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PTE Home A1 practice test

PTE Home A1 is the Pearson test people book for a first UK family visa. The English is basic: who someone is, where things are, what a person is doing. What makes it hard is the format. A computer plays each recording once, records what you say, and gives you no chance to go back. There are three kinds of task, and you either pass or fail.

Length
Up to 30 minutes
Skills
Speaking and listening
Taken
Alone, on a computer
Result
Pass or fail

Used for a first UK family visa (partner or parent), and some work visas.

Free practice tests

What is in the test

  1. Repeat sentence · 22 questions

    A short, simple sentence is played once. Say it back word for word, at the speed you heard it.

  2. Describe image · 5 questions

    A picture of an everyday place appears. After 25 seconds to look and prepare, describe it in a few simple sentences.

  3. Conversation: listen and answer · 5 questions

    You hear a short conversation between two people, then one question about it. You say the answer.

How to prepare

  • Repeat sentences are most of the test. There are 22 of them, so practise these more than anything else. Listen to the whole sentence before you speak.
  • Say it once, at a normal speed. Do not stop to correct yourself. A sentence said smoothly with one small mistake is better than a broken one.
  • For pictures, say what you see. Where is it? Who is there? What are they doing? Three or four simple sentences are enough at A1.
  • Speak as soon as the microphone opens. A computer marks the test, and long silences can end your recording early.
  • In conversations, listen for one fact. The question is usually about a time, a price, a place or a thing. A short answer such as "twelve pounds" is fine.

For each task in detail, with examples, common mistakes and a one-week plan, see our PTE Home A1 tips.

Worked example: an A1 conversation question

Here is a conversation written for this page in the style of the A1 task (it is not from a real paper), and how to reach the answer step by step.

  1. What you hear

    Woman: "Excuse me, when does the library open on Saturday?" Man: "At nine o'clock, and it closes at one."

  2. The question

    "What time does the library close on Saturday?"

  3. Step 1: keep both facts

    Two times are said, nine and one. When a conversation gives two facts of the same kind, hold both in your head until the question tells you which one matters.

  4. Step 2: find the key word

    The question says close, not open. That single word decides which time is right.

  5. Step 3: answer briefly

    "At one o'clock." Saying nine would be wrong, even though it was the first time you heard and the easiest to remember.

Common mistakes at A1

These are small language slips that cost marks at this level. Each one is easy to fix once you know to listen for it.

  • Not: She cooking.

    Better: She is cooking.

    An action happening in a picture needs is or are before the -ing word. It is an easy word to drop when you speak quickly.

  • Not: He go to work by bus.

    Better: He goes to work by bus.

    With he, she and it, everyday verbs end in -s. Repeat sentence asks for the sentence exactly as you heard it, so go and goes count as different words.

  • Not: She has two brother.

    Better: She has two brothers.

    The plural s at the end of a word is short and quiet. Listen for it and say it clearly.

  • Not: Where the station is?

    Better: Where is the train station?

    In a question, is comes before the thing you are asking about. Copy the order you hear, not the order you would use in a statement.

  • Not: Thirty pounds. (when you heard thirteen)

    Better: Thirteen pounds.

    Thirteen is stressed at the end (thir-TEEN) and thirty at the start (THIR-ty). Prices and times come up in conversation questions, so practise the pairs 13 and 30, 14 and 40, 15 and 50.

  • Not: Yes. (to "Where is her brother?")

    Better: At work.

    A where question needs a place, and a what time question needs a time. Match your answer to the question word.

Sample A1 picture description, explained

Imagine a picture of a man washing a red car in front of a house, while a small girl holds a hose. It is described in words here and is not one of the pictures in our practice test.

This is a house. A man is washing a car. The car is red. A little girl is helping him. She has a hose. It is a sunny day.

Why it works

  • It begins with the place, so the listener knows straight away what the picture shows.
  • Each sentence carries one idea. Short sentences are easier to say smoothly, and fluency is scored as well as content.
  • It uses is plus an -ing word for the two people, and has for what the girl is holding.
  • The colour of the car and the weather add content without needing any difficult words.
  • It ends when there is nothing more to say, instead of filling the time with um and er.

Questions

How long is PTE Home A1?
Pearson allows up to 30 minutes for all three A1 task types together. With 22 of them, the repeat sentences are the biggest part, so they deserve most of your practice time.
Who needs PTE Home A1?
Pearson lists it for first-time UK family visa applicants (a spouse or partner, or the parent of a dependent child) and for the Representative of an Overseas Business and Sportsperson visas. Some applicants, such as people aged 65 or over, do not need an English test at all, so read the GOV.UK guidance for your visa before booking.
What comes after PTE Home A1?
When you extend a family visa after two and a half years, Pearson lists PTE Home A2 for that step. At A2 the conversations are replaced by short stories that you retell in your own words.
Do I need to understand every word of an A1 conversation?
No. Each conversation has one question, usually about a single fact such as a price or a place. Understanding that fact is enough to answer it.

Other levels and tests

Official sources

TestWise Prep is independent and is not connected to Pearson. PTE and PTE Home are trademarks of Pearson. Test format checked against Pearson's pages on 10 October 2026; every practice question here is our own.