London, UK – Whether you are starting with a Skills for English test or switching to Skills for English from another test, it is important to prepare for your test to maximize your change of success. Preparing for your Skills for English language test goes beyond taking practice tests, though that is certainly part of the test taker journey. To make sure you are test ready follow this path:
Find Your Level
The first step of your testing journey is to identify what level of proficiency your visa requires. Skills for English takes the guesswork out of this step as our tests are aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages. This allows you to know the exact test you need for your visa and what you need to practice – no more, no less!
The images below tell you more about the six different levels:
Once you have identified the language proficiency level you need for your visa, the next step is to figure out your current level of English Language proficiency. You can take our “Find Your CEFR level” indicator tests, and learn more about each level, on the Skills for English website.
Understand the Test
Improve Your Knowledge
Now that you have identified where your English skills are at and where they need to be, you can improve your knowledge through our partner site SQA Academy. You will need to create a free account, but once you do, you’ll have access to learning materials for levels A1 to C1. Learn more on the Skills for English website.
Practice the Test
As your English skills continue to improve and you feel almost fully prepared for your Skills for English test, keep improving your skills by taking practice tests. On the Skills for English website you will find specimen practice tests that mirror exactly the kind of test you will get on test day. You will find practice tests for both speaking and listening for levels A1 and A2. Levels B1 to C2 have practice tests for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Each of these available practice tests contain four questions and are available for free.
There are additional Skills for English practice tests for purchase through GlobalELT. There are books available that contain five practice tests each for levels A1 to B2.
What’s next?
Following these steps will not guarantee success on a Skills for English test, but it will allow you to become test ready and maximize your chances for success. Stay turned for upcoming blog posts with more tips to get the most our of your test taker journey.
