Contents

Day 1 – Introduction to Linguaskill Exam ...................................................... 2

Read and Select: Understanding notices & short extracts ...................... 5
Day 2: READING: Gapped Sentences .......................................................... 12
LISTENING: Listen and Select: Understanding short extracts (graphics &
texts ...................................................................................................... 18
Day 3: READING– Multiple choice gap fill .................................................. 32
Multiple Choice Mini Practice Test 1 ................................................. 42
Day 4: READING: Open gap fill .................................................................. 47
Mini Practice Test 2 ........................................................................ 53
Day 5: LISTENING: Extended Listening ........................................................ 59
Mini test ........................................................................................ 65
Day 6: READING: Extended Reading ........................................................... 70

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 DAY 1 – Introduction to LINGUASKILL Exam

Linguaskill Business tests English used in a business and corporate setting, and is most
suitable for recruitment in organisations where employees are expected to be familiar with
the language of business.

About the Common European Framework of reference for Languages

(CEFR)
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is an
international standard for describing language ability. It describes language ability on a six-
point scale, from A1 for beginners, up to C2 for those who have mastered a language.

This makes it easy for anyone involved in language teaching and testing, such as
teachers or learners, to see the level of different qualifications. It also means that employers
and educational institutions can easily compare your qualifications to other exams in their
country.

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 Reading and Listening
The Reading and Listening module is adaptive, so there is not a fixed number of questions.
Each question the candidate answers helps the computer to understand their level better. The
test finishes when the candidate has answered enough questions for Linguaskill to identify
their level accurately.

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 Free online practice tests
There are practice tests to help you get comfortable with the format and layout of the test
while also providing you with feedback on the responses you have entered. You can take these
practice tests as many times as you like.

Go to:

https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/linguaskill/information-about-the-
test/practice-materials/

Linguaskill is an adaptive test that changes the questions based on your answers, to provide
you with a score. The practice tests are not adaptive – there are three tests available, at
elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels:

What are the topics?

The test is based on real situations, authentic work related experiences - for example,
meetings, presentations, discussions between colleagues – it draws on documents such as
business correspondence, professional magazines, company newsletters…
Here are the types of tasks you will find in the test:

Reading: Listening:

Business correspondence Conversations between 2

people

Invoices; shipping Recorded information/

documents, etc. announcements

Contracts and agreements Answerphone messages &

instructions

Business reports, minutes

Telephone conversations

Notices, trade press articles Interviews, meetings

presentations

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 Day 1 – Read and Select: Understanding notices & short extracts

In this part of the test you will be asked to read short texts. Each text is followed by 3
possible answers. You need to choose the best answer.
This part of the test checks your understanding of ‘Survival’ English at work.
You should try to spend no more than 30-40 seconds per a question.

Example:

Skills needed
- Identifying why someone is writing
- Vocabulary : Synonyms
- Grammar : Comparative & Superlative

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Grammar: comparative superlative

Conversation answers:
1 5
2 6
3 7
4 8

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 DAY 2: READING: Gapped Sentences

For each sentence you have to complete a sentence with the correct word.
There are 4 options for each question. Only one answer is correct.
This part tests your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary.
You should try and spend no more than 30- 40 seconds per question

Skills needed:
- Keeping vocabulary records
- Identifying parts of speech

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 Keeping vocabulary records

1. You could keep vocabulary grouped by collocations:

2. You could make notes on the grammar of the word :

Interested + in + verb-ing
His company was interested in expanding into the Asian market.

Some verbs in English are always used with a preposition (e.g. we apologise to someone for
something).
Verbs with prepositions are very common in this part of the test.

3. You could record groups of words with the same of similar meaning :

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 Identifying parts of speech

We are going to review the eight parts of speech in the next five lessons. The eight parts of
speech are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and
interjections.

Verbs show action or state of being.

Nouns are the names of persons, places or things.
Pronouns take the place of nouns.
Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns and tell which, whose, what kind, and how many.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs and tell how, when, where, and how
much.
Prepositions must have an object and show a relationship between its object and some
other word in the sentence.
Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses.
Interjections show feeling and are punctuated with either a comma or an exclamation
point.

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 LISTENING: Listen and Select: Understanding short extracts (graphics & texts)

In this part of the test, you listen to about 10- 12 short conversations or monologues and
choose the correct answer from 3 choices. This part tests your ability to get factual
information from different listening texts.
There are two types of questions in this part.

The first type of question has images as possible answer choices and the second type has text
as possible answer choices.

You can listen to the recording twice by clicking on the audio button. You should try to spend
no more than 20 seconds per a question.

Example:

Skills needed:

- Listening for general meanings and details

- Distractors & false friends
- Predicting what you will hear
- Vocabulary: Opinions, describing charts and graphs

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 Audio script

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 Listening Practice

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 LISTENING: Mini Test

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 ✔

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 Day 3: READING– Multiple choice gap fill

You have to read 3 texts (75-100 words) in which there are about 5 gaps for each.

There are four choices for each gap and you have to choose the right one. This part tests your
grammar & vocabulary.

In the exam you will click on the empty space and a dropdown menu will appear with the four
possible answers.

There are no comprehension questions for this part. You should try to spend no more than 3-5
min per a text.

Example:

Skills needed:

- Process of elimination
- Vocabulary: Collocations
- Grammar: The tenses & Linking words

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Linking words : Conjunctions

Complete the following sentences using the linking words from the box.

Otherwise Unless In addition In fact Moreover Although

Hence Whereas Furthermore Despite Therefore Instead
Nonetheless However

1. She got the job _______________ the fact that she had very little experience.

2. My sister's hand-writing is always so neat, _______________ mine is a total mess.

3. I lost the game, but I told myself that I had improved a lot _______________.

4. You'd better wear a helmet when you go roller-blading. _______________, you could
hurt yourself.

5. Reading is an excellent way to increase your vocabulary. _______________, it can also

help you improve your grammar.

6. The student's essay was badly written. _______________, it was too short.

7. Wine will spoil if exposed to light; _______________, wine bottles are usually green or
yellow.

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8. Alcohol can delay your reaction times; _______________, you should never drink and
drive.

9. _______________ we have talked about the dangers of smoking to the students before, I
think the information bears being repeated.

10. Our prime minister is an incompetent leader. ____________, his government is

financially irresponsible.

11. In March of 1999, more than 130 nations signed a United Nations Treaty banning land
mines; ____________, the United States, Russia and China did not sign.

12. He was an absolute failure in medical school, so he decided to try law ____________.

13. Margaret Mead once observed, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world. ____________, it's the only thing that ever has."

14. You are not eligible for a subsidized bus pass ____________ you are a full-time student.

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 Practice
Here are some extracts from the test to try out for practice. Remember to eliminate the odd
one out.

1. Write the correct word in the gap.

1. Quickly - Immediately - Fast - Early

2. Piece – Site - Location - District
3. To - At – For - By
4. Industry - Company - Trade - Firm
5. Developed - Happened - Appeared – Displayed

2.

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3.

Remember that it’s all about context with this exam. First, read the text entirely to find out
what it’s about. Then, work phrase by phrase in order to complete the missing word. It’s
important to have a word bank to keep track of new vocabulary. You can use a “mind map”
which could help you to broaden your initial ideas:

Otherwise you could create a table like the one underneath. Start with a verb and find as
many nouns as possible. Then go on to adjectives and finish off with adverbs:

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 Multiple Choice Mini Practice Test 1

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 Day 4: READING: Open gap fill

You have to read 3 texts of about 100 words in which there are about 5 gaps for each.

There are no choices for each gap.

You have to decide what word you think is missing and type it in the space.

This part tests your grammar. You should try to spend no more than 3-5 min per a text.

Example:

Skills needed:
- Attention to spelling
- Vocabulary: Business Texts
- Grammar:

prepositions articles,
auxiliary verbs
modal verbs
pronouns
adverbs

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Between the subject and the main verb, you need an auxiliary verb, a modal verb or an adverb:

Many businesses …………… formed by serial entrepreneurs. (auxiliary verb: are)

Before a noun, you need an adjective, an article or a preposition:

He noted that ………………. Businesses are formed by serial entrepreneurs. (adjective: many)
Fewer than half of …………. Businesses are formed by people under 25 are successful. (article:
the)
Banks are ready to lend money ……………… business which have solid assets. (prepositions: to)

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 Mini Practice Test 2
This test contains all the parts of the test you will see in the computer-based test.

Try this mini practice test and see how well you do. There are 33 questions in total:

Listening Part QR Code to Audio

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 Day 5: LISTENING: Extended Listening

There are three sections to this part of the test with about 10 questions.
Each audio track is accompanied by about 6 questions, each question has 3 possible
answers.

You will hear either a monologue, dialogue or conversation.

You can listen to the recording twice by clicking on the audio button.

This part tests how well you understand details, attitudes and opinions.
You should try to spend no more than 15-20 seconds per a question.

Example:

Skills needed:
- Techniques
- Attention to details, attitude & opinion
- Vocabulary: Speeches, meetings, presentations, conferences, job interviews.

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Listening skills practice

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 Audio Script

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 Audio Scripts

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 Day 6: READING: Extended Reading

You will read a text (about 350 words) and answer 6 multiple choice questions, choosing the
correct answer from 3 options.
Questions are in the same order as the text.

This part of the exam tests your ability to read for gist or specific detail. You should try to
spend no more than 8 minutes per a text.

Example:

Skills needed:
- Understanding vocabulary in context
- Skimming & Scanning
- Attention to details, attitude & opinion
- Vocabulary: brochures, leaflets, reports & company info

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 Understanding texts

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 Audio Scripts for Mini practice tests 1 and 2
Test 1:

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 Test 2:

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