Cambridge English KEYKey English Test (KET)

What do you know about the KEY ENGLISH TEST (KET)?

Cambridge ESOL exams are aligned to the Council of Europe Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels. Cambridge English: Key is at Level A2.

The candidates' grades are based on their overall score in all the papers.

A pass mark in the whole test is approximately 70% of all the available marks over the three papers, Reading & Writing, Listening and Speaking. A 'Pass with Merit' is approximately 85% of the total marks. There are no pass/fail levels in individual papers.

Reading and Writing: 1 hour 10 minutes Candidates will need to be able to understand simple written information such as signs, brochures, newspapers and magazines. You will also have to fill gaps in simple sentences and write a short piece of around 25 words.

Listening: 30 minutes Candidates need to show your ability to understand announcements and other spoken material when spoken reasonably slowly. 

Speaking: up to 10 minutes Candidates will need to demonstrate they can take part in a conversation by answering and asking simple questions. Speaking tests are normally held with two candidates.

Candidates must use pencil in all papers.

Cambridge English: Key certificates do not expire.

The three papers: Reading & Writing, Listening and Speaking are usually applied on the same day.

Both Cambridge English: KEY and Cambridge English: KEY FOR SCHOOLS follow exactly the same format and the level of the question papers is identical. The only difference is that the content and treatment of topics in Cambridge English: Key for Schools have been particularly targeted at the interests and experience of school pupils.

Candidates are not penalised for writing in capital letters in Cambridge English: Key.

The majority of accents used in Cambridge English: Key are British, but other varieties of English accent may be used, for example American or Australian.

Paper 1Reading and Writing

Paper 2Listening

Paper 3Speaking

Taken from www.teachers.cambridgeesol.org

Say whether you agree or disagree with the following statements:

Teaching an exam class is easier than teaching a non-exam classbecause the learners are more motivated.

Learners on exam classes make more demands on the teacher thanlearners in non-exam classes.

You will be a better exam class teacher if you liked taking exams yourself when you were at school.

In an exam class, all the work should be exam-focussed.

If a student fails an exam, it is the teacher’s fault.

Sally Burgess & Katie Head How to teach for exams Pearson Education Limited 2005

Agree

Agree

Disagree

Disagree

Disagree

Which of the following activities are “teaching” and which are “testing” ?

Filling in gaps in a written text.

Organizing vocabulary into meaning groups.

Predicting the content of a reading text.

Answering T/F questions about some listening material.

Writing a timed essay.

Reading a piece of dialogue aloud.

A multiple choice exercise on prepositions.

Brainstorming ideas for an essay.

Sally Burgess & Katie Head How to teach for exams Pearson Education Limited 2005

Testing

Teaching

Testing

Testing

Testing

Teaching

Testing

Teaching

Which of the following pieces of advice is, in your opinion, Good or BadAdvice:

You can safely ignore the title of a text. It is only there for decoration.

Always start by reading the text slowly and carefully all the way through.

Don’t worry about difficult words when reading a text for the first time.

If a word seems to be important, always stop and look it up in a dictionary.

In multiple choice questions, start by trying to think of the answers yourself before you look at the options.

In a text with gaps, make sure that the word you put into each gap is in the right form.

It is important to do plenty of timed practice so that you learn how to read fast.

Sally Burgess & Katie Head How to teach for exams Pearson Education Limited 2005

Bad

Bad

Good

Bad

Good

Good

Good