Trinity A2 test tips: GESE Grade 3

What to practise

1. 1

   Your daily routine, times and dates

   Describing daily routines and times, and giving dates, are two of the functions Trinity lists for Grade 3. Expect questions about what you do in the morning, at the weekend and on particular days.

   • Join two actions with "and" or "and then". Trinity's own example of what it expects is "My brother's tall and he's got black hair".
   • Learn to say times: half past six, quarter to nine, ten o'clock.
   • Learn to say dates with "the" and "of": the tenth of October.
   • Practise today's date, tomorrow's date and your birthday until they are automatic.

   Answers that are long enough

   • I get up at seven and then I have breakfast.
   • I go to work by bus.
   • It's the tenth of October.
   • I go shopping on Saturdays.
   • I finish work at half past five.
2. 2

   What people are doing in a picture

   The examiner may show you a picture and ask what the people are doing. Trinity lists describing current activities of real people or those in pictures as a Grade 3 function.

   • Use "is" or "are" with "-ing": "She is buying fruit." Do not say "She buy fruit."
   • Say who, what and where: "A man is walking in the park with his dog."
   • If you do not know a word, describe it: "a thing for carrying fruit".
   • Add the weather if you can see it: "It's sunny."

   Sentences to practise

   • He's walking in the park.
   • She's carrying a basket.
   • They're waiting for the bus.
   • The children are playing.
   • It's raining.
3. 3

   What you can do, places and directions

   Expect questions with "can", questions about places near your home, and very simple directions. Expressing ability and inability, and giving very simple directions and locations, are both listed for the grade.

   • Answer "Can you...?" with more than yes or no: "No, I can't, but I can ride a bike."
   • Learn five direction phrases: go along, turn left, turn right, go across, it's opposite.
   • Be ready to say what there is in your town: "There is a library and a big park."
   • Learn the names of local places: bank, post office, station, supermarket.

   Sentences to practise

   • I can cook, but I can't drive.
   • It's opposite the school.
   • Go along this road and turn left.
   • There is a park near my home.
   • It's next to the bank.
4. 4

   The past, and your question to the examiner

   Trinity lists describing states in the past for Grade 3, so you need "was" and "were". You must also ask the examiner at least one simple question about everyday life.

   • Learn "I was", "it was", "we were". That is the only past tense you need at this grade.
   • Practise yesterday and last week: where you were and what the weather was like.
   • Prepare three questions for the examiner about everyday life.
   • Ask your question after you answer a similar one: "I get up at seven. What time do you get up?"

   Sentences and questions to practise

   • I was at home yesterday.
   • It was cold and windy.
   • We were in Leeds last weekend.
   • What time do you start work?
   • What do you do at the weekend?

Common mistakes

• Answering in single words. At Grade 3 Trinity expects you to link groups of words with simple connectors such as "and".
• Using the present for pictures. Say "He is walking", not "He walk". The examiner is listening for "-ing".
• Forgetting to ask the examiner a question. It is required at this grade. Have three ready.
• Asking the examiner to repeat every question. Trinity says "Can you repeat that, please?" is fine, but that overusing it suggests you cannot follow the examiner, and that affects the mark.
• Reciting sentences you have learned by heart. Trinity says candidates must not memorise or recite answers. The examiner will change the question, and a learned answer will not fit.
• Saying dates like numbers. "October ten" is not natural. Say "the tenth of October".

A one-week study plan

About thirty minutes a day. Always practise out loud, not in your head.

Day 1

Read this page. Describe your whole day out loud, using "and then" at least five times.

Day 2

Times and dates. Say ten times and ten dates aloud, including your birthday.

Day 3

Pictures. Find five photos and say three "-ing" sentences about each.

Day 4

"Can" and directions. Explain how to walk from your home to a shop.

Day 5

"Was" and "were". Say where you were each day last week, and what the weather was like.

Day 6

Do practice tests 1 and 2. Answer aloud before you look at each example.

Day 7

Ask a friend to be the examiner for seven minutes. Ask them your prepared question.

Questions

How is GESE Grade 3 marked?

The examiner gives a letter: A, B, C or D. A is a distinction, B a merit, C a pass and D a fail.

How is Grade 3 different from Grade 2?

Answers need to be longer and joined together, you describe what people are doing with "-ing", you say dates and times, and you use "was" and "were" for the past.

Will the examiner help me if I do not understand?

At the lower grades, yes. Trinity's guidance says the examiner speaks slowly and clearly, gives you time to answer, and repeats or rephrases when needed.

Do I need a British accent?

No. You need to be understood. Speak clearly at a steady speed in your own accent.

Can I prepare without a teacher?

Yes. Practise out loud every day, with a friend playing the examiner if you can. Our practice tests read each question to you and show an example answer.

Official sources

• Trinity College London: GESE specifications from January 2026
• Trinity College London: A1 English test (GESE Grade 2)
• Trinity College London: A2 English test (GESE Grade 3)
• Trinity College London: B1 English test (GESE Grade 5)
• Trinity College London: B2 English test (GESE Grade 7)
• GOV.UK: Prove your English with a secure English language test (SELT)

TestWise Prep is independent and is not connected to Trinity College London. Where this page says what Trinity expects, it is taken from Trinity's GESE specifications, read on 10 October 2026. The rest of the advice is our own.