Prepare for the Linguaskill exam

It is unique insofar as there is no set number of questions – the test is finished when you have answered enough questions for your level of English to be assessed accurately. You will be asked questions to test your language skills in areas relevant to your daily life, such as the workplace, studying, traveling, technology, and your plans for the future.

There are no set test dates or exam centres for Linguaskill, as it is designed for organisations to use as is appropriate and convenient for them and for those they wish to test. Even more conveniently, you will get your results for the listening and reading elements immediately, as you are being marked as you go. Your written answers don’t take much longer, as these are marked by the computer, and results are available to you around 12 hours later.

In terms of equipment, you will need a steady internet connection, a computer, a microphone, and headphones, which will be supplied by your test centre.

Why do I need to take the Linguaskill exam?

Testing your English skills with Linguaskill will give an academic institution or future employer an accurate idea of your competency, as the results are graded by the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), which is internationally recognised for assessing language ability accurately.

All levels of your ability in English will be tested, and you will get an individual CEFR score for each of your language skills.

You will also receive a score on the Cambridge English Scale. The standardised scores help organisations to assess English skills across several candidates easily and allows educational institutions to quickly see whether you may need extra support or not in completing your course.

How should I prepare?

In terms of direct preparation for your Linguaskill test, practice materials are available online which will also help to familiarise you with the exact format of the test, and what to expect when you take it for real.

These are available at three levels: elementary, intermediate, and advanced. This means that you can get a clear idea for yourself where your skills have reached.

 The first and most important preparation for any kind of English language assessment is to practice as much as you can beforehand. One way is to listen to English language programmes on the radio, and watch programmes on the television where the language is likely to be standard English. You may also find it helpful to have the subtitles on to see the words in front of you as well as hearing them. Read books and newspapers in English, and, of course, listen to music with English lyrics too to combine relaxation with learning.