CAMBRIDGE

Young Learners
Starters Practice
Tests
Introduction and Tips

Contents
Introduction ………………………………… 2
An overview of Starters ……………… 2

Tips
Listening ……………………………………… 4
Reading and Writing …………………… 6
Speaking ……………………………………… 8
Revision tips ……………………………… 10
Practical tips for test day …………… 10
Introduction
The Cambridge Young Learners English Tests are designed to test the English of
primary school learners between the ages of 7 and 12. There are three levels: Starters,
Movers and Flyers. The three tests are designed to take young learners of English as a
foreign language from beginner to Waystage. There are no pass or fail grades for
these tests. All students taking the tests receive between one and five shields in each
component to show how they have performed.
Starters, the first level, is aimed at students aged 7+.

An overview of Starters
Listening
20 minutes/20 items
There are four parts. Each part begins with a clear example. All the texts are heard twice.

Expected response/item Number

Main skill focus Input
type of items

Carry out instructions and

Listening for lexical and
1 Picture and dialogue positioning things correctly on 5
verb phrases
a picture

Listening for Write down numbers and

2 Illustrated dialogue 5
numbers and spelling names

Listening for 3-option multiple-choice

3 information Pictures and dialogue (pictures; tick the correct 5
(present tenses) picture)

Listening for lexis Carry out instructions, locating,

4 Picture and dialogue 5
and relative position and colouring correctly

Reading & Writing

20 minutes/25 items
There are five parts, each starting with a clear example.

Expected response/item Number

Main skill focus Input
type of items

Reading for recognition 5 lexical items with Indicate true with a tick or false
1 5
of lexis pictures with a cross
Reading for recognition
1 picture Write yes or no next to the
2 of lexis, number, 5
5 sentences sentences
location and grammar
Spelling 5 pictures
3 Write words 5
Writing (vocabulary 5 sets of jumbled letters

Reading Riddle-cloze with Gap-filling (prompted);

4 5
Writing picture prompts one-word answers

Story presented through

Reading Write one-word answers
5 3 pictures with 5 5
Writing to questions
questions

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 2

Speaking
3–5 minutes/5 parts
This takes the form of a one-to-one exchange. The language used by the examiner is
based on and controlled by a script (there are examples of this in the Key).

Input Expected response/item type

Greeting and name check (unassessed);

Carry out instructions; point to the correct part
1 scene card and identify objects
of the picture
in this picture
Scene card and 8 small object cards;
Carry out instructions; place the object cards
2 instructions to place object cards on
in various places on the scene card
the scene card
Answer questions with one-word answers
3 Questions about the scene card
and/or short phrases
Answer questions with one-word answers
4 Questions about the object cards
and/or short phrases
Questions from interlocutor on topics
Answer questions with one-word answers
5 such as name, age, family, school,
and/or short phrases
likes, dislikes

Wordlist
You may notice that there are some words that appear in these tests that are not in
the Vocabulary List. These are words that are commonly used in coursebooks at this level
and that students will be familiar with.

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 3

Tips
Listening
All the information students need to answer the questions is repeated on the
recording in each part, and each part is heard twice.

Part 1 Tips

Teaching tips
Students look at a picture surrounded by For each new word students learn, ask one student to draw and
objects, then listen to instructions about colour in a small picture of it on a card, e.g. an apple, a tiger, a
where the objects go. Students have to bus. Group pictures into theme-related topics. Use the groups
place the objects in the picture by of pictures for a classroom game in which students are asked to
drawing lines from the objects to the place between 10 –15 pictures in different parts of the
appropriate place in the scene. All key classroom,
information is heard twice. e.g. Put the banana on the floor, Put the apple next to the
banana.
Test focus: listening for lexical items
and understanding prepositions of place Alternatively, turn the pictures over so students cannot see
what is on them. In groups, students then have to try to
remember where the objects are, e.g. The banana is next to
the apple.

Tips for the test

• Tell students to listen carefully for prepositions so that they
know where to draw their line.
• It’s important that the line they draw shows clearly where the
object should be.

Part 2 Tips

Teaching tips
Students listen to a conversation Whenever students learn a new item of vocabulary, make sure
between a child and an adult which is they can spell the word aloud. Practice spelling sounds which
divided into seven short dialogues, each are sometimes confusing, e.g. a and e, g and j.
containing a number or a name. The
first two dialogues provide examples for Give students a list of recently learned words. In pairs, one
the students. The students then answer spells out the words and the other writes the word down. They
five questions by writing down a name, then compare their lists and reverse roles.
which is spelt out, or a number. A visual
provides the context for the Read, or get students to read, prepared conversations or short
conversation and help with the texts. Tell them to listen for names to spell (the letters will be
examples and first two questions. spelt out for them), and numbers from 1–20, and to write them
down. Prepare conversations which are similar to those
Test focus: recognising numbers, names students will hear on the recording and read them out twice.
and letters of the alphabet
Tips for the test
• Encourage students to learn easy boys’ and girls’ English
names such as Sue, Kim, Pat, Ben, Nick, Tom, and to
recognise titles e.g. Mr., Mrs., Miss. Colours are also used for
names, e.g. Mr. Brown, Miss Green.
• Tell students to listen very carefully for names and numbers.
If they need to put a name, it will be spelt out on the
recording. If it isn’t spelt out, the answer will be a number.

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 4

 Part 3 Tips

Teaching tips
Five short dialogues between a variety Using sets of pictures from past papers, read out a simple
of paired speakers. Students have to description of one of the pictures in each set. Students have
answer five questions that are printed in to say which picture you are describing. Once students get
their books and are heard on the the hang of this they can then work in pairs to describe and
recording. For each question the identify pictures for each other.
students look at three pictures and as Using pictures, e.g. cut from magazines, read out some
they listen, tick the appropriate picture statements about the pictures. Some of the statements are
by deciding how the pictures differ correct, others are not. Students call out No when the
from each other. statement is incorrect, and Yes when it is. Again, more
confident students could go on to try this as a pairwork
Test focus: listening for detailed activity.
information
Tips for the test
• Tell students to look carefully at the pictures and try to
work out what the differences are before they listen.
• Tell them to listen to the whole conversation before they
decide and not to decide on an answer too quickly.
Remind them that they will get the opportunity to hear
the conversation again. They should be encouraged to
listen to check their answer even if they have managed to
tick a picture on the first listening.

Part 4 Tips

Teaching tips
Students look at a black and white Photocopy black and white pictures suitable for the level, e.g. a
picture and listen to instructions in the kitchen scene, a garden scene. Give each student a copy of the
form of a conversation between an adult same picture. Read out instructions, e.g. Colour the flower pink,
and a child. Students have to locate and quite slowly to begin with. Read each instruction twice. The
colour in five objects in the picture. At student who produces the best, accurately coloured picture
this level the objects are the same, e.g. wins.
five books. There will be an extra object As students gain in confidence, make the instructions more
that they do not need to colour. difficult, e.g. Colour one flower pink and the other yellow, and
Students can write the colour if they read out the instructions more quickly.
prefer.
Tips for the test
Test focus: following instructions, • Tell students to make sure that they have the full range of
recognising colours, lexical items coloured pencils for the test (listed in the Revision section on
and understanding prepositions of place page 10).
• Encourage students to listen carefully for the preposition
telling them where the object is and what colour to use.
Students should be told that this is not a test of their
colouring skills and that they should move on from one
question to the next, without worrying whether they have
completely finished colouring every part of the object.

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 5

 Reading & Writing

Part 1 Tips

Teaching tips
Students look at five individual pictures Prepare a set of flashcards on a specific topic, e.g. animals,
and read a sentence attached to each clothes, places, and for each set prepare separate cards with
picture. They indicate with a tick or sentences which describe the pictures, e.g. This is a snake, This
cross whether the sentence is true or is a shirt, This is a station. These can then be used for various
false. games.

Test focus: understanding lexical items Divide students into groups. Each group of students matches
their sentences to the pictures as quickly as they can.

Students can play snap in small groups. One student has the
pictures and puts one down on the table. The other students
share the sentences and shout snap when the picture matches
one of their sentences.

Tips for the test

• Tell students to underline the important word in each
sentence and look at the pictures carefully before they
decide.
• It’s important that they make sure their ticks (✔) or crosses
(✘) are very clear.

Part 2 Tips

Teaching tips
Students look at a picture, read five Find pictures in children’s books that are suitable for the level,
short sentences and indicate with e.g. the home, the classroom, the farm, the park.
yes or no whether the information is Prepare a set of cards containing different sentence halves that
correct or not. describe each picture, e.g. to describe a scene in a park:

Test focus: understanding of verbs in 1 There are birds a) with a kite.

present continuous, lexical items, 2 The children are playing b) on a chair.
prepositions of place 3 The man is sitting c) in the trees.

Divide students into groups and give one picture and one set of
sentence halves to each group. Students match the sentence
halves to describe the picture. They then exchange pictures and
sentences with another group.

Tips for the test

• Tell the students to underline the nouns, prepositions and
verbs in each sentence. Tell them to read each sentence
carefully and ask themselves questions to find out if all the
information is correct. E.g. Are there five fish? Are the birds
in the trees? Is the boy between the two girls?
• Ensure students are familiar with action verbs, e.g. run, walk,
ride, throw, hold, etc.

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 6

 Part 3 Tips

Teaching tips
Students look at five pictures As a follow-up to a lesson on a particular vocabulary topic, e.g.
accompanied by five anagrams. Food and Drink, make cards containing letters of the alphabet.
They need to arrange the letters Prepare more copies of the high frequency letters e.g. vowels,
correctly to spell the word. Dashes and consonants like s, b, r. Spread the cards out on a table.
represent the number of letters in Allow two or three minutes for students, working in pairs, to
the target lexical item. make as many words as they can on the vocabulary topic using
the letters on the table. Give students a mark for each word
Test focus: names of lexical items that is spelt correctly.
and spelling The letters could also be used for other simple vocabulary
games such as scrabble, where students are given seven letters
and have to use their letters to make or build up a grid of words
on the table.

Tips for the test

• Tell students that if they know the word for the object, they
should circle the first and last letter of the word, then try to
arrange the other letters correctly.
• Tell them to cross the letters out as they use them to check
that they have used all the letters and have not missed, e.g.
double letters, or the letter e on the end of a word.

Part 4 Tips

Teaching tips
Students fill in five gaps in a text Put students into small groups and give them a pile of cards
with singular or plural nouns. They showing different nouns from the Starters wordlist. Place the
choose from eight labelled visuals cards face down. Each student takes a card. Tell them not to
and put the nouns into the correct show their cards to each other. Ask them to take it in turns to
place in the text. The first is given as give one piece of information about their picture and each
an example and there are two time the other students have one guess about what’s in the
options which the students will not picture. The first student to guess what is in someone else’s
need to use. picture wins the card. The students keep going until they have
used all the cards and the student who has got the most cards
Test focus: reading, names of lexical at the end of the game is the winner.
items and spelling
Tips for the test
• Tell students to check all the possible nouns in each space
before making their decision.
• Remind students that some of the nouns will be singular and
some plural. They should check the spaces to see whether
the missing noun is singular or plural. Teach them to look for
clues, e.g. ‘a’, ‘an’, ‘two’ etc.

Part 5 Tips

Teaching tips
Students look at three pictures which Show students one of the pictures you prepared for Part 2.
tell a simple story and are asked to Read out 10 statements about the picture. Tell students that
produce one-word answers to five wh- some of the sentences are correct, others are not. In groups,
questions. students decide how many sentences they think are correct.
Give each group a point for each correct sentence. At the end
Test focus: understanding and spelling ask the class if they can correct the sentences which are wrong,
of, e.g. numbers, verbs in present e.g. There are five children in the park. This is wrong because
continous tense, lexical items there are four. As in other parts of the test, activities that
encourage accurate spelling will be helpful.

Tips for the test

• Tell students to read the question words very carefully so that
they know what they are looking for, e.g. Where? Who? How
many?
• Ensure they know how to spell colours and the numbers from
1–20, and tell them to count carefully.

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 7

 Speaking
Before the test starts the student is introduced to the examiner by an usher,
for example, their teacher. The examiner then greets the student.

Throughout the test the examiner will ask back-up questions if the student
has difficulty in responding.

Part 1 Tips

Tips for the test

Students are shown a large picture • Tell students not to worry as it will be easy to see where the
of a scene that the examiner makes things are in the scene. All they are expected to do in this
comments about, e.g. Look at this. part of the test is to point to them.
This is a street. The children are going
to school. The students are asked to
identify two different lexical items
in the scene, e.g. Where’s the bus?
Where are the flowers? They point to
the appropriate items in the picture.

Test focus: identifying lexical items

Part 2 Tips

Tips for the test

The examiner lays out a set of cards • Tell students not to worry if they are asked to put things in
showing pictures of different objects. what they consider to be the wrong place, e.g. the giraffe in
Students point to one of the cards and the bedroom, but just to do what the examiner asks them to.
put it in a particular place on the scene • Tell them to have a good look at the scene and to listen for
card, e.g. Which is the bird? Put the the preposition and objects mentioned by the examiner.
bird on the house. Students are then
asked to place two further object cards
on the scene card.

Test focus: identifying lexical items,

prepostions of place

Please note: the object cards are in

the Student’s test pages and will need to
be cut out before use.

Part 3 Tips

Tips for the test

Students are asked four wh– questions • Tell students to have a go even if they’re not quite sure of the
about the scene card. answer. A one-word answer is enough.
These questions test vocabulary, • Ensure students know and can use the following expression:
colour, number and verbs in present Sorry, I don’t understand.
continuous tense.
e.g. What’s this? (a) parrot
How many parrots are there? five
What’s the girl doing?
(She’s) writing.

Test focus: understanding lexical

items, colour, number, present
continuous tense

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 8

 Part 4 Tips

Teaching tips
Students are shown three object cards For the scene activity
that haven’t been talked about. The Divide students into pairs. Give student A a picture, (e.g. of a
examiner asks three questions about park scene) and a set of simple sentences describing the
each card. The first question asks about picture, (e.g. The girl is playing with a kite. The duck is on the
the object on the card, e.g. What’s this? water. There are five birds in the tree. The dog is next to the
The second question is more personal tree.) Tell student A not to show student B the picture.
and requires a yes/no answer, e.g. Have Give student B a piece of paper showing a basic outline of the
you got a cat? The third question is also complete picture, e.g. a lake, a tree. Student A then reads out
personal but requires the student to the set of sentences, and student B draws the objects in the
produce a short lexical response, e.g. correct place on the outline picture. Students could then be
What’s your favourite animal? asked questions about the picture, e.g. Where is the dog?
Where are the birds? Students compare pictures at the end.
Test focus: understanding lexical
information and giving personal For the object cards
information Prepare pairs of pictures showing nouns from the wordlist and
divide students into groups. Give each group a set of 10 pairs
of pictures for each group of students. Mix the pictures and
place them face down on a table. Students take it in turn to
turn over two pictures and say what they can see on the cards.
If the two pictures are the same, the student keeps the pair of
pictures. If they are different, students then replace the
pictures in their original position. The student with the most
pairs of pictures at the end wins.

Tips for the test

• Tell students to listen carefully to the question words the
examiner uses, e.g. Which is ...? What colour is ...? How
many ...? Where is ...? and try to answer all the questions
(one word is enough).

Part 5 Tips

Teaching tips
The examiner asks the student three Give students plenty of practice of introducing themselves and
questions not related to any pictures that talking about their life within the limitations of the wordlist.
require one-word answers. e.g. What’s They should be able to say:
your friend’s name? How old are you?
What’s your favourite lesson? what their name is.
The examiner then thanks the student how old they are.
and says goodbye. where they live.
what their best friend is called.
Test focus: giving personal information what their favourite school subject is.
what they like doing after school / at weekends.

Tips for the test

• Tell students not to worry about giving the right answer to
the questions (it is unlikely at this level that they will be able
to communicate all they would like to and this can be
frustrating), but just to say something. So if the examiner
asks them What’s your favourite lesson? they should answer
with a word they know, e.g. Reading, even if it’s really
Geography!

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 9

Revision tips
Make sure your students:
• know their colours (black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, yellow).
• are confident about counting and recognising the numbers from 1 to 20 and can
recognise the difference, e.g. between 7 and 17.
• have learnt prepositions of place very carefully and are confident about the differences
between them. Many questions rely on their knowledge of these prepositions.
• have had plenty of practice of spelling out words and recognising all letters of the
alphabet. They should pay particular attention to the sound of vowels, e.g. the
difference between the letters e and a.
• know the meaning of the word double, e.g. double t.
• look at pictures carefully, paying attention to details of where things are, what colour
they are, what people and animals are doing, etc.
• revise lexical items using pictures of objects and verbs from the Starters vocabulary list,
where possible arranged into lexical sets.

Practical tips for test day

Tell your students to:
• arrive in good time for their tests.
• have several sharp pencils with them.
• write in pencil so that they can make changes neatly.
• take a rubber with them.
• make sure they have all the coloured pencils (ready sharpened) they will require for
Listening Part 4.

Remind students to:

• look at the words and pictures very carefully.
• underline the important words in sentences.
• check carefully before deciding on an answer.
• make changes clearly.
• only put one word if the answer is written.
• stay calm if they miss something on the tape during the listening test as they will
get another chance to hear key information.

Cambridge Young Learners Starters Practice Tests 10