notes: rice and chicken, my mother, Friday, friends.

My favourite food is rice and chicken. My mother makes it very well. We eat it every Friday. Sometimes my friends come to my house and we eat together. I like it because it is my family's food.

Why it works

• It answers the topic in the first sentence, so the examiner knows you understood.
• Every sentence comes from one note, which is how four words become half a minute of talk.
• It uses the present simple for habits: makes, eat, come.
• Every Friday and sometimes say how often, a small detail that adds information.
• The last sentence gives a reason with because, which is a good way to finish at A1.

Questions

How long is the LanguageCert A1 Speaking and Listening test?

8 to 9 minutes, the shortest of the three levels. Your own talk in Part 4b lasts only up to half a minute, so most of the test is short questions and answers.

Who needs the LanguageCert A1 test?

LanguageCert lists A1 Speaking and Listening for family visas (partner and parent) and for some work routes. Some applicants, for example people aged 65 or over, are exempt from the English requirement, so read GOV.UK for your visa before booking.

Will the examiner help me if I do not understand?

You can ask: "Sorry, can you say that again, please?" is natural in a conversation, and it is far better than staying silent. Listening and responding is marked, so show that you are trying to understand.

Do I need to know the names of the letters?

Yes. Spelling your family name is the first thing you do, and Part 3 or a role play can include a name or a place to spell. Practise the letters that are easy to confuse, such as E and I, G and J, and A and R.

Official sources

• LanguageCert: A1 Speaking and Listening test (SELT)
• LanguageCert: A2 Speaking and Listening test (SELT)
• LanguageCert: B1 Speaking and Listening test (SELT)
• LanguageCert: International ESOL (Speaking & Listening) qualification handbook
• GOV.UK: Prove your English with a secure English language test (SELT)

TestWise Prep is independent and is not connected to LanguageCert or PeopleCert. Format checked against LanguageCert's SELT pages, practice papers and handbook on 14 October 2026; every practice question, situation, talk and example answer here is our own.