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E X A M I N AT I O N S , C E RT I F I C AT E S & D I P L O M A S
PET
PRELIMINARY ENGLISH TEST
HANDBOOK
English as a
Foreign Language
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CONTENTS
Topics ................................................................................................................................ 8
Lexis .................................................................................................................................. 8
Reading ............................................................................................................................ 9
Writing .............................................................................................................................. 11
Listening ............................................................................................................................ 14
Speaking ............................................................................................................................ 16
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I N T RO D U C T I O N TO U C L E S examinations fulfil the Code of Practice established by the
Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE). This Code
The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate of Practice focuses on the responsibilities both of
(UCLES) was established as a department of the University of examination providers and examination users and covers
Cambridge in 1858 in order to set a standard of efficiency four main areas:
for schools in England. The Cambridge examinations cover a
wide range of academic and vocational subjects and include Developing examinations
examinations especially designed for international use. Interpreting examination results
Striving for fairness
Examinations in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) were
Informing examination takers
started at UCLES in 1913, with the Certificate of Proficiency
in English (CPE). The First Certificate in English (FCE) was
introduced in 1939. Other EFL examinations and schemes
The Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE)
for Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (Cambridge
English Language Teaching) have been added periodically UCLES is a member of The Association of Language Testers
since then, so that UCLES now offers a comprehensive range in Europe (ALTE) which was formed in 1990. The members
of EFL examinations and TEFL schemes with a total annual which include Alliance Franaise, Goethe-Institut, Instituto
candidature of over 700,000. Cevantes etc, are all providers of language examinations and
certificates from countries within the European Union.
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The Production Cycle for Pretested Question Papers The UCLES EFL main suite: The Five Level System
UCLES has developed a series of examinations with similar
characteristics, which now span five levels. Within the five
Commissioning of
levels the Preliminary English Test (PET) is at Cambridge
Material for
Level Two.
Question Papers
Selection and Editing
Cambridge Level Five
of Material
Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE)
Pretest
Cambridge Level Four
Construction
Certificate in Advanced English (CAE)
Prestesting in
Cambridge Level Three
Centres
First Certificate in English (FCE)
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The Level of PET: ALTE Level Two - a Threshold Level Several of the examinations provided by members of ALTE at
User this level are used as measures of language ability for official
PET falls within ALTE Level Two, and a description of this or institutional purposes, such as acquiring citizenship or
level is given below in terms of: entry to courses of study.
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MARKING AND GRADING Time and Place
PET is usually available six times a year on fixed dates in
The final mark a candidate receives in PET is an aggregate of March, May, June (twice), November and December.
the marks obtained in each of the three Papers (Reading/
Writing, Listening and Speaking). There is no minimum pass The administrative details of the examination are provided
mark for individual Papers. separately to centres, and can be obtained from your nearest
Cambridge Examination Centre. A list of Cambridge
PET has two passing grades: Examination Centres is obtainable from UCLES (address
below) or from the nearest office of the British Council. All
Pass with Merit
PET entries must be made through an authorised centre.
Pass
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P E T F O R M AT WRITING
In PET, there are four skills Components in three Papers. PART 1 - TRANSFORMATIONS
Each of the four Components carries 25% of the final marks. five sentences, covering a range of grammatical
The four Components of PET are described in summary form structures
in the table below and in greater detail on the following Test focus: accuracy of grammatical structures
pages. They are also exemplified in the Sample Papers on
pages 19 - 38. PART 2 - FORM-COMPLETION
ten gaps to be filled in on a realistic form
Test focus: ability to write short responses within an
Summary of Components
authentic task
LISTENING
Paper 2: Listening (30 mins.)
Component No. of Parts Total Mark for Component PART 1 - SHORT EXTRACTS
Listening 4 25 seven short recordings which each relate to one of four
illustrations, preceded by a short focus question
Test focus: understanding meaning, across a range of
Paper 3: Speaking (10 - 12 mins.) topics and with a variety of monologue and conversation
Component No. of Parts Total Mark for Component types
Speaking 4 30 weighted to 25
PART 2 - LONGER FACTUAL MONOLOGUE
six mutiple-choice questions with four options
READING Test focus: identifying specific information of a factual
nature
PART 1 SIGNS
five multiple-choice questions (four options) PART 3 LONGER FACTUAL MONOLOGUE
Test focus: understanding of real-world notices completing a set of notes or a table by filling six gaps
with a word or short phrase
PART 2 SHORT TEXTS Test focus: identifying specific information of a factual
five descriptions matched to eight short texts nature and writing it down.
Test focus: detailed comprehension of factual material;
PART 4 - INFORMAL CONVERSATION
skimming and scanning skills
six true/false questions
PART 3 LONGER FACTUAL TEXT Test focus: understanding both global and specific meaning;
ten true/false statements about a text containing factual identifying attitudes and feelings
information
Test focus: ability to scan for information SPEAKING
five multiple-choice questions about a text which conveys introductory question and answer session and brief
opinion or attitude conversation between candidates
Test focus: understanding of global meaning; ability to
PART 2 - SIMULATED SITUATION
recognise opinion or attitude
simulated situation with shared visual material
PART 5 CLOZE TEXT
PART 3 - PHOTOGRAPHS
ten gaps in a short text, to be completed by choosing one of
four multiple-choice options individual long turn, talking about a photo
Test focus: knowledge of grammar and vocabulary; ability to PART 4 - DISCUSSION
recognise simple text markers
paired discussion on the topic area illustrated in Part 3
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AIMS AND OBJECTIVES L A N G U A G E S P E C I F I C AT I O N S
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talking about how to operate things verbs not used in the continuous form)
describing simple processes Present continuous: future plans and activities, present
actions
expressing purpose, cause and result, and giving reasons
drawing simple conclusions and making recommendations Present perfect simple: recent past with just, indefinite past
with yet, already, never, ever; unfinished past with for and
making and granting/refusing simple requests since
making and responding to offers and suggestions Past simple: past events
expressing and responding to thanks Past continuous: parallel past actions, continuous actions
giving and responding to invitations interrupted by the past simple tense
Conditional Sentences
INVENTORY OF GRAMMATICAL AREAS
Type 0: An iron bar expands if/when you heat it.
Type 1: If you do that again, Ill leave.
Verbs
regular and irregular forms Type 2: I would tell you the answer if I knew it.
If I were you, I wouldnt do that again.
Modals
can (ability; requests; permission) Simple Reported Speech
could (ability; possibility; polite requests) Statements, questions and commands: say, ask, tell
would (polite requests) He said that he felt ill.
will (offer) I asked her if I could leave.
shall (suggestion; offer) No one told me what to do.
should (advice) Indirect and embedded questions: know, wonder
may (possibility) Do you know what he said?
might (possibility) I wondered what he would do next.
have (got) to (obligation)
ought to (obligation) Interrogatives
must (obligation) What, What (+ noun)
Adjectives Note that students will meet forms other than those listed
above in PET, on which they will not be directly tested.
Colour, size, shape, quality, nationality
Predicative and attributive
Cardinal and ordinal numbers TOPICS
Demonstrative: this, that, these, those Daily life Places and buildings
Quantitative: some, any, many, much, a few, a lot of, all, Education Relations with other people
other, every, etc. Entertainment and media Transport
Comparative and superlative forms (regular and irregular): Environment Services
(not) as . . . as, not . . . enough to, too . . . to
Food and drink Shopping
Order of adjectives
Free time Social interaction
Participles as adjectives
Health, medicine and Sport
Compound adjectives exercise
The natural world
Hobbies and Leisure
Travel and Holidays
Adverbs
House and home
Regular and irregular forms Weather
Language
Manner: quickly, carefully, etc. Work and jobs
People
Frequency: often, never, twice a day, etc.
Personal feelings, opinions
Definite time: now, last week, etc. and experiences
Indefinite time: already, just, yet, etc.
LEXIS
Degree: very, too, rather, etc.
The PET Vocabulary List includes items which normally
Place: here, there, etc.
occur in the everyday vocabulary of native-speakers using
Direction: left, right, along, etc. English today.
Sequence: first, next, etc.
Sentence adverbs: too, either, etc. Candidates should know the lexis appropriate to their
personal requirements, for example, nationalities, hobbies,
Pre-verbal, post-verbal and end-position adverbs
likes and dislikes.
Comparative and superlative forms (regular and irregular)
Note that the use of American pronunciation, spelling and
lexis is acceptable in PET.
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